tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87944522024-03-18T11:17:40.596-05:00The Faith LogExploring the love of God, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.comBlogger1697125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-69178254706387856682024-03-18T10:24:00.000-05:002024-03-18T10:24:15.446-05:00Falling Into the Hands of the Living God<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtMeYZuLDx-4NKM_R0k2fAiTU1VV6BjcNy_99ycrgO7ctTklzmgiDzaaAwiT9RF-pScUot-ECzvG7i1ygpxpbm6I_SCHGWCoYIQAJSNsUHND1ZJ0meGTyp1idOEfZrOJ7zehw96sIGfaFeM3TJ57piG7jbi7NHe8Pg_HsZ0qCbey3ZC41TcbtyFQ/s1080/Falling%20Into%20the%20Hands%20of%20the%20Living%20God.png"><img class="wide" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtMeYZuLDx-4NKM_R0k2fAiTU1VV6BjcNy_99ycrgO7ctTklzmgiDzaaAwiT9RF-pScUot-ECzvG7i1ygpxpbm6I_SCHGWCoYIQAJSNsUHND1ZJ0meGTyp1idOEfZrOJ7zehw96sIGfaFeM3TJ57piG7jbi7NHe8Pg_HsZ0qCbey3ZC41TcbtyFQ/s16000/Falling%20Into%20the%20Hands%20of%20the%20Living%20God.png" /></a></div><blockquote>It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:31 <i>NKJV</i>)</blockquote><p></p><p></p><p class="dropcap">Yes, it can be a very terrifying thing to fall into the hands of God. That is not because of God’s disposition toward us but is purely a matter of our perception of and disposition toward God.</p><p>When Adam turned away from God in the Garden, pulling away from the very life God offered, his perception of God became distorted. So, when God came calling in the Garden in the cool of the day, Adam hid in fear. He perceived God as being against him instead of for him. He was hostile against God in his own mind (Romans 8:7).<br /></p><p>God is love (1 John 4:8), and those who are properly oriented toward God perceive him properly, as love. But those who are not properly oriented toward God perceive him in terror and dread.</p><p>God is Love, and God loves as God is, so all God’s actions are always loving toward all, even the most wicked. When Adam disobeyed, God did not love him one bit less. God’s love toward us never wavers toward us, never gives up on us but perseveres for our sake. It is steadfast.<br /></p><p>First John 4:18 tells us that there is no fear in love but perfect love drives out fear. Where we are properly oriented toward God and his love, there is no fear, for we know God and his love for what they are, and that leaves no room for fear. But those who turn away from God misperceive even the love of God, and it seems a torment to them and that it comes to do them harm.</p><p>We are not, as Jonathan Edwards wrongly supposed, sinners in the hands of an angry God. We are sinners in the hands of a loving God, the God who put himself in the hands of angry sinners in order to deliver us from ourselves and our wrong perceptions of God.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhyEUt-E1t90L5Kl47WEOxo_s9cBxhHStH93F0277Cemzi0bGfB3YJ4M5AUy9_h4AGc3Q9o8nSR1tkQWKKbhRt_b1ZOBMB2CvAGuzzykuEDChB1-QyM1tmgl010esu89X8iQNB4NZ16EmcFFExD5m9m5WW9UF4Ca8k1Ei2IeXRtUXXBoo4la8bA/s800/Hands%20of%20a%20Loving%20God.png"><img class="wide" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhyEUt-E1t90L5Kl47WEOxo_s9cBxhHStH93F0277Cemzi0bGfB3YJ4M5AUy9_h4AGc3Q9o8nSR1tkQWKKbhRt_b1ZOBMB2CvAGuzzykuEDChB1-QyM1tmgl010esu89X8iQNB4NZ16EmcFFExD5m9m5WW9UF4Ca8k1Ei2IeXRtUXXBoo4la8bA/s16000/Hands%20of%20a%20Loving%20God.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-63941778385875635842024-03-16T09:58:00.000-05:002024-03-16T09:58:30.292-05:00We Remember David <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwRWoC0zBWNF05NwGsagEjqAiAstBbuoLpdDXxtVGazARbUWKsdJUD7zJTgBRiOZwU5ayLwwKadgT_0Np9NCS0VUKIF451y-HRiTjaMWGKhmEDdLTpLwBfwba0n-tFngUWNWcriidMdAcr9Ps9CklN95QoDlkktyta7hGfBL1zOu-L1PTdYBhag/s1080/Psalm%20132%20We%20Remember%20David.png"><img class="wide" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwRWoC0zBWNF05NwGsagEjqAiAstBbuoLpdDXxtVGazARbUWKsdJUD7zJTgBRiOZwU5ayLwwKadgT_0Np9NCS0VUKIF451y-HRiTjaMWGKhmEDdLTpLwBfwba0n-tFngUWNWcriidMdAcr9Ps9CklN95QoDlkktyta7hGfBL1zOu-L1PTdYBhag/s16000/Psalm%20132%20We%20Remember%20David.png" /></a></div><p class="dropcap">There is an ancient memory of the glory of the Lord, and that memory runs deep within us. Humility revives it, brings it to the fore. It is bracing, stabilizing. Drawing upon it helps us persevere, ever pressing on toward the Promise. King David remembered, and by humility saw the return of the Ark of the Covenant to the Holy City. And he rejoiced, dancing with wild abandon. Yet that was not enough. He longed for the Ark of the Glory to be fully established in the hearts and minds of his people — that the Lord might have his resting place forever among us. But as grand as David’s dream was, the Lord had something infinitely greater in mind. David wanted to build a house for God, but God would build a house for David, one that would endure forever. God would always be with us, in us, and our home would ever be in Him. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the promise fulfilled and our life is now hid with him in God (Colossians 3:3). And so we remember, and dance with David.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;">We Remember David<br />(Psalm 132)</h3><p style="text-align: center;">David we remember yet<br />All the hardship he endure<br />His servant heart would not forget<br />But made a promise to the Lord<br />“I will not rest, I will not rest, <br />Nor will I find my peace<br />Until I make a place for Thee”</p><p style="text-align: center;">We have heard in Ephratah<br />And in the fields of Jaar<br />Of the glory of the Lord<br />And the blessing that was there<br />Let us worship at His feet, <br />Let us seek His face<br />May we find His dwelling place</p><p style="text-align: center;">We remember David<br />Made a promise to the Lord<br />He danced so hard, <br />He danced so high<br />So may the saints of God <br />Go singing in their joy<br />We remember David</p><p style="text-align: center;">David was your servant, Lord<br />And on the day he entered in<br />You heard the promise that he swore<br />You made a promise back to him<br />“If your children keep my ways, <br />I will be with them<br />They will have a king forever”</p><p style="text-align: center;">“You are the ones that I’ve desired<br />And the people of My choice<br />All your needs I’ll satisfy<br />And you will listen to my voice<br />When your enemies assail, <br />I will be with you<br />I’ll be the light upon your way”</p><p style="text-align: center;">Lord, remember David<br />Gained a promise from You, Lord<br />He danced so hard, <br />He danced so high<br />So may the saints of God <br />Go singing in their joy<br />We remember David<br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">© 2001 by Jeff Doles</span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ucc9wm_K9kU" width="320" youtube-src-id="Ucc9wm_K9kU"></iframe></div><p></p><p><i>The Pilgrim Psalms</i> project is now streaming at Amazon Music, Apple Music, Pandora, YouTube, Spotify, and wherever you enjoy music. It is also available for download at Amazon and iTunes.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-48980605031340927612024-03-15T10:20:00.000-05:002024-03-15T10:20:52.156-05:00The Only Moment There Is<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTrWArvNiuoRInVpnGuOO9-4016Cn8SDTk5Go-6PraKay44RrVR2HkcucYF9xVcbR_lxyo2GsKFJbnISoFuKnuwj9LvmCwKSANllBT-_a0fmsCI7h1_CZ3PdJGHiOumDpuowcHhyduZenVti8exIPo-qXyzfJMo9R6BbW0BWiM1mC_oSa24-ILA/s1080/One%20Eternal%20Moment.png" imageanchor="1"><img class="wide" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTrWArvNiuoRInVpnGuOO9-4016Cn8SDTk5Go-6PraKay44RrVR2HkcucYF9xVcbR_lxyo2GsKFJbnISoFuKnuwj9LvmCwKSANllBT-_a0fmsCI7h1_CZ3PdJGHiOumDpuowcHhyduZenVti8exIPo-qXyzfJMo9R6BbW0BWiM1mC_oSa24-ILA/s16000/One%20Eternal%20Moment.png" /></a></div><p class="dropcap">The Incarnation of Christ is not only the union of divinity with humanity, of God with humankind, it is also the union of eternity with time in such a way that time is transfigured. This is why Paul can speak of us as being chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. And why John the Beloved, in the book of Revelation, can speak of Christ as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. </p><p style="text-align: center;">The Moment of the Creation <br />Is the Moment of the Fall, <br />The Moment of our participation <br />In its downward spiral <br /> By our own thoughts and deeds.</p><p style="text-align: center;">But it is also the Moment of<br />The Incarnation and the Cross,<br />And of the Resurrection.<br />It is the Moment of Christ drawing<br />All Creation to Himself.</p><p style="text-align: center;">The Moment of Christ <br />Transforming All Creation, <br />Making All Things New,<br />Conforming All to the Image<br />Of the Divine.</p><p style="text-align: center;">The End is in the Beginning<br />And the Beginning is in the End,<br />In the One Eternal Moment.