Evolution or New Creation?? Maybe Both!

This morning I had a dream and it was like I was watching a movie.  In it Jennifer Lawrence had some sort of death experience but came back to life with these god-like powers.  She looked totally normal, but she recovered from sickness and injury almost instantly, and for some reason she had to move this one-story brick  building sideways, and went up to and shoved the building and it slid over about 20 feet.  Everyone was freaking out.  When questioned about her abilities, she replied that it was like she had evolved in her death experience, and when she came back to life she was suddenly able to do things that only a god could do.

I woke up from my dream, and the first thought that ran through my head was Paul's statement in 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"  In fact if we look at the dream, this is actually a nice pictoral guide to our present reality as members of the Kingdom of God, through faith in Jesus.  Here are some key verses -

On having died and being buried and rising through faith in Christ Jesus - Colossians 2:9-15,20 NIV:

[9] "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, [10] and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. [11] In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, [12] having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead."

[13] "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, [14] having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. [15] And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."

[20] "Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules:"

We have died with Christ, our old self is dead, and we are now a new creation, having been raised from the dead with Him, through faith!  Moving from one creation form to another would be considered a sort of evolution.  Here is the first part of the definition of Evolution  from Webster's Dictionary:

Full Definition

1 : one of a set of prescribed movements
2 a : a process of change in a certain direction : unfolding
    b : the action or an instance of forming and giving something off : emission
    c (1) : a process of continuous change from a lower, simpler, or worse to a higher, more complex, or better state :growth
       (2) : a process of gradual and relatively peaceful social, political, and economic advance

The changes that we as Christians undergo certainly fits this definition.  We are following a set of prescribed movements (repentance and salvation, and becoming like Christ.  We are generally embracing change in a certain direction - towards Christ.  We do give off something - the light of Christ.  It is a process of continuous change as the Lord, in His mercy and compassion, helps us become more and more like Him.  While the Kingdom advancing forcefully (Matt 11:12 NASB) the results are peaceful - for the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self- control. (Gal 5:22-23).

On healing and miraculous recovery - As Christians we believe in the miraculous healings and restoration we see modeled by Jesus in the Gospels.  We  believe we will see, and some have seen sick being made well (James 5:15), dead raised to life (John 11:1-43), withered limbs being made whole (Acts 3:1-10), and blind eyes receiving sight (John 9:1-7), and deaf ears hearing (Mark 7:32-34).

Here are links to a couple of ministries that I know that are experiencing miracles and healing:
https://globalawakening.com/testimonies
http://bethelredding.com/ministries/healing-rooms/testimonies

We believe that the same power demonstrated through Jesus in His life on earth, is available to us as His followers.  This is in line with Jesus' promise to us found in John 14:10-14 NIV:

[10] "Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. [11] Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. [12] Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. [13] And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [14] You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

Finally, while I am not aware of anyone moving a building by shoving it, Jesus specifically talked about our ability through faith to move mountains, or even trees.  We believe these were images meant to help us believe that truly nothing is impossible in God, as Jesus promised in Matthew 17:20 NIV: "...Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” .

So this morning I am encouraged to embrace my new creation, my evolution in becoming Christ-like.  I am encouraged that the same Holy Spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead, lives within me (Rom 8:11).  I am encouraged that I am called and invited to demonstrate the reality of the Kingdom of God, as His son to those around me, as Jesus spoke in Matt 10:7-8:  "As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' [8] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give."  I am encouraged to believe that nothing is impossible through faith in Christ Jesus!

Amen!

A Healthy Alternative to Angry Speech

This morning I am reflecting on a collection of verses from James 3:1-2,6,9-10,13,17-18 NIV:

[1] "Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. [2] We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check."

[6] "The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one's life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell."

[9] "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness. [10] Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be."

[13] "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom."

[17] "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. [18] Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness."

The theme from James in Chapter 3 revolves around our speaking and acting, and heart condition.  I wanted to focus on the role our speech (both spoken and written) in affecting our life.  As I was reading through these verses I was convicted (internally) by my proclivity for critique in my writing.  Rather than focus on the positive, I often times point out the negative of another viewpoint, to strengthen my position, or opinion.  While I rationalize this as helpful perspective, there is certainly a negativeness that is not in line with the ways of the Lord.

Verses one, two and six are the two ends of the spectrum regarding our speech, in verses one and two we see how a positive influence our speech can be,  andin verse six we see how damaging it can be.  James says if we are never at fault in what we say that our whole body is kept in check, but if we speak evil, if can set the course of our whole life, and that is a pretty heavy statement.  In the day of worldwide access and platforms for our opinions, we see many people spewing all sorts of angry, divisive, accusatory, ugly hateful speech!  It seems that most everything these days seems to have taken a negative perspective, and that is my caution this morning.

It is so easy to get caught up in the negative and angry conversations, I find myself easily joining in, thinking similar thoughts, allowing my mind to be filled with that fodder!  This is not how I want to live or the impact I want to have in my life.

James gives a healthy alternative in verses 13, 17 and 18.  He says we should be more concerned with living a good life, full of good deeds.  He says we should be filled with pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive (The NASB translates this reasonable), merciful, impartial, sincere and peaceful thoughts and actions.  Imagine if these were the type of posts we saw on the internet and how the media presented the 'news'!

I know that I can't change how others think, speak and act, but I can change the way I respond, think and act!  That is my goal and encouragement this morning, to endeavour to be full of purity, peace-loving, considerate, reasonable, merciful, impartial, sincere and peaceful thoughts and actions.  I want to produce good fruit in and through my life.  I want to have my tongue, my thoughts and my actions to be consistent whether in church, at home, work or in public!  It is my choice to make.

Amen!

Knowing Jesus - Key to Overcoming!

