What The Trailblazers Taught Me

Basketball is my favorite sport and the Trailblazers are my favorite team. I was one year old when my family took me to the parade where they were celebrated as the new NBA champions in 1977.  Later, as I matured into a nine year old I began playing intramural basketball. By this time I knew some of the basic rules, like free throws, but I hadn’t yet grasped the concept of being a team player. During one of our games we were running a man-to-man defense. However, I was trying to defend any man who had the ball. The coach called me aside and explained that each player was to defend one guy (for the most part), thus I needed to stick with one guy, defend only him, and allow my teammates to defend their guys too.

Basketball is a team sport. Within that team there are various positions that each player plays. Every player does not have the same function, they work together and bring their own strengths or gifts to the game. This is basic; you know this. But do you know that the church needs team players too? Just as I could not defend every player, not one member is to do more than his or her share within the church. Each person’s share is to be done according to gifting, and may vary according to calling and time. Furthermore, another trailblazer (Paul) teaches us that “all the members do not have the same function” (Romans 12:4). If everyone had the function of preaching then we would not be able to do much in the way of serving. If everyone’s function was only to serve then the Word of God and baptism may be left behind. Within the church, God gives a variety of gifts so that when functioning properly the members work harmoniously unto the glory of God.

Several of the gifts given to the church appear in Paul’s letter to the church in Rome. Read the passage below and notice the details that he provides:

                       

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God,  [which is] your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, [each of us is to exercise them accordingly]: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness (Romans 12:1-8).

By gazing at verses one and two it is obvious that Paul’s instruction to the Roman believers is that they pursue actual Christlikeness. Then the rest of the passage teaches us what this new Christlike community (i.e. the church) should look like. These marks, as it were, are the things that we do, the thoughts that we think, and the gifts that we posses.

We who make up the church consist of many members and various gifts that differ according to God’s grace toward each one (12:6). We are to exercise our gift(s) according to our faith. This faith isn’t saving faith, but the faith that the Spirit has given us so that we would be good stewards of our gift within this local body called Prineville Community Church. Now, the gifts are many but limited, these are the ones listed in Romans 12:7-8:

Prophecy-the ability to clearly understand and proclaim Scripture with conviction, to preach.

Service-the ability to help or assist by performing certain duties, often with humility.

Teaching-the ability to understand the Bible and present it clearly, similar to prophecy (or preaching) but less emotive and spontaneous.

Exhorting-the ability to lift up and encourage someone’s heart.

Giving-the ability to give of one’s money and items freely and sacrificially.

Leading-the ability to guide others.

Mercy-the ability to show sensitivity and sympathy toward those who are hurting and suffering.

Now, you are probably expecting me to ask you to try to figure out your own gift. Well, I’m not; and I probably won’t anytime soon. Paul’s point in listing out these gifts wasn’t necessarily for us to pick one out and decide that it’s ours but to encourage us to be team players. To respect the diversity of gifts. If you are a believer, then you have a gift. And if you are part of a local church then you are using your gift. It just happens according to God’s design and our faith.

But I find it interesting that before Paul delves into gifts he speaks of humility and unity in the church (Romans 12:3-5). Then, after listing several examples of the various gifts, Paul instructs us to bless our persecutors and to “be of the same mind toward one another” (Rom 12:16). Could it be that the Bible lists the gifts given by the Spirit and instructs us to exercise them properly to give us a glimpse into what God is doing with the members who make up the church? I think so. Paul assumes that the members are employing their gifts. But he isn’t assuming that they do so with humility. He knows that certain people in the church like to hog all the ministry. On the other hand, he understands that some in the church think that they are immune from doing much of anything, expecting the energetic ones to do it all. When we understand Romans 12, we understand that the church is a team. Not all have the same role. We work together to advance His kingdom unto the glory of God. To do this, all of us need someone who will listen and cry with us as we deal with the pain that life chucks into our faces. To do this, we all need someone to give to us (money or otherwise) when we are facing a time of need. To do this, we all need someone, like Paul needed Barnabus, to stand up for us and excite us about life and serving Christ once again.

Are you thankful for this church? Are you thankful to God for this church? With little amusement, I’ve listened to a few one man bands. Not one of them was as good as a three piece band. The Central Oregon Symphony is amazing and so were those 1977 Portland Trailblazers because each team member had their own gift and they played with all their heart. Let’s be team players. We’ll amaze our neighbors and bring glory to our heavenly Father. 

