Friday, December 28, 2012

Piedod Man, Ak Dievs Visaugstākais

He is the one who holds the stars in His hands of light
"Sum Alpha et Omega; Iesse Virgula" ait.
Está más allá de los confines del universo.
E vai julgar contra o mau e perverso.
Il est la gloire.

Hither and thither, we all habitate within
The Dayspark and the Nightguardian
The Second Person of the Tri-unity,
Instills courage in His holy Community
He has the glory.

Manifeste magnum est pietatis sacramentum,
Quod manifestatum est in carne iustificatum
Est in spiritu apparuit angelis praedicatum
Est: gentibus creditum; in mundo adsumptum
Est in gloria

La tela espacial y temporal anidan en Él
El tiempo es como línea escrita en papel
El cual es el Dios triuno que supera
El mal con el cruz que él abandera
Merece la gloria.

Por isso Cristo é o cordeiro que foi imolado
Desde a fundação do mundo. Foi sacrificado
E nos librou com o seu sangue escarlate
E resucistou dizé-nos que foi bastante
Nos deu glória.

Et aujourd'hui il nous appelle passionnément
Oh, que nous cherchions ses mots qui vivent.
Le temps restant est peu, et grande sa gloire.
Ce qui est important nos devons apercevoir.
Soit a Il la gloire.

Friday, December 14, 2012

The Lion on the Bed

As I sat down at my desk, I opened my laptop up.
A lion with a golden mane gently trod into my room.
I did not notice him, so instead I scanned the internet.
He looked at me gently and steadily, with flaming eyes.
I searched for webpages titled "Evidence for Lions"
The lion climbed upon the bed and lay down, head erect.
I sighed and placed my face in my hands. Videos.
Majesty and beauty leapt like flames from the lion.
I did not know him, I did not see him.
The lion's heart beated like a steady heavy gong.
I opened up another video, and then I heard him.
The lion on the bed gazed at the back of my head.
The video was a song, the roar of a lion.
The lion on the bed saw tears stream from my eyes.
I turned and before seeing him I knew he was there.
The lion on the bed.
I wept openly and bitterly for my lion-hunting,
And I bowed down before the lion on the bed.
His waving cloak of gentle fur was like silk under my fingers.
I pressed my face into his mane, and wept anew.
The lion nuzzled his head into my neck.
Peace like a cloud descended on me.

Now when I walk, I walk beside the Lion.
Down the hallways of my school the Lion walks beside me.
Gently and quietly he walks, this Lion on the Bed.

Monday, December 3, 2012

The Calf-Path

One day, through the primeval wood,
A calf walked home, as good calves should;
But made a trail all bent askew,
A crooked trail, as all calves do.

Since then three hundred years have fled,
And, I infer, the calf is dead.
But still he left behind his trail,
And thereby hangs my moral tale.

The trail was taken up next day
By a lone dog that passed that way;
And then a wise bellwether sheep
Pursued the trail o’er vale and steep,
And drew the flock behind him, too,
As good bellwethers always do.

And from that day, o’er hill and glade,
Through those old woods a path was made,
And many men wound in and out,
And dodged and turned and bent about,
And uttered words of righteous wrath
Because ’twas such a crooked path;
But still they followed — do not laugh —
The first migrations of that calf,
And through this winding wood-way stalked
Because he wobbled when he walked.

This forest path became a lane,
That bent, and turned, and turned again.
This crooked lane became a road,
Where many a poor horse with his load
Toiled on beneath the burning sun,
And traveled some three miles in one.
And thus a century and a half
They trod the footsteps of that calf.

The years passed on in swiftness fleet.
The road became a village street,
And this, before men were aware,
A city’s crowded thoroughfare,
And soon the central street was this
Of a renowned metropolis;
And men two centuries and a half
Trod in the footsteps of that calf.

Each day a hundred thousand rout
Followed that zigzag calf about,
And o’er his crooked journey went
The traffic of a continent.
A hundred thousand men were led
By one calf near three centuries dead.
They follow still his crooked way,
And lose one hundred years a day,
For thus such reverence is lent
To well-established precedent.

A moral lesson this might teach
Were I ordained and called to preach;
For men are prone to go it blind
Along the calf-paths of the mind,
And work away from sun to sun
To do what other men have done.
They follow in the beaten track,
And out and in, and forth and back,
And still their devious course pursue,
To keep the path that others do.

