Seek the Kingdom, Find Everything

Therefore do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)

The whole world scrambles for food, clothing and shelter. The Gentiles, because they do not have a covenant with God, must do for themselves, which often leads to worry, fear, and even anger.

Jesus teaches a different priority for those who have covenant with God: Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. He is not telling us just to put it on our “to do” list. He is not even telling us to put it at the top of the list, as if we are to seek the kingdom of God first and then seek after the other things. No, He is saying that there is only one priority — the kingdom of God and His righteousness. When we seek that, everything else will be added to us.

God always deals with His people on the basis of covenant, and the essence of covenant is exchange: We give Him all we are and have, and He gives us all He is and has. In other words, it means that when we belong to God, He will always take care of us. In the Old Testament, God made covenant with Abraham, and confirmed it with Isaac and Jacob. It was a covenant to bless, not only Abraham and his descendants, but also all the nations of the earth. In the New Testament, we see that this covenant is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who is called the “Seed” of Abraham (Galatians 3:16).

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:13-14)

Not only that, but the Lord Jesus is Himself the mediator of a new and better covenant, instituted in His own blood (Hebrews 8:6; Luke 22:20). Nothing is left out of it.

What does it mean to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness? The kingdom of God is His rule and reign; it is His will being done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). God’s righteousness, as the Amplified Bible notes, is “His way of doing and being right.” Seeking is about giving ourselves totally over to God, looking for His rule and reign and in everything, and obeying it. It is doing things God’s way, which is the right way and will always bring the right results.

When we make the kingdom of God our one and only priority, we will not have to seek after anything else; it will all be included. It will all be taken care of, because it has already been provided for in His will. In his old commentary on Matthew 6:33, Adam Clarke illustrates it this way:

This was a very common saying among the Jews: “Seek that, to which other things are necessarily connected.” “A king said to his particular friend, ‘Ask what thou wilt, and I will give it unto thee.’ He thought within himself, ‘If I ask to be made a general I shall readily obtain it. I will ask something to which all these things shall be added:’ he therefore said, ‘Give me thy daughter to wife.’ This he did knowing that all the dignities of the kingdom should be added unto this gift.”

You might say it’s a “package deal.”

Our job — first, last and always — is to seek the rule and reign of God, and His way of doing things, in everything. All else shall be added to us.

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The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth
Keys to the Kingdom of God
in the Gospel of Matthew
by Jeff Doles

Preview with Amazon’s “Look Inside.”

Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon), epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.

The Table Surrounded by Favor

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You.
For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.

(Psalm 5:11-12)

The favor of the Lord is His delight, the pleasure He has in those who are His; there is nothing He withholds from them. The righteous are those who are in right standing with God, who love His name and trust in Him; there is nothing they withhold from Him. They are under His protection and surrounded by His favor; it is like a shield that takes care of them on all sides. It is cause for great joy, and David describes it in three ways.

• Rejoice. The Hebrew word is samach. It means to be bright and lighthearted. It arises when you put your trust in the Lord.
• Shout for Joy. The Hebrew word is ranan and means to creak, to sing, to shout. It is seeing that God really does protect and provide for you.
• Be joyful. The Hebrew is awlats. It means to exult, even to jump for joy. It is realizing that His blessing and favor is without bounds. The manifestation of His love for us stirs up our love for Him.

Notice the progression as we enter deeper into the wonder of His favor. It goes from lightheartedness, which may be quiet and still, to loud and animated joy — creaking, singing, shouting, dancing and jumping for joy.

All such rejoicing is appropriate at the Table of the Lord, where we ponder the mystery that we are made the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). The bread and the cup show us the body given and the blood shed on our account, revealing the rich favor God has toward us. For “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).

Enter into the depths of joy at the Table of the Lord, the Table Surrounded by Favor.

Transformed Living

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)

Paul encourages us to present our bodies as living sacrifices to God, wholly devoted to Him. Not only our bodies, but our minds as well, that we may be renewed in our thinking and our lives transformed. It is a life lived according to the measure of faith He has given each one of us in Jesus Christ (Romans 12:3-8).

The rest of his letter to the Romans outlines what such a transformed life looks like; the rest of chapter 12 (vv. 9-21) is a series of brief exhortations that compose an elegant string of pearls.

• Let love be without hypocrisy.
• Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
• Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.
• Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.
• Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.
• Distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
• Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
• Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
• Be of the same mind toward one another.
• Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble.
• Do not be wise in your own opinion.
• Repay no one evil for evil.
• Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
• If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
• Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
• Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

It is important to understand that this is not a checklist of things by which we must transform our own selves or change our own thinking. Rather, it is the outworking of letting God renew our minds with His thoughts, and allowing that to transform us. In another place, Paul says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5). It is the mind of Christ at work in us by the Holy Spirit. Our job is simply to let Him have His way in us.

As we yield ourselves, body and soul, to the Holy Spirit, He brings forth the life of Christ in us.

Sudden, Overwhelming, Joyful Harvest

When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion,
We were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with singing.
Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us,
And we are glad.

(Psalm 126:1-3)

Sometimes we sow and know when we can expect to reap; it is a matter of waiting. Other times we sow and have no idea when the season of harvest will come; it is a matter of watching. In this psalm, the writer describes a harvest that came so suddenly and was so overwhelming that they thought it was all a dream. It was a wonder that filled them with laughter and uncontainable shouts of joy. The Hebrew word for “singing,”“rejoicing” and “joy” in this psalm refers literally to creaking; imagine continual squeals of delight.

So great was this harvest or returning souls, the pagan nations (who had no covenant with God) could not help but notice, declaring, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The psalm writer reiterates, almost as if with fresh wonder, “The LORD has done great things for us, and we are glad.”

Now, one would not necessarily have thought of this amazing event in terms of sowing and reaping, except for what the psalm writer says next:

Bring back our captivity, O Lord,
As the streams in the South.
Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.
He who continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.

(Psalm 126:4-6)

“Sow in tears, reap in joy.” That’s how the psalm writer describes it. No doubt, many tears were shed by him and his countrymen, who probably had been exiled from their homeland all their lives. They wept and they wailed, but then the “suddenly” of God came upon them quite unexpectedly, returning them to the land of promise.

There were, however, others of their own who were still in captivity, and there was yet more sowing to do, more tears to weep. But there was also the certainty that when they sowed their seed, they would come again with fresh harvest, creaking and shouting for joy.

Sow your good seed and do not quit. Your harvest will come, and it may be sooner than you could ever imagine.

Bountiful and Wondrous

Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.

(Psalm 119:17-18)

This morning, as I was going to the Psalms, which is my devotional habit, my Bible flopped open to Psalm 119 and my eye was caught by these verses. I had marked these verses before, with circles and underlines, and a few words penciled in the margins.

