Mark's Daily Reading Journal

If you have ever done a study of the names of God you have a sense of how rich and wonderful it can be to seek to know and understand God by gazing upon and feasting on the revelation that HE has provided of HIMSELF through HIS names.

“O Lord, our Lord, the majesty of Your name fills the earth!” Psa. 8:9.

Does your heart burn within you, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus?  Is there something within you that longs to know God more intimately?  God’s glorious names open windows of insight into His divine nature, HIS power, HIS might and burst the door open to intimate fellowship with Him.  Don't get mad at me, but in Revelation 3:20 Jesus is talking to the Church, you and I are the church, when HE says..."behold I stand at the door and knock."  Oh, let's hear HIS voice through HIS names and throw open wide the door and invite the lover of our souls in to fellowship and feast with HIM!

During the time when God gave us HIS precious Word a persons name was significant.  Certainly, it identified the person but it was descriptive of his personality.  Each name that God give us in HIS Holy Word allows us to see a different characteristic, a different manner that God relates to HIS children.  Gazing upon HIS names is of infinite value, benefit and unsearchable blessing to God's children.

Do you want to know God better? Then “glory in His holy name … Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually” Psa. 105:3,4. Each name reveals something about His character, His will, and His commitment to HIS children.

Is your heart, is my heart filled with worship, praise and adoration for the glorious things God has done for you? “Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done, and proclaim that His name is exalted” Isa. 12:4. Worship God for how He has revealed Himself through His glorious names and proclaim HIS excellencies to others.  Remember 1 Peter 2:9 "you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

“From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.”  Psalm 113:3

What’s In A Name? 

The names of God provide revelation of God to us, HIS names enable us to know HIM more intimately.  Do you remember the conversation Moses had with God?  Moses said to God, Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’  Exodus 3:13-14 

You may recall a passage we looked at frequently last year when Moses had the audacity to ask God to show him HIS glory...and God did it!  Do you remember how God showed him HIS glory?  This is really cool...“Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”  Exodus 33:18-19  Did you catch that?  The way God allowed Moses to glimpse his glory was by causing HIS goodness to pass in front of Moses and proclaiming HIS name to him.  HIS glory is revealed in HIS name!

Knowing the names of God lead us to worship and adoration of God.  “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!  You have set your glory above the heavens.” Psalm 8:1  “Ascribe to the Lord, O mighty ones, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.  Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.” Psalm 29:1-2

Knowing the names of God provide shelter, provide a refuge, a shield, and protection in God.  “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” Proverbs 18:10  “He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace.   Micah 5:4-5

Knowing the names of God reveals the presence of God’s glory among His people.  “But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling...There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.”  Deuteronomy 12:5-7  “The Lord said to him: “I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. 1 Kings 9:3

Knowing the names of God shows our identification with God.  You are the temple, I am the temple of the Holy Spirit of God.  We are the place where the name of God dwells, your life and my life bears the name of our Holy Father, we bear the name of JESUS by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?”  1 Corinthians 3:16  How awesome to know that we bear His name.
“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.”  Ezekiel 36:22-23

God is the gospel and knowing the name of God is power for our salvation.  “Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might.” Psalm 54:1
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”  Acts 4:12

What's in a name? 

Everything...we only scratched the surface!  Over the next few weeks we will prayerfully look at many of the glorious names of our great and awesome God who has invited us to know HIM as Father!  Throw open the door, invite Jesus in to fellowship and feast with you...hear HIS voice and find unsearchable delights in HIS mighty names!

love,

m

The quick answer is yes...then the question becomes how much of God can we know?  Dr. Rogers would frequently say that you have as much of God as you want...the problem is you don't want God, we don't love God, we love our sin.  I believe that Paul confirms this in Romans 1:18-19 when he teachers that, "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them."  In creation God has revealed HIMSELF to HIS creatures, those HE created in HIS own image.  He continues in Romans 1:21, "although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened."  How were their foolish hearts darkened?  Paul tells us in Romans 1:25 "they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen."

If you continue reading Romans chapter 2 we witness something that grieves the heart.  After we learn that "they exchanged the truth about God for a lie," we see that three times it is stated that "therefore God gave them up, God gave them up, God gave them up!  Immediate judgement for sin is more sin!

Rom 1:24  Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,

Rom 1:26  For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;

Rom 1:28  And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

So when I sin it's God's fault!  NO!  When you and I sin we are responsible and the wages of sin is death!  Remember James chapter one?

