****STANDING ON THE PROMISES

In high school, I became aware of a couple whose daughter was terminally ill.  When her death was imminent, they began to pray, fervently, to God; “You have promised to heal all our diseases!  You have said, ‘Whatever we ask in faith, believing, you will do it!”  And then it got really scary; their prayers became angry and demanding.  They commanded God to keep her alive.

Their prayers must have worked because God granted their petitions; the girl lived for several more years, but she never recovered from her illness.  She remained bedridden and required constant care and she was often comatose. 

  

There are at least two lessons to learn from that incident:

1. Don’t make demands or attempt to manipulate God.  Contrary to the errant lyrics of another song about God’s promises, Every Promise In The Book Is NOT Mine.  God has made many promises that were specific and unique to certain people at certain times and we are not to presume that, just because those are recorded, He must grant us the same promises.                                                                                                        
2. Standing on God’s promises is not a physical thing.  It’s not about a comfortable best life now.  It is a peaceful assurance that comes when we rest in the finished work of Christ on the cross.  And it is a determined act of trusting the certain and immutable truths and principles of God’s Word. 

God saved Russell Carter in a prayer meeting at a military academy he attended in the late 1800s.  He was a star athlete and a top student.

After graduating, he returned to become an instructor and athletics coach in the academy.

He joined a Methodist church and later became an ordained minister.

He spent the last years of his professional life as a medical doctor. 

And through all those diverse occupations, he had time to become a musician and a songwriter.  

In 1886, he produced a hymnbook in which he published his hymn, STANDING ON THE PROMISES.

Russell Carter was just 30 years old when he was diagnosed with a critical heart condition and faced imminent death.  That condition humbled him; “He made a promise (to God) that, healing or no, his life was finally and forever, consecrated to the service of his Lord.

From that time on, he learned to lean on the promises he found in God’s Word.  He committed himself to trust his Savior whether or not he was healed.  In the end, he concluded that his life or death was God’s prerogative.

 

As it turned out, God granted Carter another 49 years.   His hymn was a personal testimony to his faith. 

The biblical inspiration, for the song, might have been Peter’s opening salutation in his second epistle – he wrote specifically,

“To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, ...His divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises...”

The hymn is simple yet profound.  After an opening stanza of praise to God, verse two reminds us that His promises cannot fail and that those, whose trust is in the Living Word (Jesus), will prevail.

Verse three assures us that we can overcome our spiritual battles every day because the Spirit of God indwells us and has provided us with the sword of protection which is the Word of God.

The last verse encourages us to be constantly listening to the Spirit of God as He applies the written Word of God to our hearts.

 

And that is how we can Stand firmly on the Promises of God.  

****WHAT CHILD IS THIS?

William Dix was born in Bristol, England in 1837.  He wrote and published at least 40 hymns including “WHAT CHILD IS THIS?”

It was one of his best hymns but, unfortunately, modern publishers, thinking it was too dark and depressing for a Christmas carol, removed half the second stanza.  What remains is a bright, joyful song of the celebration of Jesus’ birth without the unpleasant gloom of the cross.

  

Before the alteration, there were three stanzas of eight lines each with no refrain.  Now there are three, four-line stanzas with a common refrain that was originally the last lines of the first stanza.  So, today, in most hymnbooks there is an abbreviated, inoffensive text that neglects an important doctrinal purpose of the song.

The carol starts with a rhetorical question.  These kinds of questions are often used to emphasize a truth or to make an expression of amazement.  Sometimes those kinds of questions are used in Scripture.

For example, when Jesus calmed the storm that was threatening the disciples, they asked themselves, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” (Mark 4:41).

They all knew the answer; This Man is God. 

  

The question asked in verse one is; “WHAT CHILD IS THIS?”   And, of course, we know the answer.  It’s plainly revealed in Scripture; “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”  (John 1:14).

   

This baby is Christ the King.

Verse two poses another important question; “Why is He lying in such mean estate?”  

The word, mean, doesn’t mean cruel or unkind; it describes His common, ordinary, or lowly birth.  A few years ago, my Pastor illustrated the “insignificance” of all the people and places surrounding Jesus’ humble arrival.  There was no pompous ceremony; there were no exalted dignitaries.  There were no fancy furnishings.  He was born in a smelly stable and laid in a filthy feeding trough.  