This morning I am sitting down, drinking coffee like usual, and reflecting on the following verses from 1 John 5:1-5 NIV:

[1] "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. [2] This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. [3] In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, [4] for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. [5] Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."

This is actually a significantly loaded paragraph, and John covers plenty of ground in a few sentences.  I found myself wanting to understand a bit more of the context in which John was writing, and did a quick overview as research.  In general, John was writing more of a theological document, than an actual letter to a group of churches.  He was most likely writing in the later part of the first century, possibly as late as 95AD.  Specifically, He was writing to battle a form of heresy that had developed and was starting to spread already - namely Gnosticism.  The following excerpt is from https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/intro-to-1-john/

"One of the most dangerous heresies of the first two centuries of the church was Gnosticism. Its central teaching was that spirit is entirely good and matter is entirely evil. From this unbiblical dualism flowed five important errors:

1) The human body, which is matter, is therefore evil. It is to be contrasted with God, who is wholly spirit and therefore good.

2) Salvation is the escape from the body, achieved not by faith in Christ but by special knowledge (the Greek word for “knowledge” is gnosis, hence Gnosticism).

3) Christ’s true humanity was denied in two ways: (1) Some said that Christ only seemed to have a body, a view called Docetism, from the Greek dokeo (“to seem”), and (2) others said that the divine Christ joined the man Jesus at baptism and left him before he died, a view called Cerinthianism, after its most prominent spokesman, Cerinthus. This view is the background of much of 1 John (see 1:1; 2:22; 4:2–3 and notes).

4) Since the body was considered evil, it was to be treated harshly. This ascetic form of Gnosticism is the background of part of the letter to the Colossians (see Col 2:21,23 and notes).

5) Paradoxically, this dualism also led to licentiousness. The reasoning was that, since matter—and not the breaking of God’s law (1Jn 3:4)—was considered evil, breaking his law was of no moral consequence.

The Gnosticism addressed in the NT was an early form of the heresy, not the intricately developed system of the second and third centuries. In addition to that seen in Colossians and in John’s letters, acquaintance with early Gnosticism is reflected in 1,2 Timothy,Titus, and 2 Peter and perhaps 1 Corinthians.

OCCASION AND PURPOSE

John’s readers were confronted with an early form of Gnostic teaching of the Cerinthian variety (see Gnosticism above). This heresy was also libertine, throwing off all moral restraints.

Consequently, John wrote this letter with two basic purposes in mind: (1) to expose false teachers (see 2:26 and note) and (2) to give believers assurance of salvation (see 5:13 and note). In keeping with his intention to combat Gnostic teachers, John specifically struck at their total lack of morality (3:8–10); and by giving eyewitness testimony to the incarnation, he sought to confirm his readers’ belief in the incarnate Christ (1:3). Success in this would give the writer joy (1:4)."


So, given that background, we can understand why John is writing about overcoming the world, and loving God through following His commands!  Belief is the center-point of the Gospel of Grace, specifically that Jesus was the Messiah, and that He had come to earth and redeemed us by His life, death and resurrection.  This salvation  has nothing to do with our "knowledge" but rather is a gift given by God to those that believe!

John goes on to say that loving God is associated with loving God's children, and following His commands.  John appears to bring up the Commands of God, to combat the licentiousness that was springing up due to the Gnostic teaching.  He was directing the believers back to the words of Jesus, to His command to love God and to love one another.  I am reminded of Jesus' teaching found in John's Gospel (which incidentally was also written in this same environment) that speaks of loving God and doing what He commands (See John 14:15-24).

It is key to understand that relationship with God is the foundation, and following His commands is based on the motivation of a loving relationship.  John states that these commands are not burdensome, as some were probably teaching.  I am reminded of Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) where Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  This wasn't a call to punish the body, but to rather embrace the life and teaching of Jesus, to follow His way of life.

John then draws us back to the core truth of our salvation, it is received through belief in Jesus. John was an eye-witness to Jesus' life, death, resurrection and ascension into Heaven.  For Him this gnosticism must have been very personal, for they wee denying the teaching and life of the one he loved!  He had given everything in His life to following Jesus, and to hear some say that Jesus was never really present in the flesh must have fired him up! He knew Jesus, and rested his head on Jesus as they reclined together at the last supper (John 13:23-25).  He knew that in Jesus, in knowing Him, through relationship with Him, is how we received eternal life.  It wasn't a secret knowing, a list of works to accomplish, but rather through faith and relationship, both which assume and require Jesus' incarnation to be true.

John had lived this reality, and continued to live this reality daily!  He experienced the infilling of the Holy Spirit (as promised by Jesus), and the daily guidance, direction and teaching that Holy Spirit provided him.  He understood relationship, faith and belief.  His belief and faith was founded on real life and actual relationship with Jesus as a man, and now as His heavenly Lord. John's call to his fellow Christians and to us is to follow His way, to believe and to know Christ!

So, this morning I am encouraged to continue to pursue real relationship with Jesus!  I am encouraged to believe that He came as a man, as the Son of God!  I am encouraged that His commands are not burdensome, but are based out of a loving relationship!  I am encouraged that Jesus is my true savior and that through belief in Him, I will overcome the world!

Amen!

The Bread of Life - Let Us Not Be Offended

This morning I am reflecting on some verses from the sixth chapter of John.  I was reading through it this morning, and was struck by the way the chapter begins and ends, and this morning I saw a connection there, that I had not seen before.  Being the inquisitive sort, I decided to dig into it all.

Here are a few verses setting the original context - the Feeding of the 5000 - John 6:8-13 NIV:

[8] "Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, [9] “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

[10] Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). [11] Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

[12] When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” [13] So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten."