The Genealogy Of A King

Most readers of the Bible find genealogies to be rather dull and flat reading. The first one appears in Genesis 5, the second in Genesis 10. It may be true that many who begin to read the Bible fall asleep in either Genesis 5, or Genesis 10, and lose interest. But genealogies are like family trees and your family tree should not be not boring. It is exciting to put the pieces of family history together. One uncle in my family tree invented the ripcord parachute. This was one piece of history that our Nana enjoyed keeping alive. Here is the wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Floyd_Smith. That’s our uncle Floyd. Similar to our family trees are the genealogies we find in Scripture; they give family lineage and in so doing tell a family history. King David is in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus, which tells us that Jesus Christ is King. 

Revealing Jesus Christ as King is part of Matthew’s theme. One way to discover the theme of a book of the Bible is to study the tip and the tail. That is, the first verses or chapters of the book and the last. But don’t just read it. Look it over closely and highlight any similarities. Be sure to mark down any repeated words, phrases, or ideas. For instance, in verse one of Matthew it says, “The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”  Verse one is part of the tip. And then we look at the tail. Matthew 28:18, “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.’” Now, do you notice anything similar in Matt 1:1 and in 28:18? (Are there similarities that would make you think “king”?) 

Lets look at it from another angle. Who is Jesus? Or, who does Matthew describe Jesus as in the tip and in the tail of his gospel? In verse one Matthew’s Jesus is the Messiah, the son of David, and the son of Abraham. Then in 28:18 Matthew’s Jesus is One who has been given “all authority,” that is, Jesus Christ has total rule. His authority is over all of heaven and all of earth. 

Thus, we ask again; what word, phrase, or idea in verse 1 is repeated in 28:18? What about royalty or rule? To be sure, in those days kings had authority, unlike the current British royalty. In my humble opinion, British royalty exists to look pretty, and to exude national honor among the English. Further, it gives Americans a laugh. But the ancient kings of the Near East were much different (not to be snickered at); they exuded total authority over their domain. Furthermore, many demanded to be worshipped.  

Regarding kingship, several weeks ago (on Easter Sunday) we looked at Matthew chapter 28. It teaches that Jesus was raised from the dead. Now, Matthew doesn’t just hint at kingship, he envelopes his book about Jesus in it. We see it in the first verse of Matthew. Then he begins his narrative of who Christ is by stating that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of David (v. 1). “Messiah” is an interesting term, the NASB decided to translate the Greek word “Christos” by transliterating a word from the Hebrew Bible into English, which was smart. That is to say, “Christos” is Greek for “Messiah.” Both words mean “anointed one.” But the fact that they borrowed a word from Hebrew to put in Matt 1:1 aids the reader in understanding just exactly who Jesus Christ is. He is Messiah. But how do we define “Messiah”? Well, we look it up. One source states, “While it may designate an office such as the high priest (Lev 4:3), . . . [Messiah] is almost exclusively reserved as a synonym for “king.”1

 Thus, Matthew 1:1 portrays Jesus as King. Furthermore, the inclusion of the phrase “Son of David” is reminiscent of Nathan’s prophecy of an eternal king. He spoke these words to David: 

2Sam. 7:12  “When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 

2Sam. 7:13  “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 

2Sam. 7:14  “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, 

2Sam. 7:15 but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took [it] away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 

2Sam. 7:16  “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”’” 

Jesus Christ is the eternal Ruler over all things in heaven and earth. Though it will not be fully realized until Christ returns, this is a truth that Matthew is not shy about. He is not just dropping hints at Jesus’ worldwide authority, but with the genealogy he shows specifically how Jesus came through David’s line. In America our family trees exist to give us information of interest about our past, not necessarily to determine who we are. If so, I’d be jumping from airplanes. But what if I told you that I had 15 kings in my family tree? I do have British royal blood from my paternal grandmother, which amounts to nothing. But the point is that if one has much royalty in their family tree, it must be a big deal, big enough to mean that one is royal. Therefore, we ask, once again, who is Jesus? So far we’ve learned that in many places and with many words Matthew indicates that Jesus is King. But one of his greatest proofs is found right in his genealogy, a place most of us don’t want to read. However, genealogies are amazing, and Jesus’ genealogy is loaded with kings. What if I told you that His genealogy had 15 kings in it? Well, it does. Matthew includes a lineup of 15 kings (Read Matthew 1:6-11 to see the list). This links Jesus Christ to King David. And remember, in the Hebrew Bible kings father kings. 

