Holding Fast to the Head

Colossians 2:18-19, “Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.”

Holding fast to the Head speaks of Christ as the source, origin, leader, Lord, the one in authority. The truth is that Christ controls every part of His Body the Church and is its inspiring, ruling, guiding, enlarging, sustaining power, the mainspring of its activity, the center of its unity, and the seat of its life. When we who are members of His Body, do not hold fast to the Head,  we begin to treat Jesus and the gospel the way the Colossian Christians were — as the first, simple, child-like steps of the faith and not the sum and substance of the faith. And because of this, they were looking elsewhere in faith for a deeper experience with God, for deliverance from demonic and addictive bondages, healing from hurts, and acceptability with God. They created rules, regulations, and sought to be more spiritual by seeking visions and pursuing angelic visitations and advice. They thought they needed to add something to Jesus and His gospel – to make additional connections and counsel – some angels or someone who could give them a “new word” from God. As a result there was a diminishing of the centrality of Christ and the fullness of abounding hope, peace, joy, and grace in Him. Christ no longer was solo — He was in a duet with other means of grace — other means of getting personal problems solved.

Len Sweet and Frank Viola assert, in their book Jesus Manifesto, that “the crisis of the church today has little to do with dwindling numbers, aging congregations, outdated facilities, financial crises, and lace by day, leather by night priests. Today’s church crisis stems from one thing: Jesus Deficit Disorder. The church’s narrative is biblically, theologically, and spiritually bankrupt. The church has been busy telling stories other than God’s story, dreaming other dreams than God’s dream as revealed by Jesus.”

Christians have made the gospel about so many things, and the preachers are preaching about everything except the one thing – Jesus Christ.  Religious concepts, ideas, doctrines, strategies, methods, techniques, and formulas have all eclipsed the beauty, the glory, and the reality of the Lord Jesus Himself. 

Holding fast to the Head, which is similar to Jesus’ expression “abide in me,” means that I get the blessings and benefits that flow down into His Body – of which I have been made a part. Holding fast to the Head means I know the depth of my soul’s disease and the ONE remedy sufficient to renew my heart — the crucified and risen Christ. So I make a moment by moment choice to look to Him alone, constantly, consistently, and continuously, every day, as my Lord, my Life, and the Lover of my soul.

When we as believers do not hold fast to the Christ the Head, we grab for other things. Holding tight to these things, leads us to some form of addiction. We can become addicted to substances: alcohol, caffeine, street drugs, prescription drugs, nicotine, sugar, and foods; to processes: gambling, sex (pornography, adultery, etc), exercise (endorphins), work (the next sale, the next deal); people – relationships. The technical term for this is “codependency.” The biblical term is idolatry that results from not holding fast the Head.

Paul says the answer for people’s problems is not in years of therapy or rehab, but in recovery – recovery of the Gospel, where we rediscover, not a “what Jesus would do” outlook, but a “what Jesus has done” view that enables us to go on  “holding fast to the Head.” Give yourself over to drugs, and you become an enslaved, depressed or burned out person. Give yourself over to work, and you become an enslaved, restless, frantic person. Give yourself over to people and you become an enslaved, selfish, dependent person. Give yourself over to worship Jesus, and you become like Him. You will be continually becoming more loving, forgiving, joyful, peaceful, patient, trustworthy, faithful, steadfast, self-giving, and serving. When you and I are meditating on the glories and beauties of Christ Jesus, and believing that all that God promised to be for us in Jesus, He will be, the more joy and peace abound in our heart and the more all substitutes — all idols — are cast down and out of our lives.

Romans 15:13 talks about peace, joy, and hope. In Christ there is peace that takes care of my guilty past and enables me to be restful; a joy that gives me a fruitful present and enables me to stay energized; a hope, which brings the power of the future into the now, enabling me to have an anchor in my soul of security and confidence!

In the gospel of Christ — Christ is our life (Cols 3:4): Christ is in me the hope of glory (Cols 1:27). If the peace of Christ rules in my heart (3:15) and the Word of Christ dwells in me richly (3:16) then the idols will be cast down and out, and worship will go up and I will abound in hope!  Holding to the Head will keep us unfolding the benefits and blessings of the whole gospel that alone can make us whole, and motivate us to take the message of the gospel to the whole world!

In the Whole Gospel – the Lord Jesus Christ is the Alpha and Omega; we don’t have to go outside of Him for anything we need. So go on holding fast to the Head!

“To all my vileness, Christ is glory bright;

To all my miseries, Infinite delight;

To all my ignorance, wise without compare;

To all my deformity, the eternal fair;

Sight to my blindness, to my meanness, wealth;

Life to my death; and to my sickness health;

To darkness, light, my liberty my thrall;

Christ is my all and all!

 

 

 

 

 

Praise Report from Siguatepeque, Honduras!

