A view of the Bosphorus Straight, which runs through the city of Istanbul, Turkey.

I was browsing through pictures this morning, and came across several pictures of my summer spent in Turkey, in 2002. It brought back several memories of the places and people I had encountered. Istanbul was a gigantic place which millions of people...it would have taken no time to get lost there. This picture above was one of my most favorite places to be in the city...it was on a road that travels down into a university that we frequently visited. Looks beautiful, right? Well, from this vantage point, yes, it does. However, anyone can agree with me that when you are only a few feet from it, it actually looks and smells like one of the most disgusting bodies of water that you've ever seen. I'm talking trash thrown into it along with an odor that just makes you want to gag.

Isn't it interesting that our perspective on things really makes a difference in how we view them? I think of an average person who is a helpful citizen, cares for others, protects his/her environment, works diligently at their job, etc., etc. One might look at this person and think that he/she is a great person that makes a significant contribution to our world. But God has a different perspective. When He sees someone, who, to us, is a good person who serves well, he doesn't see goodness. Listen to what Isaiah writes about what God sees:

"We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment" (Isaiah 64:6).

Polluted garments? Literally, this really means menstrual rags. Yuck! God looks at our good deeds like that? God has the view that is up close and personal. He made us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. And the reason God has this view of us is because we are tainted with sin. Sin causes us to be separated from God's fellowship, but makes us enemies of God. So, what you and I see as a good person who does great things in life to help others and his/her surroundings, God sees as one who is unclean, defiled, and disgusting in His sight.

Oh, but what glorious truth there is in the gospel of Jesus Christ! Hear the words of Paul, who wrote of the great salvation that delivers us from this bondage:

"but God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8),

and,

"For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life" (Romans 5:10).

Through the righteousness of Christ, we no longer are viewed by God like Isaiah described. We are looked upon as holy, righteous, glorious sons and daughters of the Almighty. God didn't want it to stay like the way of the past. He wanted us to be restored. And it cost Him His Son's life to make it happen.

However, we must make a decision whether or not we will accept this Christ. We can't just sit here and know that this happened. We must embrace it with our lives and fully surrender our old selves to God. Paul wrote earlier in the letter to the Romans that in Christ, we are dead to our sins. But if we reject Him, we pay dearly for it. Our lives will be spent eternally separated from God because He cannot live with sin in His presence. We have the opportunity now to invite Jesus Christ to enter our lives and save us from our sins. If we reject Him, there will be consequences...eternal consequences. If we receive Him, we have fellowship with God and will enjoy everlasting company with Him and His Son, Jesus, in heaven.

Which will you choose?

I was listening to one of John Piper's sermons about the new birth, and jotted this quote down, which I found very challenging:

"Wouldn't you like it if the first thing that came into the world's mind is 'Christians go first,' instead of bigger houses, more boats, more stuff?!  Why wouldn't we be known that way?  It's because so many [in the church] are not born again.  Scary, right?  We're just worldly!"

More on this later...

Today's sermon in church was amazing!  Our church had an installation service for our new pastor, and Dr. Jim Grier, a special friend and mentor of our church, spoke from 2 Corinthians 3:11-18.  

He set up the context by giving a survey of God's story through redemptive history, beginning with the Creation all the way through the consummation of the Kingdom when Jesus Christ returns and conquers evil once and for all.  Special mention was made about the cloud of God's presence making His dwelling among His people in the wilderness, then in the tabernacle when entering the Promise Land, and especially in the Temple when Solomon dedicated it to the Lord.  When at Mount Sinai, the Israelites were so overwhelmed by God's presence that they sent Moses up to the mountain to speak to God on their behalf.  When Moses would come down from the mountain to share God's revelation with the Israelites, Moses had to wear a veil over his face because his face resonated the glory of God so brightly.  This veil is very important to what came about from this text, so keep this in mind.

Then, Dr. Grief described one of Ezekiel's visions (Ez. 10) that showed the cloud of God's presence with the Israelites during their Babylonian captivity.  Their rebellion was great, and God was almost trying to restrain Himself from leaving...but in the end, His presence drifted up to the mountain and then out of sight.  God had left His people...a sad and agonizing day in the life of God's people.