James 1:12-18  Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.  16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Can we really know God?  Absolutely, we can know God.  HE has revealed HIMSELF to us through HIS CREATION, you can see HIS finger prints all over creation...the unsearchable design in the human eye alone is astonishing...how does the eye work, is the light that is needed to see waves or particles...the answer is yes.  HIS creation is astonishing...you see unsearchable design everywhere you go. 

Consider this quote from Robert Zastro...you have to love it! 

“The details differ, but the essential elements in the astronomical and biblical accounts of Genesis are the same... This is an exceedingly strange development, unexpected by all but the theologians. They have always believed the word of the Bible. But we scientists did not expect to find evidence for an abrupt beginning because we have had, until recently, such extraordinary success in tracing the chain of cause and effect backward in time... At this moment it seems as though science will never be able to raise the curtain on the mystery of creation. For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.”  —Robert Zastrow (One-time Director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies)

HIS divine power and eternal nature are clearly visible for all who have eyes to see and ears to hear...taste and see that the LORD IS GOOD!

HE has spoken to us through creation, but most powerfully HE HAS SPOKEN TO US BY HIS SON!  We see this in Heb 1:2..."in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world."   In Romans 8:15 Paul teaches us that we, God's children, "did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”  Do you see it?  We received the Spirit of adoption as sons...we received the Spirit!  What do we know about the Spirit of God?  How does the Spirit of God we received impact our ability to KNOW HIM?

1 Co 1:21  For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

1 Co 2:14  The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

2 Co 4:3-4  And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

John 1:18  No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Jesus has made HIM known, the Spirit of God dwelling within us has made HIM known

Matt 11:25-30  At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Pressing on to know HIM and make HIM known!

love,

m

I did not come right out and say it yesterday, but I was still persuading you to the value of pursuing a study of God...however, please keep in my that this is not just a study about God, we are not only seeking knowledge about God, we are seeking to know HIM intimately.  The Pharisees had a lot of knowledge about God, but they did not know HIM!  Do you remember the hard words of Jesus in Matt 5:20?  "For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."  This is impossible apart from the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ...imputed, is nothing more than another word for credited.  When we receive Jesus Christ by faith, when we believe on the LORD Jesus Christ HIS righteousness is credited to us...then and only then may we begin the journey of knowing and loving God! 

In Psalm 147:10-11 we learn that "His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, 11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love."   Remember fear is a reverential awe and wonder, fear is holding the proper honor and respect for the Creator of the universe...constantly holding in mind that this Creator took on human flesh and took my place and your place on the cross.  It was HIS shed blood on the cross that opens the way for us to know HIM intimately...apart from the cross this is impossible!

If Psalm  145:3 is true...and it is, then what do we do?  How do we proceed?  The Psalmist writes, "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable."  If God is unsearchable what in the world do we do?  The verse says unsearchable not unknowable!  We know from other passages God wants us to know HIM...remember Jeremiah 9:23-24 and Hosea 6:6, just to mention a few.  The simple point is this...you and I will NEVER KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT ANY ONE THING ABOUT GOD!  You will never search out and grasp all of God's love!  His love is knowable, but you will never know it exhaustively...HIS grace is knowable, but you will never search out HIS grace and know it exhaustively.  Get it...the Bible does not reveal everything there is to know about God!  The bible reveals what God wants us  to know about HIMSELF!

I have long loved and been convicted by this song of Michael Card's Know you in the now.

 

Echo of history

A light so many strain to see
The One we talk so much about
But rarely ever live it out
Could You tell me why
Was it for this You came and died
A once a week observance
When we coldly mouth Your words
Chorus
Lord I long to see
Your presence in reality
But I don't know how
Let me know You in the now
We should confess
We lose You in our busyness
We've made You in our image
So our faith's idolatry
Lord, deliver me
Break my heart so I can see
All the ways You dwell in us
That You're alive in me

 

I have to ask myself...do I long to know HIM as HE is or as I want HIM to be?  It sounds like an easy answer, it is an easy answer...difficult to live out.

