THE PURPOSEFUL GOD

THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD: The steps of a good man are ordered by the lord. “Ordered” is from the Hebrew word “kun” and means “to establish, to prepare, fixed, set in place”. If such a small thing as a step is controlled and ordained by God, there is nothing in our life He is not sovereign over, concerned about, and involved in - absolutely nothing! (Psalms 37:23)

THE NARROW GATED DIFFICULT WAY: Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity? “Adversity” is from the Hebrew word “ra/raah” and means “the entire spectrum of bad.” Adversity is God’s judgment on mankind, a reality of life. (Job 2:10; Matt. 7:14)

THE WORK OF GOD: Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what He has made crooked?  In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, so that man can find out nothing that will come after Him (i.e., know what is to happen). God “appoints” through willing good and allowing bad. (Ecc. 7:13-14)

COUNT IT ALL JOY:  Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, Though the olive crop fails and the fields provide no food, Though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will be jubilant in the Lord, I will rejoice in the victorious God of my salvation. Rejoice... In everything give thanks. (Hab. 3:17-18; James 1; 2-4; Rom. 5:3-5; 1 Thess. 5:18)

GOD TURNS BAD INTO HIS GOOD:   He knows the way I take, When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandments of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food. Only melted purified gold is minted! All things work together for our good. (Job 23:10-12; 1 Peter 1:6-7, 4:12-13; Rom. 8:28)

GOD’S PURPOSE... OUR PERFECTION: The Lord God is my strength, my personal invincible army; He makes my feet like the feet of deer, And enables me to walk over my “mountain” of trouble and suffering, And to make spiritual progress. Therefore, you shall be perfect... spiritually mature... Christ-like. (Hab. 3:19; Matt. 5:48)

ADVERSITY, GOD’S SCULPTURING TOOL:  We are predestined to be conformed to the image... nature, of Christ, for God loves us to much to leave us the way we are. The purpose of trials and tests is to teach us faith.  The purpose of tribulation, the pressures of life, is to teach us godly character... Christlikeness, through patience endurance. The purpose of chastening is to teach us obedience. The purpose of reaping what we sow is to teach us dependence on God. The purpose of demonic opposition is to teach us grace.  The purpose of persecution is to teach us godliness, filling up in our bodies what is lacking in the suffering of our Lord.  All of life’s difficulties work together for good in the believer to bring forth the implanted nature of Christ and teach us how to rest in the Lord... the peace of God. (Rom. 8:29; 1 Peter 1:6-7; Rom. 5:3-5; Heb. 12:3-11; Gal. 6:7; 2 Cor. 12:2-10; Col. 1:24; 2 Tim. 3:12)

ALL DIFFICULTIES ARE WITHIN GOD’S PURPOSES

THE SECRET

I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want. I have learned how to be content, satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted, in whatever state I am. I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me. I am ready for anything and equal to everything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me. I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency. Therefore saints: Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything... not even one single thing. In every circumstance and in everything continue to make your needs known to God, by prayer and petition with definite requests, and with thanksgiving. And God's peace shall be yours: That tranquil state of a soul assured of salvation through Christ and fearing nothing from God, being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort... that peace shall be yours. God’s peace which transcends all understanding, that is better than knowing why, shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  In this rejoice in the Lord always, delight and gladden yourselves in Him.  Again I say, rejoice!

I AM SELF-SUFFICIENT 
IN CHRIST'S SUFFICIENCY

End Note: This is based on Phil. 4:4-14, Amplified Bible, modified by the writer. Though this teaching, contextually, evolved out of Paul’s physical needs, the application is obliviously meant to be all inclusive: “all circumstances, every situation, all things, anything, everything, whatever sort, etc.” Paul lived the narrow gated “difficult” way, facing adversity at every turn, the same way we are called to, but he had a secret.                              

MUSINGS ON A COLD WINTER DAY

THE WARMTH OF THE SON: Sitting in the woods this wintery afternoon, feeling the warmth of the sun’s filtered rays, there is a stillness... a quiet reflectiveness as if time itself has stopped. We are such predictable creatures, adrift in a hostile world that hated our Savior and surely hates us, though we run from the thought. Many of us, saints so called, have built our house on shifting sand, dreading the storm but dreading death to our misplaced desires even more.  It would have been simpler if God had wiped our mental slate clean... tabula rasa, but He chose to give us free will... free choice, the right to choose wrongly. And, therein is our dilemma. So we wiggle and squirm, trying ever so hard to pay the piper – under the table so to speak – to have our cake and eat it too. Not all of us will make it home to heaven. There is a “great falling away”: It has already begun. Some... “few” is the term used in scripture, will give in to the “jealous yearnings” of the Holy Spirit and submit to lordship... to death... to a life quite different than we expected... to life on the narrow difficult Way. Most will join the many on the broad crowded easy way to nowhere... nowhere we really want to go. There is little solace in the warmth of the Son’s rays, till commitment seals one’s heart...

