One of the more popular songs in recent months has been "How He Loves." It's a moving song about the love relationship between God and man. The opening line of the song begins by saying, "He is jealous for me." What a beautiful statement. We often take God for granted and put him in the back seat of our lives, but he isn't willing to be a sideshow attraction in this grand circus. He loves us, and he is jealous for us.
One of Webster's definitions for jealous is, "Vigilant of guarding a possession," and also as, "Hostile toward a rival." God will not be competed against. He created us, he cares for us, and he desires us to worship him.
John Piper often talks about this subject of God as jealous. One of the names of God in the Bible is El Kanna, the Jealous God (first mentioned in Exodus 20:5). This name is a reference to a marriage relationship. God is depicted as Israel's husband. He is a jealous God, wanting all our praise for Himself and no one else. He is the supreme being with no one and nothing standing superior to him. He is self-exalting, seeing as to lift anything up higher than himself would be a sin. He is self-glorifying because there is nothing greater, and he asks us to worship him alone for the same reason. He is the only being in existence worthy of being jealous. It is logical that the supreme being would want to be acknowledged as such, that the creator would want recognition and obedience from his creation.
We so often rub up against this idea because we have trouble accepting the fact that there is a being greater than ourselves. Our pride won't allow it. Rather than dancing for joy and rejoicing at the very name of God we are the same stiff-necked, heard-hearted people that God has been redeeming throughout the entire Bible.
I pray for a change of thinking in this generation. That we would cease to raise ourselves up in equality with God. We are made in his image and that is a blessing, but we are not made equal with his greatness. We cannot compare to the Almighty One, El Shaddai. I pray that our knees remember how to bend, that we may still find our way to the floor in holy reverence of the Lord. I pray for broken hearts and contrite souls that come before the Lord in fear and awe praising and glorify the Most High God.
I pray so fervently that this generation would die to self and instead hold the Lord up in his rightful place as Jehovah Nissi, the Lord our Banner.
As a side note I thought I'd add in the Kim Walker cover of "How He Loves" for anyone who would like to hear it. It's probably my favorite version.
I am speaking the truth in Christ-- I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit-- that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. Romans 9:1-3
For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith-- that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:8-11
How numb we are to the slightest inkling of suffering. No, even more, we are opposed to it, against it, appalled by the thought of it; but what we see throughout the Bible is a call to suffering, a desire to suffer- because in that moment, just as Stephen was close enough to God to see Jesus on the throne, so we Christians are more in tune with God than ever before. It is because in suffering there is nowhere else for us to turn than in complete surrender to God.
So where is the holy suffering that the Bible speaks of, the beautiful suffering of the saints? We have become so apathetic and comfortable that we are unable to achieve the fullness of our purpose. That purpose which, in reality, we are only a part of because we are tools created to worship and glorify God. If we are not doing this in everything we are failing and must strive for more, and in truth we must always be striving for more because we are always falling short.
There is no easier time to glorify God than in suffering. It is the highest call we can have. Jesus didn't say we may suffer at times if we happen to live in a third world country but only then. He told us that if we are Christians, we will suffer! "If they persecute me [Jesus], they will also persecute you" John 15:20. So what aren't we doing?
We have lost the contrite and humble spirit (Isaiah 66:2). We no longer fear God. We no longer tremble at his words or speak his Holy name in reverence. With negligence we trample over his renown and ignore the creator's call. Who are we to do such things? We are the creation. If we can think about God without trembling in awe of him then we are an abhorred, prideful people. This is God! El Shaddai, the Almighty God. El Kanno, the Jealous and Self-Exalting God. El Hay, the Living God. Elsali, God my rock. Adonai, our Master and Lord. Jehovah!, The Self-Existing One.
There was a time when the people of God would not even dare to write his name without utmost reverence. A.W. Tozer puts things into perspective in his book "The Attributes of God." He says, "It was a common thing in other days, when God was the center of human worship, to kneel at an altar and shake, tremble, weep and perspire in an agony of conviction. They expected it in that day. We don't see it now because the God we preach is not the everlasting, awful God, 'mine Holy One,' who is 'of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity.' ...If we came to God dirty, but trembling and shocked and awestruck in His presence, if we knelt at His feet and cried with Isaiah, 'I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips' (Isaiah 6:5), then I could understand. But we skip into His awful presence. We're dirty, but we have a book called Seven Steps to Salvation that gives us seven verses to get us out of our problems. And each year we have more Christians, more people going to church, more church buildings, more money--and less spirituality and less holiness. We're forgetting 'holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.'"
