". . . which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord . . . (Rom. 1:2-4).
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The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the one single historical event that all of Christianity turns on -- and for good reason; two to be exact: First, Christ's bodily resurrection from the dead -- and it must be a physical body in order for it to be true (Jn. 20:12; 1 Cor. 15:3-8) -- is a testifying event. It validates that His every thought, word, and deed was acceptable to God the Father. It's one thing for the Apostles to preach that He's a lamb without blemish or defect and committed no sin (1 Pet. 1:19; 2:22), or his enemies to not be able to accuse him of sin (Jn. 8:46; 18:38), or even for Christ Himself to say ". . . I always do the things that are pleasing to Him" (Jn. 8:29). But it's another thing altogether for God to authenticate it's true via the resurrection. The resurrection is reward/proof of Christ's authenticity in person and work. If death is the ultimate penalty for sin (1 Cor. 15:26; Rev. 20:14), then life -- the opposite of death, is the ultimate verification.
Second, Christ's bodily resurrection from the dead is an authorizing event. He was "declared" the Son of God -- an achieved status that bestows all power and authority (Matt. 28:18). We enter heaven separate from our bodies when we die -- a testament to death's power. But He ascended bodily, having no separation (Acts 1:9-11). He has authority to destroy and nullify -- be it the works of the devil (1 Jn. 3:8; Rev. 12:10ff.), sin (Rom. 6:10), or the works of the law (Col. 2:13-14). He has authority to create, empower, and establish (Jn. 1:3-4 ; Heb. 1:2-4). His rule extends over the greatest and the least in nature, the course of human history, determining the eternal fates of all (2 Cor. 5:10), causing every knee to bow (Phil. 2:9-11) -- being the very God of heaven receiving all worship (Rev. 5:13-14). His inheritance empowers Him to have a people for Himself, perfectly identified with Him in all things.
Something to think about this Sunday -- a man is now at the center of the worship of the entire universe of all creation, testifying to every man's conscience through His resurrection -- God’s "road sign" in history for all to see and "kiss the Son" before it’s too late (Psa. 2:12). A far cry from Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies.
- Mark Lacour
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
The Book You are Writing
"You ought to live holy and godly lives." - 2 Peter 3:11
The only way to have a stainless and beautiful year at its close is to keep the days, as they pass, all pure and sweet, with the loveliness of holy, useful living. It is thus, in little days, that our years come to us. We have but the one small fragment to fill and beautify at a time. The year is a book and for each day, one fair white page is opened before us. And we are artists, whose duty it is to put something beautiful on the page. Or we are poets, and are to write some lovely thought, some radiant sentence, on each leaf as it lies open before us.
"That we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." - 1 Timothy 2:2
- J. R. Miller
The only way to have a stainless and beautiful year at its close is to keep the days, as they pass, all pure and sweet, with the loveliness of holy, useful living. It is thus, in little days, that our years come to us. We have but the one small fragment to fill and beautify at a time. The year is a book and for each day, one fair white page is opened before us. And we are artists, whose duty it is to put something beautiful on the page. Or we are poets, and are to write some lovely thought, some radiant sentence, on each leaf as it lies open before us.
"That we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." - 1 Timothy 2:2
- J. R. Miller
Christ the Great Healer
"This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears." - Luke 4:21
These words had been written seven hundred years before. Now Jesus reads them and says, "I am the One to whom these golden sentences refer. This scripture is fulfilled before your eyes. I am the anointed One and this is the mission on which I came to this world."
The whole Old Testament was full of Christ. There were a thousand fingers along its pages, every one pointing to Him. All its types, prophesies, and promises were fulfilled when He came, lived, died, and was raised again, and then was glorified.
It is very interesting to take up Christ's whole public life. and ministry and show how perfectly He lived out the wonderful mission which the prophet had outlined for Him centuries before He came. He preached the gospel to the poor; He was the friend of the poor. He healed the broken-hearted. Wherever He went, the sorrowing and the troubled came flocking around Him, as a magnet draws steel filings to itself from the rubbish. There was something in Him that drew the sad and broken to Him.
There are two classes of the broken-hearted: 1) those whose hearts are broken because of sin; 2) those who are crushed by affliction. Both these classes of people came to Christ. Sinners came and found in Him, not a stern Judge, but a tender and compassionate Saviour. The afflicted came to Him and found true comfort. He loved all men and sympathized with them, and was able to help them.
Then He also brought deliverance to sin's captives, setting them free, breaking their chains. He opened blind eyes, not only the physical eyes of people, but their spiritual eyes as well, to behold the things of heaven and everlasting life. Then He lifted the yoke of the crushed and oppressed, inviting all the weary to Himself to find rest for their souls.
- J. R. Miller
These words had been written seven hundred years before. Now Jesus reads them and says, "I am the One to whom these golden sentences refer. This scripture is fulfilled before your eyes. I am the anointed One and this is the mission on which I came to this world."