“Deal bountifully with Your servant.” The psalm writer is calling on the abundance of God to take care of him. He is well aware how much he needs the grace and mercy of the Lord if he is going to survive. When he says, “that I may live,” he is not merely speaking in a metaphorical way of enjoying the richness and beauty of life; he is looking to God to preserve his physical life. One of the poignant realities of this psalm is that he is singing these praises about the Word of God even though things have not been going well for him — he is leaning in on the promises of God to guide him through.

Even so, he does not just want something from God — he wants God Himself. He is leaning into his covenant relationship with God. He does not just want God to honor His promises to him; he wants to honor God’s word by doing what it says. But he cannot do that without the help of the Lord.

“Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law.” The law of God is indeed a wondrous thing. Many religious folks think that God is waiting for us to break His law so He can clobber us. But His law is instruction. Indeed, the Hebrew word torah, often translated as “law,” can just as well be translated as “instruction.”

That is what the psalm writer wants. He is not cringing in fear of divine retribution; he is eagerly looking for divine instruction. He deeply desires wisdom and revelation from God, and he knows that is why God has given His torah in the first place. God does not hold back from us; He freely gives to us, if we are ready to receive. The problem is that, very often, pride and arrogance and our own brand of “wisdom” get in the way, and we have to be emptied out of these things.

This morning, I thought of all the prides and arrogances I have had in my life, back when I was a very young man but also in my later years. God has been gracious over the years to expose and uproot so many of them. I am well aware that it is an ongoing project. The process is not usually very pleasant, but the results are well worth it, because it readies us for the pleasures of God and the joy of knowing Him. I want to be emptied out of myself, of vanity and ego, and filled up with the Lord. It is, as the psalm writer says, wondrous — thinking God’s thoughts with Him, walking with Him in His ways, our hearts being brought into rhythm with His.

Deal bountifully with me today, O Lord. Open my eyes to the wonders of Your Word, that I may know You more. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Don’t Give Up — Your Harvest is Coming!

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. (Galatians 6:9)

There is a season for sowing and a season for reaping. Whenever you sow a seed, you are establishing a harvest. What you sow is what you will reap. The only way you can lose your harvest is if you give up.

The Greek word for “season” is kairos. The Greek word chronos speaks of the sequence of time ; kairos speaks of the fullness of time. It is a word of opportunity, the favorable combination of circumstances. The “due” season is the proper season, a season that is appropriate to the seed you sow and the harvest you reap. “In due season” means that when the time is ripe, the harvest will come. That is how the kingdom of God works. Jesus said,

The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come. (Mark 4:26-29)

You don’t have to understand how the seed multiplies or how the plant sprouts and grows. You don’t have to keep checking on it to help the thing grow. Just continue going about your business, sleeping by night and rising by day. When the time is reap, the harvest will be ready, and the harvest is always greater than the seed.

Do not “grow weary while doing good,” Paul says. What is doing good?

• It is doing what pleases the Holy Spirit, letting Him fill you and guide you. “The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:8 NIV).
• It is delighting in the law of the Lord and continually mediating on it, letting it instruct you and reveal to you the wisdom of God. The Bible says of the one who does this, “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper” (Psalm 1:3).
• It is seeking the kingdom of God. Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). God’s kingdom operates on the principle of sowing and reaping. When we seek His rule and reign, and His way of doing things in whatever we do, we are doing good. “Seek the kingdom.” That’s sowing. “All these things shall be added to you.” That’s reaping.

Keep doing good, following the Spirit, letting the Word of God fill your heart, seeking the kingdom. You will reap in due season, and it will be BIG. Don’t give up — your harvest is coming!

Spiritual Disciplines and Intense Desire

And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42)

Christian discipleship is about learning. It means that one is in training. As you can probably tell, the word “discipleship” is related to the word “discipline.” To be in training, following a discipline (a practice, a habit, a rule) means that one is learning to do what has not yet become natural to them. Thankfully, there comes a point when one moves from doing things as a matter of discipline and training and becomes “second nature.” One moves from doing things merely because he ought to do so, to doing them simply because it is the desire of his heart.

Yes, we should all have an intense desire to fellowship with Christ. We should be loaded with desire, as Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection discovered, to do all things for His sake. Brother Lawrence, however, called this “the practice of the presence of God.” He had a desire to be full of desire for God, and he practiced that desire to be full of desire until he truly was full of desire for God — and God filled it.

So it is good to have some practical spiritual disciplines that help us focus on the things that we ought to be focused on. Many times, I do experience an intense desire for fellowship with Christ; other times not so much. I know what it is like to be like Mary, focused on the one thing, the good part; but I also know what it is to be like Martha, worried and troubled about many things. The value of practical spiritual disciplines is that they can help us make room to hear the voice of the Lord; and hearing His voice, faith comes and desire awakens.

We have been much discipled by the world and/or a church that has been much infected with the faithless way the world thinks. So we not only have to be delivered from the ways and thoughts of the world, we need to be discipled, trained in the ways and thoughts of God.

Spiritual disciplines and practices can be good “tools” toward that end. They do not change God; they change us, preparing us to receive what God has already graciously promised and provided. To suppose that they change God would be nothing more than magical thinking. Our relationship with God is not a mechanical one, but a personal one, and the disciplines, when properly approached, help us empty out and make room for that relationship. Brother Lawrence had a wonderful relationship with God, experiencing his presence just as much in the kitchen as in the chapel — but notice that he described it as “practicing the presence of God.” The discipline he adopted helped him enter into that place of relationship.

The disciplines can be very good servants, but terrible masters. Apart from dependence upon the grace of God, they can quickly become a cage. But when approached with faith in God and His promises, they can provide a good framework for exploring our new life in Christ, helping us become more aware of Him. They help us do what we sing at Christmastime: “Let every heart prepare Him room.”

There may be thousands of ways that a Christian can practically implement a truth from God's Word. If one particular method doesn’t work for you, there is another one that will. When Brother Lawrence first joined the Carmelite monks, he considered a number of practical suggestions and spiritual practices, but he found none that fit. That was when he decided he would simply practice the presence of God (you can read how he went about this in his little book The Practice of the Presence of God).

A good spiritual discipline or practice can help you empty out the many distracting things so that you may have an intense desire for the one thing, the good part — fellowship with the Lord Jesus. He will fill it, and He will never take it away.

To learn more about spiritual disciplines and how they might be of help to you, read The Spirit of the Disciplines, by Dallas Willard.

Blessed in All Things

Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. (Genesis 24:1)

Abraham lived a long and healthy life of abundance and wealth — God had blessed him in all things. The NIV says “in every way.” Not just in spiritual things, but in all things; not just in spiritual ways, but in every way.

So what does that have to do with you and me? Just this: God wants us to enjoy the same blessing. That’s why Jesus came.

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:13-14)

Jesus did not go to the cross for us just to deliver us from the curse of the law; He went so that the blessing of Abraham would come upon all who believe the promise. God blessed Abraham in all things and in every way; Jesus came so that we, too, could be blessed in all things and in every way.

