Thankful?

I read this in my devo’s this morning from 1 Peter 1...

“15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy. 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”

How can I be holy as God is holy? That is not only a tall task, but an impossible one. So why is the command given and how can I begin to obey it? It starts with a heart that is amazed at the consuming holiness that is our God. We serve a God who’s glory burns hotter than the sun and whose worth is infinitely more than all the universe put together. He is a consuming fire and we cannot even begin to stand in His holy righteous presence in and of ourselves. We cannot pretend and we cannot put on before His holy presence. Every crack and wrinkle and filthy sin is exposed in the glorious and terrible light of our great God and Creator. We are altogether undone and hopeless...

But...

Jesus!! He came and He saves us! He ransomed us! Now we know...

"18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot."

When we are constantly taken aback by what our infinitely holy God did for us in Christ Jesus, it will inspire a consistently thankful heart for the reconciliation to our holy and righteous Father. It will kill flippant Christianity that breeds an attitude of self-righteousness, and living our lives as if God somehow owes us something. When this awe-inspired thanksgiving overwhelms us, we want to live obedient and sacrificed lives to the One who first loved us. We love Him because He first loved us and demonstrated it fully and completely on the cross.

That all being said, the question now comes up, ‘Are we thankful?’ If not, why not? How can we not be? How consumed with ourselves must we be to taste of redemption and not have hearts over-flowing with thankful praise and worship?

May we all be consistently thankful and awe-struck worshipers of our infinitely holy and amazingly merciful God.

Thank you God Almighty for saving us in your sovereign grace. We are stunned! We are amazed! We are thankful!

Sacrifice of Praise

I just finished up Hebrews this morning in my walk, and this verse jumped out at me...

"Through him (Jesus) then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God,

that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name."

Hebrews 13:15

This verse is written in response to what Jesus did for us on the cross and how he suffered outside the gate of the city in order to sanctify us.  He bore the reproach and despised the shame so that we could be reconciled to God.  Because of this beautiful reconciliation, we can now recognize and acknowledge our great God in every aspect of life.  No matter what the circumstance, we should always be offering a sacrifice of praise to Him.  In all we do, we should acknowledge His name with the fruit of our lips.  We should constantly and continually be praising and worshipping our God in adoring response to who He is and for allowing us to recognize that through the cross.  

Let the worshippers arise!  We have been reconciled!  Let us praise His glorious and worthy Name!   

Driving...

It's late!

Today I drove about 300 miles to an old friend's house in Bremerton, WA.  As I was driving west on I90, I came to Snoqualmie pass.  It's a treacherous mountain pass that is known for it's unpredictable weather and avalanches.  As I began up the slope of the pass the light rain began to look like ice.  As I came to the top it was a full snow shower.  The snow was coming down hard and the snowflakes looked like big feathers cascading to the ground.  As I was cruising through, I was listening to the song 'Presence' by the Newsboys and I looked up and around and it was more than words could describe (but I'll try)...

It was an ominous low gray sky with snow-drenched mountain peaks all around.  To my left was a mountain lake still frozen with small islands full of evergreens dotting it's landscape.  To my right (no kidding) was a flock of Elk grazing on the little bit of grass that was showing just feet off of the interstate.  Combine all of that with the snow fluttering down and a song singing of longing for the unmistakable presence of God, and it was a genuine 'stunned and amazed' moment.  As I came around the turn there was a huge mountain peek that rose at least a thousand feet straight up and one word came streaming into my little mind...

Majesty!

I think I genuinely got the message that all of that beauty was screaming out.  It was truly an amazing site, and if that's amazing just think how awesome and majestic the One who spoke it into existence is.  Creation, all around me, was shouting the glory and majesty of God to the top of it's lungs.  Let's not be out shouted!  

A Cold and Our Great Need...

I've been battling a cold for just about a week now.  I wake up every morning completely stuffed up and sounding like a fog horn.  The pressure in my head is mounting.  It's not painful, but not comfortable.  It's a minor inconvenience that everyone understands and that everyone has dealt with.  

What does that have to do with anything?  It has to do with the fact that no matter what I do I simply cannot stave off a virus, disease, or ultimately death.  I can be as healthy as I know how to be.  I can run, eat right, live right, etc., but I cannot keep my body from getting a simple cold. I simply cannot avoid the human condition.  I am a fallen man and it is appointed unto me to die.  I cannot stop it and I cannot avoid it.  It is coming.  I am fallen.  

That could be the worse news, and for many out there with no hope it is what drives them away from sanity and into the psychiatrist's chair and a life of dependency on things to take away their mind from this harshest of realities.  But as I work through my cold, my mind and heart are elevated to the great truth of Jesus and the rescue that he provides.  He took my place!  He satisfied the burning hot wrath of God and placed His righteousness on my life and reconciled me to God.  I am rescued!  I was dead but Jesus made me alive! 

Stunning!  

Amazing!  

I have a cold...I am reminded of my depravity...I am driven back to the imputed righteousness of Christ...

Thank you, Jesus, for my cold. Be glorified!  You are worthy!  

Purpose

The purpose of this blog is simply to ponder and contemplate the goodness, grace and glory of God in everyday life.  We all need constant reminders that through even the most mundane of days, God's grace and gifts are abounding in every breath and every heartbeat.  The intention of this small place on this huge internet, is just to stop, and look around and realize.  If we could all slow down, if even for a second, and soak in the great truth that God's creation is screaming out how complex and wonderful He is.  And even more mind-blowing, that Jesus came that we may be able to realize such truth.  

If you've tasted of redemption then take a moment to ponder and contemplate so that we all may be...

Stunned and Amazed!