LIVING IN THE VIRTUAL WORLD
I've recently seriously contemplated limiting or leaving this virtual world out here. Some of you may remember that song 'Material Girl' back in the 80s. Come on now, we all know it. Instead of the word material, insert the word virtual. I've been feeling like a virtual person for a while. It's like that episode from Adventures in Odyssey called The Virtual Kid. This kid spends so much time on the computer that he misses out on friendships and experiencing real events. He finds meaning by creating websites and talking on chat rooms. Now I don't spend a whole lot of time on the computer. But the time I have spent on it has taken away from some very important, real life things. The biggest is relationships. Real, in-person relationships. I have had a blast getting to know people in cyberspace who share the same convictions and are passionate about the same things. It's meant so much to me considering the difficulty of finding people like that in my own physical, flesh and blood community. I remember the first time listening to the Basement Tapes and just feeling a community of spirit with those people in VA. I have felt the same thing with people at the blogs I visit. Here's the problem. Last week I got an email from someone in our Sunday School class (hereafter known as SSC) who just had a baby. They sent pictures of the blessed event and something really struck me. A lot of the pictures had other people, friends of the couple posed around them at the hospital. I felt a pang of jealousy. I thought to myself, "When do you get together with your friends?" "Do you really have any close friends?" Don't misunderstand. I do get together with friends at times. I know a lot of people in my church community. In times of family need, we have had many friends come alongside us and help out. BUT am I really cultivating a relationship with any of these people? No. I'm ashamed to say that I feel closer with some of my "friends" in cyberspace than my friends at church. And lately I have felt very awkward when talking with someone about one of y'all. I don't know what to call you. Do I really know you? Not really. Not in person. I do not discount at all the fact that many of you have prayed for me and my family and given me wise counsel. I am very grateful for that. I have just seen the shallowness of my own relationships, here, where I live. Even with my dear husband. Sometimes I don't even communicate with him about what I'm writing. That's not good. I've also seen in myself a tendency to envy other families. A while back RCJR asked if blogs change people's lives. While sharing ideas and accumulated wisdom with others is often helpful and perhaps life changing, it cannot compare with the down and dirty, day in day out work of cultivating relationships, the real, flesh and blood ones. And that is what I need to start doing.
THESE ARE THE ONES FOR WHOM CHRIST DIED
In the near future you should go to Ligonier's website and listen to Thursday's Renewing Your Mind. I only caught the last half of it but what I did hear was great. Only speaking of myself now, there's a tendency to get caught up in our little circles and pick at our little issues. Homeschooling, modest dress, worldliness in the church, etc. Pick your issue and there is definitely going to be someone out there you can criticize. This post does flow out of Carmon's recent post on Ryan Dobson but this is by no means a slam on her. She has made her motives clear on her blog. Again, only speaking of myself; I tend to latch on to these little debates. I like to go back and forth and back and forth and heap on the criticism and sarcasm. Now, most of the time my motives are passionate and pure (at least from my perspective). I am passionate about these issues and want others to see the light as well. The problem comes when I begin to look at others with an eye of criticism. When I see another believer at church, do I immediately judge them based on what I see? Yes, a lot of times I do. I am no better than Samuel when he went to see Jesse and his sons. I've been frustrated about this sin for quite some time. I've tried different things to battle it but I think RC hit the nail on the head this time. I don't remember the specifics of the message but I think he was quoting Calvin. He said when we look on other believers we need to deeply realize that this person is someone for whom Christ died. When you do that I think you successfully slay this sin of the critical spirit. We need to battle these sins. Not just turn away from them but replace the bad thought with the good one. Do you know how to kill an octopus? If you cut off one of its legs, it'll just grow back. But if you cut off its head, then you've dealt it a fatal blow. This applies to our sanctification as well.
OUR LITTLE STORM
Watch out, here comes winter storm '05 in Georgia. What does this consist of you ask? A little ice and a little sleet. LOL!!! After surviving 12 inches of snow last weekend in NY and temperatures in the single digits I'm just having to chuckle a little. Not that it's not dangerous, mind you. Ice is tricky but it sure is hilarious watching all the Southerners prepare for their little storm!
Blessings to you all.
Friday, January 28, 2005
Friday, January 21, 2005
A LITTLE TRIP TO NEW YORK
Right now I'm sitting at my dad's computer in Clifton Park, NY. My sister is in the other room of their two bedroom apartment watching TV and my parents have gone out for a while. A few weeks back my sister had the grand idea of having me fly up here for the weekend to surprise my mom for their 40th wedding anniversary. Boy, was she surprised! It was great seeing her reaction. I could tell it meant a whole lot to her. By the way, my mom is doing a lot better nowadays and they finally have a closing date on their house in SC: February 18th. We'll probably be over there helping them unload that weekend.