<br /></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-18514647612872930822024-03-14T08:37:00.000-05:002024-03-14T08:37:07.570-05:00My Heart is Not Proud<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbdPVqruJAsv_r7nDxDojxU5r7hTGybFpkfUxms9hCIp-BYy_V3ElbC5OV1K2vvcsTS6oNfsoMz6lNON3BjeGwzXo4sstBXMT4VmO26LsdGp6O4ZHDzFRT2Ooz4GQ2x2vL5zHptKqlN6H7IdLuXVlzBmN4_43R1rwSXULWDdtubclSWEQAUIqdtQ/s1080/Psalm%20131%20My%20Heart%20is%20Not%20Proud.png" imageanchor="1"><img class="wide" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbdPVqruJAsv_r7nDxDojxU5r7hTGybFpkfUxms9hCIp-BYy_V3ElbC5OV1K2vvcsTS6oNfsoMz6lNON3BjeGwzXo4sstBXMT4VmO26LsdGp6O4ZHDzFRT2Ooz4GQ2x2vL5zHptKqlN6H7IdLuXVlzBmN4_43R1rwSXULWDdtubclSWEQAUIqdtQ/s16000/Psalm%20131%20My%20Heart%20is%20Not%20Proud.png" /></a></div><p class="dropcap">The journey has been long, and there is yet more to go. We have been to the bottom, cried out from the depths, learned humility, and there experienced the mercy of God. It does not answer all — or perhaps any — of our questions but it changes us. We have begun to realize that answers are not really what we are longing for. And now we are ready to move forward, not in pride of soul but in humility of heart. For in humility, there is hope.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;">My Heart Is Not Proud<br />(Psalm 131)</h3><p style="text-align: center;">My heart is not proud<br />And neither my eyes<br />And I do not seek<br />To understand why<br />But I have stilled<br />And quieted my heart<br />And so have I placed<br />My hope in my God<br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">© 2001 by Jeff Doles</span></i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zDaYq93Po1s" width="320" youtube-src-id="zDaYq93Po1s"></iframe></div><p></p><p><i>The Pilgrim Psalms</i> project is now streaming at Amazon Music, Apple
Music, Pandora, YouTube, Spotify, and wherever you enjoy music. It is
also available for download at Amazon and iTunes.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-69171819327450976672024-03-13T10:05:00.001-05:002024-03-13T10:26:58.869-05:00Baptism is a True Participation in Salvation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRyziYNhl3thFrp3SjWMbnZxNXW3rK1plz0b-UEv1AwDkY6Fzt2-dDz7thvAB60LlirT8JPQLdeObGK9TGADgxoPruWpcP3Dr3VoC-8cLzuBQ-8uPpko3I_BDwgD5S-rg3JKF6t0T-tkplna7KrmCLZyWtbBoYSkNvxqx8CyqwuvYkD4MDfa_90g/s1080/Baptism%20is%20a%20Participation%20in%20Salvation.png"><img class="wide" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRyziYNhl3thFrp3SjWMbnZxNXW3rK1plz0b-UEv1AwDkY6Fzt2-dDz7thvAB60LlirT8JPQLdeObGK9TGADgxoPruWpcP3Dr3VoC-8cLzuBQ-8uPpko3I_BDwgD5S-rg3JKF6t0T-tkplna7KrmCLZyWtbBoYSkNvxqx8CyqwuvYkD4MDfa_90g/s16000/Baptism%20is%20a%20Participation%20in%20Salvation.png" /></a></div><p class="dropcap">Baptism is not a work by which we merit salvation. It is a work of God in us, by Water and the Holy Spirit, and manifests our salvation in a very tangible way. It is a participation in salvation, in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.</p><p></p><blockquote>Do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life. For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united in the likeness of his resurrection. (Romans 6:3-5)</blockquote><p></p><p>God really does something in baptism. We are really and truly baptized into the death of Christ. By baptism, we are really and truly buried with Christ. We are born again through the resurrection of Christ (1 Peter 1:3), and in baptism, we are really and truly united with Christ in his resurrection to walk in newness of life.</p><p>Baptism is symbol, but it is not <i>empty </i>symbol. A true symbol is a joining together; it is from the Greek <i>symbolos</i>, a compound of <i>syn</i>, together, and <i>ballein</i>, to cast or throw. Baptism truly casts us together with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. <br /></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-32520594278918818112024-03-12T08:10:00.000-05:002024-03-12T08:10:52.441-05:00Out of the Depths<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6J7Ca-kyhIbBLI0p948zxuVrzlhLmcYdBYt6yORXfEesKEAVBiFSU2WOGdodl8Ug73jwXYwD__dorm0rBB2rRdvC5QbKZCssS2EGRiBxDZ5SWe5eOiwct2I4-wZjMXj5YwHy8rmtw41NYI53BuPEnUzu1hNdeqPimXuuK_bo7QWr0_uvAf3Ovw/s1080/Psalm%20130%20Out%20of%20the%20Depths.png"><img class="wide" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6J7Ca-kyhIbBLI0p948zxuVrzlhLmcYdBYt6yORXfEesKEAVBiFSU2WOGdodl8Ug73jwXYwD__dorm0rBB2rRdvC5QbKZCssS2EGRiBxDZ5SWe5eOiwct2I4-wZjMXj5YwHy8rmtw41NYI53BuPEnUzu1hNdeqPimXuuK_bo7QWr0_uvAf3Ovw/s16000/Psalm%20130%20Out%20of%20the%20Depths.png" /></a></div><p class="dropcap">Now we come to a turning point in the journey. We began from far away in a land with no peace, and awakened to the joyful prospect of coming again to our heart’s true home in God. We have remembered how the Lord has delivered us in the past, how He has protected and provided, how He surrounds us on our journey and gives us rest. We have rejoiced in the Lord, the Righteous One, for He has been faithful to us.</p><p>But as we draw ever closer, we become more and more aware of something that has been going on inside us from the beginning, a calling out from the depths of our being. It is a deepening awareness of our many faults and failures, in the light of God’s faithfulness. And we realize our helplessness in the face of it. We are like Isaiah who, in his vision of the unfathomable glory of the Lord, experienced the profound sense of his own “unclean lips,” his own lack of righteousness (see Isaiah 6). Yet the Lord was faithful to cleanse and heal him, and we cry out to God for that same cleansing and healing. It is Christ and the Cross that we need, and with that assurance we can move forward and meet our God in the Holy Place.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;">Out of the Depths<br />(Psalm 130)</h3><p style="text-align: center;">Out of the depths I cry<br />To You, O Lord<br />Now let Your ears hear my voice</p><p style="text-align: center;">If you should count my faults<br />Lord, who could stand?<br />In awe, we find that You forgive <br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">How my soul waits for You <br />I wait for You<br />More than the watchman waits for dawn</p><p style="text-align: center;">Now let us trust in His unfailing love<br />He will redeem us from our sins<br />Himself redeem us from our sins<br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">© 2001 by Jeff Doles</span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6fzOXYmvsKY" width="320" youtube-src-id="6fzOXYmvsKY"></iframe></div><p></p><p><i>The Pilgrim Psalms</i> project is now streaming at Amazon Music, Apple Music, Pandora, YouTube, Spotify, and wherever you enjoy music. It is also available for download at Amazon and iTunes.</p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-21973327674628355762024-03-11T10:26:00.005-05:002024-03-12T08:16:41.447-05:00Heal My Tangled Heart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6hxtdF5BNl3TbxUidzoJy-efe6DM-t-HotZgtHioM0LHSRnnywU9yJNV-luHy1hZSAclk7QsbV8b633i8RxMEQaGoJu00nZqECKavdDkG64z_TJy8hOPjct1gbEKM6TIg0UD2KJ9f4Uu9hoWpmukC460nAMvOoMzBS-_oeMAD8W076d0QtSHndA/s1080/Heal%20My%20Tangled%20Heart.png"><img class="wide" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6hxtdF5BNl3TbxUidzoJy-efe6DM-t-HotZgtHioM0LHSRnnywU9yJNV-luHy1hZSAclk7QsbV8b633i8RxMEQaGoJu00nZqECKavdDkG64z_TJy8hOPjct1gbEKM6TIg0UD2KJ9f4Uu9hoWpmukC460nAMvOoMzBS-_oeMAD8W076d0QtSHndA/s16000/Heal%20My%20Tangled%20Heart.png" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Lord, you know everything<br />going on in my heart<br />better than I do.<br />I am a mix,<br />and I am a mess.</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Come and heal my heart,<br />and put right everything<br />that is in me.<br />Amen.</i><br /></p><p></p><p class="dropcap">How blessed it is when we come to our helplessness, for then we turn to the LORD, who loves us deeply and cares for us more than we can imagine, and He will gladly help and deliver us, even from the tangles or our heart. This is the judgment of God, the judgment of Love, for God is Love. It corrects us, sorts us out, and sets right the thoughts and intents of our heart. There is no hiding out from the Lord, and this, too, is blessedness, as the psalm writer understood very well:</p><p style="text-align: center;">You have searched me, LORD, <br />and you know me.<br />You know when I sit and when I rise;<br />you perceive my thoughts from afar.<br />You discern my going out and my lying down;<br />you are familiar with all my ways.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Before a word is on my tongue<br />you, LORD, know it completely.<br />You hem me in behind and before,<br />and you lay your hand upon me.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,<br />too lofty for me to attain.<br />Where can I go from your Spirit?<br />Where can I flee from your presence?</p><p style="text-align: center;">Search me, God, and know my heart;<br />test me and know my anxious thoughts.<br />See if there is any offensive way in me,<br />and lead me in the way everlasting.