My wife Anne and I just returned from a short, but very encouraging and gratifying preaching and discipleship training conference. The meetings took place at Destino del Reino, a ministry started from the ground up by one of my former church members and spiritual daughters/disciples, Rhonda Jackson. From basically nothing but a vision, over the past nine years, she has overseen the building of a children’s home, where she is the house parent to 19 orphans, a K4 thru grade 7 school, with incredible building facilities; offices; a medical and dental clinic building almost finished (which will provide free health care for the poor), along with numerous other projects. They have over 240 students, from very poor families, attending the school without charge. In addition she and one of her directors have started a local church that meets in a gorgeous building there on the property, and it is doing well.

Instead of me giving the report, I will let Rhonda give it. The following is taken from a message Rhonda posted to all her partners and prayer warriors on her website at destinodelreino.org.

(The director, Rhonda Jackson, is writing):

“It has been a VERY encouraging week and I couldn’t wait another day to share with you about what God is doing here.  Pastor Wade and Anne Trimmer came to Destino (Siguatepeque, Honduras) this week to minister to our people and to teach a seminar on disciple-making.  I was so personally convicted that, although I have been doing a lot of “good things”, I have not been actively building disciples and that is the command that God has given to each of us as believers. 

Everyone in the conference was so grateful for such clear and profound teaching and have asked when we can have Pastor Wade back for more teaching.  They were all so hungry for real teaching and they are applying what they learned!!! 

Pastor Wade only left yesterday (Wednesday) and this morning, one of the pastors who attended with 9 of his church members, called and told Carlos that all of those that attended with him have already found the people that God wants them to disciple and they are OBEYING the truth that was given to them.  I have prayed about who I am to disciple and I will begin next week disciple Carlos’ wife, Wendy (our school director) on Thursday evenings for an hour, and on Monday evenings for one hour I will meet with Sammy and Emily’s mom, Kelin.  Please be praying for me to be faithful and disciplined to not fail to meet with them.  They, in turn, will meet with one of our teenage girls here in this area and teach them the things they learn from me.  

Pastor Wade had a wonderful message for us on Friday night at the church at Destino.  On Saturday night, he taught about 60 of our school fathers on temptation and there was much fruit.  Carlos received a call from one of our fathers that very night who was under great conviction about his problems with sin in his life.  I know we have not yet seen near the fruit that has come from these teachings. 

On Sunday night, he was able to preach at a church in Siguatepeque and then on Monday night, another church sent about 40 of their men to Destino to be taught about spiritual warfare. 

Thank you for all your prayers for this week and please continue to pray that we will all follow through and be obedient to the things that we have learned and there will be continuing fruit here at Destino.  

Pastor Wade told me he is willing to come when we want him and I am so thankful for that because there is such a need for teaching here and the people are ready for MORE!!! “

EXTREME TAKEOVER!

Among today’s most popular TV programs are two with similar titles: Extreme Home Makeover and just Extreme Makeover. One involves taking homely looking women and men and radically beautifying them by makeover and makeup experts. The other involves taking ugly houses and renovating and beautifying them by a team of experts.

The radical and gorgeously transformed bodies of some of the women are absolutely astonishing. No doubt many a woman wishes that she could be extremely made-over.

As glamorous and youth revitalizing as the makeover is, the bad news is if they live long enough, it begins to sag, bag, wrinkle and lose its twinkle! Extreme makeover isn’t a woman or man’s greatest beautifier. The good news is that God offers something better than extreme makeover – Extreme Takeover! When the Holy Spirit is allowed to take over a person’s life, they then become the special and endless subject of the Ageless Beautician and of the Expert Interior Renovator – the Holy Spirit!

The ugliness of character, joylessness, and powerlessness of most Christian men and women can be largely, if not entirely, accounted for by the neglect of the Holy Spirit’s ministry and mission. Without His total takeover, we lose the secret of inner beauty, the note of authority, the secret of wisdom, the gift of power, and the joy of Lord.

The Spirit of God has given the child of God a supernatural entrance into Father’s Kingdom Family and will give them a supernatural exit. Therefore, when we give Him permission for and extreme takeover, He will give us the power to live a supernatural existence and experience that will produce ageless beauty and endless purpose.

Tragically, the Holy Spirit is among the “Missing Persons” in far too many Christian lives. It is time for the people of God to cry out for the Holy Spirit to make us over by taking us over! We need and extreme takeover by His infilling presence.

Come Holy Spirit, take us over so that we get to know you personally, intimately, powerfully, progressively, and pervasively and thus put Christ on public display more clealry and dynamically!”

Have you come to know Him as the only producer of ageless beauty? Have you been a loyal companion to the Holy Spirit? Have you hurt his heart and ignored His company? Have you tried to bypass His partnership? Is so, repent! Welcome him back into the throne room of your heart. Let Him love you, control you, exercise His authority in your life. Let Him flood you with His divine desire. Every intention He has for you is good, holy and pure.

Confess in agreement with the words of James A Stewart: “I take the Promised Holy Spirit. I take the gift of Pentecost to fill me to the uttermost. I take –He undertakes.”

Holy Spirit, we invite you to do an EXTREME TAKEOVER of every aspect of our lives!

 

Have You Been Institutionalized?

 (Most of this article is taken from Neil Cole’s book, Organic Church.)