MY HANDS: My hands look old. All wrinkled up, spotted, gnarled, and veiny, they look old. They remind me of the quick passage of time. As I sit here, the sun streaming in through the window on this cold wintery day, I can feel the creeping passage of time as I look at my hands. I suffer from no delusions of grandeur; I have not done enough for the God whose love rends my heart. Mine is not a quest for payback; how could anyone suppose to earn or pay for what Christ did? No, my thought is a simple one: Time is the great deceiver, an enemy sold far too short that sprints while I saunter along through evil days, never quite redeeming the time – never quite doing my all for The One who gave His all for me. My hands remind me of my humanness, a life on the downhill slide toward home, loved beyond measure but still struggling with the unmitigated scope, breadth, and depth of that love, wanting somehow to balance the scales while knowing full well the impossibility. My hands remind me they will not always look old...

LESSONS OF THE GOD-STRUCK

Uzzah, at great personal cost, teaches us a valuable God lesson. God is not a household deity, guarded in our keeping. Our role on this Earth is not to keep the Almighty from mishap or embarrassment. He takes care of Himself. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” And yet there is something far more fearful and dangerous than to fall into His hands: not to fall into His hands.  But perhaps the most fearful and dangerous thing of all is the sin of Uzzah: to think that our job, should God stumble, is to ensure He falls into our hands. We can learn much from Uzzah about God and about ourselves. God is not safe, He's dangerous, not safe at all -- what “consuming fire” is -- but He is just and good. He seeks seekers then rewards their seeking. He seeks worshipers, gracing them with His life changing presence. But caregivers, protectors, any kind of God-handling is risky at best and deadly at worst. The all knowing, ever present, all powerful creator of all seems to think that being God is sufficiency by definition. We need to relinquish our assumed role as God’s protector and throw ourselves headlong into His tender embrace, taking refuge in Him and climbing into His lap of grace. And when He graces us with His presence, always be willing to dance.

Michal, at great personal cost, teaches us another valuable God lesson. God is not the safe-keeper of our reputations.  God is not some priggish domestic deity, a heavenly Miss Piggy intent on prescribing etiquette that maintains polite assemblies, aghast by any outbursts of fervor. Our role on this Earth is not to keep ourselves from embarrassment, to protect our death-grip on propriety. We can learn much from Michal about God and about ourselves. Michal is described as Saul’s daughter, exhibiting his DNA, playing to the opinions of others at the cost of honoring God. Pride and dignity are catchwords for deifying self, the natural born enemy of fervent abandoned worship. God didn’t play to the crowds when He made His beloved son of “no reputation”, the greatest act of worship ever, and He doesn’t give a flip about how our expressions of worship are viewed by others. Worship is for God, and pure sincere heartfelt worship always puts a twinkle in Daddy’s eyes, always! The Psalms command us to “make a joyful noise” when in the presence of the Lord. Shrill cries of gladness and loud exuberant shouts of praise may sound like irreverent din, noise, to the natural ear. Sadly, the Spirit expressed is as strange to some as the manner of expression. Ditto dancing. It is our passion that God loves, for worship without passion is only a discipline. We must come before our Father dignified or undignified, robed or in rags, with the elite or social outcasts, always willing to dance.