I'll only be here until Sunday and then back off home to my precious family. Hug your little ones, big ones and your husbands. They are what really matters.
Blessings.
Right now I'm sitting at my dad's computer in Clifton Park, NY. My sister is in the other room of their two bedroom apartment watching TV and my parents have gone out for a while. A few weeks back my sister had the grand idea of having me fly up here for the weekend to surprise my mom for their 40th wedding anniversary. Boy, was she surprised! It was great seeing her reaction. I could tell it meant a whole lot to her. By the way, my mom is doing a lot better nowadays and they finally have a closing date on their house in SC: February 18th. We'll probably be over there helping them unload that weekend.
I'll only be here until Sunday and then back off home to my precious family. Hug your little ones, big ones and your husbands. They are what really matters.
Blessings.
Friday, January 14, 2005
JUST ANOTHER IN A LIST OF REASONS TO NOT SEND YOUR KIDS TO GOVERNMENT SCHOOL
We live in an area which is generally considered top notch as far as public schools go in the state of Georgia. We have the best high schools in the state, academically. They don't tell you though that these high schools with the best SAT scores in the state also have gangs, drugs and who knows what else. Last year, the high school down the street got some press because the principal was charged with embezzlement. Nice.
By the way, you may have heard of our area of Georgia. It's Cobb County. Home of former speaker Newt Gingrich and that declaration passed back before the '96 Olympics which stated the county's disapproval of the homosexual lifestyle. That one got us in trouble with the folks at the Atlanta Organizing Committee so we were punished with no venues and a lot of bad press.
We've done it again. In 2002, some parents became outraged at the science textbooks that the county school board had purchased. Apparently it taught evolution as if it were a fact. These parents brought their concerns to the school board and waged a vigorous fight to get different textbooks. Well, they didn't exactly win. What they did get though was a sticker. Yes, I said a sticker. This sticker was placed inside every single textbook in the county. It featured a statement from the school board which said something like this, "This textbook teaches evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact. Please approach this material with an open mind and be willing to investigate." The parents were a little pleased but obviously they didn't get exactly what they wanted. Is that the end of the story? Nooooo, not by a longshot. I bet you can guess what happened next. Our friends from the ACLU promptly swooped down at the behest of some other parents and sued the school board to get the sticker removed. They said the sticker violated the establishment clause. Well, yesterday the ruling came down. The judge said that the sticker did violate the establishment clause (you know, separation of church and state) and it needs to be removed.
Now, obviously from a logic standpoint (as well as constitutional) this judge is wrong. The mere act of declaring that evolution is a theory and not a fact does nothing to establish a religion. But I don't even care about this aspect of the case. What I want to know is why are these parents continuing to put their kids in these government schools!!??!!
KWAN-AHOLIC
For those of you who understand the title of this post, you know what's happening this weekend in Portland. Michelle Kwan will try to defend her title at the US Figure Skating Championships for a record 8th year in a row and nine times total. The only year she hasn't won Nationals was in '97 when that little upstart Tara Lipinski stole the show. By the way, where is Tara these days anyway? While I certainly respect Tara's talent and the others who have come up in the ranks these past 12 years or so, no one compares to Kwan. She has it all in terms of skating and is a fiery competitor and a great sportswoman to boot. Unfortunately these Nationals have a dark cloud over them this year. On Wednesday Angela Nikodinov's mother died in a car accident on the way to the competition site. Her whole family and coach were in the car but only her mother was killed. The others had minor injuries. Lift up Angela if you would. She has gone through more than most in her short life. Her former coach, with whom she was very close, died of cancer several years ago. She's a beautiful skater but had yet to really break through to the top.
Anyway, I'll be up late tonight watching the short programs and be back tomorrow night for the long programs, LIVE. I'll definitely have the tissues handy. It's impossible for me to make it through a Kwan program without crying, especially when she does her spiral and footwork. Boy, if only I could live with the same passion I see in her face when she skates.
Oh yeah, I'll also be watching the Falcons game too. Why did they have to put that game on a Saturday night? Oh well.
Blessings.
We live in an area which is generally considered top notch as far as public schools go in the state of Georgia. We have the best high schools in the state, academically. They don't tell you though that these high schools with the best SAT scores in the state also have gangs, drugs and who knows what else. Last year, the high school down the street got some press because the principal was charged with embezzlement. Nice.
