Our Scapegoat

Posted on September 6, 2018 by heartcalm7

Today, a guest editorial!

Scapegoat is a familiar term used in our culture for someone who bears the brunt of accusations of guilt against another party.  Its origin dates back 3500 years to the sacrificial system established by Moses.  This prescribed sacrifice occurred in the Jewish calendar on Atonement Day, or Yom Kippur, which is soon to be upon us.

scapegoat 1“When he finishes atoning for the holy place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat. Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.”                    Leviticus 16:20-22              

scapegoat 2The scapegoat prophetically previewed the role of the coming Servant Messiah described in Isaiah’s prophecy 2200 years later:

“All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has laid the iniquity of us all
On Him.”                                Isaiah 53:6

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!                  John 1:29

Hear the eloquent and encouraging words of John Flavel from the mid 1600’s.  Flavel was an Anglican Puritan pastor, the son of a pastor, who was trained at Oxford.

“When Christ became our sacrifice, he bore away our sins. The word ‘to bear’ is a full and emphatic word, signifying not only to bear, but to bear away. This is a real purging of sin. How great a mercy is this! ‘Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered’ (Psa. 32:1). Who can express the happi­ness of such a state as this? Pardoned reader, let me beg you, look over the cancelled bonds, and see what a vast sum has been remitted to you. Remember your natural state, and yet pardoned. Fully, finally, and freely pardoned! What can you do less than fall down at the feet of free grace that moved so freely towards so vile a sinner? Not long ago your iniquities were upon you. Now they are as far as the east is from the west (Psa. 103:11-12). O the unspeakable effectiveness of Christ’s sacrifice; it extends to all sins (1 John 1:7): past, present, without exception, and all sins to come! God ‘did not spare his own Son’. Sparing mercy was denied to Christ. Not a moment of time was lessened for the suffering and wrath that was appointed for him. Justice will not bend in the least. What a sad case for your soul, O reader, if you have no interest in this sacrifice! Consider how you can support the infinite wrath that Christ bore in the place of God’s elect. Woe and alas for evermore to that man who meets a just God without a mediator! I beseech you, by the mercies of God, in the light of all the love you have for your own soul, do not neglect this opportunity. Get an interest in this sacrifice quickly. What will your state be when vast eternity opens to swallow you up? Happy is that man who can say in a dying hour: ‘This is my comfort—“Forgiven!”’ Remember, no sin can stand before the effectiveness of his blood (1 John 1:7).”
JOHN FLAVEL (1628-1691), Works, I:161-164”

Excerpt From “Voices from the Past.” : editor Richard Rushing.

 

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What holds life together?

Posted on September 3, 2018 by heartcalm7

The nucleus of an atom is made up of a tiny cluster of positive and neutral charges.  In nature, like charges repel one another, especially strongly so closely packed together.  Long-standing perplexity as to why these nuclear protons do not fly apart from one another has led scientists to merely name this unknown phenomenon the strong force.

Another force that holds things together in our universe is the force of gravity.  The mass of an object creates a “pull” on other objects around it.  Without gravity, life as we know it could not exist.  Gravity holds our earth in orbit around the sun at the precise distance that allows our temperature to sustain life.  Without it, our solar system would fly apart immediately into infinite space.  Gravity holds our atmosphere against the earth, providing a shield from the incoming rays of the sun and provides air for us to breathe.  Gravity holds the seas, rivers, and lakes in place on our globe, providing for us water to drink and to irrigate plant life for food production.

The Bible reveals that God’s agent in the creation of the universe was God the Son, Jesus, also identified by John as the Word.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”        John 1:1-5

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”                                          Colossians 1:15-17

Could Jesus, the eternally existent Communicator of the Trinity and the Creator of all things that exist, be the strong force that holds the very atoms of all substances together?  And is He the invisible force of gravity that holds our universe together?

Has God blessed you with eyes to see the invisible reality behind the created universe we live in?  Have you taken time to humble yourself and honor Jesus as God In the Flesh, acknowledging Him as rightful King in your life and your only hope of forgiveness and eternal life?