Just as God’s blessing on Abraham was not just in spiritual things and spiritual ways, but in all things and in every way, so His blessing on us is not just limited to the spiritual, but covers everything in life. The apostle John understood this well, and his prayer for Gaius demonstrated God’s will and desire for each one of us.

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 2)

For a great picture of what the blessing and prosperity God has for you and me looks like, read and meditate on Deuteronomy 28:1-14 and Psalm 112.

God’s desire is for you and me to be blessed and prosper in all things and in every way. That’s why Jesus came.

(Listen to the listing of blessings in Deuteronomy 28:1-14, from our Healing Scriptures and Prayers CD 2.)

The Table of Divine Glory

Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house,
And the place where Your glory dwells.

(Psalm 26:8)

David loved the house of the Lord, the place where God manifested His presence in a special way, the place where the light of His glory shone bright. It was the place David most wanted to be, the place where he could gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and inquire of Him (Psalm 24:4).

The Hebrew word for “glory” is kabod. Literally, it means weight; figuratively, it refers to the weight or value of that which is good. The glory of God is the expression of His goodness, the manifestation of His majesty. In Isaiah 6, the seraphim in the prophet's vision of the temple declared that “the whole earth is fully of His glory.” The glory of God has always been here. What is needed, though, is the revelation of that glory.

In the Old Testament, the tabernacle was the place where God made His special habitation on earth; the Ark of the Covenant was His abode, the throne of His glory. In the New Testament, through faith in Jesus Christ, we are now the house God inhabits, the place where His glory dwells.

Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4-5)

Jesus Christ is the ultimate expression of God’s glory. Indeed, He is called “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person” (Hebrews 1:3). He is the Word of whom John says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

Jesus is the full expression of God’s glory. The mystery of the Gospel is that Christ dwells in us with all the glory of God. He is

the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:26-27)

As believers in Jesus Christ, we are now the place where God dwells by His glory. There is for us a positive expectation, a joyful anticipation that His glory will be fully expressed in us. This is what John is talking about:

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. (1 John 3:2)

The Table of the Lord is a divinely instituted sign of Jesus’ presence in His body, the Church. When we take the bread and the cup, we are receiving the signs of His glory into our bodies. Though He is already always with us, the Table of the Lord is a place where He makes His glory known in a special way.

The Table of the Lord is the Table of Divine Glory.

Jumping for Joy by Faith

Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls —
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.

(Habakkuk 3:17-18)

Here is a man who is not moved by outward conditions. Maybe things did not appear to be going well for him. Maybe his crops had failed, his trees were barren, and his stalls were empty. And yet, he rejoices in the Lord and joys in God.

These two words, “rejoices” and “joys,” are not tame words. Habakkuk is not speaking merely of some quiet, inner peace in his soul. No, his words describe a wild exuberance, uncontained and uncontainable. The Hebrew word for “rejoice” is alaz and means to “jump for joy.” The Hebrew for “joy” is gheel, and means to whirl and twirl and spin; it is dancing for joy.

Habakkuk is describing exultant jubilation, extreme elation, unrestrained and outright joy — even in the face of difficult circumstances. But he is not moved by what he sees; he is not troubled by the farm reports; he does not worry that he presently has no cattle in his stalls. These are merely facts, and the facts are subject to change. But Habakkuk is connecting with the truth, and the facts must eventually line up with the truth.

What is the truth he is connecting with which allows him to remain full of joy in the midst of adversity? Simply this: He is in a covenant relationship with God, and God is his salvation. He rejoices in “the LORD;” this is the Hebrew YHWH (Yahweh), the name by which God reveals Himself in covenant with His people. He joys, not just in “the God of salvation,” but “the God of my salvation.” His relationship with God is not generic or hypothetical, but real and personal.

The Hebrew word for “salvation” is yesha, which speaks of safety, deliverance, victory and prosperity. Things may not have been looking too well at the moment, but Habakkuk was hooked up with the God of his prosperity, and that is something to cut loose and dance a jig about. God made covenant vows to His people, if they would trust in Him and obey His voice (see Deuteronomy 28:1-14), and the facts would soon have to line up with that truth. Habakkuk tuned into those promises and pressed into his relationship with God. That is why he could jump and dance for joy, and confidently declare:

The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer's feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills.

(Habakkuk 3:19)

Your prosperity and future are not determined by your present circumstances, but by your relationship with God. That is why Jesus came. Trust in Him as your salvation, rescue, victory, and even your prosperity. When you put all your confidence in Him, no matter what setbacks and adversities you may face, you will still be able to jump and shout for joy, because He is the Lord of your covenant and the God of your salvation.

The Proportion of Faith

For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:4-8)

Every believer in Jesus Christ has been given a measure of faith, and a gift with which to function in the body of Christ. The Greek word for “gift” is charismata, and refers, not to natural talents and ability, but graces given by the Holy Spirit. No one has been left out in this distribution; all have received a gift and the faith by which to exercise it.

We are to operate in these gifts only in proportion to the faith we have received. We are not called to function apart from faith, for it is faith — believing the Word of God — that pleases God (Hebrews 11:6). Nor are we to go beyond the faith that we have received; that would be nothing more than presumption. Rather, we are to exercise the fullest extent of our faith, whether we are prophesying, teaching, exhorting and encouraging, giving, leading, sowing mercy, or anything else the Lord has given us to do.

With God, it is always about faith. Jesus likened faith to a mustard seed.

So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)

Notice that it is not the size of the seed but what you do with it that matters. Until you sow it, it makes no difference how big the seed is, but once you release it and put it to work, even the impossible can happen. Another important thing to understand is that when you sow a seed, it multiplies and brings back a harvest that is much greater than what was sown. For example, a seed of corn will bring a harvest of 6-8 ears of corn, each ear with a couple of hundred seeds. Faith is the same way; when you exercise your faith, you will grow and develop in your faith and end up with more than when you began. It is really quite enough to operate in proportion to the measure of faith God has given each one of us. As we do, it will increase, and there is always room for us to grow. That is what discipleship is about: learning to walk in faith.

Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, Paul tells us (Romans 10:17); the more we hear and receive the Word, the more developed we will be in our faith. Faith is also a fruit of the Spirit (Romans 5:22-25). God has given each one of us the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us, reveals the life of Christ in us, and enables us to love and serve God and others. The more we learn to yield to Him, the more all the fruits of the Spirit will come forth in our lives, including faith.

If you know the Lord Jesus Christ, God has given you all the faith you need. The more you use it, the stronger you will become in it. The more you hear and obey His Word, and yield to the Holy Spirit, the more your faith will increase.

Post 9/11: We Will Not Fear

God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear.

(Psalm 46:1-2)

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!

(Psalm 46:10)

The message is clear: We will not fear.

