After feeling the Nola Gay’s nose jerk upward with the release of A-Bomb Little Boy, pilot Paul Tibbets, Jr. increased the speed to outdistance the turbulence sure to climb aloft with the explosion. Without success, for with the speed of sound, upwards flew the wind, seizing the giant plane in its clutches and shaking it like a toy. It would have surprised none aboard if the ship suffered partial or fatal failure.
Their experience illustrates the spiritual lesson Jesus taught in John 6:39-40. Nothing exists in life capable of shaking us loose from God’s grace in Christ. It’s often true, as the Psalmist complained, “Plowmen have plowed my back and made their furrows long” 129:1-4. However, by trusting God the believer experienced victory over his adversities. That ancient wisdom stresses two truth. One, the defeats and sorrows in life are real. Disappointments rage and death bereaves. We can’t escape life’s turbulence JUST by being saved. Promise of that exists only in faux Christianity. Two, Christ’s real faith foresaw tribulation, John 16:33, conjoined with the peace his Presence provides. There will always be—ALWAYS—challenges to confront our faith in God. But, loved ones, there will always be—ABSOLUTELY ALWAYS—better reasons to trust God than to fear life’s adversities. Life has no power over us we do not give it. Give it NONE! For the Lord who removes our sin by his blood empowers us by the Holy Spirit’s presence to overcome life. Take heart Christians, Jesus has overcome all we face—and MORE. Fear nothing we face in life. Fear only the failure of not holding so tightly to Jesus we lose our grip. Even when we feel we MAY lose it, pray in faith that Christ won’t lose his on us!
0 Comments
The tail-gunner in Superfortress Enola Gay pulled over his eyes the opaque goggles ordered for all crew members. Seconds earlier the Little Boy A-bomb had dropped from its bomb-bay. Seconds later it detonated in a firestorm 18 inches above ground over Hiroshima. Seconds after that an angry cloud burgeoned from the explosion. Quicker than the gunner could think, massive rays of light filled his goggles, closing his eyes. His experience has a spiritual lesson. Too-bright a light can blind before it illuminates. That’s why the spiritual light Jesus Christ possessed and SHONE on his world, and SHINES on ours, makes him the most controversial person in history. His brilliance offends unbelievers. They allow his goodness, but deny his Deity. They concede his zeal for God, but consider it different only in degree, not content, from other religious leaders. Where believers fall on their faces before him as the God-Man, critics turn from what they consider a colossal fraud, to seek solace in alternative religions. How do we account for the difference? EASILY. The former compare Christ’s claims with Christ’s life and find perfect harmony and seamless consistency—possible only in a Perfect Being. The latter see the same consistency, but in a turmoil of defiance decide NO ONE can be that perfect. Rejecting what they decide can never be, however bountiful the evidence THAT IT ONCE WAS in Jesus Christ, releases them to seek a faith of less mystery and more comfort. In that sense Christ’s teaching in John 6:40, 43-46, can best be understood. God doesn’t choose some to be saved while consigning others to Hell. The Spirit’s WORK, not God’s predestination, glows in those verses. Indeed, the Holy Spirit expects all mortals, believers or unbelievers, to at first be bewildered by, confounded by and dismayed when viewing Christ’s blinding light in the Gospels. The Holy Spirit goes further, however. He also promises that if:
Humans make the choice: investigate and accept the evidence Jesus left of his consistency, leading to Faith in him as the God/Man; or quickly scan the evidence and discard it. The former leads to peace with God through forgiveness of sin. To robust daily discipleship that overcomes problems. To fearless confrontation with death. Into an endless REALITY when God opens the Gates to the New Jerusalem. The latter faces:
Note: as with all Bible writing, more could be written on this blog than space permits. Let’s briefly consider three great Bible personalities who received correction from Jesus.