<br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Psalm 139:1-7, 23-24)</span></i><br /></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-30663893335726370252024-03-09T10:21:00.001-05:002024-03-09T10:46:15.919-05:00The Righteous Lord<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtC9h_mrzMjVwpuJw1zlL05b8A9m9j2xEfCTz8dnQJhyphenhyphendNQPyj27lAqnlRVM5ktEkMfkzZiqFatt1s_Ckj7GjOF9_DgVm4mQw7GeUMJlQS79FkrQIq-slfLgsGqcAnOlgEkQyIWTSFvYip1eOsNKtBSt6QZyDSWIiDsu21VY_B2sghB9YFKqzpA/s1080/Psalm%20129%20The%20Righteous%20Lord.png"><img class="wide" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtC9h_mrzMjVwpuJw1zlL05b8A9m9j2xEfCTz8dnQJhyphenhyphendNQPyj27lAqnlRVM5ktEkMfkzZiqFatt1s_Ckj7GjOF9_DgVm4mQw7GeUMJlQS79FkrQIq-slfLgsGqcAnOlgEkQyIWTSFvYip1eOsNKtBSt6QZyDSWIiDsu21VY_B2sghB9YFKqzpA/s16000/Psalm%20129%20The%20Righteous%20Lord.png" /></a></div><p class="dropcap">They had been greatly oppressed, harnessed to the plow and run over time and again. But the Lord cut the straps that held them, the cords that bound them, and set them free. The testimony of Israel is that the Lord brought them up out of the land of bondage and into the Land of Promise. That is our testimony, too, for it is the same Lord Jesus who sets us free, and the same Cross by which we are redeemed. The Lord had been faithful to keep the covenant he made with their ancestors, with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and would continue that faithfulness to them. That assurance enabled their perseverance so that they, too, would arrive safely at journey’s end.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;">The Righteous Lord<br />(Psalm 129)</h3><p style="text-align: center;">From the days of my youth<br />All my enemies assailed<br />From the days of my youth<br />But they never did prevail<br />And the plowman plowed my back<br />And they made the furrows long<br />And the plowman plowed my back<br />And they made the furrows long</p><p style="text-align: center;">But the righteous Lord <br />Has cut me free<br />And the righteous Lord <br />Is keeping me moving on</p><p style="text-align: center;">They were grass on the roof<br />Where the grass will not grow<br />They were grass on the roof<br />Where the grass will not grow<br />And they turn from the Lord<br />He will turn them away<br />And they turn from the Lord<br />He will turn them away</p><p style="text-align: center;">But the righteous Lord <br />Has cut me free<br />And the righteous Lord <br />Is keeping me moving on<br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">© 2001 by Jeff Doles</span></i></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sfijTj3qKtM" width="320" youtube-src-id="sfijTj3qKtM"></iframe></i></div><i><br />The Pilgrim Psalms</i> project is now streaming at Amazon Music, Apple Music, Pandora, YouTube, Spotify, and wherever you enjoy music. It is also available for download at Amazon and iTunes.<br /><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-25232109211559369012024-03-08T09:56:00.002-05:002024-03-08T09:59:21.579-05:00God Reconciling Us to Himself<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLjy_PbNmgiuI34xZVgpRtet6JjFneP6Omt5dALIxTM-MFdFTzGbaCXnkfcCWb-JV02BDOso8vJEahwshOFwn_YTEG5cTA-kHVp5Yi32-bSB9vgbo4M5gXyCXdNMpA1m5Jgm_ucS3eU-ZioNc9TqmKeVtQszq3zwnLSBipmt3obXmtP_1fhOltw/s1080/God%20Reconciling%20Us%20to%20Himself.png"><img class="wide" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLjy_PbNmgiuI34xZVgpRtet6JjFneP6Omt5dALIxTM-MFdFTzGbaCXnkfcCWb-JV02BDOso8vJEahwshOFwn_YTEG5cTA-kHVp5Yi32-bSB9vgbo4M5gXyCXdNMpA1m5Jgm_ucS3eU-ZioNc9TqmKeVtQszq3zwnLSBipmt3obXmtP_1fhOltw/s16000/God%20Reconciling%20Us%20to%20Himself.png" title="God Reconciling Us to Himself ©2024 by Jeff Doles" /></a></div><p class="dropcap">What does “separation from God” mean? Inasmuch as all are created
<i>through </i>Christ, <i>by </i>Christ, <i>for </i>Christ and <i>in </i>Christ (Colossians
1:16-17), it is therefore actually impossible to be separated from God, for Christ <i>is </i>God, and everything exists in him, or else does not exist at all.<br /></p><p>God has never separated himself from us. Though we turned away from God,
God did not turn away from us. When Paul speaks about the reconciliation
brought about by Christ and the blood of the cross, it is not about God
reconciling himself to us but about God reconciling us to himself
(Colossians 1:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:19). </p><p>Whatever sense of separation there may have been was only in our own minds, not in
the mind of God. It is the enmity of the fleshly mind (not controlled by the Spirit/spirit) that Paul speaks about
in Romans 8:7, “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.” The Cross did not change God’s mind about us but it changes
our minds about God.</p><p>This enmity that was in our own minds was not any kind of punishment
from God, nor does Scripture speak of it as such, but it is part of what we needed to be
delivered from.</p><p>Inasmuch as “separation from God” is not any punishment imposed upon us
by God, the Cross and the Atonement was not about Christ taking any
such punishment upon himself in our place.<br /></p><p>The Incarnation demonstrates that God did not separate himself from us.
Quite the opposite, by the Incarnation, Christ, who <i>is </i>God, united
himself with all humankind, joining God with all humanity.</p><p>It is simply not possible for Christ to be separated from God, because
Christ <i>is </i>God. To speak of any separation within the Godhead (Father,
Son and Holy Spirit) is to speak incoherently. Any theory of atonement
that posits such a separation fails to understand the historic Christian
faith and the doctrine of the Trinity.</p><p>So, the Cross was not about Christ being <i>punished</i> in our place. Nor
was it about Christ being separated from God. It was not about
reconciling God to us but about reconciling us to God. At the Cross, Christ
was not drawing God to us but, rather, drawing all to himself (John
12:30-33; see <a href="https://www.thefaithlog.com/2024/03/the-cast-net.html" target="_blank">The Cast Net</a>).</p><p>When we make the Cross about Christ appeasing God, or changing God’s mind
about us, or turning God back toward us, we have gotten the whole
directionality of it exactly wrong. <i>Penal </i>theories of the
atonement get it all backwards.</p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-43463767673647338082024-03-07T08:43:00.000-05:002024-03-07T08:43:23.671-05:00You Shall Be Happy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhubdFL6C06VbZbjGIstoyi3KAOuo_E7HQyg-9QF_qdrJ89KYw1DENOOnaoWRdIDomfkIK4UbtZlSvr0tGLu_YKldwncaNYGkHDDFxxj7goLKuY4CCvlfQkEO1OXng9OwgULJlX0Nck3cQgG0qvk8AE3i-RxekswCXAZf4xXQlKGe-GnJOHFVFqEA/s1080/Psalm%20128%20You%20Shall%20Be%20Happy.png"><img class="wide" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhubdFL6C06VbZbjGIstoyi3KAOuo_E7HQyg-9QF_qdrJ89KYw1DENOOnaoWRdIDomfkIK4UbtZlSvr0tGLu_YKldwncaNYGkHDDFxxj7goLKuY4CCvlfQkEO1OXng9OwgULJlX0Nck3cQgG0qvk8AE3i-RxekswCXAZf4xXQlKGe-GnJOHFVFqEA/s16000/Psalm%20128%20You%20Shall%20Be%20Happy.png" /></a></div><p class="dropcap">In the middle of the journey, the psalm writer speaks quite unabashedly about the blessing, the joy <span class="ILfuVd" lang="en"><span class="hgKElc">— </span></span>the happiness <span class="ILfuVd" lang="en"><span class="hgKElc">— </span></span>that attends those who honor the Lord and walk in His ways. Yes, there are dangers and difficulties encountered along the way, but there is also the protection and provision of God, the fellowship of friends and family, and the warmth of hearth and home. And in all things, the Lord reveals Himself to us in unexpected ways. Glory to God for all things.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;">You Shall Be Happy<br />(Psalm 128)</h3><p style="text-align: center;">Blessed are you<br />Who worship the Lord<br />And all those who honor His name<br />Blessed are you<br />Who listen to His voice<br />And all those who walk in His ways <br />You shall be happy<br />It shall be well with you</p><p style="text-align: center;">Blessed be your household<br />It shall multiply<br />Many the ones at your table<br />Joy for your sorrow<br />Comfort for your tears<br />All that you need from your labors<br />You shall be happy<br />It shall be well with you</p><p style="text-align: center;">For so are the ones who are blessed by the Lord<br />So may the peace of the Lord be with you<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>© 2001 by Jeff Doles</i></span></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/11shXP89wSg" width="320" youtube-src-id="11shXP89wSg"></iframe></div><p></p><p><i>The Pilgrim Psalms</i> project is now streaming at Amazon Music, Apple Music, Pandora, YouTube, Spotify, and wherever you enjoy music. It is also available for download at Amazon and iTunes.<br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-72677804350956339582024-03-06T11:36:00.000-05:002024-03-06T11:36:23.886-05:00When I Hide and When I Confess<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdWgSQBVGGGjMb1oPjRKo0x0dLp_tk5bhzRX6WXYjqP5hzVgrCQs2Tcyk_HIZPJV5P-gfl3Kqlc2BQ1BNf1Hv1TG1Y_sRu1lGhFZZaC6sW5Km19bQADw6-RWG5II9zpZhXZcDEy_5C9m-Fm7QS1dqiVg08ZF8CPs_XKXY6YlJeG8j7D575tazew/s1080/When%20I%20Hide%20and%20When%20I%20Confess.png"><img class="wide" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdWgSQBVGGGjMb1oPjRKo0x0dLp_tk5bhzRX6WXYjqP5hzVgrCQs2Tcyk_HIZPJV5P-gfl3Kqlc2BQ1BNf1Hv1TG1Y_sRu1lGhFZZaC6sW5Km19bQADw6-RWG5II9zpZhXZcDEy_5C9m-Fm7QS1dqiVg08ZF8CPs_XKXY6YlJeG8j7D575tazew/s16000/When%20I%20Hide%20and%20When%20I%20Confess.png" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">When I hide<br />In shame or pride,<br />I crumble inside.</span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">When I confess<br />My mess,<br />I come to my rest.