A Work in Progress that Will be Completed

But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
~1 Thessalonians 5:12-24

In the closing of his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul gives them several instructions on how they should live. He provides advice on how they should treat their elders (vv 12-13) as well as each other (vv 14-15). He also commands three things they ought to do in direction to God; Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks (vv 16-18). Notice that these three are categorized as God's will for the believer. So, for those who struggle with what God's will is for you, here is part of your answer. If you are not following these three commands, you will not be where you need to be to hear His guidance for personal areas of where God may be directing you. The last couple of instructions call for examination, holding on to the good, and staying away from evil (vv 19-22).

These are all clear commands for the believer. In fact, 15 of the verbs used in this passage are in the imperative form in Greek, indicating them being used as a command. These instructions pertain to the believer's sanctification. This is the fancy term used to describe the process of the believer progressing towards holiness. It is the process those who are have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are currently involved. In Justification the sinner is declared righteous by the means of their faith in Christ. In Sanctification the sinner is progressively made righteous and in his final Glorification, the believer is presented righteous by Christ before God's throne. Sanctification serves as the bridge God uses to bring the sinner whom He now views as being as righteous as Christ to be perfect in glory where he will no longer be able to sin. Thus, we are a work in progress yet to be completed.

Right after giving this list of instructions, Paul then prays that God would sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (v 23). Although he had just given exhortations of what one should do as part of their seeking to live a holy life for God's glory, he asked for God to do the work to aid in the believer's progress. This coupling of an exhortation followed by a promise of God providing and enabling the believer to live it out is common through out Scripture. One of the clearest pictures of this in in Philippians 2:12-13. In v. 12, Paul commands to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Then he gives the reason that we are able to follow this command: for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure (v. 13). Therefore, we work only because and on the basis of God's work within us. Paul must have realized that apart from God's grace, we would not be able to heed these admonishments given and progress forward. The truth that these are not easy tasks can be seen in the lack of them being performed and in specifically how we struggle to live them out daily. We need God's daily doses of grace to help us live for Him to bring Him glory. Augustine realized this when he stated in his Confessions, Command what thou wilt, but give what thou command. Thankfully, our sanctification is not in our own hands but God's. Paul held a similar hope for the church of Philippi, For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).

This work of God to sanctify entirely led Paul to describe Him as faithful because not only does He bring one to salvation (Paul's typical use of the verb for to call) but He will complete the work He began the day they became born again (He also will bring it to pass). The it refers back to the sanctifying just previously mentioned. Jesus Himself promised that of those who are saved, He will raise him up on the last day (John 6:44). In the unbreakable "Golden Chain of Redemption" in Romans 8:29-30, Paul describes those who have been foreknown by God, predestined, called, justified as also glorified which is a future state. Glorified is in the past tense, indicating that in God's mind it has basically already occurred because He fully intends to complete the work He started. The author of Hebrews even describes Jesus in His role of divine priest as For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified (Hebrews 10:14). Perfected is in the past tense while the participle for to sanctify is present tense. This indicates that Christ through His death completes (another possible translation for the Greek verb teliow, defined as "complete, finish, accomplish, bring to its goal, perfect") the one who is currently in the process of being sanctified. Also, the verb is passive, pointing to God as the one who ultimately does the sanctifying of the believer. The passive form of a Greek verb indicates that the subject of the verb receives the action instead of performing it as the active form would signify. God will ensure that the believer will come to the completion of his sanctification in glory. Other Scriptures reveal that He does this through means such as suffering (James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:3-9), discipline (Hebrews 12:7-11), and possibly warnings not to stray from the faith (Hebrews 6:4-8).

This should be a major encouragement for us. We are not left in our Christian walk alone. God is with us and will guard, protect, and bring us to glory as we strive forward to serve Him. God does not just pick us up on the side of the road, dead and dirty due to our sins, then give us life and wash us just to hand us a Bible as a roadmap and drop us off on the side of the road saying "I hope to see you in glory." Instead, He not only picks us up off the side of the road but will drive us all the way to glory. So, let us move forward and struggle to live for the glory of God and praise Him for His enablement to do so as well as trusting that He will complete the work He has begun and continues to do in our lives. Praise God that while we are currently a "work in progress," we will be complete due to God's power and grace! May we rely fully and solely on Him to live for Him!

In Christ,
Lee
Soli Deo Gloria!