“He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.”            John 1:11-12

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Solidly anchored

Posted on August 30, 2018 by heartcalm7

“Thou dost keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on thee,
because he trusts in thee.”                                            Isaiah 26:3  RSV

In the restless sea of life, our troubled hearts are tossed about like a toy in the waves.  We long for stability and security.  We are deceived and disappointed by our many attempts to find safe harbor.  More money, more vacations, more friends do not seem to plug the hole in our hearts and do not provide for us solid anchoring.  The Bible tells us we will never find security and peace and steady foundation, except in the hands of the God who made us.  These hands beckon us to come to Him for anchoring.

“. . we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf”         Hebrews 6:18-20  RSV

Trusting in God, our Father, is the most secure anchor we can have.  Only He who made us can see us through the storms of life with confidence.  Lord, help me to cling to You tooth-and-nail, for my life depends on it.  Do not let me go.  I cannot get along without You.

O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;
My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips will praise You.
So I will bless You as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.

When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches,
For You have been my help,
And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
My soul clings to You;
Your right hand upholds me.                Psalm 63:1-8   NASB

“You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.”                   Deuteronomy 13:4

NEVER LET GO!

 

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Lack confidence?

Posted on August 27, 2018 by heartcalm7

Do you, in your inner spirit, cringe in guilt and shame before God?  Do you see your past record of rebellion and failures as a ball-and-chain, holding you back from the comfortable walk with God you desire?  Do you, like those Hebrews addressed, tend to lapse back into feeling you need to perform for God’s forgiveness and adoption as sons?  The writer of Hebrews begs his readers to enter into that rest God has provided when He punished Jesus in our place, giving Him the punishment that we deserve.  Instead of approaching God timidly with our life record in our hands, we can approach Him as our welcoming Father, boldly empty-handed, offering Him only the thankfulness of one rescued from the dead, passionately serious about obeying the One we love.

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”                 Hebrews 4:16 NIV

“Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus.”                                                                                                  Hebrews 10:19

Confidence with God breeds confidence with men.  Knowing we are accepted by the only One whose opinion matters sets us free from any burden to perform for and conform with fellow men.  The disciples were liberated from fear and felt free to speak the Truth to any who would listen.  This confidence was noticed.

“Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.”                                                                              Acts 4:13

“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”                  2 Timothy 1:7

Lord, open my eyes to the reality and implications of Your undeserved forgiveness.  Thank you for the confidence that gives me, as I rest in the knowledge that You love me as Your adopted son.  Let me not be timid before men, but speak Your Truth with confidence, as Your ambassador to a lost world.

 

 

 

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God is not mocked

Posted on August 24, 2018 by heartcalm7

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”                                                                                                     2 Corinthians 5:10

It is sobering to think that we will all face a replay of our entire life when we see the Lord after this present life.  We will be reminded of all our thoughts, words, and actions, good or bad.  This Bema seat judgment is for those who have trusted only in Jesus’ substitutionary atonement for forgiveness of sin and eternal life.  (Those who persist stubbornly in rebellion against God, trusting only in themselves, will face a different judgment.  That will be based only upon their acceptance or rejection of God’s generous offer of forgiveness through Christ. )

We believers tend to minimize this Bema seat judgment or put it out of our minds.  We rationalize our sins as minor or compare ourselves to others who seem outwardly worse than we are.  We think that our secret sins of thought are hidden from public view and do not hurt anyone.  But God says we cause ourselves great loss to continue on in such thinking.

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”             Galatians 6:7-8

“Behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out.”                   Numbers 32:23

In the early church, some reckless livers felt that this supposed judgment was so far in the future they might as well live as if it were non-existent.

“3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts,4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.”                                  But . . .