</span></i></p><p class="dropcap">Pride and shame are but two sides of the same coin. Both sides are false, teaching us lies about who we are. They create distance between us and others, and lead us to hide behind our false self, in denial, lest anyone discover what frauds we are.</p><p>But Lord Jesus sets us free from all that. For he is neither proud nor ashamed. He is humble. Yet he carried our pride and shame to the crossed and was crucified by them. He teaches us humility — and that is where we find our rest and become our true self.</p><p></p><blockquote>Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry. (Matthew 11:28-30)</blockquote><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-45468957519342916332024-03-05T09:07:00.000-05:002024-03-05T09:07:12.488-05:00The Lord’s Gonna Give You Rest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5pFGFyMWEmSdM0_pxZF7VsjqpLjSJ9ZMyt7tr7oEB0uz6te2no9N5eOOGsSJvUXFOLPFo3V4RiZG_EnA_qzMsjc0LzHVKcos-DUK2MCFPFEpCs-gU2nP3Pgymb-bozIlmo7Yo20K62hch7hLD9h0zJj55UrApCMDgBqdAcgRWwW7TjLaIDB9bg/s1080/Psalm%20127%20The%20Lord%E2%80%99s%20Gonna%20Give%20You%20Rest.png"><img class="wide" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5pFGFyMWEmSdM0_pxZF7VsjqpLjSJ9ZMyt7tr7oEB0uz6te2no9N5eOOGsSJvUXFOLPFo3V4RiZG_EnA_qzMsjc0LzHVKcos-DUK2MCFPFEpCs-gU2nP3Pgymb-bozIlmo7Yo20K62hch7hLD9h0zJj55UrApCMDgBqdAcgRWwW7TjLaIDB9bg/s16000/Psalm%20127%20The%20Lord%E2%80%99s%20Gonna%20Give%20You%20Rest.png" /></a></div><p class="dropcap">This pilgrim journey is one of giving up the vain notion that everything — or anything — depends upon us, and coming to the place of humility, realizing how great is our helplessness. It is a joyful realization, for it means that we can cast all our cares, all our distracting thoughts, over onto the Lord, who loves us deeply and will take care of us always. Lord Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry” (Matthew 11:28-30).<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;">The Lord’s Gonna Give You Rest<br />(Psalm 127)</h3><p style="text-align: center;">Build a house, build a wall, build a city<br />That’s a mighty fine work,<br />But ain’t it a pity<br />It’s all gonna fail the test<br />Take some time, take some thought, take a minute<br />Did you ever ask yourself<br />If the Lord was in it?<br />As humble men will confess<br />Only the Lord’s gonna give you rest<br /><br />You get up early and you’re staying up late<br />And you work like a mule to put food on your plate<br />You know, you settle for less<br />You keep depending on what you can do<br />And you’re forgetting all the love He has for you<br />He wants to give your His best<br />Only the Lord’s gonna give you rest<br /><br />You don’t have to be afraid to grow older<br />I know they told you but it’s just not true<br />You don’t have to take the world on your shoulders<br />Just be faithful to the way He works in you<br /><br />The road we’re traveling is straight and its narrow<br />But He’ll direct you like the bow directs the arrow<br />And He will give you success<br />And if you doubt that the Lord is a giver<br />Just remember all the children in your quiver<br />Then you will know you’ve been blessed<br />Only the Lord’s gonna give you rest<br />Only the Lord’s gonna give you rest<br />Only the Lord’s gonna give you rest<br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">© 2001 by Jeff Doles</span></i><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R7v-p8WZEu0" width="320" youtube-src-id="R7v-p8WZEu0"></iframe></div><p><i>The Pilgrim Psalms </i>project is now streaming at Amazon Music, Apple Music, Pandora, YouTube, Spotify, and wherever you enjoy music. It is also available for download at Amazon and iTunes.<br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-12135978858650326162024-03-04T10:39:00.002-05:002024-03-04T11:04:56.303-05:00The Cast Net<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOw1gfMiN4IeEoxV9nMal-A20oTIGzO9WqHecJZV-xMLdhgF0NGL5tvscQzn6_7OnYgbBSxw7jwdtwBvFR6CoOJSkwMFFIRTEfjSiL6ioH57n_FEcL_LOB-DQZE-HDQnV1pY8TExKDe1zBJWg_3YOdKLXX0-sMAgNl98Wzmel3MgT0AH80QimhnQ/s1080/Cast%20Net.png"><img class="wide" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOw1gfMiN4IeEoxV9nMal-A20oTIGzO9WqHecJZV-xMLdhgF0NGL5tvscQzn6_7OnYgbBSxw7jwdtwBvFR6CoOJSkwMFFIRTEfjSiL6ioH57n_FEcL_LOB-DQZE-HDQnV1pY8TExKDe1zBJWg_3YOdKLXX0-sMAgNl98Wzmel3MgT0AH80QimhnQ/s16000/Cast%20Net.png" title="The Cast Net ©2024 by Jeff Doles" /></a></div><p class="dropcap">The gospel is not a transaction, or an offer. It is an announcement, and it is unconditional. It is not about what we must do but about what Christ has done, and is doing through the Holy Spirit.</p><p>Looking to the Cross, Lord Jesus said, “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all to myself” (John 12:31-32).</p><p>The Greek word for “draw” literally means to drag, like a cast net. Christ has been lifted up from the earth and has cast his net, drawing all, gathering all, dragging all, to himself.</p><p>St. Paul said that it is the goodness of God the leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). And the grace of God has appeared, giving salvation to all and teaching us to live righteously and godly in this present age (Titus 2:11-12). And so Christ crucified, risen and ascended gathers all to himself.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Father, Son and Holy Spirit,<br />Draw us all into the Eternal Bliss<br />Of Your Divine Fellowship.<br />Amen.<br /></i></span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-64867330012310997182024-03-02T10:29:00.000-05:002024-03-02T10:29:14.091-05:00The Lord Will Redeem All Our Years<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVChPujiMa_WnIKvKWIkuEhf97dpSKoBYLLhgnAnhIo7waCPii-NeocaWH5EE8nDb5ZgsLfJa046QPq5BG1lka30lanspfCu4R19fnRwtvnL1DaN5MDeuo19Hcd3ESeWRXhmo776GAS__oi-HE-NwXxnfvXhs4Kcekz0eykeC6LfDJvk9dc1IvA/s1080/Psalm%20126%20Redeem%20All%20Our%20Years.png"><img class="wide" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVChPujiMa_WnIKvKWIkuEhf97dpSKoBYLLhgnAnhIo7waCPii-NeocaWH5EE8nDb5ZgsLfJa046QPq5BG1lka30lanspfCu4R19fnRwtvnL1DaN5MDeuo19Hcd3ESeWRXhmo776GAS__oi-HE-NwXxnfvXhs4Kcekz0eykeC6LfDJvk9dc1IvA/s16000/Psalm%20126%20Redeem%20All%20Our%20Years.png" /></a></div><p class="dropcap">Our journey well under way, singing the goodness of the Lord, we are glad, full of joy. But all the while, we are mindful that there are others who are yet far away, and we hold them in our heart. For they are part of us, and we are not complete without them. So, as we travel this pilgrim way, we pray, sowing our tears in hope of joyful reunion at journey’s end.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>The Lord Will Redeem All Our Years<br />(Psalm 126)</b><br /><br />When the Lord brought us back to our homeland<br />We were like people who dream<br />We had begun to believe that<br />It was something we never would see<br />And our hearts were all filled up with laughter<br />And our laughter was filled up with joy<br />And the joy inside us was singing<br />Of the things that were done by the Lord<br />Things that were done by the Lord<br /><br />As the rain swells the streams of the desert<br />And the water brings life to the land<br />May the Lord look upon us from heaven<br />To bring life to His people again<br />For we’ve sown many seeds in our sorrow<br />And we’ve sown many seeds in our tears<br />But we wait for the joy of the harvest<br />When the Lord will redeem all our years<br />And the Lord will redeem all our years<br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">© 2001 by Jeff Doles</span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XETTm6nnkmo" width="320" youtube-src-id="XETTm6nnkmo"></iframe></div><p><a href="https://themes.googleusercontent.com/image?id=1oeu82iUqJps3FeKBKTo6YByCaGWa2WjDK-Xuw8Oz9vVaPtbZKzSOJjMoCJYo3C4_-ATJ" target="_blank">The Pilgrim Psalms</a> project is now streaming at Amazon Music, Apple Music, Pandora, YouTube, Spotify, and wherever you enjoy music. It is also available for download at Amazon and iTunes. </p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-44322033752703196032024-03-01T10:47:00.001-05:002024-03-01T10:52:22.089-05:00What Great Love the Father Has Lavished<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrdtRHFKqT5P6JSASQt1Xef5nWn6zLfzW-QThM2YcTcqjTjPjCMlDKw9TIBEayf5JBqL0ABGvX2kjksaT7-uTFFhR_dXocXVQ2G2Nho9ta9rXpYYq7Wb9rOyHDlshwh2WZ-JOq5_21y7tVXyTPHLdoztUwzCmKHGKE7vFhfcXXn9WG5sPoYezSA/s1080/What%20Great%20Love%20the%20Father%20Has%20Lavished%20-%20no%20title.png"><img class="wide" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrdtRHFKqT5P6JSASQt1Xef5nWn6zLfzW-QThM2YcTcqjTjPjCMlDKw9TIBEayf5JBqL0ABGvX2kjksaT7-uTFFhR_dXocXVQ2G2Nho9ta9rXpYYq7Wb9rOyHDlshwh2WZ-JOq5_21y7tVXyTPHLdoztUwzCmKHGKE7vFhfcXXn9WG5sPoYezSA/s16000/What%20Great%20Love%20the%20Father%20Has%20Lavished%20-%20no%20title.png" title="What Great Love the Father Has Lavished © 2024 by Jeff Doles" /></a></div><p></p><div><blockquote><p></p></blockquote><p class="dropcap">“See what great love the Father has lavished on us.” <i>Lavished!</i> I love that word. It speaks of generosity, abundance, extravagance and grace. It reminds me of the extravagant love of the father in Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son (see <a href="https://www.thefaithlog.com/2016/03/the-lifter-of-our-shame.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://www.thefaithlog.com/2015/08/god-gave-them-over-that-they-might.html" target="_blank">here</a>). So, I like that the <i>New International Version</i> uses this word to translate <i>didomi </i>(in its perfect tense). The <i>King James Version</i>, too, renders the line very nicely: “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us.” It is freely given to us.</p><p class="dropcap"></p><blockquote>See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be