They keep the path a sacred groove,
Along which all their lives they move;
But how the wise old wood-gods laugh,
Who saw the first primeval calf!
Ah, many things this tale might teach —
But I am not ordained to preach.

- Sam Walter-Foss

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Jesus in Food

When you sit to eat, what do you think about as you taste your food? Is the "partaking of the bread of the Lord," (ie. the Lord's supper) only something you do once a month or whenever arbitrarily decided? "Lord, thank you for this bread [normally just a cracker!] which represents the body of Christ." Yes, bread represents Jesus. So does every other food.

The rich healthy brocoli represents the verdent life of Jesus. The spicy tang of Indian food represents the fire of passion and holiness in the eyes of Jesus. The freshly baked pizza with a thousand toppings represents the rich complexities of the Person of Jesus.

But that's not all.

When you bite or cut any food before you eat it, assuming that the food represents Jesus, are you not "breaking the bread" as well? Does this action not represent the "crushing of Jesus" (Isa 53:5,11)? And when the food is pulverised in your mouth and then sent down your esophagus and into the acidic enzymatic liquid of your stomach fluid, does this not all represent the torturous hell Christ bore on the cross?

But this food does not merely die (in that sense) in your mouth and stomach and pass through the other end, leaving you nothing but mashed up food. NO! Christ did not merely die on the cross, suffering the wrath of God for the sins of the elect.

The rich nutrients in the food itself go to your body to replenish it, and vivify it, and give it the power it needs to live. No man can live long without nutrients. In this sense, food symbolizes Christ, the life giver.

So let us not constrain our minds to only see the body of Jesus in one little tidbit we eat once a month, but rather in all the food we eat - and especially what we share with other believers. He can be seen everywhere in everything, and many more patterns and types of Jesus can be seen in all things than any man can think of. And one day we will see this great Archetype and Perfect Prototype (in the sense that all else is copied from Him), the Real McCoy and the Original Omega.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Enslavement to Glory


Powerful, powerful                                           26
March! March! March! March!                       1
Love consumed me, overflowed me                  25
Work! Work! Work! Work!                               2
Green pastures and trees breathed the living air  24
Muck! Drudge! Sludge! Nudge!                        3
I looked into his eyes of fire                                23
Inhale Soot and Coal-dust!                               4
On His throne, reigning imperially                        22
Work harder! Die!                                              5
Winds of holiness swept through me                     21
Eat thy tongue and weep.                                  6                           
I was lifted up, amazed by wonderous lights         20
Blinde thyself and crumble                                 7
It penetrated me like a sunlit ray from God              19
Drinke thy mercurie.                                               8         
Suddenly the same golden orb pierced all space and time 18
Devour thy lusts like swine                                         9
It magnamiously turned itself to a globe for me            17
Behold, thou art naught save dust.                          10
His scarlet blood turned into Prince’s gold                  16
Thinkest that thou canst escape my chains of yore? 11
The Christ eclipsed then all lesser glory, bleeding red.    15
Yea, weep, despair and die: but repent thou not.       12
Suddenly freedom in the midst of sorrow blinded me.    14
No! I am his bloodowner and fleshmæster! NO!         13

Now read this according to the numbers on the right (1, 2, 3, etc.)

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Hidden Truth


Still they dreamed this dream.

A man was standing there,
Looking beyond the dull grey walls
Across oceans of deep majesty
Until he could almost see the other side
With mountains that stretched into clouds
Whereon people clothed in beauty lived
Worlds full of excitement, of adenture
Palaces of gold
And a King so powerful all of his enemies bowed a knee to Him
Robes of silken white flowing out from him, and crowned of illustrious blue light

A woman stood beside him there
Sitting on the concrete barrier
She too could almost see across the seas
And envision the deep mysterious jungles,
And tree-top villages and cities,
Where people rode on the backs of great pterodactyls
And trained in the art of war, wearing helmets of gold
Emblazoned with the emblem of the King of Life
Wooden railways connected tree to tree
And here the King’s people lived in peace

A boy stood on the barrier, beside them
Nigh looking over the rippling waves of glass
To the land of the Sun, and the cities of Knowledge
Where people lived in towers of glass ascending for eons
People who delighted studying truth with instruments of power
Technology far advanced, given as a gift by their King of Science
Glass towers with bridges to distant stars, and worlds far away
Where also the King of Stars held sway, Reigning in the sound of suns

A girl sat on the cold barrier, betwixt them
Her mind flying outward and away, across the deep blue waters
To the wet shining coastline of the simple fishing people
Here the King had built a deep mine, cleaving between land and sea,
A glass column stretching down to the ocean floor, where warriors went
To fight the demons under the seafloor, where there were many deep caverns
Which fell away deep to the very core of the earth; dark and great pressure.
The fishermen fought here, against the devils which fly across the deep.

