4SpiritualSecrets

“… but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal…”  (Philippians 3:13, 14)

 In many places throughout the Bible we read the exhortation to remember.  Throughout the Old Testament we read that the people of God had experiences with God that God never wanted them to forget.  He therefore commanded them to build some kind of monument that would remind them of that experience.  In the book of Deuteronomy as God repeated the law through Moses we often read the exhortation to remember!

 In the New Testament as Paul writes to the Church in Ephesus, since he had taught them longer and more thoroughly than any other church he planted, he tells them again and again to remember what they had learned when he was with them.

 However, when Paul writes to the Church at Philippi we hear him sift his priorities down to one thing.  That one thing is to forget the things that are behind and press forward toward his goal. We must, therefore, conclude that there is a time to remember and a time to forget.  For example, when we confess our sins God forgives and forgets them, but even though we know that, we remember our sins and carry our guilt baggage with us for decades.  We therefore need to remember what God remembers (that we are sinners), and forget what God forgets (our sins).

 Are you willing to honor the beautiful reality that there is a time to remember and a time to forget?  Especially when you sin are you willing to remember what God remembers and forget what God forgets?

“The heavens declare the glory of God…The Law of the Lord is perfect…the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart…” (Psalm 19: 1, 7, 14)

In the Nineteenth Psalm David writes that every day and every night God is preaching a sermon through the heavenly bodies.  The text of that sermon is the glory of God.  The “firmament” or space in which those bodies exist is also preaching a sermon.  Space preaches to us about the infinite size of God.

His thoughts then turn to the “Special Revelation” of God.  That’s what the theologians call the “Word of God” and David calls the “Law of God.”  David is impressed and impresses us with what the Word of God can do:  The Word can convert the soul, enlighten the eyes and make wise the simple.  The Word can rejoice the heart, and since the Word is true and righteous altogether it will endure forever.  So will the one whose soul has been converted by the Word.  As David meditates on what the Word can do, he claims that the Word is more to be desired than much pure gold.

Having reflected on what we might call “Natural Revelation” and “Biblical Revelation” he next guides us to consider “Personal Revelation.” His thought is that God’s revelation through nature is magnificent and beautiful.  His revelation through Scripture is miraculous and perfect.  But what about His revelation through His people like you and me?

One more thing Scripture can do is warn us about secret and willful, premeditated sins that mar the revelation of God through us His people. Are we willing to track with David through these three ways God speaks and then pray that God’s revelation through us will be acceptable in His sight?

“Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.” (Psalm 4:5)

In this Psalm David has insomnia because he is doing the expedient thing rather than what is right.  He’s doing this because if he does the right thing he cannot see how he can possibly survive.  Since he is a man of deep spiritual integrity this keeps him awake all night. In the middle of the night he resolves in his heart that he is going to make whatever sacrifices he must make to do what is right and then trust the Lord for his survival.  This decision changes his emotional climate from anxiety and insomnia to one of peace and peaceful sleep.

His motivation is that there are many people who are asking “Who will show us something good?” In other words, these people are looking for someone who will do what is right even if it costs them everything they have to do right.

The Psalm begins with a prayer that is addressed to the God Who relieves us when we are in distress.  If you want to know what distress is just drop the first two letters of the word and you know that this Psalm is all about being relieved from our (di) stress.

If you are a spiritually oriented person and you’re not doing what is right because you cannot see how you can survive if you do, are you willing to resolve to make whatever sacrifices you must make to do what is right and then trust God for the outcome?  This would totally convert your emotional climate and be a tremendous witness to those who are looking for someone who is willing to offer to God the sacrifices of righteousness.

“….Blessed are the merciful …  Blessed are the pure in heart …” (Matthew5:7&8)

Jesus begins His greatest discourse with a “check up from the neck up.” He teaches eight attitudes that can make His disciple salt and light, and one of His solutions and answers to what is wrong with this crazy world.  These eight attitudes come in pairs.  The third pair as quoted above is to be merciful with a pure heart.

One scholar writes that these blessed attitudes are like climbing a mountain.  The first pair takes us halfway up the mountain and the second pair takes us to the top of the mountain.  The third pair takes us half way down the other side of the mountain.

The profound simplicity of Jesus is asking the questions “When one is filled with righteousness that takes them to the top of the mountain what kind of person are they?  Are they Bible experts who throw the book at people?”  No!  They are filled with mercy (which is unconditional love), and while they love in this way they are pure in heart.

To be pure in heart is only understood when we research the Greek word that is used here for pure.  It is the word from which we get our word to be catheterized.  It means that as this disciple is merciful they have a catharsis through which everything that is not the unconditional love of Christ is removed from their heart.

If you want to be one of the solutions and answers of Jesus in this world today hunger and thirst for what is right and you will find that love is right and right is love. Being a conduit of that love will make you the salt and light of Jesus.

“Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19)

There are many ways we can prove the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  In that culture, the testimony of 2 eyewitnesses was enough to prove something in court.  The Apostle Paul writes that he could produce more than 500 eyewitnesses of His resurrection.  All 12 of the apostles were Jews and their day of worship was the seventh day of the week.  They changed that day to the first day of the week.  Why would they do this?  They call it “The Lord’s Day” in memory of His resurrection.  Every time the followers of Christ all over the world meet to worship on Sunday they are proving His resurrection.

It is also an important Easter observation to consider what was proven by the resurrection of Jesus.  In the Gospel of John we read that the leaders of the Jewish religious establishment asked Jesus for a sign, or miraculous evidence that would prove His claims about Himself. Pointing to His own body He gave the answer recorded above.

Throughout the Gospel of John the apostle records many evidences Jesus gave that proved who He was, what He was, and why He was here.  The most important of these evidences was this prediction of His resurrection.  When He was raised from the dead He proved the many claims He made about Himself as recorded by John.

 The two Gospel facts are that Jesus died and rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15: 1-4).  As you consider the proofs of His resurrection and what His resurrection proved, would you like to make this a personal Easter by believing He died and rose again for your personal salvation?

“All we like sheep have gone astray;We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”(Isaiah 53:6)

 If you want to know what is good about Good Friday the verse quoted above will tell you.  This verse describes with great clarity the meaning of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross when it begins and ends with the same word.  That word is “all.” The verse begins with what we might call “the bad news.”  Isaiah tells us that all of us are like little sheep and have gone astray.  We have turned every single one of us, to our own way.  If you want to know the meaning of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, agree that you yourself are included in that first all.

 The all with which this verse concludes is what we might call “the good news.” Isaiah ends this verse by telling us that the penalty for all the things we have done after turning to our own way has been laid on Him (meaning Jesus).  I don’t know about you, but for me that is very, very good news!  If you and I will confess that we are included in the first and the last all in this great Gospel verse then we know what we need to know and we have done all we need to do to turn our bad news into good news.  And we know what is good about Good Friday.

  If you want to make the Friday of Holy Week a Good Friday, believe what Isaiah has written.  That will make all of your days good days.