called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world
does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are
children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we
know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see
him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as
he is pure. (1 John 3:1-3)</blockquote><p></p><p>What manner of love is this? How magnanimous and strange and unexpected it is. See what God has done in his great love for us: He has called us his children — children of God. He is not unapproachable deity, for he has come and revealed himself fully to us in Christ the Son, for Jesus said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”</p><p>The Father has bestowed his love upon us, lavished it upon us without condition and without boundary. God, who is love, has given us what and who he is — divine love. He has given us himself in intimate relationship.</p><p>Children of God is not what we must aspire to and somehow accomplish. Children of God is what we are — right here and right now, fully and completely. We will never be more the children of God, more loved and accepted by God, than we are in this present moment.</p><p>We are children of God not because of anything we have done, not even by our faith, but because of what God has done for us in Christ. That is the gospel truth about every one of us. But the world does not recognize the truth of this; it does not recognize our identity — and their own identity — in Christ because it did not recognize Christ himself.</p><p>When John says that all who have this hope purify themselves, he does not mean that they go to work, do the <i>do </i>and clean themselves up. That would be to miss the point about our identity in Christ. It would fold <i>being </i>back into <i>doing </i>and collapse everything down into moralism and legalism. We do not become children of God by our own doing, nor do we purify ourselves by our own efforts. We will be like Christ not by what we have done but because “we shall see him as him as he is.”</p><blockquote><p>For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)</p><p>And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)</p></blockquote></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-18504248410361815112024-02-29T08:27:00.003-05:002024-02-29T08:27:38.207-05:00The Lord Surrounds His People<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8NFhnQg1OGSxrTXhOhZv7zTwJ8hCayPBE9IopRwlbXm6BxgMH3IlUaEVHYINaNDyhX5NABwVCJRSx3pR_k0sjB1P4QqvnyQXAtIKS7iyBwcaEBoEN-NWjdTvVh6yK1FjInzdLHd9u2LRc7S6y4UZ_x6cWRcEwaj95iLS79anhEMq3QVYI7HmMNw/s1080/Psalm%20125%20The%20Lord%20Surrounds%20His%20People.png"><img class="wide" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8NFhnQg1OGSxrTXhOhZv7zTwJ8hCayPBE9IopRwlbXm6BxgMH3IlUaEVHYINaNDyhX5NABwVCJRSx3pR_k0sjB1P4QqvnyQXAtIKS7iyBwcaEBoEN-NWjdTvVh6yK1FjInzdLHd9u2LRc7S6y4UZ_x6cWRcEwaj95iLS79anhEMq3QVYI7HmMNw/s16000/Psalm%20125%20The%20Lord%20Surrounds%20His%20People.png" title="The Lord Surrounds His People" /></a></div><p class="dropcap">The world is a danger, but we do not travel alone — and never have. Lord Jesus has walked the road himself, on the journey he calls us to travel with him. He encircles us as the mountains encircle Jerusalem. He protects us and ensures our way. The Sons of Korah understood this very well:<br /></p><p class="dropcap" style="text-align: left;"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><blockquote><p>Blessed are those whose strength is in You, <br /> whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. <br />As they pass through the Valley of Weeping, <br /> they make it a place of springs; <br /> the autumn rains also cover it with pools. <br />They go from strength to strength, <br /> till each appears before God in Zion. <br /> (Psalm 84:5-7)<br /></p></blockquote></div><p></p><p>The wicked will not last. They will not withstand the Judgment of Christ and the Cross. He will not put up with them forever; the Consuming Fire of God’s Love will complete its work in them until each one appears before God in Zion, whose gates are never shut.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;">The Lord Surrounds His People<br />(Psalm 125)</h3><p style="text-align: center;">The world is a danger, the timid overtaken<br />Cry out like children in the night when they awaken<br />Those trusting in the Lord will not be shaken<br />But we’ll be standing when the Lord surrounds His people</p><p style="text-align: center;">Wicked men come with evil infection<br />And try to lead us in the wrong direction<br />The Lord will keep us in His circle of protection<br />And none will harm us when the Lord surrounds His people</p><p style="text-align: center;">Some will slip away and think they’re being clever<br />And be surprised He won’t put up with them forever<br />But every true believer He will treasure<br />And we’ll continue as the Lord surrounds His people<br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">© 2001 by Jeff Doles </span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-k5SkOuOWfI" width="320" youtube-src-id="-k5SkOuOWfI"></iframe></div><p></p><p><a href="https://www.thefaithlog.com/2024/02/the-pilgrim-psalms-project.html" target="_blank">The Pilgrim Psalms</a> project is now streaming at Amazon Music, Apple Music, Pandora, YouTube, Spotify, and wherever you enjoy music. It is also available for download at Amazon and iTunes.<br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-90612501650671087222024-02-28T10:41:00.000-05:002024-02-28T10:41:39.804-05:00A Sacrament of Water and the Word<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4eyj355zvWMtc0vH_hyphenhyphenAHXN-N6I6tyPwVGkqAjG6LY2we76YKma3j7co0-VkQzfabmOPwIoa1a1rDxpehXY4gBNTExVuK4h-JP_dcuhVQmlCI_buTgcoPjld9U3L57Z_qZX4hNJ1t3685OruA4INYZSEIHZtw-XcHe-hN7OmUl3fBb6Ozlxm0ww/s1080/Sacrament%20of%20Water%20and%20the%20Word.png"><img class="wide" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4eyj355zvWMtc0vH_hyphenhyphenAHXN-N6I6tyPwVGkqAjG6LY2we76YKma3j7co0-VkQzfabmOPwIoa1a1rDxpehXY4gBNTExVuK4h-JP_dcuhVQmlCI_buTgcoPjld9U3L57Z_qZX4hNJ1t3685OruA4INYZSEIHZtw-XcHe-hN7OmUl3fBb6Ozlxm0ww/s16000/Sacrament%20of%20Water%20and%20the%20Word.png" /></a></div><p class="dropcap">Baptism is not a statute to be observed but a sacrament to be received. It is not a work we perform but a work God does in us through means of Water and the Word. And by it, God accomplishes some very important things in us:<br /></p><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"></span></p><blockquote>Do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life. For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united in the likeness of his resurrection. (Romans 6:3-5)</blockquote> <p></p><p>Baptized into the death of Christ, we are buried with Christ through baptism, so that we may have new life, the life of Christ, through whom we are united through baptism. As Paul says in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” This is what salvation looks like.<br /></p><p>The idea suggested by some, that Paul is speaking here of a baptism of the Holy Spirit rather than a baptism of water, is of relatively recent vintage. It is absent from the early Church. We do not find it in the early Church Fathers, nor do we find it in the Reformers. It was not until the last century or so that this idea began to arise.<br /><br />Certainly it is the Holy Spirit who baptizes us, and what God accomplishes in us by baptism, God does through the Holy Spirit — but also through the substance of water. Just as our Lord Jesus Christ has redeemed us through the substance of human flesh, and of wood and nails, so also God ministers grace to us through such means as water, oil, bread and wine. As someone has well said, matter matters. God works through material means as well as through spiritual.<br /><br />That is the nature of sign and sacrament. The sign participates in the reality of the thing it portrays. The early Church held no Nominalist views, where the only significance of a thing or act was merely whatever name or meaning we assign to it in our own minds. Nominalism did not arise until around the Enlightenment era. Rather, the Church was Realist, understanding that a thing or act participates in the reality, the ontology, the very being of whatever it portrays and presents (or re-presents) to us.<br /><br />In Ephesians 4:4-6, Paul tells us that there is but one Body and one Spirit and one Baptism. That one baptism is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and it is through the material of water, baptizing us into the One Body. For baptism is the initiatory rite into the Church, the Body of Christ.</p><p>Baptism is not a statute to which we submit, or a work we do to earn something. It is a gift we receive, a gift of God’s grace, given to us by means of water and the Word.