The man held the woman’s hand, and the boy looked in the girls’ eyes.
Many years ago, in sound and in fury they were born beneath the sea,
And taken captive by the dark, made prisoners on the Grey Isles.
They knew not that other lands existed, but that the Isle was their place to be.
All men lived here. Women governed. Children played quietly.
Was not all as it should seem?
Yet still they dreamed this dream.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Libertinism gives no freedom, legalism is not lawful and hyper-egalitarianism is correctly pronounced "hypo-equal".

None of these proclaim the gospel. None of these speak of Christ, save:
True liberty, true legality, true equality.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Is Faith Blind?


Sin is a Lesser Imitation of God


Pride imitates exaltedness,
but God alone is exalted.
Ambition seeks honours and glory,
but God alone is to be honoured above all, glorious forevermore.
Cruelty seeks to implant in others fear,
but God alone is to be feared, whose power holds all in place.
The 'tenderness' of lust calls itself love,
Yet nothing is more tender than His love.
...
Curiosity pretends to desire knowledge,
but God alone knows all.
Ignorance and foolishness imitate simplicity and harmlessness,
but there is nothing more single than You
...
Laziness longs to be a rest,
but what stable rest in the Lord!
Luxury affects to be called plenty and abundance,
but God is the fullness and neverfailing plenteousness of incorruptible pleasures.
Extravagance gives the impression of generosity
but God is the most overflowing Giver of good.
Covetousness wants to possess many things,
but God possesses all things.

Envy argues over excellency,
but what is more excellent than God?
Anger seeks revenge,
but who avenges more justly than God?
Fear is afraid of startling things which threaten things it loves,
but what is starting to God, and what can take from Him what He loves?
Grief pines for things lost: the delight of its desires, because it wishes nothing taken from it,
even as nothing can be taken from God.

- Augustine, Confessions [a paraphrase]

Lo, Daughter of God: Your Saviour Loves You!


Behold, clothed in robes of glory!
The captain of your soul. He speaks to you:

I have heard your weeping
And watched over your sleeping
"But all night long on my bed,
I looked for you," you said.
"I looked for you, my heart's love.
More pure to me than a dove."

But oh lamb, I sought you long before
Before you heard my knocking
The knocking at your door

When you still hated me, living in your sin
Lusting for your slavemaster,
the one who'd do you in.
I looked at you, and said,
"Still I love you"
This My Father knew.

Before the universe was made in me,
My body, child, was broken for thee.
I am the Alpha and the Omega
The Lord of Destruction and Creation
Redeemer of men from every tribe,
tongue, and nation.

I hold your life in my nail-pierced hands.
You can trust yourself to the great I AM.
How beautiful you are, my dear!
Come close to me: near!

You are all beautiful, my darling.
There is no flaw in you.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Haiku


Underground a pearl
White, held up to crystal eyes
Firey sails unfurled.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

The Moon

3:00 AM. A riverbed is cloaked in a heavy navy darkness. Dark clouds cover the sky. Frogs are singing to the tune of the crickets' violins. Marsh-reeds rock slowly to and fro in a gentle breeze. On the other side of the river lays a vast field of wheat, still in the night. Far beyond the field lies a deep pine forest. All is calm. I take several deep breaths, slowly. My eyes flicker, enchanted into sleep by the peace. On my side of the river lies a steep slope, peaked by pine trees. I sit among the trees, at the edge, wearily looking down the slope and across the river. Minutes creep by as I lean against the trunk of the pine tree. I peer upwards into the night, and notice the clouds are vanishing and the moon is appearing. The sky grows brighter until the full moon makes its appearance. Soft light gives way to brilliance as the moon momentarily blinds my dark-accustomed eyes.

I weep at this beauty, and peer intently into its face. The longer I look, the more I see. Uniform whiteness melts into shades of grey and yellow as I look upon yonder moon. Deep crevasses and age-old craters scar and beautify its surface. Such a contrast to the darkened still night! This bright glowing orb which pierces the night and illuminates the world! I look into the river below and see a hazy mist hanging over its surface. The moon is reflected perfectly in its still waters. I stand up. Stretching, I wheel about-face and peer into the darkened forest behind me. Many hours ago I first came through this post-dusk land. Night had already settled its claws into the trees and the birds were settling in their nests. Now it seemed almost like day. Every few feet of darkness was punctuated by bright spotlights. The moon cast them.