Daniel, in Daniel 12:8-10. Jesus refused his request for answers to what had been revealed to him. Teaching us that God’s Word almost always comes incrementally to his people:
Paul, in Acts 16:6-8. The Spirit disallowed Paul and Silas’ entrance into both provinces of Asia and Bithynia:
In II Corinthians 12:7-10 God imposed a thorn in Paul’s body:
Simon Peter, only four of more learning occasions, not in chronological order. First, learning that Jesus has no competition Mark 9:5-8. Both Moses and Elijah vanished while Jesus remained. Second, learning that belief in Jesus as God’s Son didn’t qualify him to correct Jesus Mark 8:31-33. Note: Mark noted that Jesus looked beyond Simon at the disciples before answering Peter. Why? Because they all shared Simon’s mistaken view. Third, learning that being a follower of Jesus didn’t qualify him to dictate John’s future John 21:20-23. Paul also understood that his apostolic authority didn’t determine Apollos’ ministry I Corinthians 16:12. Fourth, learning that God considers all people subjects of conversion, NONE incapable of being reached Acts 10:9-11:18. Summary: Simon Peter had more learning experiences with Jesus because he:
This short series introduces the subject matter. It can be enlarged it into a short sermon or lesson series. Finale A personal note: both my wife and I have recently experienced health issues. She had a problem with her wrists swelling. I had a fall while walking that has limited mobility. Hopefully past all that, this part of my 3-part blog illustrates why FAITH in God in Christ always exceeds KNOWLEDGE of God in Christ—though the latter proves equally necessary in discipleship. For, as Jesus cleanses our spirits in conversion, he automatically reinforces our REASON with FAITH.
God’s reply to Job in chapters 38-42 illustrates. In those chapters God said:
God’s reply helps us in our problems. We may not:
It’s at that impasse that something Ernest Gordon wrote in Through The Valley of the Kwai is helpful to us. The traumatic experiences of Allied soldiers in WWII defied reason. Gordon wrote that they had no recourse but to go beyond KNOWLEDGE of their experiences to FAITH in God. A Christian in turmoil can learn from their experience some 80 years ago. While it’s good to KNOW God in Christ, it’s even better to have FAITH in God in Christ. Because faith can take us beyond life’s:
to peace in God’s everlasting love through Christ. For faith can conquer where reason can’t even compete. End Part II. Part III coming. NOTE: Family medical problems have delayed blogging. Trusting God that delay is behind us, ONWARD we go. Part II of this blog will be posted Friday.
A well-known, but often overlooked, Bible truth reveals itself in Genesis 48:17ff. Joseph, son of Israel, learned that his rule over Egypt didn’t extend to rule over God and his choice of servants. Using that scripture as a base, consider four of the worst examples of mortal rebels God humiliated for opposing him. Pharaoh being the first of the worst Exodus 12:31-36. He who first bōwed his neck against God but ultimately bŏwed his head to God. Aaron sadly served as second worst—of several religious rebels. Moses left him and Hur in charge of Israel, Exodus 24:13-14, when he left for his 40-day rendezvous with God Exodus 19-31. However, Aaron proved he lacked his brother’s spiritual fortitude when spiritual perverts in the population rioted against God. Aaron immediately buckled before their protests. That so forcefully offended God that only Moses’ intercession kept him from destroying Aaron Deuteronomy 9:20. Consider Nadab and Abihu, Aaron’s oldest sons. Appointed priests by God, to serve with their father, Leviticus 9:1ff, they both witnessed God’s fire consuming the burnt offering Moses and Aaron offered 9:23-24. The sons then filled their censers with incense, added fire to them and …found themselves, instead of their sacrifice, immolated Leviticus 10:1-3. God wouldn’t tolerate their offense, caused by alcohol consumption, Leviticus 10:8-10, leading to unauthorized entry into the Holy of Holies Leviticus 16:2. Consider Korah and the associates he led to rebel against Moses and Aaron Numbers 16:1-17:13. It wasn’t enough for Korah and his confederates to serve under Moses. He wanted to serve in his place. The Kohathites had the privilege of carrying the most holy things of the Tabernacle Numbers 4:1-20. That didn’t satisfy their ambitions. When the denouement came, however, the earth opened and swallowed all the miscreants, with their possessions and families. To uphold his GLORY, God punishes those who deface it. Let all who use his NAME—which represents HIS PERSON—in vain, take note. He will not forget. He will not forgive. He will banish from His presence all repeat—offenders. End Part I. No way exists that anyone, or any group of someone’s, in any generation, can praise, honor and worship Jesus sufficiently, let alone excessively.
SINCE: God appeared to the generations in turn through his Son, for his Son, to prepare history to reveal his Son—through prophets, priests and kings. SINCE:
SINCE:
SINCE: Jesus consistently and
SINCE:
SINCE:
SINCE:
SINCE:
SINCE:
And on and on in perpetuity. No way exists to qualify, diminish, overrate or otherwise exhaust, or render excessive Glory to Jesus. No way exists for him to be accorded TOO MUCH PRAISE, CREDIT, GLORY, since ANY and ALL ACCLAIM to him remains less then he deserves. He’ll always have greater dimensions to his personality—that await study, exploration and appreciation—and all to the Glory and Delight of his Father Philippians 2:9-11, Ephesians 2:7. |
Archives
April 2024
Categories
All
|