We can learn much from David about worshiping God. The Hebrew “panah” translated presence or face is used when God says to Moses “My presence will go with you”, and when God says to David “Seek My face.” Panah has kingly origins: To see the King’s face meant being in his direct presence. Ditto God. “The lord spoke to Moses face to face”, in His presence. Panah coupled with the preposition “le” means toward face, “before.” David danced “toward face” of the Lord, literally “Before the Lord”, in His presence.  For those who think David’s dance was some type of solemn sedated ritualistic procession, the original Hebrew begs to differ: Danced, Karar: To whirl about, to roll, to move to and fro. Leaping, pazaz: To jump, jingle, with expressions of great joy and delight, with the nuance, to be impetuous. Play, sachag: In the Piel Stem: To be merry, laugh, celebrate, rejoicing with strong expressions of joy. Some translations, such as the NKJV, incorrectly insert the word music after play, as if David was simply playing his flute. Mighty, oz: With all one’s physical strength and power, often used of God’s empowerment. When David removed his royal robes and put on the linen ephod of a priest, he divested himself of human status and position, humbling himself as a servant of God, and worshiped in wild abandoned fervor. This dance was a wild kinetic expression of singing, shouting, no doubt screaming, while leaping and jumping about, unchoreographed spontaneous combustion. David was a man after God’s own heart, pursuing his pursuer, who suddenly was found by the lifelong object of his passionate pursuit. And David danced.                                         

DANCING BETWEEN

DEATH AND BARRENNESS

DIGGING FOR TRUTH

Is this statement true? “Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.” (Jn. 9:31) 

This verse is quoting the blind man Jesus healed in John 9:1-40 and should not be taken as a direct statement from God. In verse 3 Jesus states no specific sin caused the man’s blindness: he was blind “that the works of God should be revealed in him.” In other words God allowed his blindness so Jesus could demonstrate the Father’s works through him. “Sinner(s)”, hamartolos, the adjective of hamartano, to sin, is someone who keeps on missing the mark... keeps on sinning... sins habitually. It is clear from verses 35-38 this man was not in covenant relationship with God since he did not know who Jesus was, and did not believe in Jesus as the Son of God until later -- he was a sinner when he spoke these words. There are at least eight passages in scripture where God answers the prayer of sinners such as the nobleman in Jn. 4:49-53, or the publican in Lk. 18:9-14, so the first part of the man’s statement is not true. Now we cannot say God hears and answers all the prayers of sinners, or that He hears and answers the prayers of all sinners. We only know that God has, on occasion, heard and answered the prayer of a sinner, such as this man who no doubt prayed for healing of his blindness. God’s willingness to hear and answer the prayer of a sinner has a lot to do with the content of their petition and the condition of their heart. Having said that, one could suppose that every would-be saint, at some point in the process of their response to the call of the Father, prays as a sinner a prayer the Father hears and answers. 

The second part of this man’s statement puts two conditions on God hearing our prayers, that the petitioner be a worshiper of God, and that the petitioner does the will of God. Note also the results of meeting these two conditions is “He hears them”, implying if God hears a prayer He answers it. We know from 1 Jn. 5:14-15 “If we ask anything according to His will He hears us”, and when “He hears us ... we have the petition that we have asked.” God either hears and answers our prayers, or He doesn’t hear them. 

Since Jn. 9:31 is the statement of a sinner we must prove or disprove these two conditions with other scriptures. There are no passages where being a worshiper is stated as a condition to answered prayer. Worship, is, literally, every God directed thought, deed or action, including praise/worship, prayer, bible study, giving, etc., Worship is the very essence of what a Christian is and does, the linkage between all aspects of the Christian life, and the product of the Holy Spirit revealing Christ in us. True worship... worship in spirit and in truth, is submission to the Lordship of Jesus. (Rom. 12:1-2) This is why God is seeking worshipers (Jn. 4:23). “Doing God’s will” is much more than simple obedience -- living our life within the boundaries of the truth we have received. “For this is the will of God, your sanctification.” (1 Thess. 4:3) To do the will of God is to be set apart and consecrated to a holy life in the Beloved... in Christ: Submitted to the Lordship of Jesus, our body a living sacrifice, dying daily to our old nature, yielding to the implanted nature of our Lord, transformed by the renewing of our mind, abiding continually – heart to Heart -- in Him. The prayers of such a person, a worshiper doing the will of God will most certainly be answered, for they will be the prayers of God’s own heart. “Now this is the confidence that we have...”

THE COST OF PERFECTION

When Jesus said “you shall be perfect” (Matt.5:48, James 1:4) He meant it.  The primary purpose of the Christian life, from salvation to death or rapture, is to be changed into the likeness of Christ, to literally become like Jesus.  The Great Commission, our ministries and our Christian works all emanate from and find their source in our ever increasing experience of the life of Christ flowing through us.  We are all in the Potter’s house and God, the Master Potter, is using the fiery trials and pressures of this life  to test our faith (1 Peter 1:6-7, 4:12-13), molding and shaping us into the very likeness... the nature, of His dear Son (Rom. 8:29). 