By the way, you may have heard of our area of Georgia. It's Cobb County. Home of former speaker Newt Gingrich and that declaration passed back before the '96 Olympics which stated the county's disapproval of the homosexual lifestyle. That one got us in trouble with the folks at the Atlanta Organizing Committee so we were punished with no venues and a lot of bad press.
We've done it again. In 2002, some parents became outraged at the science textbooks that the county school board had purchased. Apparently it taught evolution as if it were a fact. These parents brought their concerns to the school board and waged a vigorous fight to get different textbooks. Well, they didn't exactly win. What they did get though was a sticker. Yes, I said a sticker. This sticker was placed inside every single textbook in the county. It featured a statement from the school board which said something like this, "This textbook teaches evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact. Please approach this material with an open mind and be willing to investigate." The parents were a little pleased but obviously they didn't get exactly what they wanted. Is that the end of the story? Nooooo, not by a longshot. I bet you can guess what happened next. Our friends from the ACLU promptly swooped down at the behest of some other parents and sued the school board to get the sticker removed. They said the sticker violated the establishment clause. Well, yesterday the ruling came down. The judge said that the sticker did violate the establishment clause (you know, separation of church and state) and it needs to be removed.
Now, obviously from a logic standpoint (as well as constitutional) this judge is wrong. The mere act of declaring that evolution is a theory and not a fact does nothing to establish a religion. But I don't even care about this aspect of the case. What I want to know is why are these parents continuing to put their kids in these government schools!!??!!
KWAN-AHOLIC
For those of you who understand the title of this post, you know what's happening this weekend in Portland. Michelle Kwan will try to defend her title at the US Figure Skating Championships for a record 8th year in a row and nine times total. The only year she hasn't won Nationals was in '97 when that little upstart Tara Lipinski stole the show. By the way, where is Tara these days anyway? While I certainly respect Tara's talent and the others who have come up in the ranks these past 12 years or so, no one compares to Kwan. She has it all in terms of skating and is a fiery competitor and a great sportswoman to boot. Unfortunately these Nationals have a dark cloud over them this year. On Wednesday Angela Nikodinov's mother died in a car accident on the way to the competition site. Her whole family and coach were in the car but only her mother was killed. The others had minor injuries. Lift up Angela if you would. She has gone through more than most in her short life. Her former coach, with whom she was very close, died of cancer several years ago. She's a beautiful skater but had yet to really break through to the top.
Anyway, I'll be up late tonight watching the short programs and be back tomorrow night for the long programs, LIVE. I'll definitely have the tissues handy. It's impossible for me to make it through a Kwan program without crying, especially when she does her spiral and footwork. Boy, if only I could live with the same passion I see in her face when she skates.
Oh yeah, I'll also be watching the Falcons game too. Why did they have to put that game on a Saturday night? Oh well.
Blessings.
Friday, January 07, 2005
COMPARISONS ARE ODIOUS. SO IS...
television. There, I said it. While watching television as an activity in and of itself doesn't necessarily qualify as sin, watching it does do something to us. Is the end result good, bad or indifferent? Read this powerful passage by John Piper and you decide. (By the way, if you don't know what odious means, it means worthy of hatred. While that may be a strong word to use for television, it does describe the way I've been feeling about it after contemplating Piper's opinion.)
From Pierced by the Word, ch. 18 --
"If all other variables are equal, your capacity to know God deeply will probably diminish in direct proportion to how much television you watch. There are several reasons for this. One is that television reflects American culture at its most trivial. And a steady diet of triviality shrinks the soul. You get used to it. It starts to seem normal. Silly becomes funny. And funny becomes pleasing. And pleasing becomes soul-satisfaction. And in the end the soul that is made for God has shrunk to fit snugly around triteness."
How's that for conviction. Ouch! If we are to strive vigorously for holiness, then it stands to reason that anything that's keeping us from that goal should be considered our enemy and worthy of strong opposition. Consider what Jesus said about our eye if it causes us to sin. While that recommendation is not to be taken in a wooden, literal sense, it does describe the intensity with which we should fight sin. At the end of his life, Paul said, "I have fought the good fight." The greek word for fight there is the where we get our word agony. Think about Romans 7. Don't take sin lightly. Any sin.
One last thing. If you still think that television is an indifferent medium, read "All God's Children and Blue Suede Shoes" by Ken Myers and "Amusing Ourselves to Death" by Neil Postman. Very enlightening.
