Showing posts with label Illumination. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Illumination. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 9, 2021
The Light Of The World
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16 KJV
Jesus is the illumination of God's love.
"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." - Genesis 1:3 KJV
God wanted to make it possible for us to see things that were far away in this creation He was making so He illuminated it.
"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." - John 8:12 KJV
Yes! Yes! Yes! He Is the light that lights every man and shows us the love of the Father. Love is invisible unless you show it... It is unknown unless you say it. God didn't hide His love. He showed us His love.
"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." - 2 Corinthians 4:6 KJV
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Monday, March 28, 2016
The Cattle On A Thousand Hills
What do you give the person who has everything?
"I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine... Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me." - Psalm 50:9-12, 14-15 ESV
Interesting.
God is gracious and He doesn't need anything from us. The literal translation of 'a sacrifice of thanksgiving' is 'make thanksgiving your sacrifice'. That changes things doesn't it?
I'm meditating on this idea and it is very convicting. God has great ability. Am I tying His hands?
If we owned 100 million dollars we would have some amazing abilities wouldn't we. Think of the equipment at our disposal and the real estate we could purchase. If we were smart we wouldn't ever have to use the money. Just having it would give us leverage.
This Psalm isn't directed at the needy person. Needy people claim these promises all the time but it isn't directed at that crowd. It is directed at those who think they have something to give.
Can't God sell some of that cattle and provide for the needy people? If He did then what kind of power would He have? His ability is rooted in His ownership.
"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, 'Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' But he answered, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour." - Matthew 25:1-13 ESV
The virgins had oil so they had illumination and access. No one can give me their oil and I can't give anyone my oil. I don't see God selling any cattle.
Grace is God's willingness to give favor. I see a God who is willing to deliver and wants us to have wisdom so that we can access what we already possess if we know Him. A child of God is an the heir of a King who will never die.
I often see a need for my thinking to shift. Does God need what ever it is I have to give? No. People might but God doesn't. The sacrifice is praise. If I use my brain and cry out to Him it the time of trouble He is glorified. He never sells anything and I never sacrifice anything. It is finished.
Progress is made when our lamp is full of oil. We can help in other ways because we love people. We can give time and resources. There is no out giving God. Best of all we can point people to the richest One of All who will give a person their own oil.
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"I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine... Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me." - Psalm 50:9-12, 14-15 ESV
Interesting.
God is gracious and He doesn't need anything from us. The literal translation of 'a sacrifice of thanksgiving' is 'make thanksgiving your sacrifice'. That changes things doesn't it?
I'm meditating on this idea and it is very convicting. God has great ability. Am I tying His hands?
If we owned 100 million dollars we would have some amazing abilities wouldn't we. Think of the equipment at our disposal and the real estate we could purchase. If we were smart we wouldn't ever have to use the money. Just having it would give us leverage.
This Psalm isn't directed at the needy person. Needy people claim these promises all the time but it isn't directed at that crowd. It is directed at those who think they have something to give.
Can't God sell some of that cattle and provide for the needy people? If He did then what kind of power would He have? His ability is rooted in His ownership.
"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, 'Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' But he answered, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour." - Matthew 25:1-13 ESV
The virgins had oil so they had illumination and access. No one can give me their oil and I can't give anyone my oil. I don't see God selling any cattle.
Grace is God's willingness to give favor. I see a God who is willing to deliver and wants us to have wisdom so that we can access what we already possess if we know Him. A child of God is an the heir of a King who will never die.
I often see a need for my thinking to shift. Does God need what ever it is I have to give? No. People might but God doesn't. The sacrifice is praise. If I use my brain and cry out to Him it the time of trouble He is glorified. He never sells anything and I never sacrifice anything. It is finished.
Progress is made when our lamp is full of oil. We can help in other ways because we love people. We can give time and resources. There is no out giving God. Best of all we can point people to the richest One of All who will give a person their own oil.
--
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
The Single Eye
"The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness." - Luke 11:34 KJV
Having a single eye.
The Greek word there is haplous (Strong's G573) and it is best translated in the KJV. Other translations say healthy or something like it but we have two eyes don't we? Each eye is only healthy when it is in focus with the other eye. It can be healthy on it's own but we can only see clearly if it is single.