In John's Gospel, we find Jesus' next discourse being closely related as He speaks of being the Bread of Life.  We know based on verse 66 that this discourse on the being the Bread of Life caused many to stop following Him.  Jesus even asks His disciples if this offended them, and asked if they too were going to leave - so it was a major issue.

Here is an excerpt from His teaching on being the bread of Life - John 6:35,53-59 NIV:

[35] "Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

[53] "Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. [54] Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. [55] For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. [56] Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. [57] Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. [58] This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” [59] He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum."

I was reading these verses this morning and was thinking about the Father leading Jesus, telling Him what to say, and Jesus following His lead perfectly.  I was also aware that Jesus definitely knew how His words would be received.  He knew this discourse, as it went further and further was going to be a stumbling block. John adds the following notes - John 6:60-61 NIV:

[60] "On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”

[61] Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?"

The original Greek word that was translated offend in verse 61 is the word 'skandalizo' and this can be translated stumbling block or offense.. Jesus knew that this talk of His flesh being real food and His blood being real drink would be offensive, and very confusing to many.  In fact this s one of the points of disagreement we find yet today amongst churches (Catholic and Protestant at least).  The Catholics believe in something called transubstantiation, and the Protestant church does not.  I am sure this is no surprise to Jesus, as HE saw how this affected those who followed him while here on the earth.

So my thought this morning, in brief,  is that I find it interesting that Jesus demonstrates His ability to multiply real bread, to feed the masses, and yet, we quibble over the meaning of His words found in verses 53 - 59. For me it always made sense that if God wanted to change bread and wine into His own blood, that He could do that because He is God after all.  Having grown up Catholic, I only really understand their side of the disagreement, but it saddens me that this teaching and belief has caused a rift in the Body of Christ.  I am sure, Jesus probably had a few long conversations with the Father over this, while He was still in His purely Human nature here on earth.

I was reading some of the history around this disagreement and at one point in history, in England, if you believed in transubstantiation, you couldn't hold public office.  Suffice it to say that this single teaching has caused considerable pain and many arguments in the Church, and it seems to me that we get so caught up in the definition of the words and phrases, that we miss the fundamental truth here - God desires that our hunger for Him be satisfied.  He can and did create real food, multiplying a few loaves and fish to feed 5000 men!  He desires that our hunger be sated, and by Him who gives us eternal life - Jesus!  So whether we believe in transubstantiation or not, doing this in His memory, or believing that He is actually present in the bread and wine, the truth is that God loves us and wants to be with us.  He wants to give us eternal life and that life is found in Jesus. John makes this quite clear in his first letter - 1 John 5:11-12 NIV: "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. [12] Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."

Thus, my prayer is that we lay down our differences and welcome those that believe slightly different then we do.  Let us refuse to be offended by those who take His words literally, and those that cannot.  Let us love one another and let us embrace each other as we follow the one who is the source of Life.  As Peter says in reply to Jesus' question in verse 61 (quoted above) - John 6:68-69 NIV:  "Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. [69] We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

Jesus said it clear enough, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."  (John 6:35 NIV)

Amen!

The Surpassing Worth of Knowing Jesus

This morning I am reflecting on Paul's letter to the Philippians 3:7-8 NIV:

[7] "But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. [8] What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ".

These are the type of verses that we like to read, for they sound inspiring, and encouraging.  However, I most often draw the line at being encouraged by Paul's attitude, but don't cross over that line and apply what Paul is expressing to my life.  The short of it is that I don't want to lose everything!  This is actually one of the fears that many have in the church, the fear that God will call us to sell everything and enter His service, where everything we worked so hard for is lost.  We fear radical obedience, and anyone who is pursuing that type of life is seen as just a bit out there.

So the question is whether this is a question for all of us??  Do we need to be willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of following Jesus?  Does God demand everything?  What does it mean to lose everything?

I guess these are pretty daunting questions for any morning, so I am going to start by putting these comments into the context of which Paul was writing them.
How was this asked of Paul, and is it applicable to any of us? The primary context of these few verses, and the verses before them, is to combat the influence of the Judaizers in the church.  Paul wrote quite extensively about this in his letter to the Galatians, and here again he is quite strong in his statements.  He starts the section specifically talking about those that were pushing circumcision.  Here are the verses immediately preceding the verses I am reflecting upon - Philippians 3:2-6 NIV:

[2] "Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. [3] For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh--- [4] though I myself have reasons for such confidence."

"If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: [5] circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; [6] as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless."

Paul is describing his condition prior to his conversion, as compared to the Judaizers.  He was every bit the Jew, even a Pharisee.  He embraced all the rites, the rules and the Law.  If anyone would have been able to see the value in that religion, Paul would have, and that is his point.  He saw all of that as mere garbage when compared to relationship with Christ. He was willing to lose all that he had gained - stature, authority, righteousness per the law, even family lineage, it all meant nothing to him now.  He recognized the futility of that pursuit and the freedom available in the Gospel of Grace, and was unwilling to go back, and knew there was nothing gained by embracing those rules and lifestyles.

It is within this context that he continues into verses 7 and 8.  The point of it all is that we do not need to add anything to the Gospel, or to relationship with Jesus!  Paul understood the treasure, the goal, the focus of it all is relationship with Jesus!  It is through relationship that we are welcomed into His unity with the Father, and empowered and in-filled by the Holy Spirit.  The idea that something like circumcision would make a person more worthy, more acceptable, was foolishness.  Paul goes as far as calling those that pushed circumcision "mutilators of the flesh" and I think that makes clear his stance.

