1 Chronicles 2 and the Glory of God

I had a day where a lot of work was done in the important but not urgent category. I hate to sound sacrilegious but reading genealogies can be the same way. They don't necessarily feel redemptive, yet they are Holy Scripture and they are part of the full counsel of God. So much church work is administrative in our era and it to has that quality of not feeling redemptive.

But remember that the genealogies follow God's chosen people. The people of Israel where the cradle into which the Christ was born and by his blood we are all redeemed. Today's church work was the means by which we cradled the message of the gospel at Royal Redeemer so that it would be heard and would change lives.

Remember when you realized that God had taken hold of your heart. Where you at camp, church, or some function. Did you pray with a co-worker. Some one did the seemingly humdrum work of praying for you, tithing to keep that church open, landscaping at the camp. These are the 1 Chronicles of church life, unsung, misunderstood even, but essential to God's mission, to display his Glory through the sacrifice of his Son.

Sola Christus

When the a Holy God ordains it, the Holy takes place.

So as I finished up with the Gospel of John (you may have noticed I never blogged on St. John's passion feeling wholly inadequate for that portion of scripture.) I decided to use the reading plan in my Bible to give the next season of my devotions some organization. Even though it is 8.25.2014 I started with January 1's reading. The first reading was from Ecclesiastes. 

A Time for Everything
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ESV)




For wise King Solomon, all the things listed above have a time and place in the history of man, which is wrapped up in God's salvation history. I admit that I come to the text for a Calvinistic view point so as I read I felt the Holy Spirit tickle my reformed intellect and communicate this; these things listed above at shown to be equal in the text. Birth, death, planting, reaping, seeking, losing, peace and war. All have been ordained by our Holy God and are therefor all part of his Holy plan. For the display of His Glory, His Grace, His Holiness. Do I enjoy death? Nope I shed tears. War? Never, I continue to pray for peace? Loss has even been a part of my daily life now that I have a growing family, career and a shrinking pool of independence and free time. I morn the loss of those things even as they are sparked by celebrated life events

God has ordained it. The Muslims pray "En Shallah," "God wills it." Its not often we say together amen, but to my Muslim neighbor I say a hearty amen, then in the next breath, explore what the Koran says about "Isa," for if he is God then we need to also pray "Jesus wills it."

The events of your life are initiated for the display of our Holy God's glory. Cry when it is time to morn, weep at loss, dance at celebrations. Sow fields and reap harvest but do not despair. God holds you close waiting too show you in his Heavenly courts so that he will be more fully revealed to you, what Saint Paul calls "... the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:7 ESV)

That is the kind of God we serve!

Sola Scriptura!

ISIS, Resurrection, and bringing home a new baby.

Today I brought home a new baby. I was so pumped. But on the ride home I kept thinking about what would happen if I were gone, or one was taken from me. That got me to thinking about what I have been reading about Iraq today. There was a lump in my throat. That very fear I had was the reality of those folks in Iraq. Then I began to think about how this violence has been with us for a while. The reality that violent death has been in the news a lot and I have been ignoring it. I had been reading about it hearing about it dispassionately because the victims where not of my religion, or on my continent or I was too selfish to let the problems of other humans ruin my day.  I felt shame, suffering people may not believe in Christ as Lord but the Lord Jesus Christ made them preciously and wants to be in relationship with them.

Then I remembered how I pulled out of this guilt spiral the last time I was burdened with these feelings. The last time I caught myself turning off the radio because I did not want to know what what going on. There is hope in the Resurrection. There is hope that Heaven will come here. We pray in the church "Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again." When he returns Jesus will right all wrongs. There wont be martyrdom anymore. Hunger and oppression will cease, the world will be border-less for it will all be under his rule.

Sleep tight tonight Samuel and Isabel. God does not delight in the death of his people, and when death comes to take one of us, both of us, all of us it will only be temporary.  For we believe in the Resurrection. We will rise from the grave victorious in Jesus. So will those who died in faith in Iraq today. So will every person who ever lived. We will all stand before the Judge and those whose names are written in the lambs book of life, will enter in to eternal Glory.

Final thought. From time to time I read the Voice of the Martyrs web site (http://www.persecution.com/) and they end every story of atrocities against believers this way, "let us also pray for their persecutors, that some of those hunting believers today will become believers themselves in the days and months to come." 

Lord I pray for ISIS. Send them your Holy Spirit, to convince them of righteousness and judgment. Firmly convert them to belief in Christ. Show them their sin and you Grace displayed on the cross." Make them our brothers and sisters in Christ through the power of repentance. Lord it seems impossible but I believe that you do the impossible. I pray for those whom they persecute, let there blood be a witness to you blood, the blood I will claim when I stand before your throne

Amen