Pressing, pursuing, burning to know YOU as YOU are Father!

love,

m

In 2007 I read a book by Patrick Morley called No Man Left Behind, no, it does not have anything to do with the Left Behind series.  It is interesting to  note that in his book Morley notes that, “You cannot produce worshipers by begging men to worship; you can’t produce tithers by guilting men to give; you can’t create evangelists simply by training men to share. Men will not worship a God they do not know and revere; they won’t give to a God they don’t love; and they won’t share about a God they aren’t passionate about” (No Man Left Behind 22-23).

As I consider what he said and I think about my life and your life...as I think about our church and the church...I have to ask the question are we more focused on behavior modification than we are on life transformation?  Am I more comfortable with a list of do's and don't than I am with pursuing a radical intimate relationship with the sovereign God of the universe.  I can control my list...I can't control HIM!  However, my list is nothing more than behavior modification.

Yesterday I briefly referenced Jeremiah 9:23-24...Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord. 

In Jeremiah we learn that if we are going to boast about anything, we need to boast that we understand and know God!  In Hosea 6:6 God tells us that..."I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings."  God does not need our sacrifices, HE does not need our offerings...HE desires our love and HE wants us to know HIM!

Why is God after this?  Is HE lonely?  Is HE on an ego trip?  NO, NO!  Remember HE created us in HIS image and after the fall the Creator had to recreate.  We get a glimpse of what God is up to in 2 Co 3:16-18 "But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

The goal is life transformation, the goal is that we become like Jesus.  We see this further unfold in 2 Co 4:6 "For God, who said, [at creation] “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 

As we behold God the Father in the face of Jesus Christ we are transformed and conformed to HIS image.

Honestly, I am tired of trying to modify my behavior...I can't do it, at least for very long!  Oh how sweet when the Spirit of God moves on you and HE changes your affections and bends them toward HIM...it happens when HE shines the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ...beholding is becoming!

Zec 4:6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.

This past Sunday morning I was walking through one of our halls at church, as I was walking a little girl, (about 4 or 5) walked in front of me so I stopped and let her go by and then I started walking again.  Suddenly I felt a small person grab my leg, head pressed against my hip moving with me.  I stopped and looked down to see the little girl clinging to my leg.  I smiled great big and said "hi baby, are you ok?"  She looked up at me with a stunned look on her face, she quickly let go of my leg and ran to her Dad who was only a few feet away.  I smiled at her Dad and said, "she must have thought that I was you."  We exchanged smiles and good morning greetings and I moved on.

My 3 year old baby girl does this to me all the time and my boys did it when they were younger, so I am used to having someone on my leg...normally it is one of my children.  The next morning I was out for a 8 mile run...that means I have time to think and pray:)  I was thinking about what happened in the little girls mind, that moved her to grab my leg.  I know that the answer is quite simple...she had looked away for a moment and when she looked back she saw what she thought was her Daddy's leg and grabbed on.

I'm not sure how to say what I want to say next so I will just blurt it out.  I cannot tell you how many people I see that have done this and are doing this spiritually.  Put the experience I described above at the Mid-South Fair, and let the little girl grab the leg of a sexual predator and put a little more distance between her and her father...it makes you sick to think about it!  Again, I see people that I dearly love doing the same thing spiritually.  They have grabbed a hold of something that they believe is bringing them a deeper understanding of who God is, they believe this understanding is giving them what they have been missing in their relationship with God and at the end of it they find a wolf in sheep's clothing.  Remember what Paul teaches us in 2 Corinthians 11:14 "No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light."

What is your point in all this Mark?  For those of you who have been on this journey with me for the past year, you know the focus, the passion, the delight of our journey has been God's awesome Word.  As I have prayed about whether or not I should continue this "out loud" journaling, I was moved, I believe by the Spirit to shift the focus to the God of the Word.

I believe that God used two main motivators to bring me to this place...possibly three.  First, was spending time praying and meditating on Jeremiah 9:23-24, “This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.”  God is infinitely worthy of devoting our lives seeking to know and understand HIM!  Not only is HE infinitely worthy, but there is an infinite supply of rich food for ours souls and we feast on our God as HE is revealed in HIS precious Word.

Secondly, I picked up my old copy of Tozer's work, Knowledge of the Holy.  Do you see why I picked it up?  It's in the title...Knowledge, knowledge of the Holy.  Tozer says that “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”  Why would he say that it is the most important thing about us...important yes, most important?  He gives us his answer. 