Jesus is the moon.                                                                                              Image by wyldraven

I'm 30 years old. A world is cloaked in a heavy moral darkness. Dark figures cover its history. Small men sing to the sad tune of broken men. Apartment buildings and sky scrapers stand bitterly rooted in their concreted soil. On the other side of the world lies a vast slum, still in its death. Even further lies the mountain villages. All is silent. I have several years, but I quickly lose them. My eyes flicker shut, enchanted into sleep by the Devil. In my land lies a steep social hierarchy, peaked by the media and business giants, presidents and supermodels. I sit at the base of the ladder, wearily looking up the ladder of "success". Lives creep by as men die. I look away from the world and into the heavens above me. What I once knew as true was quickly disappearing. The clouds and veils that had always covered the face of God, vanishing. Jesus Christ was appearing. The heavens grow brighter and brighter until Jesus, Lord of Time, appears in all His brightness. Softer shades of morality give way to the full brightness of Holiness. My eyes are blinded.

 I weep at this beauty and peer intently into His face. The longer I look, the more I see. His Godhood encompasses also His compassion, His gentleness, His burning love - as jealous as fire. His nail pierced hands and side wound scar and beautify Him. Such a contrast to the darkened still world! This brightly glowing Son of God which pierces the night and illuminates the world! I look down into the world below, and see what I did not before. Poisonous mist hangs over its surface. Yet Jesus is even there. I stand up. Thanking God, I look behind me into the past. Many years ago I came travelling through time. Darkness had long seeped into my body: I was rooted into it. Yet now my past showed where Christ had worked to bring me to repentance. The Spirit of Christ did this.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

A Poem of the Gospel


All our 'Christianity' is like filthy rags.
As pleasing to God as he who ever nags.
Religiousness does not please God's heart.
Our external hypocrisy is but the devil's art.
Many church-going bible-reading religious folk
Will be reduced on That Day to naught but smoke
But God is merciful to the humble and lowly and weak
From His heart pours gentleness to the abused and meek.

He sent His Son to pay it all.
On Jesus Christ God's Wrath did fall.
He drank the cup of pain and was afflicted.
The death he died just can't be fairly depicted.

And three days later Death felt a gentle tap on his back
He turned around and Jesus Christ gave him a face smack
Christ the Lord and Overcoming Saviour was alive!
His sacrifice was enough; Victory He wasn't deprived.

In Him is all Truth, Science and Revelation
Step out and touch the King now who swallowed Damnation.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Burning ever Brighter

A dancing spark
In darkened park
Alights on branches
Fire thus prances
The tree in flames
No man now tames
The forest bright
Fury in the night
The world now on fire
Burning ever higher

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Balance

A man whom I respect has been telling me for a while that, essentially, "You need more balance in your life. It's fine to be religious and have a passion for Jesus, but you also need to think about yourself and your career, your job, your material wealth, your health, your education. You need to have one foot in religion/Christianity and one foot in the world."

I completely disagreed with that statement and I told him why. I gave him a reason. Here are a few:

1) "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." (Mt 7:24-27)

To be balanced is not to have half of your house on sand, and half on the rock. "It's balanced!" No, it's a major architectural flaw, and the house is highly unstable. If half of the house collapses, the other half is no longer suitable for residency. The whole house is ruined by half a collapse. It's the most balanced to be completely on the rock. 


In the same way, you can imagine three men: one man jumps wholly into the support-less air of The World, the second stands firmly upon the rock of Christ, and the third tries to balance- on foot on both. You cannot balance with half of your body weight hanging over the edge with all the force of gravity (your desire to sin) pulling you down and expect to survive. You will fall, and you will die.

2) God does not recognize either the house built half-way nor the man balancing on the edge. He only recognizes two alternatives: you're either for Him, or you're against Him. "He who is not against us is for us." (Mk 9:40, Lk 9:50) and "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons." (1 Cor 10:21). Logic demands this be so; either Christ has died for you, or He has not. Either you belong to Him, or you do not. Either you love Him, or you do not. Either you stand upon Him and wish to do so, or you stand upon thin air and desire to separate yourself from the Christ in scriptures (although perhaps not your imaginary Jesus). So the appeal to "have one foot in Christ and one foot in the world" is really illogical and impossible.