In ancient times kings wanted their fame spread abroad. The same is true of Jesus Christ, our King. When He rose from the dead He proclaimed that He was the King over all the earth. Then He commanded his followers to go and to make more followers of Him. To help all people in the world realize that there is only one King. His name is Jesus Christ, and He is the only One who gives life eternal. Let us work together to make Him famous by boldly proclaiming the King’s  name so as to make more followers. 

¹ Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody, 1980), ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason Archer and Bruce K. Waltke, Accordance, Vers. 10.1.5, Oak Tree Software, 2013. 

Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow

In my 5th grade classroom, above the chalkboard, on the right side, Mr. Dale had hung a poster. It said, “You are what you eat.” Below this saying there were pictures of various foods, the only one I remember was a chicken drumstick that had a human face. Not supposing that anyone would actually turn into a drumstick, I thought the poster was funny and didn’t take it seriously. Now, suppose I said, “You are what you believe.” How would you respond? If I turned the saying into a funny poster with pictures of famous religious and non-religious thinkers would it make you wonder? 

Truth be told, we are what we believe and we do what we believe. An atheist does not worship anything but himself (likely not confessionally) since he or she would argue there is no God, no Mover, no Creator, no universal Sovereign. Now, take the various viewpoints that are commonly taught in places called sanctuaries or worship centers and sold in places called Christian book stores. Some would like us to believe that God’s purpose for our life is comfort, happiness and a lot of money. To be sure, this fits nicely with the American dream of prosperity, blanketed with a doctrine of positive thinking, Joel Osteen style. 

Unfortunately, this belief crumbles. In the real world people really work, get really sick, and they really die in poverty; no matter how positive their thoughts were. Thus, if one believes that God’s chief end is to make people happy and comfortable, then when those vaporous dreams vanish so does the praise. That faith is dashed to pieces, perhaps into agnosticism, since it is not grounded in good teaching or theology. 

Theology is of utmost importance, and good theology even more. Whom we believe God to be and what we believe God has done is our center. This is where we live, pray, respond, praise, think, play, worship, and love. Take praise. What would a person’s praise look like if he or she believed God to be stingy, not willing to offer blessings to His children? Furthermore, adding to His (supposed) stinginess, what if He were big, but not big enough, powerful, but not powerful enough, or smart, but not smart enough? Sadly, Christians often act as if God really is all these things, despite whatever they may say about Him. To some, God isn’t sufficient to give them what they want or He does not really exist at all. And this belief will be reflected in their praise.

Such anemic praise is going to be half-hearted, perhaps a quarter-hearted fake-a-thon. It was like the time when your Mom made you put on a shirt you despised, but because it was a gift from your favorite Aunt you had to wear it whenever she came over. You were ungrateful for the shirt because you didn’t much like it, but you slowly pulled it out of the dresser and put it on. The shirt wasn’t something you wanted; it didn’t connect with your perceived wants; it wasn’t cool. And your gratitude to your Aunt was heartless performance instead of passionate praise.

And so it is with our praise to God. Hollow, stiff-necked, meager, or burned-out praise tells God who you think He is and what you think of His blessings/gifts. He and His blessings are not worthy of much praise from this perception. But genuine, joy-filled and earnest praise can only come from a mind that truly knows Him. That is, when you who genuinely lift up your soul to God in private and public praise, thanking Him and praising Him with every fiber of your being, you show God that you get it. You know your God, His attributes, and His blessings. You are a true worshipper. 

Now, I don’t think any of us are always true worshippers. I don’t wake up with a smile on my face everyday, ready to praise God. It can be pretty ugly until my first coffee. That is why I need to hear Scripture, to be around other believers, and to fellowship. I need good Bible time, good Bible preaching to motivate my heart to praise. I need to be reminded of how to believe in God, of who He is, and what He has done for me in His Son. 

Oftentimes, toward the end of our worship service we sing a song called The Doxology. It goes, “Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise Him, all creatures here below; praise Him above, ye, heav’n-ly host; praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. A-men.” Lately, we’ve asked something before we sing it. “Have you anything that causes you to praise God?” To answer this, to really praise Him, we must be mindful, dear Christian, of something true about our God; a belief. To borrow from Spurgeon’s little catechism he says this of God’s creation of man: “God created man male and female, after His own image, in knowledge, righteousness and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.” And when one believes that they are created in God’s image, suddenly there is good reason to shout out praise to the living God. 

Take for example another hymn called What Wondrous Love is This, which says we are to worship God because of what we believe about His love. Since we are so awestruck by Him, and His love we never stop singing of it: “And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on [. . .] and through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on.” The heart and mind that believes the truth about God never stops singing of Him and to Him.