Lessons From 9/11

Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. And Jesus said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."
~Luke 13:1-5

Today thousands in the nation take time out of their busy schedules to commemorate and remember those who lost their lives in the horrible tragedy which occurred the morning of this day eight years ago. Many of us remember how that day changed the way we thought about the country, our loved ones, and even our lives. Many still are struggling with what they have seen, or with those they have lost in the tragedy. Some lives may never be the same again. While not belittling the victims of the tragedy, I want to look at what those who are still living can learn from this event.

The days following the 9/11 attacks brought several questions. Several of these questions concerned God and His role in the event. People struggled with trying to grasp any reasons God may have allowed or permitted this to happen. Some wondered if the people who went for what they thought would have been a normal day at work deserved to play the victims of such a horrible scenario.

Clearly God was in control of that day and is still in control of our world today. Scripture tells us that God works all things after the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11). Through Amos God communicates, If a calamity occurs in a city has not the LORD done it? (Amos 3:6) and Jesus says that a sparrow does not fall to the ground apart from your Father (Matthew 10:29). Even Satan himself is under the sovereignty of God. Jesus acknowledged to Peter that Satan could not test the disciples' faith without God's allowance. Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat (Luke 22:31). Likewise, Satan could not tamper with Job without God's permission and He set clear boundaries where Satan would not be able to trend. In the first meeting with Satan, God agreed to let him test Job but would not allow him to put forth your hand on him (Job 1:12) and the second time God gave Job into his control but would not permit him to kill His righteous servant. Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life (Job 2:6). This is a very comforting truth. Our lives may seem like they are spirling out of control, but the truth is that we are still in God's hands and He is working to bring things to His ultimate purpose. You may be down at your lowest, but we have hope that God IS in control and causing all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Even in the worst of times, we have comfort knowing there is a loving and good God in control who has a purpose in the suffering. God was there that day on 9/11 and, even amist the sorrow, several testimonies to His goodness have been proclaimed. His sovereign hand never left the situation!

The second major question the World Trade Center attacks spawned is one which is a common response to every huge natural disaster or catastrophe: "What did this group do to deserve this?" This was seen after the tsunami in India as well as New Orleans with Hurricane Katrina. In fact, Jesus was asked a similar question about 2000 years ago. While speaking to a large crowd, a group informs Jesus about an atrocity which Pilate had committed. The exact situation is unknown to us today but we can infer that it had something to do with a slaughter of Jews during their sacrifices. Not only was this a terrible occurrence, but it took place during worship which made it even more horrendous. Jesus realized right away the question that they had concerning this issue. They thought that this plight was the result of them being greater sinners than all others. However, Jesus sought to turn their perspective completely around.

Instead of agreeing with their assumption, Jesus took the focus off the victims and placed it on the questioners. The reason this group was slaughtered was not because they were greater sinners. The ones who were killed were no more sinners than the ones commenting concerning them. (Note: This does not necessarily mean that the events God permits to occur are punishment for specific sins. John 9 makes it clear that, while a result of the curse of sin, not all infirmities and incidents are due to specific sins.) Those who died in the tsunami, in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and with Hurricane Katrina were no more sinners than those of you reading this note as well as the one writing it. We deserved the same! I will never forget a powerful sermon my pastor preached right after the tsunami a few years ago. He told us that the question is not "why them?" but should be "why not us?" We didn't deserve God's mercy to not have the tsunami happen in America, or to not have been in the Pentagon or World Trade Center on that day, as well as having the hurricane wreck havoc on the NorthEast or MidWest. As Scripture tells us, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We get so used to God's mercy we have problems when He shows us His wrath.

Jesus actually warns the crowd of an even greater fate, much worse than what happened with Pilate and the later example of the falling of the tower of Siloam. Unless they repent of their sins, they will perish (Luke 13:3,5). This is Jesus' urgent plea to those who are lost in sin. Repentance means a turning from sin. It is the flip side of faith. One turns from sin in repentance and then turns toward Christ by placing their faith in Him. The likewise may refer to the sudden and unexpected death of those in the Temple and at Siloam. Those who went to the Temple that day to offer their sacrifices did not realize that they would not be returning home. The possibility of the tower falling on the group in Siloam probably never occurred to them. Likewise, if the crowd does not turn from their sins and turn to Christ they will suddenly and unexpectedly (to them) experience the punishment for their sins. The author of Hebrews tells us that it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27).