<br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-239278365668882412024-02-27T08:43:00.000-05:002024-02-27T08:43:17.028-05:00If The Lord Was Not With Us<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEEdTgdjbwkqWbrcDdm7MHUsXyo8Qq1CfCnAU4nnjVgykYODsnMcrMjJxLgn0Y2RuqysDwA9CB_go89TFhveLD2dBZV-fubyCTcC1AlER5MV8i2FyC2SHEybErD7kbFbeaLLeMDKI2PKzG8CrGbsVYuRLhqsDquq8Nvnuzz9BN5rLyBXNs9ky-VQ/s1080/Psalm%20124%20If%20the%20Lord%20Was%20Not%20With%20Us.png"><img class="wide" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEEdTgdjbwkqWbrcDdm7MHUsXyo8Qq1CfCnAU4nnjVgykYODsnMcrMjJxLgn0Y2RuqysDwA9CB_go89TFhveLD2dBZV-fubyCTcC1AlER5MV8i2FyC2SHEybErD7kbFbeaLLeMDKI2PKzG8CrGbsVYuRLhqsDquq8Nvnuzz9BN5rLyBXNs9ky-VQ/s16000/Psalm%20124%20If%20the%20Lord%20Was%20Not%20With%20Us.png" title="If The Lord Was Not With Us" /></a></div><p class="dropcap">Sometimes it is the anger and pride of others who would entangle us in their arrogance, foolishness and deceit. Sometimes it is our own anger and pride that would trip us up and enslave us to the passions we have so easily learned to accommodate. But the Lord is faithful, and with us to deliver us, and so we learn to abide, even amid all the dangers and snares we may encounter on our journey.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>If The Lord Was Not With Us</b><br /><b>(Psalm 124)</b><br /><br />Now when men rose against us<br />In their fury and pride<br />We would surely be swallowed alive<br />If the Lord was not with us<br />Standing right by our side<br />In the name of the Maker<br />Of heaven and earth we’ll abide<br /><br />O their anger was rising<br />Rising up on that day<br />And the raging flood would have washed us away<br />If the Lord was not with us<br />Standing right by our side<br />In the name of the Maker<br />Of heaven and earth we’ll abide<br /><br />And the fowler was waiting<br />And preparing his snare<br />Thanks be given to God, Who was there<br />For the trap has been broken<br />It held us in vain<br />In the name of the Maker<br />Of heaven and earth we’ll remain<br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">© 2001 by Jeff Doles</span></i><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wVpEYgnw9uE" width="320" youtube-src-id="wVpEYgnw9uE"></iframe> <br /></div><p><i>The Pilgrim Psalms</i> project is now streaming at Amazon Music, Apple Music, Pandora, YouTube, Spotify, and wherever you enjoy music. It is also available for download at Amazon and iTunes.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-2069365669026601822024-02-26T10:10:00.001-05:002024-02-26T10:15:02.819-05:00The Gospel of Recapitulation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHLvb7du2_k72DjbUVZ9iitXbco-ZP4KK_9N6Mdb_H5MUCj82lkHsJmAV5Pusu_jMH9ZXad6XxTUyv_SD3c37kBqSgmTHkPRPKcP2OM-PoMJ2aPDXfsU_f6tEssa8f9MtCXqqcZsyPbo3ODoiQjR5EAUjkxl_J_QmtTGpsNfL7_jiVgMDpNez8w/s1600/Gospel%20of%20Recapitulation.png"><img class="wide" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHLvb7du2_k72DjbUVZ9iitXbco-ZP4KK_9N6Mdb_H5MUCj82lkHsJmAV5Pusu_jMH9ZXad6XxTUyv_SD3c37kBqSgmTHkPRPKcP2OM-PoMJ2aPDXfsU_f6tEssa8f9MtCXqqcZsyPbo3ODoiQjR5EAUjkxl_J_QmtTGpsNfL7_jiVgMDpNez8w/s16000/Gospel%20of%20Recapitulation.png" title="Adam Blew It, Christ Renewed It, Recapitulation © Jeff Doles" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Adam blew it. Christ renewed it. Recapitulation. </i></p><p class="dropcap">Recapitulation as atonement is a very biblical idea. Paul speaks of it expressly as the plan and purpose of God. It is the saving work of Christ, through the Incarnation and the Cross:<br /></p><p></p><blockquote>God did this when he revealed to us the mystery of his will, according
to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, toward the administration of the fullness of the times, <i>to head up </i>all things in Christ – the things in heaven and the things on earth. (Ephesians 1:9-10 <i>NET</i>)</blockquote><p></p><p>The Greek word for “to head up” is <i>anakephalaioo</i>, meaning to gather up into one, to sum up — quite literally, it means to head up. It is recapitulation, or as we would say in today’s jargon, “recap.” Paul tells us that all in heaven and on earth are summed up, headed up, “recapped” and brought to unity, to oneness, in Christ. St. Irenaeus of Lyon (AD 130-202), picking up on Paul, here and elsewhere, speaks specifically of recapitulation as the saving work of Christ:</p><p></p><blockquote><p>Wherefore also He passed through every stage of life, restoring to all communion with God ... For it behoved Him who was to destroy sin, and redeem man under the power of death, that He should Himself be made that very same thing which he was, that is, man; who had been drawn by sin into bondage, but was held by death, so that sin should be destroyed by man, and man should go forth from death. For as by the disobedience of the one man who was originally moulded from virgin soil, the many were made sinners, and forfeited life; so was it necessary that, by the obedience of one man, who was originally born from a virgin, many should be justified and receive salvation. <i>St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.18</i></p><p>For the Lord, taking dust from the earth, moulded man; and it was upon his behalf that all the dispensation of the Lord's advent took place. He had Himself, therefore, flesh and blood, recapitulating in Himself not a certain other, but that original handiwork of the Father, seeking out that thing which had perished. — <i>St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies 5.14</i><br /><br />That the Lord then was manifestly coming to His own things, and was sustaining them by means of that creation which is supported by Himself, and was making a recapitulation of that disobedience which had occurred in connection with a tree, through the obedience which was [exhibited by Himself when He hung] upon a tree, [the effects] also of that deception being done away with. — <i>St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies 5.19</i><br /><br />These things, therefore, He recapitulated in Himself: by uniting man to the Spirit, and causing the Spirit to dwell in man, He is Himself made the head of the Spirit, and gives the Spirit to be the head of man: for through Him (the Spirit) we see, and hear, and speak. — <i>St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies 5.20</i></p></blockquote><p></p><blockquote>He has therefore, in His work of recapitulation, summed up all things,
both waging war against our enemy, and crushing him who had at the
beginning led us away captives in Adam, and trampled upon his head, as
you can perceive in Genesis that God said to the serpent, “And I will
put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her
seed; He shall be on the watch for your head, and you on the watch for
His heel. — <i>St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies 5.21</i></blockquote><i> </i><p></p><p>The words of St. Irenaeus echo the author of Hebrews:<br /></p><p></p><blockquote>Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their
humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds
the power of death — that is, the devil — and free those who all their
lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not
angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be
made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become
a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he
might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself
suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being
tempted. (Hebrews 2:14-18)</blockquote><p></p><p>Recapitulation means that what Adam got wrong, Christ put right. And humankind, which was once headed up in Adam, is now headed up in Christ. </p><p> </p><p></p><blockquote><p>Consequently, just as one trespass [Adam’s] resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act [Christ’s] resulted in justification and life for all people. (Romans 5:18)</p><p>For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22) </p></blockquote><p></p><p>Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:9-10 that all in heaven and on earth are summed up, headed up, “recapped,” brought to unity, to oneness, in Christ. If Christ is the head, then humankind is the body. St. Gregory of Nyssa understood this very well: “Now the body of Christ, as I have often said, is the whole of humanity.” </p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">This is Recapitulation.<br />This is Atonement.<br />This is the Gospel.</span></i><br /></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-88566641955098634672024-02-24T10:37:00.002-05:002024-03-11T12:22:47.634-05:00Our Eyes Look Up To You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHEWvJJQCAIjwDxTJVwhVWmNV-Vzt73imSH7_pZm3xMjTPTLp4-mZVjtYP5Aw7EtDhfgb3-zGbdGj5diWYOYMln81r89UOGtb8nodqnpvimdQQu_lQLXzgA1rpZdwLkscYk3rkr30Bg1qXPs9J0X3ryt9dNresmeKLUOJKG3GHiqP01xBHFMzcg/s1080/Psalm%20123%20Our%20Eyes%20Look%20Up%20to%20You.png"><img class="wide" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHEWvJJQCAIjwDxTJVwhVWmNV-Vzt73imSH7_pZm3xMjTPTLp4-mZVjtYP5Aw7EtDhfgb3-zGbdGj5diWYOYMln81r89UOGtb8nodqnpvimdQQu_lQLXzgA1rpZdwLkscYk3rkr30Bg1qXPs9J0X3ryt9dNresmeKLUOJKG3GHiqP01xBHFMzcg/s16000/Psalm%20123%20Our%20Eyes%20Look%20Up%20to%20You.png" /></a></div><p class="dropcap">With <a href="https://www.thefaithlog.com/2024/02/too-long-living-in-land-with-no-peace.html" target="_blank">repentance</a>, <a href="https://www.thefaithlog.com/2024/02/my-help-comes-from-lord.html" target="_blank">hope</a>, and the <a href="https://www.thefaithlog.com/2024/02/the-house-of-lord.html" target="_blank">prospect of returning</a> to the heart of God — the fellowship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit — and so be properly aligned with everyone and everything, and at peace within ourselves, it is renewal we now seek. We learn to offer up our ways and our days, that they may be filled with God. For we have had enough of the twisted ways of the world, which drain our days dry. We long to be free of their grip.