Dearest reader, you are what you believe. Last Sunday we saw Stephen who, despite his life being poured out for Christ because he knew Him, saw His glory. Christ’s glory was his center. What is at your center? Certainly, there are hollow, worldly beliefs about God and yourself all around us; I’ve got those too. But are you willing to exchange your thoughts about yourself and God for the Bible’s? When you and I begin to do that we will be able to truly sing doxology to our matchless King. 

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come (Ephesians 1:18-21).

On Resurrection

The resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is a vital doctrine of the Bible. It appears frequently in Acts. In chapter 2, Peter’s Pentecost sermon magnifies Christ’s resurrection. He proclaims, “But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power” (Acts 2:24). In verses 25-28 he quotes David’s vision of the resurrection from Psalm 16, specifically, “You will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor allow Your Holy One to undergo decay” (2:27). Accompanying this quote is Peter’s comment, 

he [David] looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY. This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear (Acts 2:31-33). 

Peter points out that David did indeed foresee Christ’s resurrection. Also, that he and the other Apostles witnessed this miracle, which is now their good news that they will proclaim in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and throughout the world. But where did resurrection truth begin? 

Could it be possible that this resurrection overflow began before Peter’s sermon? Yes, Acts chapter one indicates that Jesus is alive. Verse two reads, “until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after he had given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.” Jesus’ instructions to the 12 and His ascension infer His resurrection. That is, only living people instruct others and go places. Furthermore, in an obvious way the text gives us more resurrection proof: “To the same apostles also, after his suffering, he presented himself alive with many convincing proofs. He was seen by them over a forty-day period and spoke about matters concerning the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3-5). These forty days are important. By witnessing the life, death and resurrection of Christ the men were qualified to be His witnesses. “Thus of the men who have accompanied us during all the time the Lord Jesus associated with us, beginning from his baptism by John until the day he was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness of this resurrection together with us” (Acts 1:22).

Now the resurrection did not originate in Acts. In Luke’s gospel, he provides more post-resurrection narrative. Take note of the risen Jesus in this passage, “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have” (24:39). To be sure, He plainly states, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day (v 46). 

Therefore, one can conclude that the words of Christ and the book of Acts contribute to resurrection truth. Now, regarding Acts, this little paper has barely cited its employment of Christ’s resurrection. In Acts we not only see resurrection in Peter’s Pentecost sermon but also in his others. His witness to Christ’s resurrection appears in 3:13, 15, 4:2, 10, 33, 5:30 and 10:34-42. In 5:20 the resurrection is seen in the angel’s command to the 12 when he releases them to proclaim “all the words of this life.” The resurrection is inferred by Stephen’s words. As he says his last, he has a vision of the living Christ (7:55-56) then he breathes his last as a prayer to Christ (v 59). Stephen, a deacon and the first martyr, witnessed the living Lord. But the resurrection overflow does not stop there. Paul’s conversion experience with the living Jesus (9:5, 27) and His message point it out too. 

And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed. When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead; and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people. And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm,  ‘YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.’ As for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way:  ‘I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY and SURE blessings OF DAVID.’ Therefore He also says in another Psalm,  ‘YOU WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.’ (Acts 13:28-35). 

Then, when Paul was before King Agrippa he says much of the resurrection, here is a snippet: “So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles” (Acts 26:23-24). This important teaching that began to be revealed with Moses and the prophets is carried on by Jesus and then carried on further by the Apostles. Thus, it is no surprise that Paul traces Jesus’ resurrection back to the Old Testament. Resurrection has always been on the mind of God. 

It is obvious how important resurrection is in Scripture but where do you and I fit in? What are we to do with this amazing truth? First, we should not water it down to make it more believable to the world. Jesus did rise from the dead, which is a hard truth for many to believe but it was hard to believe for the world in the 1^st century too. We trust that God will open hearts. Second, we must shout this glorious truth from the highest mountains. The Acts of the Holy Spirit did not stop in the 1^st century, He still saves people but the gospel must be communicated to them. They must believe in the resurrection of Christ to be saved. “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9). 

The resurrection is the heart of Christianity. If Christ did not rise, there is no good news to proclaim, no power, no life for us, no church, and no Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God that Christ is risen! As we approach Easter, may this amazing truth empower you and transform you to be who God wants you to be. I pray that this little paper about the resurrection will give you cause to tell others about our risen Lord. 