This speaks to me of eternal perspective. Eternal perspective sees with God. The world is truly in focus. Is our eye the left one or the right one? Both are His and both are ours. It is the focus that matters
"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." - Matthew 6:33 ESV
I don't know about you but I get annoyed when I walk by a security desk and they don't seem to see me. That is a the largest part of their job. They need to see everything. That is the contribution that they are bringing to the well being of the place they are guarding.
The single eyed person is not looking for sin. They are looking with God. God has eyes of grace. Sin is paid for. They can pray because they see things. They spot evil and act accordingly. They seek God's kingdom. They are looking for what will last forever and focusing their energy on those things that replenish life.
Perhaps yesterday our eye was unhealthy because we saw situations or circumstances and made judgments by sight. But what about today? Can we look with God? Can we look seeing the cross behind us. Can we see Heaven and Hell before us? Everyone we are dealing with is going one place or the other and God desires that none would perish.
God give us a single eye. Add an eternal dimension to our sight so that our eye is filled with light. Thank You God. Thank You for having a pace that is quick enough for us to move forward but just right for us to join You and follow You at any moment. We want to see what You see. We want a single eye.
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Having a single eye.
The Greek word there is haplous (Strong's G573) and it is best translated in the KJV. Other translations say healthy or something like it but we have two eyes don't we? Each eye is only healthy when it is in focus with the other eye. It can be healthy on it's own but we can only see clearly if it is single.
This speaks to me of eternal perspective. Eternal perspective sees with God. The world is truly in focus. Is our eye the left one or the right one? Both are His and both are ours. It is the focus that matters
"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." - Matthew 6:33 ESV
I don't know about you but I get annoyed when I walk by a security desk and they don't seem to see me. That is a the largest part of their job. They need to see everything. That is the contribution that they are bringing to the well being of the place they are guarding.
The single eyed person is not looking for sin. They are looking with God. God has eyes of grace. Sin is paid for. They can pray because they see things. They spot evil and act accordingly. They seek God's kingdom. They are looking for what will last forever and focusing their energy on those things that replenish life.
Perhaps yesterday our eye was unhealthy because we saw situations or circumstances and made judgments by sight. But what about today? Can we look with God? Can we look seeing the cross behind us. Can we see Heaven and Hell before us? Everyone we are dealing with is going one place or the other and God desires that none would perish.
God give us a single eye. Add an eternal dimension to our sight so that our eye is filled with light. Thank You God. Thank You for having a pace that is quick enough for us to move forward but just right for us to join You and follow You at any moment. We want to see what You see. We want a single eye.
--
Monday, November 9, 2015
Two Mysteries
"Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." - 1 Corinthians 2:6-8 ESV
"For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way." - 2 Thessalonians 2:7a ESV
There is a mystery that transforms but there is also a mystery that corrupts. The mystery of iniquity involves the emotions. The emotions can get corrupted to the point where people form ideas that go against reason. We see that happening in the world. People betray friendships. They abandon marriages and children. They hurt themselves and others because of hate. It is a mystery. They unite in a hopeless cause against what is good and right and call evil good and good evil.
Then there is the mystery of love and transformation. It is the mystery of redemption. In truth it is the mystery of the resurrection. Christ's resurrection was the first domino to fall in a long string of dominoes. Yet this great coming alive is hidden and misunderstood.
People can live their lives baffled by both of these things. Apart from God there is no explanation.
When Christ is revealed then these mysteries begin to be revealed also. These things don't baffle us. We may not like what we see but we know enough about it to identify it as spiritual and not just natural.
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"For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way." - 2 Thessalonians 2:7a ESV
There is a mystery that transforms but there is also a mystery that corrupts. The mystery of iniquity involves the emotions. The emotions can get corrupted to the point where people form ideas that go against reason. We see that happening in the world. People betray friendships. They abandon marriages and children. They hurt themselves and others because of hate. It is a mystery. They unite in a hopeless cause against what is good and right and call evil good and good evil.
Then there is the mystery of love and transformation. It is the mystery of redemption. In truth it is the mystery of the resurrection. Christ's resurrection was the first domino to fall in a long string of dominoes. Yet this great coming alive is hidden and misunderstood.
People can live their lives baffled by both of these things. Apart from God there is no explanation.
When Christ is revealed then these mysteries begin to be revealed also. These things don't baffle us. We may not like what we see but we know enough about it to identify it as spiritual and not just natural.
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