God doesn’t deliver us out of our troubles; God delivers us in our troubles.  Our strength is in the strain!  This is why James said, “rejoice and be glad” and the Apostle Paul said to “boast” (James 1:2-4; Rom. 5:3-5) in our troubles. They could see beyond the “natural”, the trials and tests, and with the eye of the Spirit comprehend how God was utilizing these afflictions, “all things”, to work together for good in their life, in accordance with His purposes (Rom. 8:28, 2 Cor. 5:7).  Just as Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before him (Heb. 12:2), they knew their faith was being tested and they knew God was taking them to another level of spiritual walk, another level of His glory.  They knew their steps were ordered by God (Ps. 37:23), that this was a pathway they must walk, so they set their mind on things above (Col. 3:2) and rejoiced!  They boasted!  They knew they were more than conquerors thru Christ (Rom 8:37), they knew Jesus would never leave them or forsake them (Heb. 13:5), and they understood and wanted God’s perfection, their spiritual maturity.  They rejoiced, “Counting it all joy”! 

OUR STRENGTH IS IN THE STRAIN!

FEAR NOT

Worry is conforming to the world’s way of responding to the pressures of life, Worry is fear all dressed up... masquerading as something normal... we all worry, right? But, for the blood bought saint, worry vents our fears, giving fear a voice denouncing our faith in God. This makes worry about the worse thing a saint can do. There are only two ways for a saint to respond to the pressures of life, either Fear or Trust, and they are diametrical opposites that cannot co-exist. And just as fear bears the fruit of worry, and ultimately depression, trust bears the fruit of love, joy, and peace... even in the worse storms of life. Our fruit always tells on our heart. Following is a reflection on how David, the great psalmist, handled worry by destroying fear with the reality of God’s sovereignty:

O Lord, You have searched me and known me.  You know my sitting down and my rising up; you understand my thought afar off.You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.

 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?  If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.  I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You. Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You.

 Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; in You I take shelter.  Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.

Revive me, O Lord, for Your name’s sake! For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble. In Your mercy cut off my enemies, and destroy all those who afflict my soul; for I am Your servant.                                                                                  

FOR I AM WITH YOU

(Psalms 139:1-18 & 143:8-12)

UNIVERSALISM: THE ABUSE OF GRACE AND LOVE

THE ABUSE OF GRACE: The Apostle Paul dealt with the abuse of Grace in many passages, including Romans 5:21-6:2 (John’s translation): “Just as our sin nature has ruled us and will cause our physical death and eternal separation from God in Hell, so also our right standing with God will allow God’s enabling power to rule us, providing heavenly life of endless duration through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say to this?  Shall we continue to allow our sin nature to rule us that God’s saving grace and mercy may increase more and more? God forbid, may it never be!  How can we who have died to our sin nature continue any longer to spend our life under its control?” How indeed...

We are either slaves to our past, slaves to our habits or slaves to God.  Either our sin nature will rule us or God will rule us. Grace gives diplomatic immunity: “But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (Rom. 5:20B NKJV).  The grace of God has been given in greater measure than needed and will always be “more than enough” for sinner’s with a repentant heart.  This in no way implies we should flagrantly sin and presume upon God’s grace.  “Shall we continue to allow our sin nature to rule us that God’s saving grace and mercy may increase more and more? God forbid, may it never be”! The phrase “God forbid” used in this passage is the strongest Greek idiom for repudiating a statement, and does not indicate when or how God forbids.  We don’t know when we have gone too far, when we have crossed the line where God’s merciful Grace is no longer available.  God’s Grace is not automatically applied to those who sin willfully; the existence of grace and mercy do not guarantee application if one does not seek and desire God’s help.  If a born again believer willingly and deliberately commits sin, with full knowledge that it is sin, there simply is no guarantee of abounding grace. Access to God’s throne of grace may be justifiably denied. Such a believer spurns and tramples underfoot Christ’s atoning work, treating as common, unholy and profane the precious blood of Jesus, and insulting and outraging the Holy Spirit, the one who imparts Grace (Heb. 10:26-31). Grace is amazing and awesome, but it is not ours to fragrantly abuse and wastefully expend. Nowhere does God’s word teach a Grace that supersedes God’s command to holiness or demand for Justice.