Blessings.
television. There, I said it. While watching television as an activity in and of itself doesn't necessarily qualify as sin, watching it does do something to us. Is the end result good, bad or indifferent? Read this powerful passage by John Piper and you decide. (By the way, if you don't know what odious means, it means worthy of hatred. While that may be a strong word to use for television, it does describe the way I've been feeling about it after contemplating Piper's opinion.)
From Pierced by the Word, ch. 18 --
"If all other variables are equal, your capacity to know God deeply will probably diminish in direct proportion to how much television you watch. There are several reasons for this. One is that television reflects American culture at its most trivial. And a steady diet of triviality shrinks the soul. You get used to it. It starts to seem normal. Silly becomes funny. And funny becomes pleasing. And pleasing becomes soul-satisfaction. And in the end the soul that is made for God has shrunk to fit snugly around triteness."
How's that for conviction. Ouch! If we are to strive vigorously for holiness, then it stands to reason that anything that's keeping us from that goal should be considered our enemy and worthy of strong opposition. Consider what Jesus said about our eye if it causes us to sin. While that recommendation is not to be taken in a wooden, literal sense, it does describe the intensity with which we should fight sin. At the end of his life, Paul said, "I have fought the good fight." The greek word for fight there is the where we get our word agony. Think about Romans 7. Don't take sin lightly. Any sin.
One last thing. If you still think that television is an indifferent medium, read "All God's Children and Blue Suede Shoes" by Ken Myers and "Amusing Ourselves to Death" by Neil Postman. Very enlightening.
Blessings.
Thursday, January 06, 2005
WHAT DO YOU SAY WHEN...
A woman in your church who just had a baby about two months ago is going back to work part time? This person is a friend of mine but I wouldn't say we were intimate friends. Last night a young lady told me this information. This young lady will be doing some of the babysitting for my friend. I'm afraid that after I heard this news my reaction was not very gracious. Actually what I really wanted to do was mount my soapbox and rant a while. But since we were in the middle of church orchestra rehearsal, that wasn't appropriate. Anyway, there are two other women in our Sunday School class who work outside the home with young children. One has always done so shortly after her daughter was born. The other went back after about 18 months or so. On the one hand, this just gets my dander up big time. But how do I be gracious? Do I go up to them and offer unsolicited advice? Don't think so. Do I pray for them? Yes, but how? I really struggle with this. I don't want to come across as "holier than thou" when I interact with these women. Where do you draw the line? Should we just let their husbands deal with this? Should church leadership have anything to say about this?
Call me confused. Sign up: wisdom wanted.
JUST FOR FUN -- THINGS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO WORK BUT DON'T
1. When a bag says, "Tear here" but won't budge.
2. When a box of rice or Kraft Mac n Cheese has a perforated place to put your thumb in order to make it easier to open, BUT you can't open it.
3. Jars that are vacuum sealed SO tightly that only Superman could open it. (Or your husband.)
4. Plastic dispensers of cleaning wipes that will never dispense correctly.
Oh, I could go on and on but I'll let others contribute.
Blessings on your day.
A woman in your church who just had a baby about two months ago is going back to work part time? This person is a friend of mine but I wouldn't say we were intimate friends. Last night a young lady told me this information. This young lady will be doing some of the babysitting for my friend. I'm afraid that after I heard this news my reaction was not very gracious. Actually what I really wanted to do was mount my soapbox and rant a while. But since we were in the middle of church orchestra rehearsal, that wasn't appropriate. Anyway, there are two other women in our Sunday School class who work outside the home with young children. One has always done so shortly after her daughter was born. The other went back after about 18 months or so. On the one hand, this just gets my dander up big time. But how do I be gracious? Do I go up to them and offer unsolicited advice? Don't think so. Do I pray for them? Yes, but how? I really struggle with this. I don't want to come across as "holier than thou" when I interact with these women. Where do you draw the line? Should we just let their husbands deal with this? Should church leadership have anything to say about this?
Call me confused. Sign up: wisdom wanted.
JUST FOR FUN -- THINGS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO WORK BUT DON'T
1. When a bag says, "Tear here" but won't budge.
2. When a box of rice or Kraft Mac n Cheese has a perforated place to put your thumb in order to make it easier to open, BUT you can't open it.
3. Jars that are vacuum sealed SO tightly that only Superman could open it. (Or your husband.)
4. Plastic dispensers of cleaning wipes that will never dispense correctly.
Oh, I could go on and on but I'll let others contribute.