3) Christ demands complete obedience, not half-way lukewarmness. Christ once spoke to the church of Laodicea, saying: "How I wish you were either cold or hot. But as it is, you are neither! Therefore, I shall vomit you out of my mouth." (Rev 3). He also says, "Sell your possessions and give to the poor." and "He who loves: his mom, dad, sister, brother, son, daughter, possessions, wealth, or even his own life more than me is not worthy of me.

Christ does not demand some stupid, illogical, half-way balancing. He wants you to suck it up, be mature, and choose. And for you men, he wants you to be a man and choose the way of outward suffering. Be a man, die to yourself, pick up your cross and follow Christ into joy unspeakable.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

The Misunderstood Man

Although I'm just a teen, I've been able to travel to many countries, and in my travels I once met an Israeli named Josh. I've since become really good friends with him, and a lot of my friends also Skype frequently with him. He's probably the nicest guy I've ever met. As far as guys go, he's a really clever and interesting one, but it seems that his brown eyes can pierce to the soul when the topic is serious. He's had a life so interesting I think they should make a movie out of it - all his travels and adventures. And over all that he's also a super good guy - I can myself see no flaw in this Jew.

Once in a while, I'll talk with my friends about Josh and they'll tell me things about him that I didn't know - say, that he's been to Russia. Sometimes we'll disagree - one of my friends said that Josh is a pretty funny guy (I think he can be funny at times too), while some of my other friends don't really see Josh as a witty guy. Another time we disagreed if Josh had sailed down a river in Lithuania or Latvia. But it's obvious they all know him - they think he's an all around incredible friend as well.

However, some of my friends completely contradict me and paint a nasty picture of Josh - they say he's an arrogant snob, he's a liar, he's cruel, he's a thief, etc. One guy even told me that he doubts this interesting guy really exists - he's probably just a made up illusion, or a seriously exagerrated. Some other friends don't slander him per se., but when they talk about my well-traveled friend, it's obvious they don't really know him and are just copying what I and other people have said about him.

In case you haven't figured out who I'm talking about, I'm talking about Jesus (Josh comes from the same root as Jesus). Sometimes Christians disagree about minor things about Him and His Father - if Jesus ever told jokes, if God predestines or lets man choose, or both, etc. Small differences in opinion are not the same as someone who raises a slanderous accusation against Him or says something about Jesus that just does not fit with His character - Him being a lunatic or a liar. Other people just don't know Him although they pretend they do, but it's easy to see through such superficialism.

The point I'm trying to make is that sure, Christians don't know everything there is to know about Jesus and all the things He is done - or even minor things about Him - so disagreements in minor things are to be expected. However, people who just don't know Him would say things about Him that just go against everything Jesus is. Saying He is not one with the Father is calling Him a liar or a lunatic, things which He most certainly is not. Christ is a person to be known, and among the people who know said Lord are disagreements found.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

The Curse that Christ Bore

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us..." (Gal 3:13)

Many thousands of years before a poor young lady was pregnant with Jesus Christ, the adopted grandson of an Egyptian Pharaoh ran away from home. As a young man he wandered to the land of Midian and became a humble shepherd. And then God met with him. And God gave him a job - a ministry - of death. It would both enslave a nation to an unsatisfiable master and point to the coming Messiah. This Messiah would free the people by obeying this unsatisfiable master, and then suffer every punishment due to the slaves.

The unsatisfiable master is the Law in all its glory of 613 commandments. And if you break even one of those commandments, there remains nothing for you but the consuming flames of Hell (Ja 2:10)

"All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."" (Gal 3:10)

So what is included in this curse?

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Last Words




“I marvel that where the ambitious dreams of myself and of Alexander and of Caesar should have vanished into thin air, a Judean peasant—Jesus—should be able to stretch his hands across the centuries, and control the destinies of men and nations.”
-Among Napoleon's last words 

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Where Men Die: A Riddle


I am a place where men come to die.
And if they do not, they live life a lie.
If they carry me not from earth to sky,
They'll never find rest, but ever heave a sigh.
The question now stands as thus: who am I?

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Changer of the World or the Word?

You can't change the world and the Word at the same time.

If God says, "Stay, wait on me, trust in me, pray, read, wait some more, and then one day I will visit you and make you useful," (Lk 24:49b) you cannot go out and change the world. You cannot change His Word, and act as if He said "Go and serve with all your might outside." If He says "stay," going will be useless.