9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?”                               2 Peter 3:3-4, 9-11

This is a sober warning to us all.  This is playing for keeps.  “God is not mocked.”  Now is the time to turn around and salvage the rest of our lives.  Proud doer, drop from your hands your own accomplishments which you hope will make you acceptable in God’s sight.  With your empty hands receive God’s free gift of forgiveness and eternal life, made possible by Christ.  You who have believed this, trusting only in Christ’s death to save you, allow Him to live within you, empowering you to forsake sin and live an obedient life, one that will result in being able to hear, “well-done good and faithful servant.“

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You will fall, but not headlong

Posted on August 21, 2018 by heartcalm7

23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
And He delights in his way.
24 When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,
Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.
25 I have been young and now I am old,
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
Or his descendants begging bread.
26 All day long he is gracious and lends,
And his descendants are a blessing.                             Psalm 37:23-26

It need not be disconcerting that David says that we must expect that we will fall.  It is our life experience, confirmed to us every day all around us.  We are in good company.  It is the universal experience.

Very comforting, however, is the main clause of that sentence, “he will not be hurled headlong.”  We can tolerate adversity and failures and weather it out until it passes over.  But we dread irreparable disaster, resulting in permanent pain, loss, and grief.  It lessens the pain of our fallings just to know that our Father will break the fall before the benefit of the stumble is outweighed by irreparable damage.

“After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”                        1 Peter 5:10

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.”                  Psalm 34:19

Lord, I trust You to dictate the severity of whatever needful suffering You assign to me, as well as the duration of it.  I trust You to remove Your hand when my time in the furnace has become sufficient to produce its desired effect upon my life.  Let me be patient, trusting You to do what is right, as my loving Father.

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The Lord laughs

Posted on August 16, 2018 by heartcalm7

I remember, as a child, how my father’s good nature, humor, and confidence made me feel secure in the face of threatening circumstances.  When we would get lost on family vacation, he would laugh and enjoy the adventure, allaying my fears.  As long as my Protector was in the driver’s seat and he was not ruffled, then I felt I would also be all right.

There is so much evil, hurt, and suffering around us constantly that can intimidate us.  Our fear can be driven away by the knowledge of Who is in control.  The first lines of Psalm 2 are highlighted in Handel’s Messiah:

Why are the nations in an uproar
And the peoples devising a vain thing?
The kings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers take counsel together
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
“Let us tear their fetters apart
And cast away their cords from us!”

He who sits in the heavens laughs,
The Lord scoffs at them.                                                                    Psalm 2:1-2, 4

None of this evil and mischief takes God by surprise.  Their arrogance is preposterous to Him.  And it makes Him laugh.  This thought can be a comfort to us.

 

Behold, they belch forth with their mouth;
Swords are in their lips,
For, they say, “Who hears?”
But You, O Lord, laugh at them;
You scoff at all the nations.                                                              Psalm 59:7-8

He does not laugh at the terrible fate they face, reaping what they sow.  He is not glad they will suffer for their rebellion.  He grieves over His creatures’ sins.  He laughs at how ludicrous it is for the mouse to shout insults at the lion.

12 The wicked plots against the righteous

And gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow
To cast down the afflicted and the needy,
To slay those who are upright in conduct.
15 Their sword will enter their own heart,
And their bows will be broken.

35 I have seen a wicked, violent man
Spreading himself like a luxuriant tree in its native soil.
36 Then he passed away, and lo, he was no more. . .                       Psalm 37:12-15, 35-36

Lord, I, too, see myself in this sad cartoon too often, choosing audaciously to go my way, disdaining Yours.  Forgive me for this swagger.  Break my haughty spirit and fasten Your kind yoke upon me.  Let me plough through life at Your side.

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Gradational weight-training

Posted on August 13, 2018 by heartcalm7

Just as in physical training, spiritual maturity is a gradual, intentional process that requires a plan and the time for it to be executed.  In spiritual training, it is a coach-athlete relationship of struggling through assigned difficulties to experience anticipated results.