THE ABUSE OF LOVE:  John made the primary assertion that "God is Love." 'God" has the definite article and "love" is anarthrous; the predicate is expressing the quality, character, or nature of the article here. This means, God as to His nature is love, He has a nature that is loving. But God is not literally ‘Love”, God is not an emotion! John also states “God is Spirit” using the same Greek grammatical construction; God has a nature that is spirit, not physical or visible. John also said “God is Light” and in Him is no darkness at all. Paul said God dwells in unapproachable light... His glory, the metaphor being God’s brilliant glory penetrates the sin darkened soul of man. The Psalms tell us “God is a Just Judge”, and God calls Himself “A Just God” in Isaiah. God applies justice within His own infinitely wise council neither needing nor heeding the council of man. The Bible states categorically, unconditionally and repeatedly that “God is Holy.” The standards of God’s holiness were not created, they exist as an integral part of His nature, from eternity past to eternity future, and they are not negotiable. Much of the N.T. is about the reconciliation of God's Love and God's Justice, which is found in the cross. God's holy demand for Justice made the cross necessary, providing the opportunity for His Love to be demonstrated. We simply cannot dissect God's nature and attributes, He is infinite in all of His perfections, holy in all His ways. It would be most foolish to think God’s love for us would somehow override His command to holiness or His demand for Justice. Blindness of this magnitude is motivated by man's desire to "help" God by tweaking His message. "Cool" and "Relevant" are the “in” gospel adjectives, the mortar of which strongholds are built. But God... well, He is still the same...                                                                                                                 

TOLERANCE

No concept has more currency in our modern politically correct culture then the concept of tolerance, a once noble virtue that is fast becoming a vice promoted by secular progressives. By definition, tolerance means to permit or allow a point of view one disagrees with while respecting the person in the process. Notice the critical point: We cannot tolerate someone unless we disagree with them. We don’t “tolerate” people who share our views – our tolerance of others is reserved for those we disagree with. This essential element of tolerance, to disagree, has been deleted from the modern dialogue so that disagreement with someone’s point of view is now labeled as “intolerant.” The bases for this change is the postmodern myth that true tolerance consists of neutrality—that all views have equal merit...  equal value, and, therefore, none should be considered better than another. This is a chapter right out of relativism, and obviously turns morality and ethics into figments of one’s imagination. The elephant in the room: Disagreement, the basis of true tolerance is now intolerant, making true tolerance impossible, and opening the flood-gate of label mongering. 

Tolerance can apply to people, behavior, or points of view... opinions. Historically, our Judeo-Christian culture has promoted tolerance of people, but never carte-blanche tolerance of all opinions or behavior. In the current rhetoric of relativism tolerance is most frequently advocated for broad moral limits... or no limits, on behavior, while at the same time allowing little tolerance for the expression of opposing viewpoints on issues of morality: They want to tolerate most behavior, but won’t tolerate opposing beliefs about those behaviors. Relativistic tolerance denies moral absolutes... while holding to the moral absolute that there is no moral absolute. This concept saws off the limb it sits on.

Our first amendment rights are based on a simple principle first spoken by Voltaire: "I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it." This is the essence of free speech and tolerance in a democratic society. Tolerance does not demand acceptance or respect of contrary views, beliefs or behavior, but merely recognizes their right to exist... to “tolerate” them. Intolerance refuses their right to exist... is “intolerant” of them. Tolerance must be understood relative to its object, people, behavior, or points of view: Quoting Peter Kreeft: “Be egalitarian regarding persons. “Be elitist regarding ideas”, and behavior, I might add. Tolerance applies to how we treat people we disagree with, not how we treat points of view we think false or behavior we think immoral.  Treat people courteously... with respect... always, no matter what their views or behavior, but recognize not all views have equal worth, merit, or truth,  and not all behavior is moral. We must believe in the equality of people, that people deserve equal rights and opportunities -- not the equality of points of view, or behavior.

We live in a time of spiritual erosion and the rapid advance of secularism. Now we have groups within our society that try to impose their views on others -- silence opposing viewpoints – through the offensive label of intolerance or through threats of harm. Quoting Ravi Zacharias: “This is the new America of tolerance, another vacuous word defined by relativists whose only absolutes are the denial of any other reality except their own.” Do not allow the topic to be switched from the principle of free speech to a particular topic or social issue. Intolerance is to be denied the free expression of one’s personal views on a matter by ostracism or by the threat of harm – attacking someone because they do not think or believe like you do... like I do. This kind of intolerance is censorship in disguise.