In our day, the issue is often the rules or expectations of behavior or even dress that is held up as making us more worthy or acceptable to God.  We don't hear of actual circumcision being pushed as a requirement for faith (as it is relatively common practice) but circumcision of one's life and activities is certainly pushed or recommended in certain circles.  Things like the music one listens to, how one dresses, how one wears one's hair, rules concerning drinking or certain diets are held up as ways to make one more acceptable to God, or as signs of the true faith.  In this context, it seems that coming to faith in Christ Jesus is not enough, these other rules must be embraced for the person to show they are "Christian".

This cutting away of certain things is often described as circumcising the heart, but surprisingly that is only found in the old testament.  Paul does speak of being cricumcised, but this is done by Christ - Colossians 2:11-12 NIV:

[11] "In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, [12] having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead."

This has nothing to do with our actions, and everything to do with Jesus!  Suffice it to say that while we were still sinners Christ Loved us, and desired relationship with us.  He is about restoring us to our rightful identities as sons and daughters of God.  He isn't about making us all conform to a certain look and behavior, if He wanted that He wouldn't have made us all unique!

Now not to swing wide of the bases here, this is not an excuse to live however we want, but rather a focus on identity and grace.  We are His sons and daughters.  He doesn't have any favorites, and nothing we do can make us more his son or daughter, or make us more favored than someone else.  He loves us, He wants the best for us, and some things are just not helpful or healthy, and as our loving Father, he will naturally direct us away from those things that will harm us.  Can we provide guidance and direction to those of our brothers and sisters who have just discovered their true identities, as one sibling to another, absolutely.  However, we can never take the Father's place, nor can we demand of others what the Lord has put in place for us.  He treats each of us uniquely, since we are unique!  

Now, back to the questions we started with - should I be willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of following Jesus?  The answer is unequivocally yes!  Will I be called to sacrifice everything - most likely no.  God is most interested in our hearts and this has to do with our heart attitude and priorities in life.  This is a restating of the first commandment to love the Lord our God!  Jesus states the two greatest commandments in Matthew 22:37-39 NIV: "Jesus replied: “ 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' [38] This is the first and greatest commandment. [39] And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  

Loving the Lord with all your heart, and soul and mind, is learning to choose God and relationship with Him over everything else.  If He is the most important person in our life, then we would likely be willing to lay down our lives or sacrifice everything for Him.  This is surely true for me as it concerns the great loves of my life,  my wife and children,  I don't believe I would hesitate to sacrifice everything for their sake.  In the same way, Paul is expressing his willingness to lay everything down, even his very life for Jesus.  He was merely stating the fact that he had lived through several times where his life was in danger, and he didn't back away from his faith, valuing his relationship with Jesus over life.

Paul did ultimately die a martyr's death, but that was not his real focus here.  Instead, I believe he is addressing that daily choosing that we all experience.  Learning to live our lives focused on the Lord, being obedient to His leading, willing to put Him before all else is that daily picking up one's cross and following Jesus that He invites us to do.  We are invited to choose Him over the deceitful pleasure of sin, over our flesh (our selfish focus), over our professional image, over the opportunity to make unjust gain.  We are invited to live a life devoted to giving Glory to Him, and for us to do that we need to rightly value all else in comparison to Him.  Paul had that opportunity and He found all else lacking to the point of being able to classify everything as mere garbage in comparison to Jesus.

Finally, Paul had effectively lost all he had previous to his conversion.  He had a different set of friends, had a different job, a different life focus, and his status as a former pharisee made no difference.  He now had Christ Jesus, and all those that the Lord brought to him.  He was single, but was now the father of many churches.  He used to be feared but now was honored and revered by thousands!  His lif was beyond full, yet his focus was always on Christ Jesus.

So today, I am encouraged to look at my life, to evaluate whether or not I would be willing  to lose all things for Christ Jesus.  I would like to say that my answer would be yes, but I know I have plenty of areas where I don't choose to live that out in my daily walk, and that is my focus.  Lord, help me to rightly value my relationship with You!  Help me to see that knowing You, and living in relationship with You surpasses all else!

Amen!

Choosing to Pursue Training in Godliness

This morning I felt led to reflect on 1 Tim 4:7, and am including the verses preceding that verse for context.

1 Timothy 4:1-10 NIV:

[1] "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. [2] Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. [3] They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. [4] For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, [5] because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer."

[6] "If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. [7] Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. [8] For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. [9] This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. [10] That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe."

Immediately upon reading verse 7, speaking about training myself to be godly, I saw how in areas of my life I wasn't taking seriously the call to train myself to be godly.  I think it is safe to say that I like comfort, and like to do things I prefer.  As I was thinking about this I was reminded of the time I was studying for my masters degree, while working and helping raise our two children.  During those 2 1/2 years, I learned how to train myself, for most every evening required me to study, write or read for a few hours.  I learned that I needed to be disciplined in my approach, saying no to myself, to things I wanted to do, and choosing to do things that would increase my knowledge or experience as required.  As I was reflecting on that, I realised I haven't applied that same rigor or focus to growing in godliness.

As I thought about this, I was reminded of the following scripture - Philippians 3:17-19 NIV:

[17] "Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. [18] For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. [19] Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things."

As I was thinking about this, I felt it was right to replace the word "stomach" with appetites.  In my case it would be my appetite for comfort and my own leisure.  If I am given a chunk of time in my evening, rather than pursue training in godliness, I will often do something that I want to do, based on how I am feeling, like a hobby or relaxing, maybe watch a movie, etc. I might think about reading a book or watching a teaching that will move me forward in godliness, but usually I choose something else.

Going out on limb, I would say that one of the gods we in Western church, and specifically here in America, worship is the god of comfort.  We have comfort food, we have comfortable clothes, and comfortable chairs and couches, comfortable homes and cars and invest in things that make our lives more comfortable.  We relish our 'me' time, which is when we are able to get comfortable and do what we want to do.  We have man-caves and she-caves and all sorts of things dedicated to us, to what we want to do.  Having time and places to recharge, refocus and replenish is not a bad thing, but just like in the military, R & R is for a time, and then we should be ready to get back into the battle.