The whole Old Testament was full of Christ. There were a thousand fingers along its pages, every one pointing to Him. All its types, prophesies, and promises were fulfilled when He came, lived, died, and was raised again, and then was glorified.
It is very interesting to take up Christ's whole public life. and ministry and show how perfectly He lived out the wonderful mission which the prophet had outlined for Him centuries before He came. He preached the gospel to the poor; He was the friend of the poor. He healed the broken-hearted. Wherever He went, the sorrowing and the troubled came flocking around Him, as a magnet draws steel filings to itself from the rubbish. There was something in Him that drew the sad and broken to Him.
There are two classes of the broken-hearted: 1) those whose hearts are broken because of sin; 2) those who are crushed by affliction. Both these classes of people came to Christ. Sinners came and found in Him, not a stern Judge, but a tender and compassionate Saviour. The afflicted came to Him and found true comfort. He loved all men and sympathized with them, and was able to help them.
Then He also brought deliverance to sin's captives, setting them free, breaking their chains. He opened blind eyes, not only the physical eyes of people, but their spiritual eyes as well, to behold the things of heaven and everlasting life. Then He lifted the yoke of the crushed and oppressed, inviting all the weary to Himself to find rest for their souls.
- J. R. Miller
Thursday, March 25, 2010
With or Against?
"He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathers not with me scatters abroad." - Matthew 12:30
It is not correct to ask, "What will you do with Jesus?" Rather, the issue is, "What are you doing about Him now?" There is no neutral ground. We are with Him or we are against Him. We are gathering or we are scattering.
There are no inactive church members. A pastor, whose church had about a hundred people in it, was asked how many active members the church had. He said, "One hundred-- fifty are actively for me and fifty are actively against me."
It is not possible to be inwardly and secretly for Christ, without being active for Him. Someone says, "Well, I never take my religion too seriously, but of course, I am not against Christ." Yes, you are. If you are not gathering, then you are scattering. If you are not really working with the great Gatherer, then you are an instrument of division, opposed to the only true unifying Power in the universe.
Gatherers and scatterers--it comes down to the fact that there are only two kinds of people. The first half of the verse sets forth the real issue today. "With me or against me", Christ or anti-Christ; Are you with Him or against Him? If you are not fully with Him, then you are against Him and are not gathering, but are scattering abroad.
- Vance Havner
It is not correct to ask, "What will you do with Jesus?" Rather, the issue is, "What are you doing about Him now?" There is no neutral ground. We are with Him or we are against Him. We are gathering or we are scattering.
There are no inactive church members. A pastor, whose church had about a hundred people in it, was asked how many active members the church had. He said, "One hundred-- fifty are actively for me and fifty are actively against me."
It is not possible to be inwardly and secretly for Christ, without being active for Him. Someone says, "Well, I never take my religion too seriously, but of course, I am not against Christ." Yes, you are. If you are not gathering, then you are scattering. If you are not really working with the great Gatherer, then you are an instrument of division, opposed to the only true unifying Power in the universe.
Gatherers and scatterers--it comes down to the fact that there are only two kinds of people. The first half of the verse sets forth the real issue today. "With me or against me", Christ or anti-Christ; Are you with Him or against Him? If you are not fully with Him, then you are against Him and are not gathering, but are scattering abroad.
- Vance Havner
When Earth's Wine Runs Out
"When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to Him: They have no more wine." John 2:3
This incident is a very fitting illustration of the failure of all this world's joys. The wine gave out at a wedding feast. There was not enough of it to last through to the end of the feast. It is just so with all earth's pleasures. It comes in cups, not in fountains; and the supply is limited and soon exhausted. It is especially so with sin's pleasures. The prodigal son soon ran out of money, and began to be in need. A poet compared the pleasures of sin to a snowflake on the river, "a moment white--then gone forever!"
But it is true in a sense also of pure pleasures. Even the sweetness of human love is but a cupful which will not last forever. The joy which so fills us today tomorrow is changed to sorrow. Amid the gladness of the marriage altar there is the knell of the end, in the words "until death do us part." One of every two friends must hold the other's hand in farewell at the edge of the valley of the shadow of death and must stand by the other's grave, and walk alone for part of the way.
The best wine of earthly life and of love will fail. If there were nothing better in this world, how sad it would be! But it is here that we see the glory of Christ's gospel. Jesus comes when earth's wine fails and gives heaven's wine to supply the lack. How beautiful and how true is the picture here: of the failing wine, and then Jesus coming with power and supplying the need!
That is what He is doing continually. He takes lives which have drained their last drop of earthly gladness and He satisfies them with spiritual good and blessing, so that they need nothing more.
When human joy fails, Jesus gives new joy, better than the world's, and in unfailing abundance. How sad it is for those who have not taken Christ into their lives, and who have nothing but the empty cup when earth's wine runs out!