CHRISTMAS PRAYER

Father, 

Thank You for family, Your school of love, where we learn to love people Your way. Thank You for food and shelter when so many have neither. Thank You for faith when so many walk in fear. Thank You for Your love that lights our way and warms our heart. And... most of all, thank You for Jesus, and for the Blessed Hope we have in Him. Soften our hearts Lord, that we might live as You lived, love as You loved, and give as You gave, finding our kinship in Your humility, compassion, forgiveness and mercy. Let us expend our life as beacons of radiant light to those walking in darkness, as salt licks adding the flavor of Christ to otherwise tasteless lives. In Jesus name, Amen...

ULTIMATE THANKFULNESS RESTS ON LOVE

God holds nothing back in His love for us.  His “agape” love is passionate, self-sacrificing; fully committed and all consuming, a deep, constant, unchanging love for us.  Webster’s unabridged dictionary defines “passion” as a “powerful, compelling and extravagant emotion”.  This is why Christ’s willful sacrifice of Himself on the cross is called “The Passion of Christ”.  This is more than what mere mortals call love... this is way over the top supernatural love!  Another example of the passionate love of God is seen in the parable miss-titled the “Prodigal Son.” Webster’s defines “Prodigal” as “lavishly abundant, profuse, and wastefully extravagant”.  Now, who is the real prodigal in this story?  Not the boy although he is wasteful with his resources.  But the father is extravagantly “wasteful” with His love.  The father abundantly and profusely lavishes His love on the undeserving son.  The Father (God) is the prodigal... Our Daddy!  Passionate love is not simply God’s choice... passionate love is His nature... God is Love. It was God’s greater love for mankind... the world, that overwhelmed His great love for His only Son, causing Him to make the greatest love sacrifice creation will ever witness. God’s love is indescribable with the human tongue and scandalous to the human mind which can neither comprehend nor duplicate it.  He loves us with a perfect love... an everlasting love... a relentless love... an unquenchable, insatiable, immeasurable, inexhaustible, irrepressible, irrational, unshakeable, inescapable, unmovable, constantly constant unchanging love. There is nothing we can do to make Him love us more, and nothing we can do to make Him love us less.  God loves us 100%... all the way... all the time, and He never gives up on us... never... ever! He doesn’t love us for what we do - thank God - He loves us for who we are... His adopted children. So on this day of thanksgiving... first and foremost...  more than anything else... I am thankful for the love of God.

GOD’S LOVE GIVES MEANING TO THANKSGIVING...

“THEREFORE... LET US... “ (2 Cor. 7:1)

“THEREFORE, HAVING THESE PROMISES”: The Apostle Paul is speaking to the church at Corinth, to the brethren... saints... Christians, and to twenty-first century saints as well. These “promises” are found in the preceding verses: That God would dwell in us and walk among us, that He would be our Father and we would be His sons and daughters.

 “BELOVED, LET US CLEANSE OURSELVES”: “Therefore, having ... let us”: This construction imposes a condition on receiving God’s promises. The condition is that we cleanse ourselves. Note who is doing the cleansing... We are!

“FROM ALL FILTHINESS OF THE FLESH AND SPIRIT”: We may look pretty good to ourselves, but to God our flesh and spirit are filthy... vile... nasty... obscene... sordid... disgusting. Remember, Isaiah likened man’s righteousness to filthy menstrual rags. 

“PERFECTING HOLINESS”: “Therefore you shall be perfect... spiritually mature... holy, just as your father in heaven is perfect.” The purpose of our self cleansing is to bring to maturity our holiness... that we would be a “Holy temple in the Lord ... holy and without blame” For God has “predestined us to adoption as sons.” Holiness is not an option! It is a command: “Be holy, for I Am holy.” God is holy...  like Father... like son.

“IN THE FEAR OF GOD”: If love doesn’t motivate us... fear should! “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

“BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY”

GOD IS HOLY... 

LIKE FATHER... LIKE SON...

(2 Cor. 6:16-18; 7:1; Is. 64:6; 1 Peter 1:15-16; Eph. 1:4-5; 5:27; 1 Cor. 3;16-17; Heb. 10:31: Matt. 5:48)

FEAR NOT

O Lord, You have searched me and known me.  You know my sitting down and my rising up; you understand my thought afar off.You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.

 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?  If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.  I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You. Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You.

 Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; in You I take shelter.  Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.

Revive me, O Lord, for Your name’s sake! For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble. In Your mercy cut off my enemies, and destroy all those who afflict my soul; for I am Your servant.

FOR I AM WITH YOU

(Psalms 139:1-18 & 143:8-12)