But it was not to remain that way.  God made His dwelling among men once again, this time as a man.  This man was the perfect example of what God was like in the form of a human being, yet the Jews would have nothing to do with Him.  They crucified the Lord of Glory, thinking they were rid of this outrage to God's Law.  Yet, Jesus Christ's resurrection and ascension brought about something far bigger than anyone had expected or anticipated.  God sent the Holy Spirit to His people and once again, the first time since Ezekiel's vision, God made His dwelling among men.  This time, it was the Holy Spirit, who made His dwelling in the hearts of those who confessed Jesus Christ as their Lord.

And so, Paul writes this simple, yet wonderful and glorious statement in his epistle:  "But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed" (2 Cor. 3:16).  

Remember the veil?  The veil that once clouded our vision of seeing the Lord in His fulness is now removed because of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  But take note: the veil's removal is only for those who place their faith in Him to save them from God's wrath, forgive them of their sins, and impute the righteousness of Christ to their account.  Paul concludes this section of his epistle by giving us hope for what the unveiled face means:

"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" (2 Cor. 3:18).  

What an amazing truth from God's Word!  I am now able to behold the glory of God.  I am being transformed, day by day, into the same image, the image of the glorified Christ.  What did I ever do to deserve such great things?  Why did God look on me, a sinner, and choose me for this?  God's grace is so precious.  He longs to make His dwelling place in my heart and the hearts of His redeemed.  I will never know why, but I can be abundantly grateful and give my thanks to Him for causing me to be a part of His story...the story of the redeemed, from Creation to Consummation.  

Things I need to pray for (in no particular order...well, except #1):

1.  Jesus Christ would be my supreme and most valuable treasure!

2.  God's Word would dwell deeply in my heart (Psalm 119:9-11).

3.  I would be filled with the Holy Spirit to be empowered to live like Christ.

4.  I would hate my sin as God hates it, and fall before the cross to receive Christ's forgiveness.

5.  I would understand God's truth a little more each day and be willing to live it out.

6.  My will and plans need to be set aside and I need to cling to His ultimate will and submit to it with joy.

7.  I would sacrificially love others with Christ's love and forsake myself by carrying my cross in obedience to Jesus.

8.  Grasp a fuller understanding of my identity in Christ.

9.  I would hallow the name of Jesus and be an instrument that leads others to do the same.

10.  Seek out opportunities to share the gospel of salvation with others in my path.

11.  That Christ would return soon!  (Oh, how I long to see His face!)

12.  My joy would be found in God alone and other pleasures would diminish in comparison.

Tonight, I had dinner with my parents and had a very exciting conversation.  We were talking about the future, and they of course, threw in their two cents about how I should find a girl and get married.  Well, I had a few opinions on that issue....I expressed to them that at this point in my life, I am perfectly happy being a single man.  I am able to devote my attention wholly to the Lord and not be consumed by the spiritual, emotional, financial, and time commitments that a relationship requires.  The Lord Jesus is my greatest love and treasure, and He alone deserves my life completely.  Now, this does not mean that I look down upon relationships and marriage, especially for others.  I am just saying that for me, I want to devote my complete attention to the Lord and I simply don't think I can do that if I were involved in a relationship.

Anyway, that's not really what was so exciting about our conversation.  I expressed my desire to eventually cease being a music teacher and commit my life to some kind of overseas ministry.  I strongly desire to reach the lost and share the love of Jesus with those who, perhaps, have never had the chance to even hear Jesus' name.  I have had this desire for quite some time.  I have just been so torn, because I do believe the Lord has gifted me as a music teacher.  But my heart is, especially more recently, not fully satisfied with this.  I really believe that the Lord has placed a burden on my heart to one day go to the nations with the gospel.  I shared with them the desire to follow in the footsteps of such heroes of mine as Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, and BJ Higgins.  They laid their lives aside to follow the Lord's leading in going to the nations.  They embody the meaning of Jesus' teaching: "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it." (Luke 9:23-24).

The world we live in is desperately lost and in need of a Savior.  "But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed?  And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?  And how are they to hear without someone preaching?  And how are they to preach unless they are sent?" (Rom. 10:14-15).  I'm tired of staying back and watching others go and do this great work.  I long to be there with them.  "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few," says Jesus.  He needs me to go!  How can I ignore such a great and needy call?  