I am preaching to myself here, for God knows my heart and mind and all the things I think about, all the things I do and pursue that aren't focused on Him.  I constantly choose things that are not focused on the Lord, nor growing in Him, or in the gifts He has given me!  I have been in a long season of self-imposed R & R, and this morning I felt encouraged to step into a new season of focus and training.

The Greek word that was translated above as 'stomach' is the word Koilia, and it is derived from the root word Koilos, which means hollow. The NASB does translate this word appetites (so my "gut" feeling about the meaning of the word was correct), and the Greek word is commonly translated stomach, bowel and even womb.  The final definition listed in my Greek dictionary is as follows: "the innermost part of a man, the soul, heart as the seat of thought, feeling, choice", and I think that seems to be what Paul is describing here. Isn't that interesting the "seat of thought, feeling and choice", and that is pretty much exactly what I wrote concerning my typical evening free.  I think about what I should do, figure out what I feel like and then choose to do that, and almost always the focus is on me!  Yikes!!!

My operative definition of worship is to run to and embrace.  Normally this is what I think about when we enter into a time of worship at church, running to the Lord and embracing Him like a son embracing his father.  In the same way, when I finish work, my thought is often that I want to get comfortable and do what I want to do.  I look so forward to that time, that I could run (except that I am already at home, usually).  As I reflect on these words from Paul this morning I have realized that I am indeed worshipping the god of comfort.  Oh Lord, please forgive me!  I want no other God but You in my life!

I am so encouraged that You care enough for me Lord to point this out!  I know if You are pointing this out that You have a plan and purpose, and the provisions required for me to be successful in pursuing You in this way!  Help me Lord!  I know this is not about a bunch of rules, or a works mentality, but rather is about directing my focus and desires on You rather than the pursuit of comfort!  I know it will require focus, determination, effort and work, but just like with my masters degree program, it will be well worth the investment.  Lord, I pray for a refreshing outpouring of grace in my life to help me get past my proclivity for comfort and my selfish focus!

Amen!

Freedom to Choose Unity With God!

This morning I opened my Bible, and it opened up to John 12, and as I was reading through the chapter the last couple verses really grabbed my attention and require reflection.  Here are the verses - John 12:44-50 NIV:

[44] "Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. [45] The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. [46] I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness."

[47] “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. [48] There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. [49] For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. [50] I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

These verses seem to make Jesus' mission so clear.  Jesus again reiterates that He is representing the Father.  If we look at Him we see the Father!  As the author of the letter to the Hebrews says, He is the perfect representation of the Father (Heb 1:3). One of my favorite faith teachers, Bill Johnson, calls Jesus' life  "perfect theology" and I find that very helpful.  Jesus, as revealed to us in the scriptures, should be our grid of understanding for all theology and if we see it in Jesus' words or actions then we can assume that the Father would do it too, and so should we.  Conversely, if we don't see Jesus doing something, then the Father wouldn't do it, nor should we.

I find verse 47 to be very interesting, especially considering the proclivity some in the church have for judging.  Jesus appears focused on saving the world, not judging the world.  There are some who equate these two, calling judgment love as they try to save people through shame and fear, but Jesus does not seem to share that attitude. Jesus is about saving the world. He is bringing revelation of the Father, speaking into our world revelation of what the Father is like.  It is this revelation that ultimately becomes that which judges, but only on the "last day".

Moving past that topic, I want to look at Jesus' statement in verse 46.  Jesus says, "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness."  I find that last bit very interesting, as it appears that Jesus is saying that there could be those that believed in Him, but were in darkness.  Matthew Henry, one of the great Biblical commentators says this about these verses: "By daily looking to Him, who came a Light into the world, we are more and more freed from the darkness of ignorance, error, sin, and misery; we learn that the command of God our Saviour is everlasting life."

I find this explanation helpful but also wonder if Jesus wasn't making a statement about the Jews, who believed in the Messiah, but who largely were in the dark about what God the Father was really like, and thus missed the fact that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.  In fact, if we go back a few verses that is exactly the point of John's writing this section - for verse 37 is his introduction to this section of his Gospel - John 12:37 NIV: "Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him."

Thus, it appears that Jesus was specifically addressing the Jews, calling them to believe that He was indeed the Son of God, and that He represented the Father and was shedding light on the true nature of the Father!  Much of their understanding of God was centered on the revelation of the Old Covenant of the Law which was a whole list of rules that if broken would incur God's judgement and wrath.  Yet here we see Jesus explaining to them that this was not what the Father is like, nor is it what He is like!  They didn't understand, as we do now, that the whole of the sacrificial system established by the Law, and the Law itself was to lead them to Jesus, who would become the one true sacrifice for the whole of them, perfectly fulfilling the law, and re-establishing relationship with the Father, who loved them!

In his book titled "Ethics" Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes about how Jesus came to restore that which was lost in the Garden, man's unity with God.  He describes how the whole of the Old Testament was essentially directing man back to this lost unity, of which Jesus was the provision of the Father to bring restoration.  It was from the the error in thinking (and perception) introduced from the eating of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil that ultimately leads to judgment, that Jesus was saving the world. (I do Dietrich's theme and discussion great injustice by simplifying them here, and would highly recommend reading his deeply thoughtful book.)  Suffice it to say that this is one of those times that Jesus is bringing illumination to man's state, and providing insight into the freedom and eternal life to which He was opening the door.  Dietrich's point is that this unity with the Father was always God's plan for man, and that Jesus, in fulfilling the requirements of the law, in paying the penalty for all sins, and through His Resurrection, Ascension and  sending of the Holy Spirit, re-established that which was lost in the garden.  This is clearly the message of the Gospel of Grace, for we (man) could not restore what was lost, but God could and did and now offers man the choice to re-enter that relationship of Unity with Him!  Wow!