According to the Measure of Faith

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. (Romans 12:3)

The word “for” indicates that Paul is continuing the thought of the previous verse. In the previous verse, he spoke about being transformed by the renewing of our minds. Now he is talking about how to think, and how not to think. Here is how a few other versions translate it:

Don’t cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself or your importance, but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities by the light of faith. (J. B. Phillips)

Stop thinking too highly of yourselves beyond what it is necessary to be thinking, but be thinking [so as] to be thinking sensibly, to each as God apportioned a measure of faith. (Analytical-Literal Translation)

Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him. (The Message)

Renewed thinking means that we do not have an exaggerated sense of our importance, as if we have merited special recognition before God. Rather, we are to maintain an accurate assessment of ourselves, and our relationship with God. This means that we are not to undervalue ourselves either, for God loved us so much that He gave us His Son.

The key is found in these words: “As God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”Our relationship with God is always about faith. Faith comes from God, by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17), and only that which comes from faith is pleasing to God (Hebrews 11:6).

On the one hand, this means that nobody has room to boast about themselves, because nobody does anything pleasing to God apart from the faith that comes from God in the first place. On the other hand, there is no room for any Christian to feel left out, because God has apportioned a full measure of faith to each one of us. So it is not about us and what we do, but about God and what is doing in us and with us. Faith is the equalizer, the liberator that frees us to love and serve God and others, as Jesus did.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name. (Philippians 2:5-9)

The renewed mind is the mind of Christ. But there is also a new body. In verse 1, Paul urges us to offer ours bodies as a living sacrifice to God. In verse 4, Paul talks about our place in the body of Christ.

For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:4-8)

As believers in Jesus, we are all part of the body of Christ. We do not all have the same function, but each one of us does function in some way. Whatever function we do have comes from God, and we are to operate in it according to faith, which also comes from God. There is no overvaluing of ourselves in this, because the faith and the function are of God. Nor is there any undervaluing, because God has given faith and a function to each one of us. It all works together to the glory of Christ.

God has given us a new way to think about ourselves, not in striving after reputation, but in yielding in cooperation with God, to bless the body of Christ, and the world through Him — according to the full measure of faith He has given each one of us.

The Table of Victory

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (Romans 8:37)

In Jesus Christ, we are more than conquerors, even over tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword (Romans 8:35). As John tells us, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). That mission was accomplished for us at the cross, though we must each appropriate it for ourselves.

How do we do that? By faith! “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5).

The Table of the Lord is an opportunity to exercise faith in Jesus Christ, the faith that overcomes the world. In the bread and the cup, we receive the sign of the victory Jesus has won for us through His body and blood. Having received it by faith, we give thanks.

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. (2 Corinthians 2:14)

The Greek word for “thanksgiving” is eucharistia. The Table of the Lord is often referred to as the Eucharist because it is a meal of giving thanks to the Lord for the gift of His Son.

The Table of the Lord is a revelation that the works of the devil have been destroyed, and that in all things we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ. It is the Table of Victory.

Exploring the Mind of God

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2)

Paul is not telling us to transform ourselves, as if by following a set of rules and regulations we can become what we are supposed to be. No, he learned the hard way that this is not God’s plan for us (see Romans 7). Thankfully, he soon learned

• that in Jesus Christ we can now live from a position of no condemnation (Romans 8:1)
• that the law of the Spirit in Christ Jesus sets us free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2)
• that God has many things specifically designed to bring us into line, inwardly and outwardly, with the truth of who Jesus Christ is (Romans 8:3-29).

No, Paul is not telling us to transform ourselves. Rather, he is telling us to be transformed. God wants to transform us, and if we let Him, He will do it for us. Our role is simply to respond to His work in us.

How does God go about this work of transformation? By the renewing of our minds. Again, this is not about us trying to renew our own minds. We don’t have the proper vantage point to be able to do that for ourselves, for we would have to already have a renewed mind in order to know how and what to renew our minds to. Rather, it is about letting God renew it for us, and He has always been more than willing to do so, as we see in this Old Testament promise:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
    And He shall direct your paths.

(Proverbs 3:5-6)

God will renew your mind if you will let Him. Paul put it this way in his letter to the Philippians, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).

Now, listen to what God says in Isaiah:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:8-11)

God’s ways are not our ways, but He wants us to walk in His ways. Likewise, God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, but He wants us to think His thoughts — that is why He sent His Word. His Word and His ways reveal His thoughts to us, so that we may know His will, His plans and His purposes. We could never discover these things on our own, nor could we ever understand them by ourselves.

But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:9-16)

God reveals His thoughts by His Word, and causes us to understand by His Spirit, so that we may receive the mind of Christ. Our part is to yield to the work of the Holy Spirit. He will renew our minds with the mind of Christ so that we may “prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

To “prove” means to test, examine, discern and recognize as genuine. Weymouth’s New Testament has it as, “so that you may learn by experience what God’s will is.” It is really an invitation to investigate the mind of God, to explore and discover His will and desire, and to experience how good, well pleasing, full and complete it is.

If you will let Him, God desires to fill you with His thoughts and change your life, inside and out, so that you may know and experience how wonderful His plan is for you, and how much it pleases Him to bless you.

Not Conformed—Transformed!

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2)

Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is god, meets all His demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity. (J. B. Phillips)

And do not follow the customs of the present age, but be transformed by the entire renewal of your minds, so that you may learn by experience what God's will is — that will which is good and beautiful and perfect. (Weymouth New Testament)

Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (The Message)

The contrast Paul presents here is really quite stark: Being conformed to this present age, or being transformed by the renewing of our minds.

The Greek word for “world” in this verse is aion, and actually refers to a period of time, an age. The god of this age, satan, is always trying to squeeze us into his mold by blinding us to the glory of God.

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

Jesus came to deliver us from this present age.

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Galatians 1:3-5)

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)

To be conformed to something is to be made like it, but outwardly; it does not necessarily reflect the inner being. But to be transformed means to be changed from the inside out, so that the outward appearance truly reflects the inward being.

The Greek word for “conform” comes from the word schema, which is where we get our word “scheme.” It has do with one’s manner of life and what may be perceived about a person by the physical senses. The word for “transform” is metamorphuo, which is where we get our word “metamorphosis.”

Think of a caterpillar when it goes into its cocoon, then later emerges as a beautiful butterfly. It looks much different coming out than it did going it, but now we see what it was really intended to be. The outward appearance has now been changed to reflect the inward reality. That is metamorphosis — transformation!

We find a wonderful example of the difference between conformation (schema) and transformation (metamorphuo) in the life of Jesus Christ.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)

Jesus was in the form of God. The Greek word is morphe. He was fully divine, through and through. Then He took upon himself the form (morphe) of a man. That is, He became fully human, through and through. He became a unique being — the God Man, fully divine and fully human.

Notice that he was “found in appearance as a man.” The word for “found” refers to how He was perceived. The word for “appearance” is schemati. He was truly God and truly human at the same time, but to the physical senses, He was perceived as simply a man.

Now consider this unique event in His earthly life and ministry that shows us transformation.