</p><h3 style="text-align: center;">Our Eyes Look Up To You<br />(Psalm 123)</h3><p style="text-align: center;">We are servants of the Lord<br />Our eyes look up to You<br />Send forth Your word once more<br />The people of Your covenant renew<br /><br />O Maker of our days<br />We make our life Your home<br />We offer up our ways<br />And lift our eyes to You upon the throne<br /><br />Have mercy on us, Lord<br />And conquer every part<br />Of everything that seeks<br />To rule within our hearts<br />Our eyes look up to You<br /><br />We are servants of the Lord<br />And waiting at Your hand<br />We pray that we might see<br />The glory of Your name throughout our land<br /><br />Have mercy on us, Lord<br />And conquer every part<br />Of everything that seeks<br />To rule within our hearts<br />Our eyes look up to You<br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">© 2001 by Jeff Doles</span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_EsGr3b5E-Q" width="320" youtube-src-id="_EsGr3b5E-Q"></iframe></div><p></p><p><a href="https://www.thefaithlog.com/2024/02/the-pilgrim-psalms-project.html" target="_blank"><i>The Pilgrim Psalms</i></a> project is now streaming at Amazon Music, Apple Music, Pandora, YouTube, Spotify, and wherever you enjoy music. It is also available for download at Amazon and iTunes.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-73910040978735153122024-02-23T09:15:00.000-05:002024-02-23T09:15:36.948-05:00Christ of the Fiery Eye<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBo_m_sKlTbDCQ5g2qC9W32H6VrU1iZCCdTAPU7WKMspRUtEpcPAeWSJcNT9vuiEZp4GG8WybAcBNOvZ__B5rCZIqNHj73gq7T2u10MX2a63Kn2jDvVlzPBUMrYaBNqTJvO_zK0hBts9WYTMhDoP8pHpLrgKJtF4H22FOIaAey58dhb7UPEuZFw/s1080/Christ%20of%20the%20Fiery%20Eye.png"><img class="wide" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBo_m_sKlTbDCQ5g2qC9W32H6VrU1iZCCdTAPU7WKMspRUtEpcPAeWSJcNT9vuiEZp4GG8WybAcBNOvZ__B5rCZIqNHj73gq7T2u10MX2a63Kn2jDvVlzPBUMrYaBNqTJvO_zK0hBts9WYTMhDoP8pHpLrgKJtF4H22FOIaAey58dhb7UPEuZFw/s16000/Christ%20of%20the%20Fiery%20Eye.png" /></a></div><p class="dropcap">Here is one of the three main Bible passages used by many evangelicals in an attempt to shut down any idea of Christian universalism. Does it succeed in doing so? I don’t think so, but consider for yourself. </p><blockquote><p>In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power. (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 <i>NKJV</i>) <br /></p></blockquote><p class="dropcap" div=""></p><p>Here are several brief points I would note in response (and have done in discussions of this passage on Facebook).<b> <br /></b></p><p><b>The Fire <br /></b>The fire of God is purgative. The God who is a “consuming fire” is the same as the God who is love. So, whatever the consuming fire of God is, it is always about love. God’s fire is a refiner’s fire (see Malachi 3; 1 Corinthians 3), not for the purpose of destruction, or retribution — God is love, and love is not retributive (see 1 Corinthians 13) — but for restoration. </p><p>In Revelation 19:12, the eyes of Christ are like “flames of fire.” Nothing can be hidden from his penetrating gaze — he sees all. The flames are the consuming fire of God’s love, a refiner’s fire burning away all evil yet preserving in us what is good, what comes from God.<br /><br /><b>The Vengeance </b><br />The vengeance God metes out is not about retribution — for God is love, and love is not retributive. In Romans 12, Paul tells us about the “vengeance” of God. God does not repay evil with evil but with good; God overcomes evil with good.<br /></p><p><b>The Punishment</b><br />The “punishment” is not retributive — God is love, and love is not retributive. The Greek word is <i>tino</i> and refers to a recompense. But again, Paul shows us in Romans 12 how God pays back: not with evil but with good; God overcomes evil with good. The vengeance and punishment of God are about chastening, for the purpose of correction and restoration.<br /></p><p></p><p><b>The Duration</b><br />The Greek word translated as “everlasting” (or “eternal”) here is <i>aionion</i> and refers not to endless duration but to an age; generally, it is the age that is to come (and which is already breaking into this present age). The chastening punishment Paul speaks of here may be in the age to come, but it is not of endless duration. For chastening always has an end in view: the correction of an offender.<br /></p><p><b>The Destruction</b><br />The “destruction” (Greek, <i>olethros</i>) itself is not endless. Nor it is retributive — God is love, and love is not retributive but corrective and restorative. In 1 Corinthians 5:5, Paul uses <i>olethros </i>concerning the man who was having sexual relations with his father’s: “Hand this man over to Satan for the destruction [<i>olethros</i>] of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” The purpose of this was not the final destruction of the man but for his ultimate salvation and restoration.<br /><br /><b>The Presence</b><br />“From the presence of the Lord” does not mean that those undergoing such a terrible experience are shut out from the presence of the Lord. Quite the opposite, it is exactly the presence of the Lord — the overwhelming glory of God’s presence — that causes the distress felt by those who turn away from the love of God. They cannot escape the glorious, loving presence of God, yet they are unable to bear it — until the consuming fire of God’s love has burned away every wrong, dark thought about God that prevents them from seeing God as he truly is: self-giving, other-centered love, revealed in the crucified and risen Christ. There is one other place in the New Testament where we find the expression, “from the presence of the Lord,” and that is in Acts 3:20, where Peter says, “so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” It is not about being <i>shut out</i> from the presence of the Lord but, rather, what proceeds <i>from</i> the presence of the Lord. </p><p>See also <a href="https://www.thefaithlog.com/2020/04/from-face-of-lord.html" target="_blank"><i>From the Face of the Lord</i></a>. </p><p><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The icon form above is Christ of the Fiery Eye, from whose face nothing is hidden.</span></i><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-57319721415907397222024-02-22T09:00:00.003-05:002024-03-11T12:19:54.294-05:00The House of the Lord<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt6iO4bJLIVmjLsF70HsFu7NGx_XetvcT4_ebjy7hk4HYByCcsdo1OhxgVeRxJwhfDL2v-oF61T-S5vf6ptjHaZCHp34HlEQLNGdYS4niPbrL5E6eNVHlQBip1Atzs25mdX6DiQJKz37IKedM_x7R2dmGLuUJBiRf6l-9DhZ7zujXLONY34L8zuQ/s1080/Psalm%20122%20The%20House%20of%20the%20Lord.png"><img class="wide" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt6iO4bJLIVmjLsF70HsFu7NGx_XetvcT4_ebjy7hk4HYByCcsdo1OhxgVeRxJwhfDL2v-oF61T-S5vf6ptjHaZCHp34HlEQLNGdYS4niPbrL5E6eNVHlQBip1Atzs25mdX6DiQJKz37IKedM_x7R2dmGLuUJBiRf6l-9DhZ7zujXLONY34L8zuQ/s16000/Psalm%20122%20The%20House%20of%20the%20Lord.png" /></a></div><p class="dropcap">Having begun in <a href="https://www.thefaithlog.com/2024/02/too-long-living-in-land-with-no-peace.html" target="_blank">repentance</a>, and with <a href="https://www.thefaithlog.com/2024/02/my-help-comes-from-lord.html" target="_blank">our eyes lifted up in hope</a>, there is now joy at the invitation to go up to the true home of the heart, the House of the Lord. We have been here before. We were born for it. It is inherent to our being. Though we may have often departed from it, it has never departed from us. It has remained in us as our longing — and our belonging. And now we remember, and now we rejoice. For the House of the Lord is not only our dwelling place in God; it is God dwelling us — in the fellowship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><h3 style="text-align: center;">The House of the Lord<br />(Psalm 122)<br /></h3><p style="text-align: center;">I was so glad when they said,<br />“Let us go up to the House of the Lord”<br />I was so glad when they said,<br />“Let us go up to the house of the Lord”<br />You and I are the House of the Lord<br />He shall dwell in our praise<br />He shall dwell in our praise<br />And see His love displayed<br /><br />Well, I looked down and I saw my feet<br />Within the walls of the House of the Lord<br />I looked down and I saw my feet<br />Within the walls of the House of the Lord<br />Let us give thanks to the Lord<br />He shall dwell in our praise<br />He shall dwell in our praise<br />And see His love displayed<br /><br />Pray, pray, pray<br />Pray for the peace of the House of the Lord<br />Pray, pray, pray<br />Pray for the peace of the House of the Lord<br /><br />You and I are the House of the Lord<br />He shall dwell in our praise<br />He shall dwell in our praise<br />And see His love displayed<br />He’ll see His love displayed<br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">© 2001 by Jeff Doles</span></i><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yzr_OHzL1jw" width="320" youtube-src-id="yzr_OHzL1jw"></iframe></div><p><a href="https://www.thefaithlog.com/2024/02/the-pilgrim-psalms-project.html" target="_blank"><i>The Pilgrim Psalms</i></a> project is now streaming at Amazon Music, Apple Music, Pandora, YouTube, Spotify, and wherever you enjoy music. It is also available for download at Amazon and iTunes.