Once we gain back the fear of the Lord everything else will fade away. We will no longer worry about things, but rather concern ourselves with glorifying and following the will of God. We can come before him in humility and reverence anointing his name with our service, and yes I pray, suffering. Beautiful, holy suffering that anoints the feet of our Savior like sweet perfume- a fragrant life offering poured out to God, a physical sacrifice and spiritual act of worship in its fullest sense. In that moment, oh brothers and sisters, I cannot describe in completeness the love that we will experience, the joy, the peace, the mighty power and glory of God that we will witness.
As we glorify God we reach our purpose and we are completely satisfied in him. What more can a creation ask for than to humbly and completely serve its creator?
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs-- heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. Romans 8:16-17
"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die--but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8
We weren't just weak, we were infants unable to move, being torn asunder in our sin as we waited to die and be hurled into the depths of God's wrath.
"And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?' which means, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'" Mark 15:34
This is the pain and suffering, the passion that Jesus endured for us. We were to be entirely separated from God. We were to be thrown into the relentless torture of God's fury, His judgment, until Jesus stepped in and took upon Himself that which was our failure, our grief, our wickedness, paying for our sin with His purity.
Scripture says He died while we were still sinners. Still sinners is interchangable with hating God, for sin is the spurning of God's love and will for our lives- direct and purposed disobedience. So, while we still hated Him, Jesus died for our sins, had His soul ripped away from that of the Father's and cast into the perfect darkness and damnation of total estrangement to God.
Just as no words can fully encompass who God is, there are not even groans that can bring to summation the agony Jesus endured when His spirit was brutally wrenched from that of the Father's. The moment that God turned His face from His son and severed the connection between their spirits was what killed Jesus. It was a pain that is incomparable, and because of this Jesus took it upon Himself so that we may never endure it; rather, we can now experience the holy love of God, unity with God, and perfect peace under God.
"For I am sure that [Now, becaue of the sacrifice of Jesus] neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39 And for this I say Glory to God!
From time to time I find new writers that I enjoy by reading quotes and posts from my friends. One such friend of mine recently posted a piece of writing from James Meikle (1730-1799) that I simply loved. Because of this I too began to read from Meikle's writings entitled Solitude Sweetened. The particular chapter that I was reading was "3. If God gives Christ, what can he withhold?" From this chapter I found a passage that was nothing short of beautiful. It goes, "Again, how can it be possible that God should give his Son, himself, his all—and yet deny me any good thing? Will not he who is to crown me with glory above—strengthen me with grace below? Will he not bless me with peace of mind—who is to be my peace forever? Triumph, O my faith! all things are Christ's, and Christ is God's! And God, Christ, and all things, are yours! Time is his, and in it I have my years numbered! The air is his, and in it I breathe! The world is his—and on it I dwell; its fullness is his—and I am fed! Grace is his—and in it I stand! Faith is his gift—and by it I overcome the world! Tribulations are from him—and in them I glory! Perfection is his—and towards it I press! Death is his—and by it I arrive at home! Heaven is his—and there is my mansion! Eternity is his, and there is my treasure and glory forevermore!" All I can say to that is Amen!
Crack kids, track kids, hookers and robbers
The naked and hungry, mothers and fathers
Abuses, excuses, and guns in your hands
And I even welcome the arrogant man
I welcome you all to the biggest of feasts
A night of no shame to pause and to breathe
This is a night of love's renovation
A feast I am sure that could change a whole nation
Me, I am not such an excellent host
I am one who forgives but needs it the most
I found the liar, the killer of hearts
And I ran away with a new way to start
I journeyed a road where a bright man appeared
He looked into me, and my eyes filled with tears
My breath fast and short and my heart burning deep
He gave me new eyes and a new way to see
So come as you are, as you are, as you are
Come as you are, as you are, as you are
I still defiled his great love ways
I felt such a famine when I ran away
I missed the presence, the voice like a song
I was nasty and dirty, I knew I was wrong
But he ran to me like a dream like a father
This love is not earthly, this love must be other
He carried me home, and threw me a party
A party so loud like the greatest love story
Oh my dear friend applaud now please
I've invited you heart to announce you are free
He takes your chains, busting you out of prison
Just open your heart, let your heart come and listen
Come as you are, as you are, as you are
Come as you are, as you are, as you are
Who could accept all your pounding and screaming
Your raging, your freaking, cussing, and beating
All while He holds you and always forgiving
This is the story of love and of living
Wipe off your tears and laugh just a little
Come break this bread, celebrate the Forgiver
Raise up a glass, a time to remember
Come break this bread, CELEBRATE THE FORGIVER!