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. (Matthew 17:1-2)

The word for “transfigured” is metamorphothe — transformation! The reality of His divinity, which before was not perceptible to the physical senses, now became quite evident. The outward manifestation now reflected the inward reality, and now it was apparent to the senses that He was both God and man. The disciples saw “the Son of Man coming in His kingdom” (Matthew 16:28). He has now ascended to His throne in heaven to rule and reign forever as the God Man, and His divinity is just as perceptible as His humanity, even as the disciples experienced that day on the Mount of Transfiguration.

All those who are born again through faith in Jesus Christ are born from above. Though we are living in this age, we are not of it — we are of heaven. Paul teaches us to not let ourselves be shaped by the ways of this present age, whose god is satan, but to let ourselves be changed by the plans and purposes of God, so that our outward manner matches us with the reality of who we really. Then the shape of our lives will speak of where we are really from — heaven.

Divinely Reasonable and Infinitely Joyful Worship

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)

Paul was not commanding or demanding anything; he was beseeching. The Greek work means to call out to someone, to exhort, entreat and encourage. He was not speaking from a position of law or requirement, but on the basis of God’s compassion and mercy. That sums up what the “therefore” is there for:

• The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes (1:16).
• Though all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (3:23), and the wages of sin is death, the gift of God is eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ (6:23).
• Those who receive the Lord Jesus are now dead to sin; that is, we no longer have to be enslaved by sin, but are alive to God (6:11).
• We are also now dead to the law, the commandments ended up only condemning us (7:4). The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death (8:2).

Because of all this, Paul now encourages us to “present your bodies a living sacrifice.” We find this same word “present” in Romans 6:13.

Do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

Notice that we are to present ourselves as a living sacrifice. In the Old Testament, the sacrifices were slaughtered before they were presented. In Jesus Christ, we are now dead to sin and the law, but alive to God, for He is the God of living, not of the dead (Matthew 22:32).

This sacrifice, being dead to sin but alive to God, is a holy one. To be holy means to be set apart for God’s purposes. It is not about who we are and what we are doing; it is about who He is and what He is doing. We could never make ourselves holy; only He can do that for us, and that is what He has done in Jesus Christ—we are accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6).

Yes, we are acceptable — and accepted — in Jesus Christ. The word for “acceptable” in Romans 12:1, and again in 12:2, means to be well pleasing. When Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan, the Holy Spirit descended like a dove, and the voice of the Father said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). God is well pleased in Him, and with us in Him.

Pleasing God is always a matter of faith — believing His Word — for “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Becoming a living sacrifice that is well pleasing to God is a matter of faith, believing the truth of His Word and the goodness of His grace.

Presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice is what Paul calls our “reasonable service.” The Greek word for “service” is latreia and refers to worship, the service given to God. We present out bodies as living sacrifices as an act of worship. The word for “reasonable” comes from logikos, which is where we get our word “logical.” Paul is referring to reason, not the reasoning of the world, though, but the reasoning of God. The wisdom of God seems foolish to this present age, but the “foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25). “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). But those who have been made alive in Jesus Christ have received the Holy Spirit, who reveals the wisdom of God to us. In the natural, it is foolish for us to give ourselves away, but in the divine logic, it makes perfect sense for us to give ourselves to the One who has given Himself to us so freely. It is no burden, but joy itself.

When we understand the love and mercy God has shown to us in Jesus Christ, and the richness of the salvation He brings to us, it is divinely reasonable, and infinitely joyful, that we should offer ourselves to Him, dead to sin but alive to God, presenting everything about ourselves as instruments of His rightness.

The Table of One Thing

One thing I have desired of the LORD,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD,
And to inquire in His temple.

(Psalm 27:4)

David was the commander of an army, and he was in a very tight spot—so tight that he knew he would not make it through unless he had faith that he would see the goodness of God manifest for him in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13). Yet there was one thing he knew he needed even more than that; one thing he desired above all, and sought with everything that was in him. “That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple.”

David had one thing on his mind, one thing he desired, but it had these three facets.

• To “dwell” – the Hebrew word yashab means to remain, abide, and even to marry! David wanted to know the presence of the Lord always.
• To “behold” – the Hebrew word chazah means to gaze upon, perceive, contemplate, to have a vision, a revelation of something. What is it that David want to see and know in such a deep way? The beauty of the Lord; to see God in all His grace and glory, His splendor and majesty, His goodness and kindness, how delightful and pleasant He is.
• To “inquire” – the Hebrew word is baqar means to search out and investigate. David wanted to explore God, to know Him more and more.

Think now of when Jesus came to the home of Mary and Martha. Mary sat at His feet, drinking in His words; Martha was “distracted” — the Greek word behind this means to be dragged away — by many things. She complained to Jesus, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me” (Luke 10:40). How did Jesus answer?

Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:41-42)

Martha was anxious about many things, and she let them drag her away from fellowship with the Lord Jesus, who was right there in the midst of everything. But Jesus gently directed her focus away from the many distracting things to the one thing that was needed most of all. Mary had chosen that one thing, the “good part,” and He was not about to let that be taken away from her. Indeed, he was implicitly inviting Martha to enjoy that wonderfully necessary time with Him, too.

The Table of the Lord is the Table of One Thing. It is that “good part” that we need most of all — time to dwell with Him, to gaze upon Him in His beauty and grace, and to explore who He is, to know Him more and more and more. It is listening to His voice and beholding the reality of His body given and His blood shed for us. It is inquiring of Him in a most profound way.

Are you burdened and dragged away by many things? Come to the Table of One Thing and contemplate the Lord Jesus Christ. Explore the revelation of His love for you.

Laying Up Treasure: Heaven on Earth

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6:19-20)

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to pray “Your kingdom, come! Your will, be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). The kingdom of God is the will of God being done on earth as it is in heaven.

A few verses later, Jesus tells us to lay up for ourselves treasures, not on earth, but in heaven. On earth, they are subject to loss, corrosion and theft. But in heaven, where the will of God is always perfectly fulfilled, there is not loss. The system of the world is to lay up treasure for ourselves on earth. People hide it in their sock drawers or stuff it under their mattresses, or put it into banks and various accounts, and then trust in it to meet their needs. Then when times are tough and the “rainy day” comes, they look to it to be their source and savior. Often, they discover that it is not adequate for the job; then they have to learn how to live with lack, or else barely squeak by.

The system of God’s kingdom, where His will is being done on earth as it is in heaven, is very different. Jesus tells us to lay up treasure for ourselves in heaven. Instead of trusting in our financial resources to meet our needs, He tells us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,” and all our needs will be met (Matthew 6:33).

Laying up treasure for yourself in heaven is seeking the kingdom of God and His will being done on earth as it is in heaven. It is all a matter of where you are placing your trust—on earth or in heaven. When we trust in heaven, we will see the kingdom, the will of God, and the treasure we have laid up there manifested on earth.

An Atheist Notion of Evil?