If He says "Go! I've given you these gifts, now go and serve and reveal Christ, preach in streets and eat with the poor, edify brothers and praise my Son," (Lk 24:49a) you cannot stay in your house on your computer and change anything. You cannot change His word, and act as if He said "stay and relax." If He says "go," staying will be useless.

Either be conformed to the World or the Word.
Either change the World or the Word.

Friday, August 31, 2012

Things that are Free

“Sometimes the things that are free are those that cost the most.”

- Dr. Parker

What is given away freely to others is often obtained at a high price. The most notable example that comes to mind is the gift of salvation. Although Christ enrobes whomever He chooses with His “robe of righteousness” (Is 61:10), it cost Him everything to part with it. On that blood-stained cross, Jesus did not just undergo the pains of death by cross. He felt the full brunt force of the hell-fire wrath of His Father. On that day Jesus Christ stood in the place of millions. To first understand the enormity of the debt that Jesus paid, one must first realize that God and His Law are infinitely good, and our rebellion against them are just as enormous.
            
Jesus said that His Father is perfect, or infinitely good (Mt 5:48), and this Infinitely Good King has made a Law. The Law is basically a reflection of Himself. The reason the Law says, for example, “Don’t be a false witness,” (Ex 20:16) is because God cannot be so. It’s the same thing with stealing, murdering, being faithless, etc. And this Law, because it’s a reflection of God, is just as infinite as He is. The problem, therefore, is that everyone has broken every single law (Jas 2:10), and everyone in his own nature is wholly corrupt and perfectly evil (Rom 3:10-12). It’s as if a man was lying beneath a giant anvil infinitely bigger and heavier than he was, which is only suspended by a thin cord, but the man continues to have someone add more and more weight to it. Then the rope is cut.

Now King Jesus sets aside His robe of Glory in Heaven, and adds onto His eternal nature the nature of man (Phil 2:6-8). He is thus born of a virgin, lives utterly obediently, and is called to be executed on the cross. In this hour-most-dark, God the Father legally treats Jesus as sin itself. So Jesus, in the hour of His death on the cross, was legally declared to be the sin of the elect (2 Cor 5:21). In so doing He set aside His robe of righteousness to put on the filthy rags (Is 64:6) of believers’ sins. And then God cut the rope holding the massive anvil of the world’s sin over Jesus. And it fell from Heaven and crushed Him (Is 53:5, 10). And blood was spilt at the foot of the cross.

The one who was delivered over to death for our sins arose again to justify us.” (Rom 4:25). This Christ, who paid for His church with His own blood, rose again as Champion of God. And this Champion now picked up that robe He shed at the cross and with it clothes whomever He wishes. This robe is Christ’s perfection. It is His blood. It is Salvation and Justification. And Christ bestows it freely, without cost. So it is certainly true, “Those things which are free are those which often cost the most.” 

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Jesus, the King of glory.

The earth is mine, and the fulness thereof;
The world, and all they that dwell therein.
For I have founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the floods.

Who shall ascend into the hill of mine?
Or who shall stand in my holy place?
He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart;
Who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity,
Nor sworn deceitfully.

He shall receive my blessing,
And righteousness from me, the God of his salvation.
This is the generation of them that seek me,
That seek my face,
The God of Jacob.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
And be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors;
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this "King of glory"?

I, the Lord: strong and mighty.
I, the Lord: mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
And be lifted up, ye everlasting doors;
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this "King of glory"?

I, the Lord of hosts.
I am the King of glory.

Psalm 24.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Far Greater is the Gain

"Thus each true believer boasts, "In the Lord I have righteousness," and knocks at heaven's gate with the unanswerable plea. In Christ, my law-fulfilling surety, I bring the Righteousness of God. Great was the loss in Adam; but far greater is the gain in Christ!"

-  Henry Law, Chapter 2: Adam - the Gospel in Genesis

Friday, August 24, 2012

Jesus Christ, the Light that Is.

In the beginning God made the Heavens and the Earth. The Earth was chaotic and void, and darkness covered its depths. But the Spirit of God hovered over the surface of the waters, and said "Let light shine out of darkness." And light shone. 
- Genesis 1:1-3

Do you realize that the first three verses of the Bible depict an empty man being filled with the Light of Christ? Look at these verses again, but let's replace "Heavens" and "Earth" with "man," and "Light" with the true light, Jesus.

In the beginning, God made a man. The man was chaotic and empty, and darkness filled him. But the Spirit of God came near to the darkness which filled him, and said, "Let Jesus shine out of this darkness." And Jesus shone.

