Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. Heb 5:8
What a fascinating statement. Do you mean to tell me that the Son of God, Jesus the Messiah, learned how to be obedient to God?
Sometimes we have a wrong concept of what it means to be holy and godly. Perhaps we think that someone who truly had faith in God would easily float through life on a cloud of peace and tranquility? Do you view struggling with God's unfolding plan in your life as a lack of faith? Do you view your feelings of anxiety, grief and stress as fruits of a weak relationship with God? Do they even make you doubt that you are actually his child?
Know this. Jesus struggled too.
In the Gospels, we find the perfect, sinless human in the garden of Gethsemane struggling with the Father's will for his life. See him in the garden "greatly distressed and troubled" and "very sorrowful, even to death". As he falls before his Father in prayer his worn stressed body breaks into a cold sweat. The sweat accumulates and drops to the earth like great drops of blood. He prays through the raging sea of emotions, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
Meanwhile the disciple sleep. Who is being more spiritual?
But Jesus continues to pray, giving his heart, soul and mind to God, until God sends him the strength for his seemingly impossible mission.
Isn't it comforting to know that Christ our mediator before God understands us in this way? Follow Christ's path and give your struggles and inner turmoil to God, until he strengthens you.
It shall come to pass in the latter days
that the mountain of the house of the LORD
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be lifted up above the hills;
and all the nations shall flow to it,
and many peoples shall come, and say:
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths."
For out of Zion shall go the law,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.
Isaiah 2:2-4
Given the New Testament hermeneutic (see 1 Tim 3:15 and Heb 12:22) Zion, Jerusalem and the House of God are symbols that refer to the Church, the people amongst whom God dwells. This beautiful prophecy declares that in the last days the Church will be the most prominent spiritual organization in the world. She will declare the revelation of God that attracts all people groups to come and worship the one true and living God. In doing so disputes and wars among the nations will cease.
I look forward to such a time. Do you believe the good news of Jesus has such power? If you believe it does, do you proclaim it in a way that is consistent with that belief?
that the mountain of the house of the LORD
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be lifted up above the hills;
and all the nations shall flow to it,
and many peoples shall come, and say:
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths."
For out of Zion shall go the law,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.
Isaiah 2:2-4
Given the New Testament hermeneutic (see 1 Tim 3:15 and Heb 12:22) Zion, Jerusalem and the House of God are symbols that refer to the Church, the people amongst whom God dwells. This beautiful prophecy declares that in the last days the Church will be the most prominent spiritual organization in the world. She will declare the revelation of God that attracts all people groups to come and worship the one true and living God. In doing so disputes and wars among the nations will cease.
I look forward to such a time. Do you believe the good news of Jesus has such power? If you believe it does, do you proclaim it in a way that is consistent with that belief?
I was in Seattle over the weekend and had the wonderful opportunity of visiting Seattle's Chinese District. A memorial had been erected in the local park to commemorate the tragic happenings of June 4th, 1989 in Tiananmen Square.
Everyone ought to know what happened that day. 100,000 peaceful protesters against the despotic and oppressive communistic government gathered in Tiananmen Square. The military attempted to break up the demonstrations and opened fire on many of the protesters. Although no one is sure of the exact number of deaths, it is estimated that a few thousand people were injured or killed.
Fang Zheng spoke at the memorial. He lost both legs in the massacre after being run over by a tank. He is a Paralympic discus thrower and has won several gold medals. Despite his success, Fang Zheng is prohibited to compete internationally by the Chinese government because they don't want to be forced to explain the reason for his disability.
I was very honored to meet Fang Zheng, shake his hand and talk with him briefly through an interpreter (I wish I spoke Chinese!). I hope that I have the same courage to stand against oppression if/when that time comes. He is a true hero.
Courage is valuing and treasuring what is right above all else. It propels those who have it to stand against even the most extreme odds.
May God give me that courage that values Him and the free expression of worship to Him above everything else I have.
To read more check out:
To read more check out:
Christ's way was the way of a resurrection experience following a death experience, and we must expect to find that he is constantly taking us along that same road in one or other of its thousand different forms.
J.I. Packer, "Keep In Step With The Spirit"
J.I. Packer, "Keep In Step With The Spirit"
New Missing Link!
So a one foot nine inch monkey that looks like a lemur is the missing link to humans? Ha! Oh... I almost forgot. It has "human-like nails", opposable big toes and its talus bone looks sorta like ours!
This article is so ridiculous it makes me laugh. It probably makes God laugh too.
The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.
Psalm 2:4
So a one foot nine inch monkey that looks like a lemur is the missing link to humans? Ha! Oh... I almost forgot. It has "human-like nails", opposable big toes and its talus bone looks sorta like ours!
This article is so ridiculous it makes me laugh. It probably makes God laugh too.
The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.
Psalm 2:4
What is happiness and unhappiness? It depends so little on the circumstances; it depends really only on that which happens inside a person... When Christ calls a man, He bids him, come and die.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Lutheran Theologian and Martyr in Hitler's Germany
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Lutheran Theologian and Martyr in Hitler's Germany
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