No one is guaranteed of their next heartbeat or breath. If we should learn something from modern headlines, it is that death is no respecter of age. If you have not turned from your sins and placed your faith in the Lord Jesus, then Jesus' plea for repentance is for you. Like those in the Temple and at Siloam, you do not know when the day will come and it will be too late. Many who left for work that morning of 9/11 did not know that they would not leave the building. Several wives did not know that they would not see their husbands again. I am not attempting to scare anyone, I just want to point out reality. For us who are Christians, this is a reminder that life is too short to waste! Let us give out Jesus' plea to those who need to hear it in our families, schools, and at our places of employment!

Praying for those involved with the attacks in any way as well as us who can learn from God's mercy,
Lee Smith
Soli Deo Gloria!

Why I Believe the Bible

A question I am often asked is "Why do I believe the Bible to be truly God's Word?" This is a very good question as the reason which I hold to the positions and views I do all spawn from what I see Scripture as teaching. The Bible is the sole authority that governs my life and what I have devoted my life to studying and teaching. Unfortunately, many Christians respond with a "deer in the headlights" look upon receiving such a question. They are unable to think of the reasons why they hold to the Bible being God's Word and what distinguishes it from any other book available. While I cannot speak for others, here is my attempt to answer such a question:

I. The Bible's Testimony about the Bible
One reason I believe the Bible to be God's inspired, inerrant, and infailable word (at least in its original manuscripts) is that it claims itself to be. At least 3,808 times the Old Testament authors refer to a statement as being Thus said the LORD. The prophets are described as having the word of the LORD coming down upon them before they spoke His words (Jeremiah 1:1-2; Ezekiel 1:2-3; Joel 1:1; Hosea 1:1). The clear implication is that the prophets spoke what God had told them to speak and thus were delivering His message.

The New Testament authors also viewed the Old Testament writings as being God's very word. Peter tells us that But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God (2 Peter 1:20-21). Though written down by the instrument of man, the ultimate author of Scripture is God whose Holy Spirit moved men to write down His very words. Paul refers to all Scripture as inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Literally, the Greek reads that all Scripture is God-breathed. The all Scripture that Paul refers to is the Old Testament as that would have been Scripture for both the apostle and Timothy. (A fuller exposition of this text may be found in a previous blog post here) The author of Hebrews even states that the author of Psalm 95 is ultimately the Holy Spirit and not David. Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, . . . (Hebrews 3:7). A similar case may be found in Peter's discussion of the necessity to choose Judas' successor based on Scripture in Acts 1:16. He states that the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David (Acts 1:16) indicating the Holy Spirit as the author and David as the means. The New Testament writers are unwavering in their testimony to God's inspiration of the Old Testament writings.

Although the New Testament as we have it today had yet to be completed at the time, there is evidence that the New Testament authors considered their own writings as Scripture, God's very word, as well. For instance, Paul quotes a statement of Jesus recorded by the author Luke and calls it Scripture in I Timothy 5:18. The quote is alongside one from Deuteronomy. Luke's writing is deemed authoritative by Paul in teaching that elders should be paid for their service. Also, Peter explicitly labels Paul's letters as Scripture. He states that the untaught and unstable distort his writings as they do the rest of the Scriptures (2 Peter 3:16). So, according to Peter, Paul's letters are a part of Scripture. Furthermore, these letters were intended to be read aloud to the congregations and admonish them (Colossians 4:16). One cannot persuasively argue against the fact that all of the writers of Scriptures deemed the words as not being their own but God's.

II. History's Testimony about the Bible
Another reason I hold to the Bible to be God's word is due to the evidence from history as to its authenticity. The Old Testament contains several prophecies of the coming Messiah that God planned to send for the redemption of His people Israel as well as hints of including other nations as part of the plan. If the Old Testament is God's word as it claims to be, then these prophecies must be fulfilled precisely as they are written. All of these prophecies did find their fulfillment in the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. In fact, about 300 predictions pertaining to the first coming of the Messiah are seen clearly in Jesus. The parallels between the descriptions of the psalmist in Psalm 22 and 69 to the events surrounding Jesus' crucifixion are striking. To claim that those who were responsible in crucifying Jesus intentionally orchestrated and performed His death as it occurred would be preposterous when they were upset at His popularity and claims to be God. There are several places in the gospels where the authors explicitly make the connection of something in Jesus' life to be a direct fulfillment of a prophecy God made in the Old Testament. Jesus' birth in Bethlehem was no mere coincidence but occurred just as God had promised it would. But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, / Too little to be among the clans of Judah, / From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, / From the days of eternity (Micah 5:2). Also, there is no other reputable case in history where a virgin has conceived a child apart from the account of Jesus' birth from Mary before she came together with Joseph. Isaiah predicted such a miraculous birth (Isaiah 7:14) and such occurred just as prescribed (Matthew 1:18). (A fuller exposition of Isaiah's miraculous prophecy can be found here). While a few of these predictions corresponding to certain things in one's life could be possible, the possibility of all of them, particularly the more miraculous ones (ie. the virgin birth and the resurrection three days later), is an impossibility unless God has predicted and orchestrated things as such.