I just finished watching this interview (about an hour and 10 minutes long) between Christian theologian and apologist Alister McGrath and atheist Richard Dawkins (author of The God Delusion). One of the things I was struck by in Dawkins’ responses was his reference to morality, good, right and evil. In fact, this interchange was originally shot for Dawkins BBC documentary, which was entitled The Root of All Evil, although it was not included in the final edit. At one point, Dawkins speaks of something he considered to be “deeply evil.”

To speak of morality, of course, implies that there is also immorality. Talk of what is right implies that there is also that which is wrong. And Dawkins, in the course of this piece, spoke of both good and evil.

What strikes me about all this is that Dawkins is an atheist. That is, he believes that there is no God; that the universe has no personal creator, that it is all nothing more than a matter of … well, matter.

So where does the idea of morality/immorality, good/evil and right/wrong come from? If the universe is nothing more than a material conglomeration, then all that exists simply exists. It is what it is, neither good nor evil, moral nor immoral, right nor wrong. To say that something is moral or immoral requires a standard that goes beyond the material world. Such distinctions as good and evil do not arise from the world itself.

In short, all talk about good and evil, etc., implies the existence of an arbiter which transcends the natural realm, a lawgiver, the dictates of which must be followed, even a judge to whom we owe accountability. Such an entity sounds very much like what we would call God.

It seems that Dawkins wants to have it both ways. On the one hand, he wishes to be an atheist, denying the existence of such a being as God to whom he must be accountable. On the other hand, he wants to hold on to the notion of good and evil, which implies an accountability that the material universe does not and cannot require. Of course, inasmuch as Dawkins does speak of good and evil, and even of morality, it would appear that he reserves the role of arbitration to himself, in effect, making himself his own god.

That is the ancient deception offered by the serpent in the Garden of Eden. He tempted Adam and Eve to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, promising that they would be like God (Genesis 3:6). There were a number of problems with that, or course. For one thing, God specifically commanded them not to. For another thing, they were trying to be like God all on their own, quite apart from God — which was quite ironic because God created them to be like Him (Genesis 1:26-28), but it could only work in relationship with Him. Likewise, they were trying to know good and evil apart from relationship with God, instead of in relationship with Him, and that is always a disaster.

That is the Dawkins delusion.

The Table of Good Things

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.

(Psalm 84:11)

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (James 1:17)

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:11)

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32)

The Table of the Lord is the Table of God’s Son. For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Seeing that He has given us His own dearly loved Son to die upon the cross for our sakes, is there any reason to suppose that He will not now freely give us all things? He who is the giver of every good and perfect gift, shall He withhold any good thing from those who are made righteous in Jesus Christ?

In the Table of the Lord, the bread and the cup speak of God’s great love poured out in the body and blood of the Lord Jesus. It tells us of the righteousness that is now ours through faith in Him. It proves that the will of the Father for us is good in every way, to save us, free us, heal us, and restore us to wholeness and right relationship with our loving God. It demonstrates that He will not withhold any good thing from us.

The Table of the Lord is the Table of Good Things, where we may come to ask and receive all that we need in this life. Thanks be to God.

The Table of Covenant Mindfulness

He will ever be mindful of His covenant. (Psalm 111:5)

God is always mindful of the covenant He has made with His people. This speaks of more than just God’s omniscience; it is about intentionality. He keeps His covenant promises continually set before His eyes.

David made a covenant with Jonathan (1 Samuel 18:3). When David became king, he looked around and asked, Now David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?” (2 Samuel 9:1). He was mindful of the covenant he made with Jonathan.

The Table of the Lord is a table of covenant. When Jesus took the cup and gave it to His disciples, He said, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:20). The essence of covenant is exchange. When we, by faith, enter into this covenant with Him, all we have belongs to Him and all He has belongs to us. The cross is where this exchange took place:

• Jesus took our sin upon Himself and gave us His righteousness (Isaiah 53:6; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
• Jesus took our sickness and pains and gave us His healing power (Isaiah 53:4-5).
• Jesus took or chastisement and gave us His peace (Isaiah 53:5).
• Jesus took the curse of the from us and gave us the blessing of Abraham (Galatians 3:13-14).
• Jesus took our poverty and gave us His prosperity and abundance (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Jesus is always mindful of His covenant and He is always presenting it before the Father by the testimony of His blood. When we take of the Table of the Lord, it is a powerful moment for us, also, to be mindful of the covenant He has made with us. The bread and the cup show us the body that was given and the blood that was shed for our benefit. They demonstrate that, in Jesus Christ, we are blessed with all blessing. It is a time to declare, with David,

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.

(Psalm 139:17-18)

God is always thinking about the covenant He has made with us in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The Table of the Lord is an opportunity for us to mindful of all He has done for us and all we have in Him. For this reason, it is the Table of Covenant Mindfulness.

The Table of Quieting Love

He will quiet you with His love. (Zephaniah 3:17)

This morning I took the Table of the Lord with this verse, with this line in particular: “He will quiet you with His love.” In context, the prophet is speaking about how the Lord has taken away the judgments that were on us (v. 15); He will not bring them up any more. In another place, the Lord, “For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (Jeremiah 31:34). Our sins, and the judgments we deserve, are all removed from us, as far as the east is from he west (Psalm 103:12). Paul put it this way: “There is now therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

How is it that God takes away the judgments and no longer remembers our sins? We behold the answer whenever we receive the Lord’s Table. The bread reveals to us the body of Jesus, given for us; the cup shows us the blood of Jesus shed on the cross for our sins. All the judgment of God, all His anger on sin and unrighteousness was poured out on Jesus at the cross. Jesus took our condemnation, the death and judgment that rightfully belonged to us. Now it is no longer ours, and God remembers our sins no more.

Nor does He remind us of them. The devil, however, dearly loves to remind us about our past, our failures, our sins. He even makes things up about us and accuses us of them. That is why he is called the “accuser of the brethren” (Revelation 12:10).

God will have none of that. When we do sin, He has provided a way for us to deal with it: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”(1 John 1:9). There is no condemnation on us, though; it has all been laid upon Jesus, and fully dealt with at the cross.

The Table of the Lord is a place where He quiets us with His love, where He silences the voices of the accuser that come and whisper in our ears. Even as we behold the bread and the cup, God Almighty beholds the body and blood of His Son — and that settles the matter! For Jesus was made to be sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21), and that is how God now sees us in Jesus Christ. And that is how the Table of the Lord teaches us to see ourselves — in Him.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? …

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-39)

The manifestation of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ is overwhelming — deeper, wider, higher than we can imagine. The Table of the Lord is a wonderful opportunity to dive in and explore it, relax into it, find cleansing and healing in it, and let it quiet our hearts before Him.

God Rejoices Over Us

The LORD your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.