Blessings on your day.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
HEBREWS: WHAT WE HAVE AS BELIEVERS AND WHY THAT MATTERS
While reading through Hebrews the other day I noticed how many times the author said something like this, "Since we have..." I began writing all those instances down and then noticed another thing. After stating our what we as believers have because of Jesus the author then says something like this, "let us..." After reading over these things, I was very encouraged and wanted to share it with others. Here's the list:
We have strong encouragement.
We may flee for refuge by laying hold of the hope set before us.
We may with confidence draw near to the throne of grace.
We may hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.
We have hope which is-
an anchor of the soul
sure, steadfast
enters within the veil
We have a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
We have confidence.
We have a great high priest.
We have a better possession and an abiding one.
We have so great a cloud of witnesses.
We have come to Mount Zion which is the city of-
the living God
the heavenly Jerusalem
myriads of angels
the general assembly and church of the first born who are enrolled in heaven
God, the Judge of all
the spirits of righteous men made perfect
Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant
the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel
We have a kingdom which cannot be shaken.
These things are ours through the blood of Christ. Treasure them. Don't take them for granted. Most of all, realize that because of what we have, we overwhelmingly conquer as it says in Romans 8. Let us draw near with confidence. Let us hold fast our confession. Let us live up to what the Bible says of us. I encourage you to read Hebrews. Feed your soul on these truths.
Blessings.
While reading through Hebrews the other day I noticed how many times the author said something like this, "Since we have..." I began writing all those instances down and then noticed another thing. After stating our what we as believers have because of Jesus the author then says something like this, "let us..." After reading over these things, I was very encouraged and wanted to share it with others. Here's the list:
We have strong encouragement.
We may flee for refuge by laying hold of the hope set before us.
We may with confidence draw near to the throne of grace.
We may hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.
We have hope which is-
an anchor of the soul
sure, steadfast
enters within the veil
We have a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
We have confidence.
We have a great high priest.
We have a better possession and an abiding one.
We have so great a cloud of witnesses.
We have come to Mount Zion which is the city of-
the living God
the heavenly Jerusalem
myriads of angels
the general assembly and church of the first born who are enrolled in heaven
God, the Judge of all
the spirits of righteous men made perfect
Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant
the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel
We have a kingdom which cannot be shaken.
These things are ours through the blood of Christ. Treasure them. Don't take them for granted. Most of all, realize that because of what we have, we overwhelmingly conquer as it says in Romans 8. Let us draw near with confidence. Let us hold fast our confession. Let us live up to what the Bible says of us. I encourage you to read Hebrews. Feed your soul on these truths.
Blessings.
Saturday, January 01, 2005
"O FOR GRACE TO FEED ON JESUS, AND SO TO EAT OF THE FRUIT OF THE LAND OF CANAAN THIS YEAR!"
This quote is from Charles Spurgeon's devotional, Morning and Evening; it comes from the January 1st morning entry. The past few months have had me considering the practice of feeding on Christ, satisfying my soul with this heavenly, everlasting pleasure. I also have been considering our Savior, Jesus. Last Monday I met with some Jehovah's Witnesses and had a two hour dialogue about who Jesus was. In terms of our debate, I think I held my own very nicely but in the eternal perspective what counts is if the Holy Spirit has changed their hearts and ripped the scales off their eyes to see our great God and Savior for who He is. I will meet with them again on Jan. 13th. If you think of it please send up prayers for me and for Andrea Anderson who has been the main person with whom I've been speaking.
As for the new year, I thought it would be appropriate to reconsider and meditate on the person of Christ. For one thing, the 2004 issues of Tabletalk have gone through the book of Hebrews and the devotional for the last day of the year instructed us to read through the whole book in one sitting. Have you ever done that with a book of the Bible? Probably the shorter ones but how about ones that are longer than, say, 4 or 5 chapters? In a very old post from Doug's blog over at VisionForum he once described a meeting of mature men in his church who met to read aloud the Scripture for lengthy periods of time as the OT saints did when all of Israel would gather. What a blessing. Anyway, I digress. Over the past two days I have read through the entire book of Hebrews and stopped to write down how the author describes Jesus. As I went through the first 8 and a half chapters I was in awe at our Savior, trembling in my soul at the descriptions of Him. God has blessed me these past two days to see a little more clearly through this dark glass. To have a little deeper taste of the glory of Christ. I thought I'd share these descriptions with you even though it is a long list. Savor them, meditate on them. Feed on Christ and let Him satisfy your soul as He has mine. Let this be your food and feast this first day of the new year.