And the verse goes on to explain that this silent little Baby is the living Word of God, who is here “pleading” for our souls. 

And this is where the editors made their terrible cut.  In the original text, William Dix continued the account with the prophetic reason for this Baby’s coming.  “The nails and the spear shall pierce Him.”  

That’s an allusion to the crucifixion.  He came to bear the suffering and death on the cross for us.  This Baby, the Son of Mary, was born to die.

His birth in the manger is a reason to rejoice only because of His death on the cross.  So, we sing, “Come, peasant king to own Him.”

That is the invitation of the Gospel.   When Jesus came to His own people, they rejected Him.  But the insignificant, lowly shepherds and the wise men from far countries came to worship Him.   And so, the final stanza is a song of Joy; Jesus came to bring salvation to all who will believe.

WHAT CHILD IS THIS?

(Here are all the original lyrics.  

The green lines are the ones that have been removed.)

1. What Child is this who laid to rest,

On Mary's lap is sleeping?

Whom Angels greet with anthems sweet,

While shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ the King,

Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing;

Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

2. Why lies He in such mean estate,

Where ox and ass are feeding?

Good Christians, fear, for sinners here

The silent Word is pleading.

Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,

The cross be borne for me, for you.

Hail, hail the Word made flesh,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

3. So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh,

Come peasant, king to own Him;

The King of kings salvation brings,

Let loving hearts enthrone Him.

Raise, raise a song on high,

The virgin sings her lullaby.

Joy, joy for Christ is born,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

****THANKS TO GOD WHOSE WORD WAS SPOKEN (2)

In a sermon he preached, about a year ago, my pastor summarized all biblical theology in two statements:

1.     GOD IS.  That fact is declared in the first four words of the Bible (Genesis 1:1) “In the beginning GOD…”

2.     HE HAS REVEALED HIMSELF.  And that is the rest of the Bible in its entirety.  It’s all about Him.  It’s His revelation of and about Himself to His creation.  Everything we need to know for faith and practice, He has revealed in His written Word.

Can you imagine what it would be like if it were left up to each one of us to discover God through subjective means?  We could never be certain.  But we have His Word.  It is true and it is certain.  The Word of God is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice. 

THANKS TO GOD WHOSE WORD WAS SPOKEN, is a song of thanksgiving to God for His Word.  He has given us everything we need to know about Him.  And He has done it with WORDS.

I was fascinated by the way the author, R. T. Brooks, outlined God’s progressive revelation in the four stanzas of this hymn.  But then,  I was bothered by how he ended each verse with the same phrase; “Praise Him for His OPEN word.”  

In the context of 21^st century American Christianity, that word raises a lot of confusion. We have open theism, open marriages, open doctrines, and churches with open memberships.  God’s Word should be open but it is NOT open to interpretation; it means exactly what He intended it to mean.  We are not to approach His Word with the question, “What does this verse mean to me?” but rather, “What did God mean when He spoke it and what does it mean if I had never been born?"

So, I have taken the liberty to change the last phrase in each verse, in order to more clearly identify the mode through which God has Spoken (see lyrics below). 

The first stanza describes the beginning of God’s revelation in His creation (“the deed that made the earth”).  Gen. 1;1 says, “In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth.”  Then, in subsequent verses, we read that in every act of His creation, prior to man, He created with His Spoken Word (“…and God said, ‘Let there be…’ ”)    All creation is an unmistakable testimony of God’s glory. 

The concept that God has spoken in His creation is further expounded in Psalm 19, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.  Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world.”

The stanza continues with God calling His people.  Hebrews 1:1 says, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets…” 

That verse is clear, God spoke IN TIME PAST.   And He was precise and deliberate to ensure that His Word was not changed or corrupted.  If any man claimed to be a prophet, and his prophecies did not come to pass, he was executed so that there would be no confusion among God’s people.  

We Praise Him for His SPOKEN Word.

The second stanza is a reference to verse 2 of Hebrews 1, “…(God) has, in these last days spoken to us by His Son.”

John introduced the Son of God with these words, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.  And we beheld His Glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Then, in verse 17, John makes this distinction between the Word of prophecy and the Incarnate Word;  “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

We Praise Him for the LIVING Word.