(Zephaniah 3:17)

Many Christians think God is mad at them or sad about them, but the truth is that He is neither — He is glad about us. He is bright and cheerful about us (that is what the Hebrew word for the first “rejoice” means). He rejoices with gladness over us. He whirls and twirls and spins (the meaning of the second “rejoice) over us with singing — literally, with shouts of joy, even creaking. He celebrates over us with wild dancing and jubilation.

Paul tells us that we are “accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). That is, God accepts us in Jesus Christ, His Beloved. When Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River, the Spirit descended like a dove and the voice of the Father said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). When we were baptized into Jesus Christ, we were baptized into His love, and the voice of the Father said over us what it said over Him: This is My beloved, in whom I am well pleased.” God delighted over us with dancing and singing.

The Lord also quiets us with His love. In context, this demonstrates that God does not remember our sins against us. As He said in another place, “For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (Jeremiah 31:34). God silences the memory of that, and so quiets our trepidations before Him with His love. Martin Luther said of this, “He will cause you to be silent so that you may have in the secret places of your heart a very quiet peace and a peaceful silence.” God’s perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).

Who is this who rejoices so over us? He is called The Mighty One. Some render it “A mighty one who will save” (ESV, RV), or “Mighty to save” (NIV). The NASB has “A Victorious Warrior.” He is in our midst, not matter what we are going through. Paul said, “In all these things [tribulations, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril and sword] we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

If you know the Lord Jesus, God rejoices over you with singing and dancing. He is mighty in your midst to take care of you in every way, and He will quiet you with His love.

Speaking about baptism, here is a song I wrote about how Christian baptism is a sign of God’s love and acceptance of us into the body of Christ: I Have Been Baptized.

Living the Christian Life

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

For to me, to live is Christ. (Philippians 1:21)

For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Living the Christian life is not my job; it is His job. I cannot do it myself, but He can do it in me. The fruit of the Spirit is His fruit — I cannot manufacture it; He must manufacture it in me. I am not the vine; Jesus is the vine, and I am merely the branch.

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (John 15:4-5)

The Christian life is not my life at work for Him; it is His life at work in me.

Our job is not to live the Christian life. Our job is to live by faith in the Son of God — to believe His life, His strength, His fruit at work in us, and yield to it.

The Table of Blessing

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”) that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:13-14)

The Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross to deliver us from the curse of the Law. As Isaiah said, “The chastisement for our peace was upon Him” (Isaiah 53:5). He took our chastisement and gave us His peace. Paul said, “He [God] made Him [Christ] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. He took our sin and gave us His righteousness.

In the same way, Jesus took the curse that belonged to us, bore it in His own body to the cross and nailed it there. He cursed the curse for our sakes, but that is not all. In place of the curse, He made it possible for the blessing of Abraham to come upon us. This is the blessing that belongs, not only to Abraham, but also to all his “seed.”

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:26-29)

What is the blessing? It is the favor and power of God at work in your life.

What does it look like? It is too much to tell in this short space, but there are some wonderful descriptions of what God has planned for His people, all who are the seed of Abraham through faith in Jesus Christ.

• Deuteronomy 28:1-14
• Psalm 1:1-3
• Psalm 103:1-6
• Psalm 112:1-10
• Malachi 3:10-12
• 2 Corinthians 9:8
• 3 John 2

It was at the cross, where Jesus gave His body and shed His blood, that He exchanged the curse that was on us for the all the blessing the comes with being Abraham’s seed. It is at the Table of the Lord that we receive the signs of His body given and His blood shed for us. When we eat the bread and drink from the cup, we are showing the Lord’s death, which has redeemed us from the curse and opened up to us all God promised Father Abraham.

The Table of the Lord is the Table of Blessing.

Great and Unexpected Acts

Who does great things, and unsearchable,
Marvelous things without number.

(Job 5:9)

Doing great things, and there is no searching.
Wonderful, till there is no numbering.

— Young’s Literal Translation

Qui facit magna et inscrutabilia et mirabilia absque numero.

— Latin Vulgate

After all, he’s famous for great and unexpected acts; there’s no end to His surprises.

— The Message

Mortgages are collapsing. People are being laid off. Iran is trying to go nuclear. And you probably know the problems and difficulties you are facing personally.

But remember, God is famous for great and unexpected acts, and there is no end to His surprises. When we look to Him and believe His promises — oh, how quickly things can change! The improbable and impossible start happening. God reveals His magnificent favor to those who trust in Him.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.

(Psalm 84:11)

That’s why Jesus came — to make us righteous, so that we may know the grace and glory of God in our lives. It does not matter how dark things may appear, when you know the Lord Jesus, the grace and glory of God will show up to guide, provide and protect you. God is famous for it.

God is famous for great and unexpected acts. There is no end to His surprises.

The Table of Divine Power and Glory

So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.

(Psalm 63:2)

So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open, drinking in your strength and glory.

The Message

This morning, as I took the Table of the Lord, I meditated on this verse. I sought Him in His sanctuary, the holy place, the tabernacle of His the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, symbolized by the bread and the cup. I sought Him also in the tabernacle of my own being, for as believers in Jesus Christ, we are His holy temple (1 Corinthians 1:19; Ephesians 2:21; 1 Peter 2:5). I looked and I saw the Lord Jesus — His life, His power, His glory — within me.

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20)

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27)

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:2-4)

“Power” is strength, the ability to do things. The Hebrew word for “glory” is kabod, and literally means “weightiness.” It is used for the value of every good thing. We have the power and glory, the divine ability to accomplish every good thing, at work in us through Jesus Christ.

Come sit at His table. As you partake of the bread and the cup, let it remind you that you partake of the divine nature, the life of Christ now at work in you. For the Table of the Lord is the Table of Divine Power and Glory.

Getting There from Here

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

God is not mad at you. He has planned a future and a hope for you, and Jesus came so that you could enter into it — that you might have life, and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). He was not talking just about heaven, but about heaven on earth.

You might look around at your current situation and think, “But how can I ever get there from here.” You may not see the way, and you may even think that there is no way.

The truth is that you and I cannot get there on our own. But that is only half of the truth; the other half is that God not only knows the way, but if we will trust in Him, He will lift us out of were we are and bring us into the wonderful future and hope that He has planned for us from the beginning.

I will bring the blind by a way they did not know;
I will lead them in paths they have not known.
I will make darkness light before them,
And crooked places straight.
These things I will do for them,
And not forsake them.

(Isaiah 42:16)

He raises the poor out of the dust,
And lifts the needy out of the ash heap,
That He may seat him with princes —
With the princes of His people.

(Psalm 113:7-8)

Paul tells us that God is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think” according to His power at work in us (Ephesians 3:20). The NIV has it as “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” Often, we let our current situation limit our thinking and our imagination. But God’s thoughts are not limited at all, and if we ask, He will share His thoughts with us by His Word and the Holy Spirit. That is what Paul prayed for the Ephesians, that God would give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so they could realize the joyful anticipation of what God calls us to, to know the riches of the inheritance He has placed in us, and to understand the greatness of His power toward us who believe (Ephesians 1:15-20).