Personal Bible Reading for 2013

For as long as I can remember there were Christians around me who began a bible reading schedule at the beginning of each year. I am one such Christian. It is a good and godly habit and one that can produce good fruit in a person's life. However, one must delight and meditate in the scripture. Psalm 1 eloquently brings us to this truth with its portrait of the godly person and the fruitful tree. 

Ps 1:1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 

Ps 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 

Ps 1:3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. 

Ps 1:4 The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away. 

Ps 1:5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 

Ps 1:6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish. 

The word "meditates" is striking, meaning "to read in an undertone." Implying that as this one is reading the text he is speaking it quietly to himself. This reader is intentional, trying to pick up everything he or she can from the Bible. 

Another striking word is "delight." That is, the godly man gets joy from obeying the word of God.This reminds me of the way I delight in my wife's chicken enchiladas. When I hear those two golden words I fill up with joy and it intensifies as I eat them. However, I admit, I have not always delighted in knowing/living scripture nor in her chicken enchiladas. This love is learned. This love is progressive and living, it can grow strong or be choked out by other appetites. 

If the love is not choked out, it continues “day and night” (v 2) and the results are quite noticeable. Verse 3 gives us the picture of a flourishing tree. One that is securely planted near a constant flowing necessity for life, water. This tree is alive and flourishing, you might say a typical fruit tree. A tree that produces a specific fruit, thus making it valuable to its owner. A tree that doesn't produce all fruit all the time. But it does have the fruit it is designed to produce, according to its season. Further, this grand tree does not wane, its leaves remain green and lush and able. 

Dear reader, are you like this tree? If not, do you actually love God's Word? Does it cause joy to fill your soul? Do you want to read it intentionally to live out its words? Perhaps, you need to learn to love the Bible. One develops a love for the Bible no different than any other book, just read it. You'll find yourself reading it over and again, going back to passages and verses you marked. 

Of chief importance is that you delight and meditate in the word of God. Unfortunately, it is easy to take too much too quickly and forget to really meditate on it and let it change you. I've talked to many people whom I've encouraged to read it through in one year who indicated that they had read it but did not understand it. Thus, I highly suggest doing two things. First, get a good copy of the Bible. Get one that you admire, the text should be printed to suit you and in a version that is easy for you to read. There are many good ones available, the NASB, NET, NIV, ESV are some excellent choices for English readers. Second, get a plan. You do not have to read through the Bible in one year or two years. Clearly, Psalm 1 indicates two actions, that are vital. We must delight in the scripture and we must meditate in the scripture. For beginners these two are especially important. 

Now regarding your plan, there are numerous reading plans available. If you want a good one for reading it through in one year, I like the Discipleship Journal’s plan, it is free, click here. Also, take a look at Brandon Jones' recent post at his blog, he offers a 3 step plan that is very good, click here to read it. And lastly, for what it is worth, one of the greatest years of bible reading that I had was in 2004. My daily reading was focused primarily on the book of Ephesians and I found something new for my delight and meditation very often. Start small. Aim to read daily. Let it change your soul. 

• For "meditates" (Ps 1:2) the following lexicon is cited above,  Ludwig Koehler, Walter Baumgartner, The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Accordance 10.1.2, 2012). 
• On "delight" (Ps 1:2) the nuance of  "obeying the word" is paraphrased from The NET Bible, Psalm 1:2, fn # 10 (Accordance 10.1.2, 2012). 

As Far As The East Is From The West

Ps 103:12-13 “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.”

The Lord’s forgiveness of sin is a transaction more potent than just a legal pardon. It is not similar to the way people forgive each other, for it is one thing to forgive and another to forget. When one is sinned against it can be hard to forget. That is not the case with our Lord.

We learn a great truth from the Bible when we approach God on His terms (that is fearing Him, Ps 103:13). He forgives. But He actually does more than that. He removes! Psalm 103, a Psalm written to declare the mercies of God includes removal. The imagery provided is geographical, that is, as far as the east is from the west so our sins are taken away from us. Upon our planet this would be the farthest anything could be taken away before it started coming closer again. It is easier to think it terms of North Pole and South Pole; these two cannot be any farther away from each other. The North Pole cannot be any more north. Nor can the South Pole be any more south. Thus, the Lord has removed the transgressions of His people as far as the east is from the west. That is to say, He has taken them out of the way and as far off as possible, so far that He has forgotten our transgressions.