Also, no significant archeological discovery or finding has yet to prove Scripture historically inaccurate. In fact, the most recent finds have done quite the opposite. Names of certain Biblical Hebrew kings have collaborated with extrabiblical writings and materials of the same time period recorded. Historical sites described in Scripture have been uncovered and the details provided by Scripture shown to be true. Scholars believe they have found the location of Sodom and Gomorrah where there is indeed evidence of destruction from an earthquake or volcano that would have led to fire falling from the sky and bringing destruction. Lack of archeological findings for certain events or descriptions in Scripture in no way disprove anything that occurred. It just means that remains were not left or that they have yet to be found. What has been discovered though has only pointed to the authenticity of the Bible being God's word and not cast any doubt on it.

III. The Coherency and Consistency of the Bible
The Bible is a collection of 66 different books written by possibly 35 different authors living in different areas and eras and yet as a whole does not contain any errors or contradictions. Moses' account of creation and the beginning of man and John's record of his revelation of Jesus Christ he received on the island of Patmos are separated by approximately 1500 years! While many have claimed to find apparent contradictions between books and authors, a closer study of the problems reveal the contradictions to be just that, apparent. I have spent much time, particularly during my undergrad studies in college, closely examining such so-called "contradictions" and found them not be contradictory but harmonious. Those who think that they have discovered a contradiction may just need more time to study both passages and figure out what they really are saying. After extensive study, they may find that there really is no contradiction at all. Such coherency and consistency all throughout the Bible leads me to conclude that God must have been behind the authorship of this book. I know of no other anthology by different authors that fits together as well as these 66 books. In fact, I have read a book by one author where within it he or she contradicts himself or herself. Only God could work through the various authors of Scripture to bring about His very word pure and unaltered.

IV. Personal Testimony about the Bible
There is something about the Bible that sets it apart from any other book. The impact this book has had on individuals throughout history cannot be overlooked. Close to 2000 years old and the book still plays a major part in many peoples' lives. To date, it is the most bought and most stolen book. Though the authors addressed a different audience in a different time period it still speaks directly to issues we experience in our everyday lives. What church does not have problems similar to those addressed to the church of Corinth? Many lives have been changed from reading this book. By God's grace, through this book, many have become better fathers and husbands, wives and mothers, and sons and daughters. Humans are stubborn creatures (just think about yourself for a minute for proof) and one of the hardest things is to attempt to convince them to change something in their lives. For someone to undergo a complete transformation from hating God to loving Him, from living for themselves to living for Him, and from loving themselves to loving others after reading this book must be the work of God in their lives. I have no other way to explain it. This is just what Scripture describes that it does. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16). So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God (1 Peter 1:23). God uses His Word as the means of drawing people to Him. What other book has such an effect? It was through the preaching and teaching of this book that I saw how holy God was and how much of a sinner I was and in danger of the damnation of Hell. It was through this book that God convicted me of my sins and brought me to place faith in Christ as my only hope of salvation.

V. The Holy Spirit's Testimony about the Bible
While all of this evidence appears to me to be crystal clear pertaining to the Bible being more than just an ordinary book but the very Word of God, the ultimate reason I have come to see the Bible as God's Word is due to the deep seeded conviction in my heart wrought by the Holy Spirit that it is so. There is no doubt in my mind that the Bible is God's very word and must be my standard for how I am to live my life to bring glory to Him. All of these facts sit before everyone and several still deny the reality of this being God's Word. I think that the conviction came first and then with the conviction God opened my eyes to see the evidence that was there before me the entire time. I pray that God would open up any eyes who are currently closed to these facts and not only would He give them a conviction that the Bible is indeed His Word but give a desire to read, study, mediate, and live out this Word. And if you have been given eyes to see that the Bible is true, you must deal with the ramifications of what God's Word says about God's holiness and your sin. May we not only honor the Word of God but in so doing also honor the God of the Word.