<br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-11201814697898937342024-02-21T10:13:00.000-05:002024-02-21T10:13:11.959-05:00Who Follow the Way<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPjxBBFupfl74VFS4KyDR4TjmrKCkeqiDm6crgDYjt4OufuIodcQIPB2jszPxRMoJgeruBSZLvpAMgjSIuH6Rh2Tli6tLUtoOA2ZhBp6Hsh4BIcg_nkplRd2wWb4EHpKKKAEav2XeFQdKXxJgJ_n2mk1xYfxCy-Ar9Gb2BBj8J74BRVkDg_1jAvw/s1024/Who%20Follow%20the%20Way%2007.jpg"><img class="wide" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPjxBBFupfl74VFS4KyDR4TjmrKCkeqiDm6crgDYjt4OufuIodcQIPB2jszPxRMoJgeruBSZLvpAMgjSIuH6Rh2Tli6tLUtoOA2ZhBp6Hsh4BIcg_nkplRd2wWb4EHpKKKAEav2XeFQdKXxJgJ_n2mk1xYfxCy-Ar9Gb2BBj8J74BRVkDg_1jAvw/s16000/Who%20Follow%20the%20Way%2007.jpg" title="Who Follow the Way But Know Not the Name, © Jeff Doles" /></a></div><p class="dropcap">There are many who profess to be Christian, to be “born again,” to know Christ, who may even do many things in the name of Christ, yet do not follow him or do what he says. They are putting forth a false self that Christ does not recognize.</p><blockquote>Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?” Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” <br /><br />Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. (Matthew 7:22-27) </blockquote>On the other hand, there may be many who have never heard of Jesus Christ, but who follow the way of Christ, obey the truth of Christ, and experience something of the life of Christ at work in them. For Christ is the Light of the World, the True Light who gives Light to everyone who comes into the world (John 1:9). And, “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. It trains us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age” (Titus 2:12-13 <i>NET</i>).<br /><p></p><p>In Romans 2, Paul speaks of those who possessed the Law of Moses but did not obey it, and also of those who, though they did not know the Law of Moses, yet they lived by its precepts, written in their hearts. Who was in a better condition?<br /></p><p>Likewise, there may be many who respond to what Light they have been given by our Lord Jesus, even though they do not understand who he is — but how well do any of us understand who he is? They somehow hear his voice and follow him, even if they have no explicit knowledge of him. I have more hope for them than I do for those who profess to belong to Christ yet do not follow him. </p><p>My continual prayer is that God lead all to see, know, love, trust and follow Lord Jesus. How that comes about, and in what order, is in God’s hands, and I am content to leave it with him to do according to his mercy and wisdom. My confidence is that, whatever happens in the meantime, in the end, God will be “All in All” (1 Corinthians 15:28).<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">There may be many who <br />Follow the Way of Christ, <br />Live the Truth of Christ, <br />Experience the Life of Christ, <br />And so know Him, though they<br />Do not yet know His name.<br />Then let us look for Christ<br />In everyone we meet. <br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;">Christ is the only <br />Way to the Father, <br />But there are many <br />Ways to Christ. And <br />There is no road <br />He won’t come down <br />To find you and me.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-1974133493676763272024-02-20T09:09:00.006-05:002024-03-11T12:14:45.459-05:00My Help Comes From the Lord<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4yxPMUHYk89Fz6BU0sPP0QDSP6ahHDitxQisRlFlAGc42l3mauUp33WVer0DHf-Bp46QNGXteVN2RJHXaga0LwuFG6SZmx-OT2v1FItE90MuJI5YaYi09-6jiPgb5nxs2ltSp6Hn4qFBiHQr6FTf4hsesBV5dvWGO3jUsOWVYx8gMcw4o2HKVWg/s1080/Psalm%20121%20My%20Help%20Comes%20From%20the%20Lord.png" imageanchor="1"><img class="wide" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4yxPMUHYk89Fz6BU0sPP0QDSP6ahHDitxQisRlFlAGc42l3mauUp33WVer0DHf-Bp46QNGXteVN2RJHXaga0LwuFG6SZmx-OT2v1FItE90MuJI5YaYi09-6jiPgb5nxs2ltSp6Hn4qFBiHQr6FTf4hsesBV5dvWGO3jUsOWVYx8gMcw4o2HKVWg/s16000/Psalm%20121%20My%20Help%20Comes%20From%20the%20Lord.png" /></a></div><p class="dropcap">Having begun in repentance (see <a href="https://www.thefaithlog.com/2024/02/too-long-living-in-land-with-no-peace.html" target="_blank">Too Long Living In A Land With No Peace</a>), the journey of <a href="https://www.thefaithlog.com/2024/02/the-pilgrim-psalms-project.html" target="_blank">The Pilgrim Psalms</a> proceeds to having hope, the lifting up of the head. Looking to the source of our help. Looking to our heart’s true home, which is in God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Feels a little bit Reggae to me.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;">My Help Comes from the Lord<br />(Psalm 121)</h3><p style="text-align: center;">I lift my eyes to the hills<br />Where does my help come from<br />My help comes from the Lord<br />Not from the idols on the hills<br />They cannot save themselves<br />My help comes from the Lord</p><p style="text-align: center;">He don’t sleep, He don’t slumber<br />I know that He won’t let me go under<br />He is the maker of lightning and thunder<br />I lift my eyes to the Lord</p><p style="text-align: center;">He will keep me on the way<br />And He will not let them harm me<br />My help comes from the Lord<br />In the night and in the day<br />My comings and my goings<br />My help comes from the Lord</p><p style="text-align: center;">He don’t sleep, He don’t slumber<br />I know that He won’t let me go under<br />He is the maker of lightning and thunder<br />I lift my eyes to the Lord</p><p style="text-align: center;">And in a world that is filled with upheaval<br />I know that He will keep me from evil<br />He is the watcher over His people<br />I lift my eyes to the Lord<br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">© 2001 by Jeff Doles</span></i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TMuLLC_3NjA" width="320" youtube-src-id="TMuLLC_3NjA"></iframe></div><p></p><p><i>The Pilgrim Psalms</i> is now <span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;">streaming
at Amazon Music, Apple Music, Pandora, YouTube, Spotify, and wherever
you enjoy music. It is also available for download at Amazon and iTunes.</span></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8794452.post-5375260509464517222024-02-19T10:55:00.002-05:002024-02-19T10:55:58.801-05:00The Last Word on Everything<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhou8S7JX8ShUhgKYKBeFWAl8-w3BnOsUbIkbINXyM_wctoMaNB54kBATU8x22Aj_fyIY3_rbKZfHxqJSlu31BPM6GLsghBhOeEVENCFzg0rMuE6lgZ_c6Y9c2N3zHSFfHokYiae2JwGSSOtoTM-497d1WlljTcJKN5vLWVfWv1hNHusk60MJqT4g/s1600/Last%20Word%20on%20Everything.png"><img class="wide" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhou8S7JX8ShUhgKYKBeFWAl8-w3BnOsUbIkbINXyM_wctoMaNB54kBATU8x22Aj_fyIY3_rbKZfHxqJSlu31BPM6GLsghBhOeEVENCFzg0rMuE6lgZ_c6Y9c2N3zHSFfHokYiae2JwGSSOtoTM-497d1WlljTcJKN5vLWVfWv1hNHusk60MJqT4g/s16000/Last%20Word%20on%20Everything.png" /></a></div><p class="dropcap">The Last Word on all things, the ultimate condition of everyone and everything, is this: God will be All in All. It is the final horizon for all things. There may be many horizons between here and there — St. Paul describes such in 1 Corinthians 15 — but this is the final one.<br /></p><blockquote>For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; then when Christ comes, those who belong to him. Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he has brought to an end all rule and all authority and power. <br /><br />For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be eliminated is death. For he has put everything in subjection under his feet. But when it says “everything” has been put in subjection, it is clear that this does not include the one who put everything in subjection to him. And when all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be All in All. (1 Corinthians 15:22-28)</blockquote><p>This is the final word on all things, and it is a good word, because God is good — indeed, goodness itself. The final word is Love, for God is Love, and does nothing that is in any way inconsistent with Love. </p><p>It means that whatever may happen in the meantime, in the end God will be All in All. Which means that Love will be All in All. It is the Good News of the Gospel — and it cannot be undone!.</p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>© 2022 by Jeff Doles<br/>
<!-- There is Always Joy -->
<a href="http://amzn.to/XYwkQK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06uPpDYjA3c/VJ2N1EZ5uOI/AAAAAAAADS4/a6g2i-a3IIM/s1600/JOYad600x250.jpg" width="600" height="250" /></a></p></div>Jeff Doleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582602841064840774noreply@blogger.com0