“Were we able to extract from any man a complete answer to the question, ‘What comes into your mind when you think about God?’ we might predict with certainty the spiritual future of that man. Were we able to know exactly what our most influential religious leaders think of God today, we might be able with some precision to foretell where the Church will stand tomorrow.”
“It is not a cheerful thought that millions of us who live in a land of Bibles, who belong to churches and labor to promote the Christian religion, may yet pass our whole life on this earth without once having thought or tried to think seriously about the being of God. Few of us have let our hearts gaze in wonder at the I AM, the self-existent self back of which no creature can think. Such thoughts are too painful for us. We prefer to think where it will do more good – about how to build a better mousetrap, for instance, or how to make two blades of grass grow where one grew before. For this we are now paying a too heavy price in the secularization of our religion and the decay of our inner lives.”
“The heaviest obligation lying upon the Christian Church today is to purify and elevate her concept of God until it is once more worthy of Him...”
—A.W. Tozer

The third motivator is in the first two...there is a spiritual protection that comes with knowing HIM intimately.  The little girl that grabbed my leg actually did the right thing...as soon as she heard my voice she let go!  It was not the voice of her father.  Remember Jesus words in John 10?  4 “When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.  5 “A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jn 10:27   “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

There is a spiritual protection, there is rich food and true satisfaction for our souls as we press into know HIM and finally Tozer points out our knowledge of HIM determines our spiritual future.

Just so you know, I will continue with the One Year Bible reading plan but my journal will focus on God.  I want to take the next year to prayerfully gaze on HIS Names, HIS attributes or characteristics...to look at things like HIS triune nature, HIS Holiness, HIS grace, mercy, love, HIS self-existence and HIS self-sufficiency.

The other passage that God used to deeply move me this past year is Exodus 33...I won't go into it now, only to say Moses consuming passion was to know God's ways, was to see God's glory and to experience God's presence...that is it!  That is  what I long for in 2009...this is where our souls will be satisfied and we will be filled with joy unspeakable full of  glory!

pursuing HIM together!

love,

m

In Isaiah 55:11 God gives us a promise concerning HIS wonderful Word...you have probably heard it quoted often..."So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."  If those words are too familiar to you, please allow the full weight of them to penetrate your heart and mind.  God's will and purpose WILL be accomplished in HIS creation.  We have pointed to HIS absolute sovereignty and providence many times throughout the past year...HIS will, will be done!

The question is where am I and where are you in relationship to HIS will?  HIS Word tells us that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:11)...praise God!   Will you bow the knee and confess HIS as Lord before you die and spend eternity in HIS glorious presence or will you bow the knee and confess HIS as Lord after you die and spend eternity in hell?  I am amazed every time I read of those in Revelation who refuse to repent and turn from their evil ways...we witness the wrath of God being poured out and still they refuse to repent!

Rev 9:20  The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk;

Rev 9:21  and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.

Rev 16:9  Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory.

Rev 16:11  and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds.

So if you have never come to Jesus please hear the invitation of Revelation 22:17,  The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.   Hear the invitation of Isaiah 55:1  “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."  For those that receive Jesus by faith, for those who are weary and come to Jesus, HE will give you rest and you will have access to the throne and to the water of life as we see in Revelation 22:1,  "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb"  This is a free gift of our Great God's grace, it cost HIM HIS own blood so that we could come without payment.  Praise God for Revelation 21:6...And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 

For those of us who have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, but we have become lukewarm or we have not noticed that we have wandered away from the shepherd, the good shepherd...one moment we were by HIS side and the next thing we knew we had wandered away being enticed by greener pastures.  Let's not be like the Israelites in Amos!  You may remember in Amos that 5 times God lamented that HE had labored to get HIS people to return and 5 times HE states "yet you did not return to me."

Zech 1:3“Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Return to Me,” declares the Lord of hosts, “that I may return to you,” says the Lord of hosts.

Mal 3:7  “From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’

You may be wondering how to return...that is the awesome thing about God's Word...HE has given us everything we need for life and godliness.  In John 14:21 Jesus teaches how vital it is that HIS followers walk in obedience to HIM, remember..."Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”  If you long to be intimates with Jesus and behold more beauty than you can conceive obey what you know already and then HE will reveal more to you.