In Christ,
Lee
Soli Deo Gloria!

Missions is About God!

God be gracious to us and bless us,
And cause His face to shine upon us-
That Your way may be known on the earth,
Your salvation among all nations.
Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy;
For You will judge the peoples with uprightness
And guide the nations on the earth.
Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
The earth has yielded its produce;
God, our God, blesses us.
God blesses us.
That all the ends of the earth may fear Him.
~Psalm 67

Many Christians have the wrong attitude towards evangelism and missions. Though many mean well, their approach becomes very man-centered. Some view new converts as notches in their belt instead of celebrating the work of redemption that God has done in the sinner's life in giving him eyes to see and the desire to embrace the truth of the gospel. In fact, evangelism and missions is not about people but about God. The impetus for missions should be to make God's name great throughout the earth. Mission activity should spawn out of a intense desire to share God's great name with others and the wonderful and marvelous work He has done, part of that work being His sending of His Son in the place of sinners to appease God's great wrath and the providing of eternal life through faith in Him. Psalm 67 does well in communicating such a desire which all Christians should have in approaching mission work.

The psalmist opens up the poem with an appeal to God to be gracious and to bestow His blessing. The wording is almost identical to the Aaronic blessing of Numbers 6:24-26: The LORD bless you, and keep you; / The LORD make His face shine on you, / And be gracious to you; / The LORD lift up His countenance on you, / And give you peace. This was a blessing which God instructed Aaron and his sons to say to pronounce blessing upon the people of Israel. So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them (Numbers 6:27). In using some of the familiar language of this blessing, the psalmist is requesting God to show His favor upon His people. But note the reason the psalmist desires God to show His favor. It is not so that they can live a live of health, wealth, and prosperity. It is not so that they can be comfortable. He is not making the request on their behalf at all but God's! His desire is that God would get the glory and make His name known to the other nations. The hope is that other people will view God's work and realize that God is good and is the One who brings ultimate satisfaction. He states the reason as That Your way may be known on the earth, / Your salvation among all nations. In fact, this is God's very reason for the things which He does, to glorify Himself and to make His name known. One of the reasons that God chose to reveal His power through the ten plagues upon the nation of Egypt and Pharaoh instead of striking them dead right away was to glorify Himself through proclaiming His great name. For if by now I had put forth My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, you would then have been cut off from the earth. But, indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth (Exodus 9:15-16). In missions we play a part of God's desire of glorifying His great name in proclaiming the gospel which He uses to bring people to saving faith in Him (Romans 1:16-17; 10:17; 1 Peter 23). In spreading the gospel, we proclaim God's way and salvation among the nations just as the psalmist invites God to use His blessings and favor upon His people to do so.

The psalmist next moves to call all to praise God. He not only calls peoples, but specifically all the peoples. God is so good and due to our own delight in Him, we should desire that all would have that same fulfillment of delight. Because He is worthy of all of our praise, we should desire that others would give Him the glory He rightfully deserves. The peace that we experience with God through Jesus Christ should prompt us to share Christ so that God may work in others to encounter the same peace. Our goal in missions should be to call people to rejoice in everything Christ is and all that He has done as part of God's perfect, divine plan. The psalmist calls the nations to be glad and sing for joy. The reason the nations should be ecstatic is due to God's reign. Judgment and guidance are aspects of the role of a ruler. The psalmist may well have in mind the millennial kingdom where the Messiah will rule over Israel and the nations. This is the culmination of the kingdom He has promised.

The poem closes in much the same way it starts. The psalmist shares a specific material blessing of the produce of crops and then once again reiterates that the reason for the blessing is so that the ends of the earth may be in awe of God for who He is and what He has done for His people.

May God send us out to proclaim His great name among the nations and bring Him glory. If we are serious about God's glory, we will be serious about missions!

In Christ,
Lee
Soli Deo Gloria!