Jesus is the light of the world!  Jesus' life and words provide us the revelation of the Father, of the life that is available to us, and is now our choice!   Jesus provided salvation to the world, but true to His desire that man might have free-will, He allows man to choose this salvation.

Finally, if the religion that you have experienced includes judgement, condemnation and a focus on rules and punishment, I think it is safe to say that this religion has been greatly affected by the thinking of man, and has not been set free from the error that was introduced in the garden.  My prayer is that the true revelation of the Father, of Jesus and the Holy Spirit might set you free from the bonds of slavery to the law, that you might step into the freedom of Unity with
God!  For that is Eternal Life!

Amen!

It Is Finished - The Joy Set Before Christ

This morning I felt led to meditate on John 19, and that Chapter has to do with Jesus' trial before Pilate, and then His crucifixion.  I have spent quite a bit of time meditating on Jesus Passion, but generally that is during Lent, or during Holy week.  This morning I felt specifically focused on the following verses - John 19:28-30 NIV:

[28] "Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” [29] A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. [30] When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."

I was thinking about how understated verse 28 and Jesus' comments in verse 30 were in context of what actually was accomplished!  Jesus in His final minutes, fulfilled the last of the prophecies concerning Himself, and understood that He had accomplished all that He had been sent to accomplish! What an incredible statement!  Imagine yourself on death's doorstep, looking at your life and recognizing that You had completed everything You had been tasked to complete!  Despite His pain and suffering, there must have been peace in His heart.  I guess that would meet the definition of the peace of God that passes our understanding!

Secondly, to put this in theatrical terms, this was clearly the finish of the first act, not the final curtain!  The author of the letter to the Hebrews writes, "for the joy set before him he endured the cross." (Hebrews 12:2 NIV)  I don't believe that this was joy over the fact that He would be returning to Heaven to sit on the His throne, although that clearly is a joyful thought, but rather joy over what was shortly to follow, namely the birth of the church, and its empowering by the Holy Spirit, and its release into the future destiny of the world!  Jesus was living out His prophetic parable of the single grain of wheat falling into the ground, but in doing so giving forth a harvest (John 12:24).

I believe that in some way Jesus, while still in His servant  human form, saw prophetically what was to come!  He saw and understood what would be birthed, what restoration of relationship with the Father meant, what fulfilling the Law accomplished, what sending the Holy Spirit would produce!  He understood that things were about to get very exciting!  I believe He also saw the vast future generations affected by His single life!  What a legacy!

This is actually what I felt as I was reading these few verses this morning.  I felt His eyes on me, seeing me from that vast distance and saying yes, it was worth it!  Wow!

There are many days that I wonder if my life is accomplishing what God has purposed for me!  I wonder if I am having any impact, if my life is producing anything of lasting value.  I think of my life, of how distracted I am, how little I think of the Lord, and yet I felt His pleasure and acknowledgement this morning in a way that thudded (I don't know if that is a word, but that is how it felt) my heart!

Over the last few years I have done some tracing of my ancestry, and that of my lovely wife, and it turns out we can trace her family roots back to the time of Christ.  I say this not to brag, but rather to bring to light the number of generations between her and her most ancient ancestor.  According to her family tree on Ancestry.Com, there are only 64 generations from Dwywg AP BRYCHWAIN of Britain (who was estimated to have been bron in 25BC), for he is the 64th great-grandfather of  my wife.  Put in the scale of generations, that does not seem like that many generations between the time of Christ and our present age!  I imagine that when the Lord looked up from the cross, that He saw something like the family tree I could produce from Dwywg to my wife, with Himself at the root!  I believe He saw the vast impact His life was going to have on future generations and really the whole world.  Wow!

This morning I am just so aware of Jesus' nearness and His joy over me!  He looks at me, and He looks at all of us who follow Him and knows that His sacrifice was worth it all!  He looks at the lost and knows the price has been paid for them as well, and desires that they come to know Him, the Father and the Holy Spirit!  I am so grateful for all that He accomplished, and embrace His finished work with gratitude!

Amen!

Rejoice Always - Understanding and Attitude

I was reading from Paul's letter to the Philippians again this morning, and saw his encouragement in chapter 4, in light of my reflection yesterday concerning pressing into faith in action, even in the midst of the unknown.  Here are the verses for my reflection this morning - Philippians 4:4-7 NIV:

[4] "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! [5] Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. [6] Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I was struck immediately by the encouragement to rejoice always, which is so important Paul says it twice!  The Greek word is 'Chairo' and it means exactly that - to rejoice, to be glad, to welcome gladly, to rejoice exceedingly.  It is interesting in both the Greek and Hebrew the words that are translated rejoice are considered primitive roots (verbs) which means they are the root word, they stand alone in meaning, and are not derived from some other word.  In other words, rejoicing is something of a core expression, a fundamental expression of our will and emotion.  You can choose to rejoice, it can also erupt from our primal self.  Sometimes we can think to equate rejoicing with feeling happy, or feeling joy, and while related, it is more fundamental.

I believe that rejoicing is about a base attitude, and Paul seems to echo that here.  He encourages us to rejoice always (some translations say 'every circumstance') and he means always.  Regardless of the situation before us, regardless of what the new day might bring, He encourages us to rejoice.  Going back to the meaning of the Greek word, it can also mean your greeting or salutation, or how you greet someone.  I know there are many videos on Youtube showing people reunited with loved ones, and their joy and response warms our hearts, and shows us rejoicing as it erupts out of them.  I love seeing those videos!  The other side of rejoicing that we are sometimes able to see are those people that get up every day and face tremendous difficulty, illness or dark circumstances with a positive attitude.  This would also be considered rejoicing and I think this is right at the core of Paul's encouragement - to rejoice always!