The third stanza takes us to the Scriptures which were given to us by God through the Apostles.  (2 Tim. 3:16-17) “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Now we have His complete Word recorded for us. 

We Praise Him for His WRITTEN Word.

Does God still speak to us today?  Yes!

The last stanza tells us that the Spirit speaks to us. 

One of the functions of the indwelling Spirit of God is to teach us and guide us into all Truth.  And He does that with His Word because “His Word is Truth.”  

When we hear or read and meditate on God's Word, the Spirit convicts us of sin and leads us in the way we should live.  And any time we feel that the Holy Spirit is telling us something, it must be tested against or verified with the Written Word of God.  God’s Word never changes and it never contradicts itself because God never changes.

Praise Him for His CHANGELESS Word.

THANKS TO GOD WHOSE WORD WAS SPOKEN

Thanks to God whose Word was spoken,

In the deed that made the earth.

His, the voice that called a nation,

His the fires that tried her worth,

God has spoken, God has spoken;

Praise Him for His open SPOKEN Word.

Thanks to God whose Word incarnate,

Glorified the flesh of man.

Deeds and words and death and rising,

Tell the grace in heaven’s plan.

God has spoken, God has spoken;

Praise Him for His open LIVING Word.

Thanks to God whose Word was written,

In the Bible’s sacred page.

Record of the revelation

Showing God to every age.

God has spoken, God has spoken;

Praise Him for His open WRITTEN Word.

Thanks to God whose Word is answered,

By the Spirit’s voice within.

Here we drink of joy unmeasured,

Life redeemed from death and sin.

God is speaking, God is speaking.

Praise Him for His open CHANGELESS Word.

****BREAK THOU, THE BREAD OF LIFE (2)****

 

Break Thou, The Bread Of Life

Sally was a resident in the assisted living home I managed for 16 years. She wasn’t a Christian, but she had a curiosity about God, and she had a few bizarre stories.

She claimed that she had died and was carried by angels to heaven. Her story had all the familiar parts; the white light, the image of “Jesus” waiting at the gate as she was approaching, the sense of peace and overwhelming love, and so on.

But her story had a new twist that I had not heard before. Sally claimed that God stopped her at the gate and said, “You think you know me, but you really don’t.” 

So, He turned her around and sent her back until she learned who He is.

OK, so I was (and still am) skeptical about her experiences. But ever since that alleged event, Sally was on a quest to “know God.” She spent lots of time in her room reading her Bible. And when she came out, she often claimed to have some special new insights or strange revelations from God.

I found myself wanting to refute the inaccurate or nonsensical ideas that she had formed about God but, because she was attending all our Sunday services and listening intently to all our sermons, I decided to hold my tongue. I knew that arguing would not be productive. So, I just listened politely, smiled, and encouraged her to keep reading the Bible.

I take a great deal of consolation in God’s promise in Isaiah 55:11, regarding His Word.  “So shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

The Bread of Life is an allegory; it is a picture of Jesus Christ. We see that in several places in Scripture where the Word of God is described as bread that is to be eaten for our Spiritual sustenance.

The Hymn, BREAK THOU, THE BREAD OF LIFE, is a prayer petitioning God to feed us with His Word. It was written by Mary Lathbury and there is no question about her intended use of this allegory; This Bread of Life can be found “within the sacred page.”

That’s where we must all start. Do you want to find God? He is revealed in His Word. Do you want to know Him? Know His Word. Do you want to hear Him speak? Read it out loud.

 The hymn’s last stanza tells us how God accomplishes His work of salvation in the lives of sinners and His work of sanctification in the lives of those He has saved. It is by the ministry of the Spirit of God who opens our eyes and leads us into all Truth through the pages of His revealed Word.

Sally needed what we all need; the life-giving Bread from heaven that nourishes us and keeps us spiritually healthy. So, my staff and I just continued to do for her, what we did for all our residents; We never answered their questions about God from our own personal experiences, dreams, or feelings. we fed them with the BREAD OF LIFE which is the Living Word of God. We preached the Gospel from the Scriptures, and we prayed that God would reveal Himself to them.

Comments are welcome.  You may contact me at  ralphmpetersen@gmail.com

 

(Further commentary on this hymn can be found here.)