Jesus ---
is the heir of all things
is the maker of all things
is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature
made purification of sins
is much better than the angels
is worshipped by the angels
tasted death for everyone
brought many sons to glory
is our brother
rendered the devil powerless
is our deliverer and sanctifier
gives help to the seed of Abraham
is a merciful and faithful high priest
made propitiation for the sins of the people
is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted
is the Apostle and High Priest of our confession
is worthy of more glory than Moses
is the source of eternal salvation
is a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek
is the guarantee of a better covenant
abides forever
is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him
always lives to make intercession for them
is holy
is innocent
is undefiled
is separated from sinners
is exalted above the heavens
has obtained a more excellent ministry
is the mediator of a better covenant
through His own blood entered the Holy place once for all having obtained eternal redemption
entered heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us
appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God
perfected for all time those who are sanctified
is the author and perfecter of faith
is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever
suffered outside the gate that He might sanctify the people through His own blood
is the Great Shepherd of the sheep
In the next post I will write about what the author of Hebrews says we have because of this Jesus, our Savior and Lord. I am struck at the namby pamby way that many evangelicals present the Gospel. "Just ask Jesus into your heart." "Invite Jesus into your life." The gospel we proclaim is of a glorious and risen Savior. He is the King of Kings!! Let us not dumb down the gospel. It is glorious news and full of power and glory. Amen.
This quote is from Charles Spurgeon's devotional, Morning and Evening; it comes from the January 1st morning entry. The past few months have had me considering the practice of feeding on Christ, satisfying my soul with this heavenly, everlasting pleasure. I also have been considering our Savior, Jesus. Last Monday I met with some Jehovah's Witnesses and had a two hour dialogue about who Jesus was. In terms of our debate, I think I held my own very nicely but in the eternal perspective what counts is if the Holy Spirit has changed their hearts and ripped the scales off their eyes to see our great God and Savior for who He is. I will meet with them again on Jan. 13th. If you think of it please send up prayers for me and for Andrea Anderson who has been the main person with whom I've been speaking.
As for the new year, I thought it would be appropriate to reconsider and meditate on the person of Christ. For one thing, the 2004 issues of Tabletalk have gone through the book of Hebrews and the devotional for the last day of the year instructed us to read through the whole book in one sitting. Have you ever done that with a book of the Bible? Probably the shorter ones but how about ones that are longer than, say, 4 or 5 chapters? In a very old post from Doug's blog over at VisionForum he once described a meeting of mature men in his church who met to read aloud the Scripture for lengthy periods of time as the OT saints did when all of Israel would gather. What a blessing. Anyway, I digress. Over the past two days I have read through the entire book of Hebrews and stopped to write down how the author describes Jesus. As I went through the first 8 and a half chapters I was in awe at our Savior, trembling in my soul at the descriptions of Him. God has blessed me these past two days to see a little more clearly through this dark glass. To have a little deeper taste of the glory of Christ. I thought I'd share these descriptions with you even though it is a long list. Savor them, meditate on them. Feed on Christ and let Him satisfy your soul as He has mine. Let this be your food and feast this first day of the new year.
Jesus ---
is the heir of all things
is the maker of all things
is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature
made purification of sins
is much better than the angels
is worshipped by the angels
tasted death for everyone
brought many sons to glory
is our brother
rendered the devil powerless
is our deliverer and sanctifier
gives help to the seed of Abraham
is a merciful and faithful high priest
made propitiation for the sins of the people
is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted
is the Apostle and High Priest of our confession
is worthy of more glory than Moses
is the source of eternal salvation
is a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek
is the guarantee of a better covenant
abides forever
is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him
always lives to make intercession for them
is holy
is innocent
is undefiled
is separated from sinners
is exalted above the heavens
has obtained a more excellent ministry
is the mediator of a better covenant
through His own blood entered the Holy place once for all having obtained eternal redemption
entered heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us
appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God
perfected for all time those who are sanctified
is the author and perfecter of faith
is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever
suffered outside the gate that He might sanctify the people through His own blood
is the Great Shepherd of the sheep
In the next post I will write about what the author of Hebrews says we have because of this Jesus, our Savior and Lord. I am struck at the namby pamby way that many evangelicals present the Gospel. "Just ask Jesus into your heart." "Invite Jesus into your life." The gospel we proclaim is of a glorious and risen Savior. He is the King of Kings!! Let us not dumb down the gospel. It is glorious news and full of power and glory. Amen.
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