Now in our little worlds this can be difficult to comprehend. But if we think in terms of the work that Christ made in His sacrifice we are helped. Colossians 2:14 is a neat verse that teaches us about the effectiveness of Christ’s death:

“Having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

Our Father has canceled the sin debt for each believer in Christ. If you are trusting in the cross, your sin debt, your transgressions, were removed from you. What a joy to contemplate this truth! He did something that no person could do.

This truth may be difficult for some to put into play. Some may question that if God has removed our offenses so far away why do we still feel guilt over them? Or if God has removed them why is it that we may be tempted and commit them again?

This sin removal is one that applies to God’s records and not so much to our memories. We do have a tendency to remember and perhaps feel guilt. But I do not think we need to or ought to. If our past offenses are removed and forgiven then we can forgive ourselves, lose the guilt and move on. But that may be easier said than done.

Furthermore, even though God has forgiven and removed our offenses it doesn’t mean that the memories will not come back in the form of temptation leading to recurring sins. Sin is ugly and it takes godly discipline to work through it. But since God has gone to such great lengths to remove our sins from us as far as the east is from the west, we should also go to great lengths to make it a practical reality in our lives. Can we agree with God that our sin has indeed been cast into the depths of the sea? (Micah 7:19). If so perhaps the discipline of daily prayer and confession can reflect this. Perhaps, allowing your mind to be renewed by the scriptures many times each week will begin to let the reality of sin removal set in. 

Gospel Versus Fear

Fear is something we all possess though it surfaces differently in each one of us. Fear is not always bad or always good. I like to think it exists on a continuum. The better end of the continuum is the fear that keeps us alive. An example would be the respect one has for the edge of a 200-foot cliff, that is, we stay back; to fall is to die. The other end, the worse end of the continuum, is the fear that seriously hinders someone. For instance, this fear causes one not to leave the house or talk to other people. However, I suggest that a healthy understanding of the gospel will begin to diminish this type of fear.

In Gideon’s case, the LORD told him to go and rip down his Dad’s altars (Judges 6:25). That seedy altar of Baal and the Asherah pole stood as symbols of Israel’s blatant idolatry and apostasy. Now it was time for the symbols to go, God told Gideon to tear them down. But Gideon’s fear welled up, so Gideon ripped them down after dark with ten men (Judges 6:27). The presence of friends and the cover of dark temporarily diminished his fear.

Fear is part of the theme in the short narrative of Gideon. Fear is present when Gideon was threshing wheat so that he could hide it from the enemy he feared (Judges 6:11). It recurs until he hears of the dream from the camp of the Midianites, which was golden proof that his 300-man army would beat the big bad enemy that was too numerous to number (Judges 7:15).

But why wasn’t Gideon’s fear put to rest earlier in the narrative? The LORD called him a “valiant warrior” and reassured him of His constant presence (Judges 6:12). Surely, that would be enough for him to march onto his Dad’s place in broad daylight and tear down the pagan altars without any friends to protect him. I imagine that would be enough to prevent him from testing the LORD. The answer to this is not simple; but to be sure, believing the truth should displace fear. Furthermore, the patience of God comes into play in Gideon’s life. Gideon struggled to overcome his fear but the LORD did not give up on him. God’s patience is amazing in Gideon’s life. He continues in faithfulness and patience toward Gideon as he grapples with fear and as he grows to trust in God and His faithfulness.

Belief is big; it is the silver bullet into the heart of fear. Belief causes us to taste death and live life. However, belief does not come easy, we want piles of evidence hoping it will offer sure proof. Real belief, the kind that destroys fear, brings us to action. It pushes us out of the house and into the faces of our enemies. This is clear in Gideon’s account. His personal fear was overcome by believing God at His word, which led him to battle.

Personal fears vanish in the presence of our earthly Daddy or Mommy. I recall standing at the end of the diving board at the St. Helens swimming pool, very afraid to jump. However, when Dad came over and stood in the pool near the end of the board, I jumped! Guess what? I did not look back and that led to lots of fun that summer jumping off the diving board.

Thus, why is it that you deal with fears dear Christian? God is always with you. You are perfectly nestled in His sovereign hand. He promised to provide all of your needs. He is your perfect, heavenly Daddy. You could not take a breath without His power, nor could you put any words together to form a phrase without His presence, He holds you together and if He stopped you would stop living.

Therefore, as you and I face our greatest fear, namely death. Let us stand together as a church family to remember the words of our Savior, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies” (John 11:25). Jesus’ good news kills death and it should diminish any of our fears. Live in confidence for Jesus is your God and Savior. 

*Kevin DeYoung speaks of gaining courage through communion, click here to read his post.