****NAME OF ALL MAJESTY

I don’t usually look for doctrinal fights on purpose but, occasionally, they just come and find me.

 

I bumped into a man one day who had been a regular attendee at my church but then, he just stopped coming. When I asked where he had been, he said, “Oh, I’m not into church.  I love God and I talk to Jesus every day.  But you don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.”

I couldn’t ignore that; I tried to convince him of the importance of the regular gathering of believers for worship and fellowship. But after a quite lengthy exchange, His response was, “We’ll just have to agree to disagree.”

I reminded him that my arguments were not my own opinions but they were, in fact, scriptural and that his disagreement was not with me but with God.

That’s when he got a little uppity and said, “SHOW ME IN THE BIBLE WHERE IT SAYS I HAVE TO…” (Now you can fill in the blank on this one; it doesn’t really matter how people end that sentence. Usually, when a person deflects to that kind of “show me” demand, his real problem is a rejection of the Word of God. It’s a classic, foolish, non-argument that began in the garden when the serpent tempted Eve with her own words; he asked, “Did God really say 'don’t touch that fruit?'”  But I digress.)

I continued to try to convince my friend with scripture. My arguments were biblical and true but I lost the debate when he stripped me of nearly 70% of my authoritative ammunition and set a boundary around the debate with one idiotic statement.  He said, “…and don’t give me any of that Old Testament stuff either; we are in New Testament times.”

When someone rejects God’s revelation, any supporting arguments we may have, on any subject, are reduced to just personal opinions.  He had me right where he wanted me - on an equal playing field in an emotional arena of subjectivity and personal preferences. That’s when I knew there was no more point in continuing; the fight was over.

There is an inseverable relationship between the Living Word of God and the written Word of God; you cannot love Jesus and hate His Word.  

This person, who claimed to love God, had just revealed his real problem; he was unwilling to recognize or submit to the authority of God’s Word. 

Jesus once scolded His disciples when He asked them, “… why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?”  (Lk. 6:46)

Then He compared a person who hears His Words and does not listen, to a fool whose faith is built on a shaky foundation. 

In the hymn, NAME OF ALL MAJESTY, our God is identified as the Immortal, Eternal King of the Ages. He is attributed with incomparable Splendor and Dignity. He is our Sovereign Master and our Savior. And, in the midst of all those superlative titles, attributes, and descriptors, is this stunning reminder; He has all Power and Authority; Jesus is Lord! 

This hymn was partially inspired by David’s prayer of praise to God, “Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.  Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty;

“For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, And You are exalted as head over all.  Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all.   In Your hand is power and might;  In Your hand, it is to make great and to give strength to all.

  

“Now, therefore, our God, we thank You And praise Your glorious Name.”  (1 Chron. 29:11-13)

NAME OF ALL MAJESTY

Name of all majesty, fathomless mystery,

King of the ages by angels adored;

Pow'r and authority, splendor and dignity,

Bow to His mastery, Jesus Is Lord!

Child of our destiny, God from eternity,

Love of the Father on sinners outpoured;

See now what God has done sending His only Son,

Christ the beloved One, Jesus is Lord.

Saviour of Calvary, costliest victory,

Darkness defeated and Eden restored;

Born as a man to die, nailed to a cross on high,

Cold in the grave to lie, Jesus is Lord!

Source of all sovereignty, light, immortality,

Life everlasting and heaven assured;

So, with the ransomed, we praise Him eternally,

Christ in His majesty, Jesus is Lord!

Timothy Dudley-Smith

Words © 1984 Hope Publishing Company

****O WORD OF GOD INCARNATE

O WORD OF GOD INCARNATE was written by William How in 1867.  It is a rich meditation that reflects a very high view of Scripture and uses several unusual, or unique, metaphors for various aspects of the Word of God.

The first verse begins with a reference to one of the most important passages in Scripture; the opening verses of John's Gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” And then in verse 14, “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us…”  and, of course, we know that is a reference to the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ.

There are other passages in the Old Testament that allude to the personification of the Word (Proverbs 8, for example) where wisdom is personified.

When God reveals Himself to us, He does it principally in His Son and He does it with words.   Everything that we can know about Him is revealed in scripture.   And that’s ALL we can know.  Anything about Him that is not revealed in scripture, we cannot know.