In Your time, Lord.  In Your time.  Lead me where you would have me go.  I ask for a heart that is obedient and faithful to You.  Jesus is worthy of my life, and I pray to honor Him with it.  Amen.

Today's Time with Jesus

What I read today - 1 Peter 1:3

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

What I thought about:

This verse is PACKED with tons of truths from God!  I love it!  There is no way I can take it all in!

First, God is blessed!  This seems more of an expression of praise from Peter's heart in the introductory statements he makes to his readers.  It's almost as if God has so richly lavished Peter with Himself that the love Peter has in return is overflowing in praise and thanksgiving.  He is deserving of my praise and worthy of my life--how could anyone not be overflowing with praise for what He has done?

According to his great mercy:  I was looking for a place where Scripture sheds a little bit of light on this truth, to sort of help explain it more fully.  I found a phrase in Habakkuk 3:2 that, I think, does this:  "in wrath, remember mercy" [speaking to God in prayer].  The contrast is wrath/anger/judgement versus withholding those things to those who deserve it.  Well, I most certainly deserve the wrath of God in my life.  I am a great sinner against the holiness of God.  My sin has angered the Lord Almighty and is deserving of his wrathful judgement.  But praise Him!  Praise Him because this is not so anymore!  The God of the universe saw me in my sin and had MERCY on me!  He has withheld his judgements towards me, and instead gave me life in His son, Jesus.  Praise God for having GREAT mercy towards me.

It is according to this great mercy that He has caused me to be born again.  In my sin, I was spiritually dead and unresponsive to any life-giving power from God.  There was no way that I could have had faith or believed in anything in this condition.  I was dead! (Eph. 2:1-2).  But God cause me to be born again!!  I have new life in Jesus because God did it!  Praise Him for giving me life in His son!  When I was deserving of wrath, He gave me life!

I was born again to a living hope.  As a man that could once hope in nothing, but only expect judgement and condemnation, I can now look ahead to a glorious, hopeful, future!  A future where I am forever united with Christ in eternity, and God's riches will be overflowing.  I long to see the face of Jesus!!  This is, by far, going to be the greatest thing about heaven...seeing my great Savior!  This hope is alive and well in my soul.  I eagerly wait for that day when He calls me home so that I can be in the presence of my Lord.  I remember a quote from one of BJ Higgins journals that resonates in my heart:  "My brightest moment, which will be beyond anything that anyone in this world can imagine, and also that will last forever, is spending eternity in heaven with my Lord."  Well, BJ is already in his brightest moment and I'm sure enjoying every second of it.  

This is all done through Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead.  If Jesus could not have life from death, there is no way (!) I ever could.  My new birth is only because Christ rose first.  What a glorious truth!  Jesus Christ rose from the grave so that I could be born again to a living hope!  Death could not keep Him!  The grave could no hold Him!

Amazing!  No wonder Peter praises God right off the bat in his letter--this just scratches the surface of what God has done, but even in this, I have reason to give glory to my great God and Father.

Nothing to cross I bring, except my life--to lay it down and live and die for my Lord.  He is worthy of my life because my life was bought with a price--the cost was His blood shed for me.

Thank you, Father!  Thank you that You have show mercy to me instead of judgement.  I am deserving of Your wrath because of how I have greatly offended You with my sin.  But You chose to show mercy to me.  And in that mercy, You cause me to have new life by being born again.  And in that life, I have reason to hope in a  glorious future to spend eternity with my great God and King.  And... and... and...  Just look at all that You have done for me!  I can offer You nothing but my life.  Even that doesn't compare to the infinite blessings You have poured out to me, yet I can think of nothing that would give you the greatest pleasure and glory.  Thank You for sending Jesus to die for me, to take my sin and pay the penalty that I deserve.  Thank You that He didn't stay in the grave, but came back to life so that I could have a living hope in Him.  You are my greatest treasure.  May I live my life in such a way that shows the world that this is true!  You are a great and awesome God!  Blessed be the God and Father of my Lord Jesus Christ!  Amen.