Paul continues on and speaks of gentleness in the place of rejoicing always.  That doesn't really seem to fit together as the next logical statement in the line of thought that begins with rejoicing always.  Again we are limited by the English translation and our thoughts about a specific word.  The Greek word is Epieikes and it is translated 1) seemingly, suitable 2) equitable, fair, mild, gentle.  I think of gentleness as related to treating something with softness, but the term used to be related to a much broader scope - for the definition of gentle is as follows (Websters Dictionary):

1 a : belonging to a family of high social station
b archaic : chivalrous
c : honorable, distinguished; specifically : of or relating to a gentleman
d : kind, amiable — used especially in address as a complimentary epithet  
e : suited to a person of high social station
2 a : tractable, docile
b : free from harshness, sternness, or violence
3 : soft, delicate
4 : moderate

I would normally settle for definition 3 - when I read something like this.  However, based on the original Greek, I think Paul likely had something more like the first couple of definitions in mind.  Going back to the definition of the Greek word, we find seemingly, suitable, equitable, fair and mild as possible alternative definitions.  If we think of a response of a Prince or Princess, one who understands their responsibility and authority, who despite a difficult situation, responds with a positive and uplifting attitude, then I think we are close to what Paul is encouraging here.  We are those sons and daughters of a King, so we should be taking that same approach!

Once I look at those first few verses together with this definition, the remaining parts of this section make more sense.  First - the Lord is near!  In other words, our Dad, our Father in Heaven, the Holy Spirit and even Jesus are present to us (even in us).  Secondly, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."  Rather than responding out of fear, instead explain the situation to your Father, remembering who you are, and being grateful for your relationship with such a loving, caring and faithful Father.

Next, as we settle in our mind and heart who we are, and whose we are, the Peace of God, who is all powerful and all knowing, who is not surprised, and who has a perfect plan, will guard our hearts and minds.  His peace passes all our human understanding, because we cannot possibly understand His view, but suffice it to say that God is NEVER worried or fearful.  He wants us to press back into Him, to allow His peace to settle over us.  This is like the child who when confronted by something unknown or fearful tucks their head or even body into the folds of the mothers skirt, or behind their father's legs.  The image that pops into my mind is that of a child who is confronted with a difficult situation, but the Father standing at their back leans forward and whispers, "you can do it, I believe in you, and I will help you if you need me too!"

Amen!  That is encouraging to me today!  I will rejoice always, and I will remember who I am and whose I am!  I will work to allow this attitude to be evident in all I do!  I will rest in the confidence that my Heavenly Father has my back and believes in me!

Pressing Forward - Putting Faith into Action

This morning I am reflecting on some verses from the Letter to the Hebrews 11:1-2,39-40 NIV:

[1] "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. [2] This is what the ancients were commended for."

[39] "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, [40] since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect."

Immediately following these verses in Chapter 11, the author then continues into the following - Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV:

[1] "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, [2] fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. [3] Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

This reminds me of a theme that I was trying to assimilate into my life - putting my faith into action.  In every instance listed in between verses 2 and 39 in chapter 11, the heroes of the faith, listed by the author, had to put their faith into action.  It was that stepping into the unknown, the following of God in spite of human wisdom or fear that enabled them to experience God's provision, direction and character at new levels.  They were always led by the Lord into deeper revelation of His faithfulness, His goodness and His love and mercy.   Here is a quote regarding Abraham - Hebrews 11:8 NIV: "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going."

God's call to us to trust Him, to follow Him, to believe in Him will lead us into unknown and uncharted territory, even into the wilderness on occasion, but it is always for the purpose of revelation of Him, and there will always be provision, guidance and strength for the journey.  As the author writes, 'faith is confidence in what we hope for, and assurance about what we do not yet see'!

The author then continues and urges us to throw off everything that hinders us, and the sin that so easily entangles us, so that we can run the race marked out for us.  It is interesting, He speaks of a course marked out for us, but previously was speaking about assurance for things we do not see.  I don't believe this means running blindly, or in the dark, but rather with short notice.  A good analogy might be as follows:  If we are running a cross country race over a course we have yet to run, every turn and obstacle we encounter will be new, previously unseen, but we would not be running with our eyes closed, rather we would see these turns and obstacles as they came into view while running.  We would not have a long-term perspective, or knowledge, but would rather have to deal with each situation as we came to it, but trusting that the finish line was achievable, and within our abilities.

Back to the encouragement to throw off everything that hinders - the question is what hinders us in our pursuit of God's call and plans for our lives?  I think fear is one of the main things that hinders us!  Fear that we are not able, fear that we are not strong enough, fear that we will mess up, fear that others will not like us, fear that we won't belong, fear that we are not prepared.  It is interesting, in almost all the people listed in Chapter 11, and in their situations, almost none of them had the experience nor training to be successful, often times it seemed that God chose them specifically so that He would be Glorified, for their success was clearly not related to ability or strength.  Gideon considered himself the least of the smallest tribe and was a man who lived in fear, yet with a force of 300, he routed an enemy army of vastly greater strength (see Judges 6 & 7) That being said, God also knew that with Him they were capable!  So, if you are feeling incapable, that fits in quite nicely with the other champions of the faith!