Come as you are, as you are, as you are
Come as you are, as you are, as you are
Charlie Hall - Hookers and Robbers - From the album "The Bright Sadness"
The Bright Sadness is Charlie Hall's newest album, although it's not really that "new" (2008). The album is a beautiful journey into the heart of the relationship between fallen man and loving God. It is a magnification of the follies of man and a gazing into the power, wonder, and grace of God. This whole album has been somewhat of an inspiration to me, or I suppose more accurately, a renewal of ideals. This song in particular clearly illustrates an issue that has been weighing heavily on my heart as of late.
There are few things within the church (both in the larger sense as well as the smaller, physical body) that sicken me as much as hearts hardened toward local missions. My church is flourishing, and as such it has taken upon itself new areas of ministry. One large area of growth has been in the ministry of international missions. This sounds wonderful, and it is a growth worthy of praising God and rejoicing. The problem is that, somehow, my church has managed to possess such a timidity of local missions that we have skipped the step of going out and ministering to our local neighbors. We have instead decided to circumvent those lost souls in our back yard and have since stretched our arms out to Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, and Peru; even nationally we have gone to New York, yet despite our far reach it seems we cannot manage to go out into our own community and share the love of God.
Again, I have nothing against the international or far reaching missions. Christ has called us to go out to these places. I also have no problem with bringing people into the church and discipling them as we do. The has arisen for me as two things have become clear.
First, my church has never been one that is truly accepting of "people" as Jesus was. I use quotations because I mean people in the sense of: "And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples... And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. Mark 2:15,17” I don't want anyone to misinterpret what I am saying. My church, as a whole, loves all people (we really do), but this does not mean that we are willing to let any and all those "people" come waltzing in through the glass doors into our luxurious coffee shop or our stadium seating worship center without some menacing glares and shocked expressions. We are more of a country club at home games and a hospital on the away field. This bothers me to no end because I see the lost and hurting souls in this community and I know what could be accomplished if we would break down our pretentious walls and let love flow free, but we won't anytime soon.
The second thing that has been bothering me is that, even if my church is not ready to bring in the whole community of lost souls we could at the very least go out to them. Jesus said GO in the great commission, both locally and far away. Well, we have a fair grasp on the far away part, the hard part, but where is the local support? If my church would humble itself and the members would allow themselves to associate with the dirty and tired, the broken and hurting lost souls of our community there is no end to what God WOULD accomplish.
I love that Hookers and Robbers is followed by "I even welcome the arrogant man" in Charlie Hall's song. It is a reminder to me that one of the greatest sins is pride. Often put ourselves far above those sins that are so easily visible, drugs, sex, violence, yet we overlook lying, greed, and pride, the sins that are so easy to hide. We are quick to judge and slow to forgive, but we must remember, God has called us to open our hearts and homes to the lost. He has broken His son, Jesus so that we could be forgiven. Now he calls us to do the same as Charlie Hall says, "Come break this bread, celebrate the Forgiver!" Who are we to take the forgiveness of God for ourselves and deny it to others? I pray that we would humble ourselves before our awesome God, open our hearts to the dirty, broken, sinners of this world, break bread with them, and together, CELEBRATE THE FORGIVER!
Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land! I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me. Jeremiah 15:10
Jeremiah, now there was a great man. He was a prophet, drawn close to the heart of God. But more than that he is often known as the prophet of sorrow. Speculated to have written Lamentations as well as the book of Jeremiah, this man was called to prophesy the destruction of Judah through the wrath of God. His prophecies were of mourning and judgment. They are beautiful declarations from God on a sinful land.
There are some days where I feel like my job is overwhelming, like I have it pretty tough; but I then read books like Jeremiah and verses like this one, and I find some perspective. I cannot give myself over to lackadaisical living while I have my mind and spirit trained on worthy examples of living for the glory of God such as this. I must rather strive with all purpose to be as deeply committed to my call as Jeremiah. I must find strength to endure my hardships and wisdom to understand I am more blessed than I can imagine.
Psalm 130
Out of the depths I call to You, LORD!
Lord, listen to my voice;
let Your ears be attentive
to my cry for help.
LORD, if You considered sins,
Lord, who could stand?
But with You there is forgiveness,
so that You may be revered.
I wait for the LORD; I wait,
and put my hope in His word.
I [wait] for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning—
more than watchmen for the morning.
Israel, put your hope in the LORD.
For there is faithful love with the LORD,
and with Him is redemption in abundance.
And He will redeem Israel
from all its sins.
Just a Psalm of spiritual renewal I happened to be reading. Oh how God is great.