- J. R. Miller
This incident is a very fitting illustration of the failure of all this world's joys. The wine gave out at a wedding feast. There was not enough of it to last through to the end of the feast. It is just so with all earth's pleasures. It comes in cups, not in fountains; and the supply is limited and soon exhausted. It is especially so with sin's pleasures. The prodigal son soon ran out of money, and began to be in need. A poet compared the pleasures of sin to a snowflake on the river, "a moment white--then gone forever!"
But it is true in a sense also of pure pleasures. Even the sweetness of human love is but a cupful which will not last forever. The joy which so fills us today tomorrow is changed to sorrow. Amid the gladness of the marriage altar there is the knell of the end, in the words "until death do us part." One of every two friends must hold the other's hand in farewell at the edge of the valley of the shadow of death and must stand by the other's grave, and walk alone for part of the way.
The best wine of earthly life and of love will fail. If there were nothing better in this world, how sad it would be! But it is here that we see the glory of Christ's gospel. Jesus comes when earth's wine fails and gives heaven's wine to supply the lack. How beautiful and how true is the picture here: of the failing wine, and then Jesus coming with power and supplying the need!
That is what He is doing continually. He takes lives which have drained their last drop of earthly gladness and He satisfies them with spiritual good and blessing, so that they need nothing more.
When human joy fails, Jesus gives new joy, better than the world's, and in unfailing abundance. How sad it is for those who have not taken Christ into their lives, and who have nothing but the empty cup when earth's wine runs out!
- J. R. Miller
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Obtaining Help from God
"I have had God's help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike." Acts 26:22
When Paul stood before Agrippa, it was twenty-five years after his conversion. They had been years of toilsome life, amid enemies and dangers; but the heroic old apostle had never given up, never faltered, never turned aside. It was a great record, but he takes no praise to himself. The help came from God for all these years of faithful witnessing.
Many Christians fear that they will not be able to stand faithful and true to the end. Here is an encouraging word for all such: You shall obtain help from God for every duty, for every hour of danger, for every struggle. We need only to be faithful day by day, doing the day's duty quietly, and trusting God. This help will come from Him, silently, secretly, just as it is needed, always sufficient grace, so that we shall be able to stand faithful year after year. God never puts a burden on us, without giving us the strength we need to carry it. The way to obtain the help of God is to go faithfully and promptly forward in the way of duty, asking for the help, and being sure of getting it. It will not come if we wait to get it before we set out to do His will.
"I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6
- J. R. Miller
When Paul stood before Agrippa, it was twenty-five years after his conversion. They had been years of toilsome life, amid enemies and dangers; but the heroic old apostle had never given up, never faltered, never turned aside. It was a great record, but he takes no praise to himself. The help came from God for all these years of faithful witnessing.
Many Christians fear that they will not be able to stand faithful and true to the end. Here is an encouraging word for all such: You shall obtain help from God for every duty, for every hour of danger, for every struggle. We need only to be faithful day by day, doing the day's duty quietly, and trusting God. This help will come from Him, silently, secretly, just as it is needed, always sufficient grace, so that we shall be able to stand faithful year after year. God never puts a burden on us, without giving us the strength we need to carry it. The way to obtain the help of God is to go faithfully and promptly forward in the way of duty, asking for the help, and being sure of getting it. It will not come if we wait to get it before we set out to do His will.
"I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6
- J. R. Miller
Saturday, March 20, 2010
David Livingstone
This week is David Livingstone's birthday. He was born March 19, 1813. He gave his life to serve Christ in the exploration of Africa for the sake of the access of the gospel. On December 4, 1857, he spoke the sentence that has made the greatest impact on me. It is one of the clearest applications I have seen of Jesus' words in Mark 10: 29-30. Jesus said,
"Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life."
Here is what Livingstone said to Cambridge students about his "leaving" the benefits of England:
"For my own part, I have never ceased to rejoice that God has appointed me to such an office. People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa . . . Is that a sacrifice which brings its own blest reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind, and a bright hope of a glorious destiny hereafter? Away with the word in such a view and with such a thought! It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather that it is a privilege. Anxiety, sickness, suffering, or danger, now and then, with a foregoing of the common conveniences and charities of this life--these may make us pause and cause the spirit to waver and the soul to sink; but let this only be for a moment. All these are nothing when compared with the glory which shall be revealed in and for us. I never made a sacrifice.
- John Piper
"Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life."
Here is what Livingstone said to Cambridge students about his "leaving" the benefits of England:
"For my own part, I have never ceased to rejoice that God has appointed me to such an office. People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa . . . Is that a sacrifice which brings its own blest reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind, and a bright hope of a glorious destiny hereafter? Away with the word in such a view and with such a thought! It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather that it is a privilege. Anxiety, sickness, suffering, or danger, now and then, with a foregoing of the common conveniences and charities of this life--these may make us pause and cause the spirit to waver and the soul to sink; but let this only be for a moment. All these are nothing when compared with the glory which shall be revealed in and for us. I never made a sacrifice.
- John Piper
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