GO

Obedience Today

Now the LORD said to Abram,
"Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father's house,
To the land which I will show you;
And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."
So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land."
~Genesis 12:1-7

Genesis 12 contains the wonderful promise given to Abram (later to be known as Abraham, "Father of the many," which continues throughout the entire Bible. In fact, three of the covenants fulfill this promise: The Abrahamic (Gen. 15; 17), Davidic (2 Samuel 7:8-17), and the New Covenant (Jer 31:27-37). In the Abrahamic Covenant both the descendants which will become the great nation (Gen 15:5; 17:2-5,16) and the promise of the land (Gen 15:7; 17:8) are fulfilled. The Davidic Covenant and the New Covenant both can be seen as a continuation of the Abrahamic as the promise of a king in the line of David corresponds with the kiings promised to descend from the patriarch and through the New Covenant salvation is granted to the house of Israel and the house of Judah as well as the Gentiles who have been granted to become partakers of it (2 Cor. 3:6; Heb 8:7-13; 10:11-18). Through faith in Christ, Abraham becomes our spiritual father (Rom 4:16-17; Gal 3:70), thus including us as part of the promise. Volumes could be written on the meaning and significance of this promise and God's outworking and unfolding of it through His work revealed throughout the recorded Scriptures but I want to focus on its initial meaning to Abram and his reaction.

This is the first recorded appearance of God to Abram while he was in Haran with his father, wife, and nephew. The promise consists of two imperatives or commands: Go forth from your country (Gen 12:1) and And so be a blessing (Gen 12:2). God first tells him to leave his country, his relatives, and his father's house in order to go to an unspecified land which God would reveal at a later time. God does not name the land here but only tells him that He will show it to him. So Abram had no clue exactly where God was instructing him to go. He was basically told to leave and go someone which will be specified later.

God also tells Abram that He will make him a great nation and his name great. He also promises blessings reciprocial to those who so approach him and curses as well. Through the ultimate seed, Jesus Christ, all the families of the earth become blessed.

Notice Abram's response to these two commands and promise. He goes just as the LORD had spoken to him. He packs up his stuff and leaves Haran and headed to where the LORD had commanded him to go. He does not wait for God to give further instructions or takes time to plan out his course. He obediently follows what the LORD had said to him with only the details (or lack thereof) He gave. The author of Hebrews puts it this way: By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going (Hebrews 11:8). Abram had no clue where the LORD was taking him but trusted God enough to follow.

God usually does not give us the details we would like to have to follow through with what He calls. All that Abram knew was that God would show him the land later, after he would leave his current home and head there. I think that the reason God did not provide the details for Abram was to keep him dependent on Him. If God would reveal the entire plan He has for each of us, we would no longer need to trust Him and would rely on our plan and not the giver and outworker of that plan. History (both biblical and modern) reveals to us man's tendency to trust in anything except God. Remember the erecting of the golden bull calf while Moses was away on the mountain? The people grew weary trusting in God due to the absence of Moses and created an object to trust instead (Exodus 32:1-6). They even wound up worshiping the bronze serpent which was to save them from the disease they brought on themselves due to their disobedience (Numbers 21:8-9; 2 Kings 18:4)! By giving us enough information just to take a few steps, God makes sure we rely on Him for the rest of the steps.

The problem that many of us have is in taking the steps that God tells us we need to. I know I personally am one who likes to have everything planned out. I like to have my schedule and calendar all together. I am an organization freak. However, that can't be done all of the time when the Lord does not provide me enough information to plan ahead. I have to stop myself from the questions of where the Lord would have me to be after graduation in a year. Several times we sit down waiting for God to give more instructions for where we ought to go when we should be obedient to those He has given. He may intend to grant us those extra instructions after we take the first steps of His command. While God did not tell Abram right away where his land was, after the "man of faith" was obedient to His command to leave and head out in the direction God had called, He specified the land his descendants were to possess. Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." Had Abram decided to wait on God for more information concerning this mysterious land He was commanded to move to, he may not have gotten this information. The key is to be faithful today so that we will be faithful tomorrow.

This statement is one which was shared with me by an admissions counselor at Philadelphia Biblical University when I was considering attending there. So many times we worry about where God has us in the future that we miss out on the more important question about where God has us today. If we are obedient to the commands we are given today, as Abram was with leaving, God will bring us to where He has for us to be in the future. If we are not faithful to God's leading today, we may hinder where we are going in our future. God uses those commands He gives us today to lead us to where He desires to have us in the future.