Secondly, remember how you loved HIM when you first came to faith in Christ, remember the joy, the excitement of the new found relationship with the Creator and sustainer of the universe...remember, repent and do the things you did at first!  Revelation 2:4-5  But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

'Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by his holiness; the nourishment of mind with his truth; the purifying of imagination by his beauty; the opening of the heart to his love; the surrender of will to his purpose', William Templed

Oh God, oh God...prone to wander LORD I feel it, prone to leave the God I love, take my heart LORD, take and seal it, seal if for thy courts above.  Father, seal it for YOUR glory and for my JOY in YOU.  Father enable me by the filling of YOUR precious Holy Spirit to walk, live, breath in a manner worthy of the gospel...this  is impossible apart from YOU working this in me!  Father ignite a white-hot fire in my heart and mind for YOU and YOU alone in 2009...enable my little light to burn bright for YOU...Matt 5:16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.  Father, teach me what it means and enable me to meditate on YOUR Word day and night...please enable me to be the blessed man of Psalm 1...enable me to find ALL my delight, joy, satisfaction in YOU though YOUR Holy Word!  Please accomplish this in a way that YOU get ALL the glory and I am filled with YOUR JOY...the Joy of my Master, Lord and Savior.  Thank you for YOUR Word, thank you for the gift of salvation, thank you for my family.

Though we walked away from a successful business 11 years ago to follow you into ministry and by this worlds standards we have nothing...I know, I know that I am unbelievably rich...I am rich in relationships...first my relationship to YOU, secondly my wife and then children and the friends you have given us!  I know enough to know that the glorious inheritance in heaven is that we get YOU!  THANK YOU!  LET EVERYTHING THAT HAS BREATH PRAISE THE LORD!

love,

m

I believe that my favorite definition of Worship is the one penned by William Temple...'Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by his holiness; the nourishment of mind with his truth; the purifying of imagination by his beauty; the opening of the heart to his love; the surrender of will to his purpose', William Temple

I believe that is my favorite definition...the question is...is this my experience moment by moment, day by day?  Does the rebuke of the Lord through Malachi bring conviction on me, my church, my denomination...Christianity in America?

Carl Misner, brilliant scientist, made the following comments about organized religion and Albert Einstein...

I do see the design of the universe as essentially a religious question. That is, one should have some kind of respect and awe for the whole business. . . . It's very magnificent and shouldn't be taken for granted. In fact, I believe that is why Einstein had so little use for organized religion, although he strikes me as a basically very religious man. He must have looked at what the preachers said about God and felt that they were blaspheming. He had seen much more majesty than they had ever imagined, and they were just not talking about the real thing. My guess is that he simply felt that religions he'd run across did not have proper respect . . . for the author of the universe.

Nietzsche “you will have to look more redeemed if you want me to believe in your redeemer."

Consider the questions that probe the hearts of the Israelites and allow them to probe your heart!  I have to say parts of this were painful, but healing for me!

QUESTIONS MALACHI ANSWERS

How have You loved us? (Mal. 1:2) God’s choice of Israel proves His love.

How have we despised Your name? (Mal. 1:6) Failure to honor God is disrespect.

How have we defiled You? (Mal. 1:7) Failing to give God our best cheapens Him.

Why shouldn’t God hear our prayers? (Mal. 2:14) You break faith with your wife.

How have we wearied God? (Mal. 2:17) By calling the evil person good.

What do you mean, “return” to God? (Mal. 3:6) If you violate God’s Laws, you’ve left Him and thus must return.

How do we rob You? (Mal. 3:8) By failing to pay required tithes.

What have we said against You? (Mal. 3:13) Saying it is futile to serve God is to deny Him.

It is amazing to me how few Christians read their Bibles daily...it is not amazing that those of the world never pick up a Bible!  Let it sink in that there are five gospels, put your stones down...the five gospels are Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and your life...the world will never read the bible, but if you claim to be a Christian they will read your life. 

Malachi 1:6 asks a very pointed question...God's asks if I am Father, then where is my honor, if I am master, where is my fear?  We have pointed out many times that the fear is the proper reverence and awe in the light of who God is and what HE has done!

Mal 1:6  “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’

Does the life I live, does the life you live reflect that we are the adopted children of the sovereign God of the universe?  Does it reflect that HE purchase us with HIS OWN blood?  As we launch into 2009 my prayer for me, for mine and for you is that our lives will burn with a passion and a zeal that is an appropriate response to who HE is and who we are in HIM!  Oh that our hearts will burn in 2009 as HE opens the Scriptures to us...that the world would see and be amazed and filled with wonder and not filled with ridicule.

pursuing HIM in 2009

love,

m