My heart is full, Lord, so full of desire for You. Perhaps tomorrow will come and I will forget this feeling, but what if I don't? What if tomorrow I wake and I long for even more? What if I stopped longing for earthly things, and only had You as the only One I long for?
That will destroy me. How amusing. The very thought that it will destroy my very person doesn't upset me. Instead, it makes me wonder if I have missed the point of life up until now. I feel as if, very soon I will be like the man who wrote these words,
"For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me." (Philippians 1:21-23)
Yes, very much so. I am not afraid, for "every seed dies before it grows."
Postscript: Indeed, the things of this earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of Christ's glory and grace.
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
The superiority of the New...Part I: Who is this Man?
As I begin this series of posts, I feel a sense of apprehension. I am no Bible scholar, and I am concerned I may misrepresent the gospel for which my Savior made possible. Therefore, it is my disclaimer that this is not a piece of professional work, but it is my utmost for His Highest.
Let us begin by considering a simple fact of life - new things replace the old. Whether it is just a newer version of the old, or a version that has radically more capability than the old, new things replace old things. This is true of everything in the material world. One may long for the old thing, but there is no denying it, that the new takes the place of the old.
So it is with the new covenant in Jesus Christ. For there to be a well-rounded understanding of the new covenant, one must examine the old covenant, made with Israel when the Lord had brought them out of slavery in Egypt to their cruel taskmasters. Exodus 20 states the oft-quoted Ten Commandments, and on top of these moral laws, there were civil and ceremonial laws to uphold.
In summary, this is the gist of the old covenant: "If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the LORD your God will keep His covenant of love with you, as He swore to your ancestors." (Deut. 7:12) Read the words carefully, there is a legal requirement to keep the rules to receive the blessings of the Lord.
The new covenant is different, not that there is no longer a need for obedience or adherence to rules. While both the old and new covenants called for faith in God to believe that He will keep His promises to those who obeyed, the new covenant came through a very different representative - Jesus Christ. His ministry in itself was a marvel, and its glory outstripped that of Moses, not because it moved seas out of the way, but because of its intimacy with the individual human being. Jesus Christ came preaching to men, saying "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17)
Jesus demonstrated power, and taught His teachings with authority. He was not very different from the prophets before Him, except that He made a claim to be greater than the traditions and laws that Israel held in such regard. The Gospels recorded Him unapologetically forgiving sinners, while regularly condemning the religious leaders. Jesus challenged the beliefs of everyone who claimed to know God, and taught that He was the one and only way, exclusive of all else, to God. In fact, He was so controversial that the question often asked by those who met Him was this: "Who is this man?" (Luke 7:49, Mark 4:41, Luke 9:9, John 12:34)
Postscript: The pertinent question to ask for each of us is the same question. So who is Jesus to you? Do you have enough information or knowledge about Him to make a decision yet?
Let us begin by considering a simple fact of life - new things replace the old. Whether it is just a newer version of the old, or a version that has radically more capability than the old, new things replace old things. This is true of everything in the material world. One may long for the old thing, but there is no denying it, that the new takes the place of the old.
So it is with the new covenant in Jesus Christ. For there to be a well-rounded understanding of the new covenant, one must examine the old covenant, made with Israel when the Lord had brought them out of slavery in Egypt to their cruel taskmasters. Exodus 20 states the oft-quoted Ten Commandments, and on top of these moral laws, there were civil and ceremonial laws to uphold.
In summary, this is the gist of the old covenant: "If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the LORD your God will keep His covenant of love with you, as He swore to your ancestors." (Deut. 7:12) Read the words carefully, there is a legal requirement to keep the rules to receive the blessings of the Lord.
The new covenant is different, not that there is no longer a need for obedience or adherence to rules. While both the old and new covenants called for faith in God to believe that He will keep His promises to those who obeyed, the new covenant came through a very different representative - Jesus Christ. His ministry in itself was a marvel, and its glory outstripped that of Moses, not because it moved seas out of the way, but because of its intimacy with the individual human being. Jesus Christ came preaching to men, saying "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17)
Jesus demonstrated power, and taught His teachings with authority. He was not very different from the prophets before Him, except that He made a claim to be greater than the traditions and laws that Israel held in such regard. The Gospels recorded Him unapologetically forgiving sinners, while regularly condemning the religious leaders. Jesus challenged the beliefs of everyone who claimed to know God, and taught that He was the one and only way, exclusive of all else, to God. In fact, He was so controversial that the question often asked by those who met Him was this: "Who is this man?" (Luke 7:49, Mark 4:41, Luke 9:9, John 12:34)
Postscript: The pertinent question to ask for each of us is the same question. So who is Jesus to you? Do you have enough information or knowledge about Him to make a decision yet?
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