You may not fully understand where the Lord may be currently leading you. You may be called to leave America to go to a mission field overseas without any idea how long you are to stay or when you are to return. You may have been called to a type of ministry not yet realizing what specifically you are to do there. You might desire more direction. But if God has clearly commanded or is leading you to do something, you need to be like Abram and follow through, trusting that God knows what He is doing and will provide you with more information when it is His time. May God teach us to be obedient today so that we may be where He wants us tomorrow.

In Christ,
Lee
Soli Deo Gloria!!!

The Most Dangerous and Necessary Prayer

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. Then He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me." And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will." And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "So you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done." Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. Then He came to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!"
~Matthew 26:36-46

Jesus has just left with His disciples from the Passover meal and was heading into the Garden of Gethesemane to pray. Luke informs us that this was a common place where He regularly communed with God in prayer, as was His custom (Luke 22:39). Like many of us, He came to prayer with much anxiety weighing upon Him. Matthew records Him as saying that His soul was deeply grieved while Luke describes Him as being in agony. In fact, He was in so much agony that He was sweating blood (Luke 22:44)! The reason for this anxiety was the nearness He was to the cup God had prepared for Him to drink in the sinners place. In the Old Testament the prophets referred to the "cup of God's wrath" which He pours out in His anger. Rouse yourself! Rouse yourself! Arise, O Jerusalem, / You who have drunk from the LORD's hand the cup of His anger; / The chalice of reeling you have drained to the dregs (Isaiah 51:17). Jesus knew the hour was at hand for Him to experience this cup.

We witness Jesus' emotions in His prayer. I cannot imagine what must have been going through His mind knowing what was ahead. For all eternity God the Son had experienced complete fellowship with God the Father and was about to be crushed by the Father's good pleasure (Isaiah 53:10) and be separated from Him due to the bearing of man's sins. On the cross, when the sky became black and Jesus cried out, My God, my God, why have your forsaken me? He was experiencing the separation from God that all mankind was due to experience for all eternity (and which those who refuse to repent and trust Christ may still experience). Though only for a moment, compared to an eternity with God, the pain must have been wrenching. Although led by the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2), Jesus still had to deal with these emotions.

The first part of Jesus' prayer is a plea. Much like Paul who would later ask Jesus to take away his "thorn," Jesus asks if possible, if God could take away the cup of suffering awaiting Him. This is not an indication of a lack of trust in God but a struggle with the intense pain which had never been experienced before. It is similar to a man or woman who is nearing the operating room and dreading the pain that the procedure will cause, though they know that the pain is necessary to settle their affliction. Only, Jesus' pain could not compare to the pain of any medical procedure ever experienced on earth!

The next part of Jesus' prayer is key. Though He made a plea for God to take away the cup, He surrenders to His sovereignty and gives Him full control of His life. It is not about what He desires in light of what is to come but what God desires to do. Again, knowing God's plan in the matter, He states that He will do what God will have Him. if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done. This is the picture of one who humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). This prayer captures one of the points of the model prayer Jesus earlier taught His disciples: Your will be done, / On earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).

This is both a dangerous and necessary prayer for us to mimic. It is dangerous because we give God full control and authority in our lives to do as He pleases for His purposes. This may result in suffering God chooses to bring upon us or in Him taking away something we hold dear. However, this is also a necessary prayer because God uses such things to weed out sin, strengthen our faith, and work to conform us into Christ's image. We normally experience our greatest amount of growth spiritually in those "valley" experiences instead of when we are in the "peaks" of life. We may not be asking for things we want, but things which are necessary to be holy.

I have recently read an interview with John Piper where Piper shares a prayer he prays which resembles the point, yet not as I will, but as You will:

When I get on my knees and think about my struggles with pride or fear or greed or complacency or lack of love, what I say to God is, "Lord" (this is a really dangerous prayer, I think), "whatever it takes. Whatever it takes to break me of pride, of the fear of man, of greed, of cancer . . . if it takes loss of family, ministry-do it. I want to be holy. I want to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Do whatever it takes."
*John Piper and Justin Taylor. Eds. Suffering and the Sovereignty of God. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2006) 224.

yet not as I will, but as You will
What about you? Have you prayed this prayer? Maybe you have said it but did you really mean it? Are you willing to submit to God and take whatever He gives you, knowing that it is ultimately for our good and His glory? I pray that we would all follow Jesus' example and humbly submit our wills to God's and give Him full control and authority to do what He pleases in order to bring us to where He wants us!

In Christ,
Lee
Soli Deo Gloria!