A second thing that can hinder us is unbelief! In fact, going back to the story of Gideon, when an Angel of the Lord first spoke to Gideon, his answer was one of unbelief and actual accusation against God - Judges 6:12-13 NIV:

[12] When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior. ”

[13] “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, 'Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

Wow, what a great prayer of faith - NOT!  This is the exact thing, the exact attitude that we are called to throw off!  Throw off the accusations against God!  Throw off unbelief, and looking at what has not happened yet!  Don't feast on what hasn't happened, but instead look forward to the promises of God and the banquet to come, often under the very eyes of our enemies (Ps 23:5)!  He is calling you forward in Him!

Finally, throw off the sin that so easily entangles us.  This sin is meant to trip us up, to cause us to lose heart, to lose focus, to even get us to disqualify ourselves from the race!  As Paul says in his letter to the Philippians 3:13-14 NIV: "Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."  All our sin is in the past (as of this very moment) and all of it has been paid for, and brought under the blood of Christ Jesus!  We have been forgiven, so let go of the unforgiveness of yourself, your thoughts and memories of past failures and press forward today - its a new Day!

The Lord never calls us into things to see us fail!  He knows what is in us and what we are capable in Him!  As the Author of Hebrews writes - "God had (has) planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect."   He is calling us to something better and it is within us, relying on Him, that they will be made perfect!

Wow!

So today, I am encouraged to press into the unknown in response to God's call!  I am encouraged to run the race marked out for me, which I see as I run forward!   I am encouraged to throw off fear and unbelief and sin, and press on toward the goal to with the prize which is life eternal in relationship with God, both here and in the age to come! I am greatly encouraged to put my faith into action!

Amen!

Digging Deeper in the Word - New Revelation!

This morning I have been spending some time reflecting on God's revelation of who He is, through the Patriarchs and Old Testament, and how that revelation was most perfectly provided by Jesus.  This morning I saw something in rereading Psalm 103, which has been the basis of my reflection over the last few days.
Psalm 103:7-13 NIV:

[7] "He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:
[8] The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
[9] He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;
[10] he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
[11] For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
[12] as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
[13] As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;"

What I realized this morning was that David was initially paraphrasing from Moses' writings, as recorded in the Book of Exodus, regarding God's nature, when He is writing verses 7-9. Here are the original verses from Exodus 34:6-7 NIV:

[6] "And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming,
“The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,
[7] maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.
Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished;
he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

What I found interesting this morning is that after paraphrasing Moses' writing, and themes, David then goes on to expound on God's mercy, love and forgiveness.  We don't know when David wrote this Psalm, but I believe it is safe to say that by the time He wrote it, he had experienced God's forgiveness, mercy, compassion and love intimately.  David goes on from that point and reflects on God's goodness, and on His awareness of our human frailty
and insignificance, compared to Himself.  In spite of all this, God's still desires relationship and love!  Here is the remainder of Psalm 103:14-22 NIV:

[14] "for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
[15] The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field;
[16] the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.
[17] But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children---
[18] with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.
[19] The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.
[20] Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.
[21] Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.
[22] Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the Lord, my soul."

So after reading the rest of the Psalm, it appears to me that David's inclusion of the thoughts about God's anger, do not appear to have originated with David, but from the original text from Exodus.  David uses this term to summarize God's description of Himself, as punishing (according to translation).  However, David's reflection and experience had shown Him a God who seems to prefer forgiveness, mercy and compassion over anger, judgment or punishment, in fact, according to David, God doesn't punish us as our sins deserve (Ps 103:10).

It is interesting, once again going back to the original text from Exodus 34:7, the word used for punish is the word Hebrew word Paqad, which has a primary definition - to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for - and then adds that this is for three or four generations.  As I described earlier (a few days back), David's choice of the Hebrew word that is translated anger here is the word 'natar" and its primary definition is "To care for or tend" according to the Zondervan Exhaustive Concordance.  His word here translated accuse, is the word 'riyb' which can be translated-  strive, wrestle or contend - and in the sense that this is over a long period. In other words David, used words that could have been translated "cared for or tended for a long time", and the verses from Exodus could have been translated "attended to or cared for over three or four generations".

Again, I am no ancient language expert, and am only using the tools I have available to try and understand the original meaning of texts that have been translated.  I think that at times it is helpful to look deeper as some words have very clear cut definitions in our modern English language and yet when we look to the original Hebrew and Greek we see there are alternative understandings, or more well-rounded understandings that can be gathered.  In this case, David describes a God who is loving and compassionate, who doesn't punish as one would think, but who responds with ever-lasting love.  He had experienced God's judgment, (described in 2 Samuel 12)  but instead of focusing on God's response to His sin with Bathsheba, saw God's mercy, compassion, love and forgiveness!  He seemed to be overwhelmed by this reflection on the goodness of God and ended up in a praise session!   It might be right to note that David's heir (Solomon) was born by Bathsheba (2 Sam 2:24) and was effectively God's restoration of blessing and care to David and Bathsheba, and was a demonstration of God tending over and caring for the children of the guilty (David).

It is also important to note that this is all Old Testament, and that in our present dispensation, Jesus has taken all punishment for all sins, and has paid for my life with His own.  We are no longer under the curse of the Law, but are under the Gospel of Grace through faith.  In all of the Old Testament, God was pointing to His son Jesus who would come and fulfill all the requirements and establish righteousness for all through faith in Him.

I was just thinking that any time we read about God's anger or punishment in the Old Testament, we can stamp over it "Cancelled - Jesus Paid for This!"  That would actually give us a fairly accurate understanding of God's amazing grace, mercy, compassion and forgiveness!  Wow!

This morning I am just continually amazed at the goodness of God, His amazing Love, His forgiveness, His mercy and compassion!  He knows me, knows my weakness, my sin and my insignificance in comparison to Him, and yet He wants relationship with me, wants to express His love to me!  I am so blessed and so  grateful for all He has done and is doing in my life!