” . . . an inheritance . . . reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. . .”                                                      1 Peter 1:5-7

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”               James 1:2-4

person holding black barbell

Photo by Victor Freitas on Pexels.com

“And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”                   Romans 5:3-5

The hardships God allows us to go through all contribute to the eventual mature holiness He intends for us.  All through life, these trials must become gradually more difficult, to accomplish the strengthening He desires.  Though the medicine is bitter, the result is health, holiness, and usefulness.

more modest David“He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”       Hebrews 12:10-11

“But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.”                                                                                Hebrews 5:14

Do not let up, Lord.  Wisely demand of me all the arduous, painful exercises that will make me strong, mature, wise, holy, and useful in Your hands.  Sharpen me as a useful tool in Your hands.  Help me not to wriggle out of your loving hand, cringing and complaining that it is too hard.  I trust You to do what is right, as my loving Coach.

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When Jesus is interrupted

Posted on August 9, 2018 by heartcalm7

Look with me at something beautiful.  If God is sovereign and His purpose cannot be thwarted, and if Jesus is God-in-the-flesh, how is it that He seems to allow Himself to be interrupted at times?  In Genesis, God merely speaks a word and, instantly, the world is created.  Yet Jesus at times allowed His indicated intentions to be interrupted.  After his disciples returned from a very fruitful (and probably stressful) preaching and healing trip, probably needing some time to decompress and debrief with Him:

When the apostles returned, they gave an account to Him of all that they had done. Taking them with Him, He withdrew by Himself to a city called Bethsaida. But the crowds were aware of this and followed Him; and welcoming them, He began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing.                 Luke 9:10-11

As much as His disciples needed Him to interpret for them the glorious things they had seen God do and ask Him questions, other human needs pressed in.  And He allowed the interruption, as though pressing pause for a moment.  Another example:

And there came a man named Jairus, and he was an official of the synagogue; and he fell at Jesus’ feet, and beganto implore Him to come to his house; for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying.

But as He went, the crowds were pressing against Him.  And a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. And Jesus said, “Who is the one who touched Me?” 

While He was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore.” But when Jesus heard this, He answered him, “Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be made well.”  He said, “Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep.”  He, however, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Child, arise!” And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately. . .                           Luke 8:41-45, 49, 52, 54, 55

Was Jesus so moved by the heartbreaking human condition around Him that He would put His present mission on hold momentarily in order to show kindness to someone in need?  Or was He so confident that His Father would do what is right and good for the disciples and the sufferers, regardless of any little delays and detours?

I could do with a large dose of that confidence in God rather than in keeping my agenda.  Help me, Lord, to have so large a view of You that I do not worry about my little part down here.  Help me to leave the results to You.  Let me acknowledge that you are in charge of my schedule.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.      Philippians 4:6-7

 

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God “shows off” through you

Posted on August 6, 2018 by heartcalm7

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”                       Titus 2:11-14

God has designed all of creation to bring glory to Himself.  Considering His majesty and worthiness, this is only right.  In His grace, we are part of “showing Him off” to the world.  The work He does to turn us – rebellious and faulty raw material – into prized displays of His grace is nothing short of breathtaking!

Paul tells Titus that this process involves four actions with which we are to cooperate with our Master Restorer.

  1.  We are to deny ungodliness and worldly desires.  This is what he told the Ephesian church in a helpful metaphor of taking off old clothes and putting on new.  “. . that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit. . .”        Ephesians 4:22
  2. Next, we are to appropriate the new, to receive and live the new, divine life that we could never produce in our own efforts.  That we “be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”  Ephesians 4:23-24  Addressing Titus, Paul urges that his Cretan church live sensibly, righteously and godly.  
  3. Through this process, we are to keep our eyes upon the destination He has for us – looking for the blessed hope of Jesus’ second coming, when the process will be completed perfectly.  Single-minded travelers are less likely to go astray and get lost.  “If you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.”   Colossians 3:1-2
  4. In this directed, intentional frame of mind, we are then to perform under His authority.  We are to acknowledge that we “are not our own” (1Corinthians 6:19), but His possession.

The final product is something the Creator is very proud of.  He wants to show us off to the world, that the world might know that He is mighty and good and wise.  They look at us and, hopefully (if we have cooperated with His craftsmanship), see the good deeds that He intended us to produce.  We have the honor to be a small part of His restoration of this broken world to what He intended it to be.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”            Ephesians 2:10

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”                        Matthew 5:16

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