Genesis 1:1-3 depicts the most miraculous event in the history of time.
God takes the Earth, being covered with water, twisted and empty, and lets shine the light of the Sun.
And so God takes man, being covered with sin, wretched and void, and lets shine the light of the Son.

See Chapter 1: Light, The Gospel in Genesis

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Jesus Christ, the Beacon of Time

"As the sun can be seen only by its own light, so Christ can be known only by His own Spirit."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
Jesus Christ is a lighthouse. Think about a lighthouse: When ships at sea sail dangerously close to the rocks, the flashing rays of the lighthouse's lantern beams across the expanses of water to warn the sailors. It's a warning light. In the same way, think about your life: When you were sailing dangerously close to being smashed against the pleasures of sin forever, the glowing light of Jesus Christ shone across those desolate waters of your life - to warn you. And you, dear Christian, heeded that warning.

You can also think of a man lost at sea. When a man is adrift in the ocean, he'll probably fear for his life. But when he spies that Light shining across barren straits he cannot but weep for joy - Land! In the same way, when the Holy Spirit convicts a man of his sin, he cannot but fear for his life. But when the Holy Spirit shines the gospel-light of Christ the man must surely be overcome with joy - Salvation! And what a salvation it is!

Monday, August 20, 2012

Five Quotes to Make You Think

The First about Holiness:

"Holiness is not found in strict rule keeping alone.
Holiness is found in our pursuit of the Holy One."
 -Tyler Braun

The Second about Evangelism:

"I believe that if an angel were to wing his way from earth up to Heaven, and were to say that there was one poor, ragged boy, without father or mother, with no one to care for him and teach him the way of life; and if God were to ask who among them were willing to come down to this earth and live here for fifty years and lead that one to Jesus Christ, every angel in Heaven would volunteer to go. Even Gabriel, who stands in the presence of the Almighty, would say, "Let me leave my high and lofty position, and let me have the luxury of leading one soul to Jesus Christ." There is no greater honor than to be the instrument in God's hands of leading one person out of the kingdom of Satan into the glorious light of Heaven."
-D. L. Moody

The Third about Insulation:

"Nobody worries about Christ as long as he can be kept shut up in churches. He is quite safe inside. But there is always trouble if you try and let him out."
-G. A. Studdert Kennedy

The Fourth about Speech:
"Words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness."
-Mother Teresa

The Fifth about Effectiveness:

"There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root."
-Henry David Thoreau

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Jesus is the True Joseph

Jesus said "All of scripture testifies of me." I have a favorite Bible game I like to play with this verse - open to a random section of the OT and find Jesus Christ in the verse. It's normally really easy. Sometimes it's obvious "...The LORD says:", sometimes it's a bit more mysterious, like "Then Bathsheba bowed low with her face to the ground, and kneeling before the king, said, "May my Lord King David live forever!""

Joseph is one of those easy examples. However, as is often the case, comparing his life with Jesus one notes that Jesus' life tends to be a bit more extreme (ie. the second row below).