Now if you have been paying attention to current events, lately, you are aware of the rapidly declining moral condition of our culture.   And you have probably heard many misguided attempts, by nominal Christians and liberal churches, to legitimize and accept all kinds of immoral behavior in the name of tolerance and Christian love.  And, furthermore, they defend their tolerance by implying that “Jesus never actually said anything about it so it is okay.”

Well, it’s NOT okay because it is just not true.  One of the reasons I don’t use a red-letter edition of the Bible is because ALL SCRIPTURE IS GOD BREATHED.  And that’s the point.  Jesus and Scripture are in total agreement.  There is never any contradiction.  We can’t form our theology on just a few selected red words.

This hymn starts by presenting the Living Word of God.  He is incarnate; He is God in human flesh.  So the song moves us along from the Word to Wisdom, to Truth, and then to Light; all of those referencing Jesus Christ.  And then it transfers that picture of Light to the Written Word of God which is the Bible. 

So there is an inseverable relationship between Jesus and Scripture. Jesus is the Word, and Scripture is the Word.  Someone has said, “If you want to hear from God, read your Bible; if you want to hear Him speak to you audibly, read it out loud.” 

Now, look at the last verse.

“O make Thy church, dear Savior,

A lamp of purest gold,

To bear before the nations,

Thy true Light, as of old.”

This prayer is a call for the Church to uphold, preach, and proclaim the written Word of God, which is the Bible.    When we read Scripture, we are reading His Words.  And when we preach His Word, we preach Christ.

O WORD OF GOD INCARNATE

O Word of God incarnate,

O Wisdom from on high,

O Truth unchanged, unchanging,

O Light of our dark sky:

we praise you for the radiance

that from the hallowed page,

a lantern to our footsteps,

shines on from age to age.

The Church from you, our Savior,

received the gift divine,

and still that Light is lifted

o'er all the earth to shine.

It is the sacred vessel

where gems of truth are stored;

it is the heaven-drawn picture

of Christ, the living Word.

The Scripture is a banner

before God's host unfurled;

it is a shining beacon

above the darkling world.

It is the chart and compass

that o'er life's surging tide,

mid mists and rocks and quicksands,

to you, O Christ, will guide.

O make your Church, dear Savior,

a lamp of purest gold,

to bear before the nations

your true Light as of old.

O teach your wandering pilgrims

by this their path to trace,

till clouds and darkness ended,

they see you face to face.

7/26/2016

*HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION (Reformation Day)

(Reformation Day is one of the most important days on the church calendar, so for our worship service, I chose some hymns appropriate for the day.)  

It was on Oct. 31, 1517, when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the door of the Wittenberg Cathedral and exposed the errors and unbiblical practices of the Roman Catholic Church.  That incident is widely recognized as the initial catalyst for the Protestant Reformation.

As it happened, my pastor's sermon for the day would continue his series, “Confronting the Culture,” in which we have been learning that our faith will often bring us to a point where we must make hard decisions or take difficult stands that will cause us trouble.

As I was thinking about his sermon outline, I couldn’t help making the connection between it and the Reformation.

The Gospel is both attractive and repulsive.  It is attractive to those whom God is saving; it is repulsive to the lost.  Whenever or wherever real, Biblical Christianity collides with Government, the culture, or even an apostate church, the result is tribulation or persecution.  There is going to be trouble; that is just the way it is.

In the hymn, HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION, verse 3 says,

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,

My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply;

The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design

Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

That reminded me of this interesting analogy:

As they were studying chapter three in the book of Malachi, a group of women came across the verse that says, "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." They wondered what that statement meant about the character and nature of God.

Later that week, one of the women made an appointment to observe a silversmith at work.  He held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that, in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest so as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot - then she thought again about the verse, that He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver. She asked the silversmith if it was necessary to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The smith answered yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire because if the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

Then she asked him, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"  He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's the easy part – it’s when I see my image reflected in it."

There is no question that troubles and trials are both fiery and painful but we can rest assured that God is holding us over the fire to remove the impurities and He is watching until He can see His own image in us.

(Click here for more commentary on this hymn)


7/19/2015