Altar Building

When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.

I love this Scripture from Deuteronomy. The progression is prophesy-like in my life, and indeed for the children of Israel. It goes like this: “Praise the Lord” so that you “do not forget the Lord.” And when things are going so well, “you will forget the Lord.” But “remember the Lord” for it is by His goodness and grace that you are even here…

I’m learning the importance of altar building. I learned this from Abraham, of course. He received a promise from God, and immediately built an altar to commemorate the occasion (Gen 12:7). He visited this altar later – to remember the Lord, no doubt. To consider His promises. To renew his passion.

No, you won’t find stone tables in my backyard, but Hebrews says that we have an altar – it is not necessarily a physical thing – but a spiritual place where we (I) can go to remember the Lord – consider His promises – renew my passion. It’s a place where commitment, repentance, self-dying, and worship run deep. It’s a place where I go after I remember the Lord – when I’ve let myself believe “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.”

How about you? Ever built an altar?

Walking Billboard

peeved piper preaches on the problem of the prosperity proclamation

that’s a lot of p’s.

Ezra 9

I read this today after some reflection on our morning service:

Ezra’s address is a penitent confession of sin, the sin of his people. But let this be the comfort of true penitents, that though their sins reach to the heavens, God’s mercy is in the heavens. Ezra, speaking of sin, speaks as one much ashamed. Holy shame is as necessary in true repentance as holy sorrow. Ezra speaks as much amazed. The discoveries of guilt cause amazement; the more we think of sin, the worse it looks. Say, God be merciful to me sinner. Ezra speaks as one much afraid. There is not a surer or saddler presage of ruin, than turning to sin, after great judgments, and great deliverances. Every one in the church of God, has to wonder that he has not wearied out the Lord’s patience, and brought destruction upon himself. What then must be the case of the ungodly? But though the true penitent has nothing to plead in his own behalf, the heavenly Advocate pleads most powerfully for him.

(Matthew Henry)

UNchristian?

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord

The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along. Who ever knows what you’re thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God—except that he not only knows what he’s thinking, but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don’t have to rely on the world’s guesses and opinions. We didn’t learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we’re passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way.

The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can’t receive the gifts of God’s Spirit. There’s no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit—God’s Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God’s Spirit is doing, and can’t be judged by unspiritual critics. Isaiah’s question, “Is there anyone around who knows God’s Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?” has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ’s Spirit.

I want to have perfect vision. 20/20. I desire nothing more than to open my eyes everyday and see things as they really are… whole, holy, horrible – whatever it is, I want to really see it.

Not too long ago, I went to a park to read and pray on my lunch break, and at that park I realized that my two eyes see things slightly differently – one sees things more clearly and more defined, the other sees colors more vibrant and magnified. Interesting that when both eyes are open (and my glasses are not smudged!) I see a complete blend of both eyes.

So what if I could put on my glasses and see spiritual reality in the same way I see my chair, my wife, my boy? What if I could see the wonderful mysterious spiritual realm Paul speaks of as a man who has the mind of Christ with my physical eyes? What if I can train my physical eyes to see in a perfect blend with my spiritual eyes – the eyes of my heart (to paraphrase Paul)…?

This scripture from 1 Corinthians runs deeper than these questions – I mean Paul essentially says that we should have a grip on what God is up to because – after all – His Spirit resides inside. So, I’m back on my knees again to ask for a renewal in my spirit – that my heart is softened (baby skin) to the point of an incredible sensitivity to the Spirit within. Why? Because, as I said, I want to have perfect vision.

dcb