God has a plan and a future for each one of us. We do not know how to get there from here, but God does, and that is all that matters. Our job is to believe His promise, receive His wisdom and revelation, and to ask and imagine — in the name of Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen!

The Foundation of Prosperity

And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness; And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things.

(Psalm 45:4)

Christians recognize that this psalm speaks about Jesus, who is King over all. The hymn, “Fairest Lord Jesus,” is based on this psalm, especially verse 2, “You are fairer than the sons of men.” Jesus is King, and there is no one who is more prosperous than Him.

The Hebrew word for “prosperous” here means to advance, progress, move forward, break out, come mightily, go over, and even to be profitable. God’s desire for you and me is that we have prosperity in all things. That is how the apostle John prayed:

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 2)

Notice that this prosperity is based, first of all, on how we are prospering in our souls. That is, prosperity is first a matter of the heart. And that is what we find in this psalm: Prosperity is founded upon truth, humility and righteousness.

• Truth — the Hebrew word for “truth” refers to that which is solid, steadfast and dependable. That is the same thing John referred in 3 John, where, in context, we see that prosperity of soul has to do with walking in truth.
• Humility — this is often translated as “meekness” and speaks of a gentleness toward others, especially toward those who are weak or oppressed. Those who walk in meekness or humility do not conduct themselves in arrogance or pride, but in love. John speaks of this same thing in his letter.
• Righteousness — this is, simply put, that which is right, especially as it pertains to the ways of God. The Hebrew word also refers to prosperity. Jesus taught us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). When we know the Truth, that is, come into a personal relationship with the Truth, it sets us free (John 8:32). Not only that, but when we receive Him, we gives us the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth (John 16:13).

Jesus is the perfect example of humility. He did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45), and He taught His disciples that whoever desires to become great must become a servant (Matthew 20:26). Paul said,

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)

Jesus Christ is the righteousness of God, for He obeyed the Father perfectly in all things. He did only what He saw the Father doing, and said only what He heard the Father saying. He came to do the will of the Father, His human will in complete alignment with the divine will. Not only that but He came to replace our sinfulness with His righteousness.

For He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

When we receive the Lord Jesus Christ, we become the righteousness of God in Him. As we follow Him, He will lead us into all truth, humility and righteous freedom and prosperity.

The Joy of All Creation

In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

(Psalm 16:11)

Joy is nothing more than the creation imitating its Creator.

—Rav Ashlag, 20th century Kabbalist

Q. What is the chief end of man?
A. The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

—The first teaching from the Westminster Catechism

Joy is all about God; it is at home in His presence. All creation was made to manifest His pleasure, and we were created to enjoy Him forever. The earth is longing for this fulfillment, which has been delayed by the rebellion of Adam in the Garden, but is now back on track in the work of Jesus Christ on our behalf. The apostle Paul said

For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. (Romans 8:19-22)

All creation groans and waits in anticipation of sharing in the joy of the Creator as it is revealed in the joy of His fully-grown sons and daughters.

El Simcha Gheel: God, My Exceeding Joy

Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!
Let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your holy hill
And to Your tabernacle.
Then I will go to the altar of God,
To God my exceeding joy;
And on the harp I will praise You,
O God, my God.

(Psalm 43:3-4)

When God sends His light and truth to lead us into His presence, it is a cause for exceeding joy. That is why the Sons of Korah, in this psalm, call Him El Simcha Gheel — God, My Exceeding Joy. El is the Hebrew for “God.” Simcha is one of the words for “joy.” It means gladness, blithesomeness, mirth, pleasure and joy — not just a little, but a lot. Gheel is another word for joy and literally means to spin, whirl and twirl. It is a dancing joy. Together they are a powerful combination. God is Our Exceeding Joy, or as Young’s Literal Translation has it, “The Joy of My Rejoicing.” David also experienced this truth. He said to the Lord,

You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

(Psalm 16:11)

This is why Jesus came. God sent Him into the world to be the Light that gives light to everyone who comes into the world (John 1:9). He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, the only one who can lead us to the Father (John 14:6).

Jesus is the path of life that leads us to abundant and exuberant joy, joy without limits. He is God, Our Exceeding Joy — the Joy of Our Rejoicing.

More Than We Can Imagine

Not only is the universe stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we can imagine.

— Sir Arthur Eddington, astrophysicist

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

The divine power that created the universe is at work in us through Jesus Christ. It is more than we can imagine. Glory be to God!

The Reciprocity of Sowing and Reaping

There is one who scatters, yet increases more;
And there is one who withholds more than is right,
But it leads to poverty.

The generous soul will be made rich,
And he who waters will also be watered himself.

(Proverbs 11:24-25)

How can one scatter and yet increase? How can another hold on tight to what he has, and still end up broke? It is the reciprocity of sowing and reaping, of seedtime and harvest: Sow a seed, reap a harvest. The one who is scattering in this verse is actually broadcasting seed.

Paul talked about this in his letter to the Corinthians: “He who sows sparingly, will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6). Seeds work only when you plant them. Hold them in your hand, or keep them in your pouch, and they will bring you no return. Sow a little, reap a little; sow a lot, reap a lot.

“The generous soul will be made rich.” Or as Paul said, sow bountifully, reap bountifully. He was speaking in a financial context, but the principle is applicable in every aspect of life. Jesus said,

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. (Luke 6:38)

Now, the principle works both ways, both positively and negatively. Give out judgment and condemnation, and you will get a boatload of it back. That is actually what Jesus is talking about here. But sow kindness and mercy, and that is what you will reap. Help others to prosper, and you will end up prospering also. Or as the proverb says, “He who waters will also be watered himself.” When you refresh others, you will also be refreshed. Paul tells us that “whatever a man sows, the he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

Eugene Peterson translates these proverbs this way:

The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.

Whatever you sow, that is what you will reap. Sow sparingly, reap sparingly. Sow bountifully, reap bountifully. The choice is yours.

Divine Planting, Divine Results

He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

(Psalm 1:3)

First day of a new month, and here I am again considering Psalm 1. I’ve written about it quite a few times; perhaps I will write a book about it someday.

This verse is talking about the man who does not walk, talk and think like the world, but instead focuses his himself on the Law of the LORD, the Word of God. It changes Him profoundly and sets the arc of his life in a wonderful direction.

“He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.” It is not a scene in the wild that he describes here, but an intentional planting. God is cultivating something in his life. He is divinely placed and divinely nurtured. God has carefully chosen that spot for him, and him for that spot, to bring forth maximum results, optimal blessing.

Because this man has made his bread out of every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4), because he is a doer of the Word and not just a hearer (James 1:22-25), he comes to find himself in this place of freshness and fruitfulness, of provision and prosperity. He is a planting of the LORD (Isaiah 61:3).

Those who live according to the divine pattern find themselves in a divine place and receive divine results.