Joseph
Jesus
Joseph’s birth was a miraculous event (Gen 31:22-24).
Jesus’ birth was a super-miraculous event (Mt 1:23)
Joseph was betrayed by 10 of his brothers (Gen 37:2;28)
Jesus was abandoned by 11 of his brothers (11 in total) (Mt 12:49, 26:56)
Reuben tries to stop Joseph’s blood from being shed (Gen 37:21-22)
Peter tries to stop Jesus’ blood from being shed (Mt 16:21-22, Jn 18:3;10)
Joseph tells about 2 dreams wherein his whole family will bow down before him (Gen 37:6-7, 9-10) and is rebuked by them and hated (Gen 37:8, 10-11)
Jesus tells two parables (about a sheep-gate/fence and shepherd/hired hand – Jn 10:1-18) and makes the point that He is God (Jn 10:30, 33) and is almost stoned by the Jews (Jn 10:31).
Joseph was an obedient slave (Gen 39:2-6)
Jesus was led like a lamb to the slaughter (Ac 8:32, 35)
Joseph was accused of sin he never committed (Gen 39:17-18)
Jesus became legally responsible for all our that sins he never committed (2 Cor 5:21)
Joseph’s master was furious and sent him to prison, where the King’s prisoners are (Gen 37:20). So Joseph was incarcerated.
Jesus’ Father was full of wrath and crushed Jesus under His hell-fury (Isa 53:5,10, Mt 27:46), which is where the King’s prisoners will be (Rev 14:10-11, 20:15). So Jesus died.
Joseph was probably in jail for almost 3 years (see time lapse words: Gen 39:20, 40:1, 41:1)
Jesus was dead for 3 (Jewish) days (Mt 16:21)
During this time, Joseph and God were together (Gen 39:23)
During this time, Jesus and God were together (Jn 16:10, 17, 28, 17:10, 13, Lk 23:43)
After this 2-3 year period, Joseph was released (Gen 41:14)
After this 3 day period, Jesus was raised from the dead (Mt 16:21)
Joseph explains to Pharaoh his dream (Gen 41:25ff)
Jesus explains to his disciples the word of God (post-resurrection – Lk 24:47)
Joseph is highly exalted, given the name Zaphathnath-Paneah (which means, Treasury of the Glorious Rest), put in charge of all of Egypt and all people are to submit to him, given the authority of Pharaoh, given fine linen and a gold chain, only Pharaoh is not submissive to him (Gen 41:39-45)
Jesus is highly exalted (Phil 2:9), given the Name above every name (Phil 2:9-11) all people and nations submit to Him (Dan 7:14), given the authority of God (Lk 4:32, Mt 28:18), many crowns (Rev 4:10), only the Father is not submissive to Him (1 Cor 15:27-28)
Joseph reveals himself to his brothers (Gen 45:2-4)
Jesus reveals himself to his brothers (Lk 24:31, 36)
Joseph says he was sold to save lives, to prepare the remnant and save lives by a great deliverance (Gen 45:5, 7)
Jesus’ [His name means “The Lord saves”] blood was sold to buy the church (Act 20:28), to save Christians (Ac 15:11, 1 Pt 3:21), and so that the remnant might be saved (Rom 9:27).
Joseph’s brothers weep with joy at hearing this (Gen 45:14)
Jesus’ brothers are amazed and joyful (Lk 24:41)
Joseph enters Pharaoh’s service at age 30 (Gen 41:46)
Jesus enters ministry at age 30 (Lk 3:23)
Joseph is given bride (Gen 41:45)
Jesus is given bride (Rev 21:9)
Joseph safely has his family brought from Caanan to Egypt (Gen 45:5-7)
Jesus safely shepherds his flock (Isa 40:11) bringing His family from Earth to Kingdom (Jn 10:14-16, 27-28)

In case you were wondering, the text in italics indicates it's not chronological.
Bonus type (I think you can figure this one out :) )
"Now the third day was Pharaoh's birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the... chief cupbearer. He restored the chief cupbearer to his position." (Genesis 40:20-21)

Also there's a neat similarity between Gen 45:16 and Lk 15:10 and Lk 15:20ff

I hope this blessed you. Christ really is everywhere in the Holy Writ!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Purpose of this Blog: An Experiment in Love

It is commonly known that the shortest, simplest, and most basic sentence in the English language is "I am." This is reflected in the typical western, English world as well. The simplest and most basic philosophy that surrounds the English world is: "Take care of yourself. You're important. Look after your yourself. Think of yourself first - your health, education, physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being." This is probably the epitome of mental pride - I am number one. I am the center of my life. I am important. I am precious. I am valuable. And this is what we love to tout around, a giant flag with a big "I AM" emblazoned on it.

The problem is that that's not the shortest sentence. The shortest one in the world, in any language, is the Portuguese "É."* It means, among other things, "He is." Christ is. He is omnipotent. He is supreme. He is everything. He is the firstborn from among the dead. He is the firstfruit of the dead. He is the way. He is the life. He is the truth. He is everything in everyone (every believer). The primacy (first-ness) of Jesus Christ is modeled in the shortest sentence in the world. This sentence, comparing it with the World's "I am," is startlingly simple. It's very basic. É also means, especially in a reply to a question, "Yes, it is true."

The point I'm trying to make is that the simplest and yet most complex idea is Christ. That He is is the basic foundationally simple idea upon which everything else is built. So this blog will experiment with loving Him. I intend to talk about Jesus, and about Jesus, and about Jesus. Everything else is simply inferior. É is just simply shorter than I am. É wins. É is clearly first.

However, it is not yet clear if God intends for me to write about His Firstness. Other's have done this, are doing it, and will do it better and clearer than me. But I might as well take a risk with my time to tell the "I am" centered world that é - that He is.

May you be blessed.