In the movie, Shawshank Redemption, an old guy named Brooks was a well-liked and respected person in the inmate com­munity. He ran the library, loved books and people, and was no one’s enemy. A senior citizen of the prison populace, he had been in the Shawshank institution longer than anyone could remember. And he was about to be released.

Suddenly and without any warning, Brooks goes crazy and threatens to kill another inmate with a shank to his throat. The other cons try to figure out what went wrong with the normally calm and likeable old guy.

Listening to a later conversation in the prison yard, we get the sense that this is about more than just a literal prison.

Andy, played by Tim Robbins, remarks, “I just don’t understand what happened in there. That’s all.”

Another inmate chalks it up to the old man going crazy, but Red, played by Morgan Freeman, takes issue with the remark. “Would you knock it off? Brooks ain’t no bug. He’s just … institutionalized. The man’s been in here fifty years, Hayward, fifty years! This is all he knows. In here he’s an important man. He’s an educated man. Outside he’s nothing. He’s just a used-up con with arthritis in both hands. He prob^­ably couldn’t even get a library card if he tried. Do you know what I’m trying to say?”

Like Brooks, many people have been insti­tutionalized in the Church. Because the church as a whole has moved from a living organism to a legal organization, it has become an institution and its leaders and members are much like Brooks. Inside the institution they are important people, educated people, familiar people and routine activities. Outside they are nothing; strangers with no clout, no power, nothing impressive.

The truth is Christ did not come to establish an institution. His kingdom and his church are meant to be relational and spontaneous movements, not organizations. It is his followers who created the “church institution” with layers of authority and solidified programs and routine practices that take on a sacred nature in and of themselves.

What is the Institutionalized Church?

Frank Viola provides this definition: “A church that is created by human organization, chain-of-command styled leadership, and institutional programs. It’s marked by a weekly order of worship (or mass) officiated by a pastor or priest. It’s controlled by a top-down hierarchical organization and human social conventions (called “offices” or “positions”) that people fill. The institutional church has often been called “the traditional church,” “the organized church,” and “the audience church.” Congregants watch a religious performance once or twice a week, and then retreat home to live their individual Christian lives.

Leadership is hierarchical in the institutional church, and Christians are divided into “clergy” and “laity” (or their equivalent-”pastor – people”, “shepherd – sheep”, “minister – saint”).

When God’s people assemble together on the same basis of the organizational principles that run General Motors and Microsoft, we call it an institutional church. But when God’s people assemble together on the basis of the life of God, we call it an organic church.

In the traditional church the institutional concept would look like this:

1. God is the owner.
2. Jesus is the C.E.O., Chief Executive Officer.
3. The pastors or elders are the board of directors.
4. The deacons and ministry leaders are management.
5. Members are the work force.
6. The workers only come to the plant (church building) 2-3 times a week and put in around 4 hours, basically just sitting and listening!

The institutional concept creates territories or turfs with certain understood laws:

1. Law #1: You shall at all times correctly identify territorial boundaries.
2. Law # 2: You shall at all times respect those boundaries.
3. Law # 3: You shall not, for any reason, invade the territory of someone who occupies a position higher than yours.

As Rick Meigs observes, “Jesus told us to go into all the world and be His ambassadors, “but many churches today have changed the ‘go and be’ command to a ‘come and see’ appeal.” They strive to have the best show in town.  Many in the institutionalized church have fallen in love with buildings, programs, icy professionalism, multiple staffs and a varied menu of goods and services designed to attract and entertain people but with very little redemptive value.”

Christ did not establish an institution. He would never allow his church to be defined or deployed as a material building in a single location, with lots of professionals leading and implementing many programs to keep the people involved in perpetuating the institution.

Roger Thoman writes, “Jesus invited us to join him, organically, in the reproduction of life.  His church is a living, thriving, reproducing organism (Mark 4) that allows life-in-the-Spirit to spread virally from one disciple to the next.  His church is alive as illustrated by a seed (Mark 4) that brings forth 30, 60, or 100-fold reproduction. That is the life of the kingdom. His life in me is passed on to the life of another (2-fold) which is passed to the life of another (4-fold) which is passed to the life of another (8-fold), etc. That is the way of organic/viral life and this is what the kingdom IS. This is ultimately what Jesus invited us to become part of: discipling viral ( viral means highly contagious and rapidly multiplying) disciplers.”

The Kingdom of God is meant to be decentralized, mobile and ever expanding, having reproductive impact by personal contact. In contrast, institutionalized church people tend to centralize, localize, immobilize, and develop a fortress mentality with most of the emphasis on coming instead of going; turning the church building into the place for ministry instead of the base for it. As to be expected, with little contact comes little impact.

Decentralizing, mobilizing, sending and going are the ways of Jesus. The gospel says, “go”, but our church buildings say “stay.” The gospel says, “Seek the lost” but our churches say, “Let the lost seek the church.”

The Gospel says (in Luke 14:23), “Go into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, that my house may be full.” But institutionalization says, “Let’s launch a new public relations and advertising campaign to attract the right ‘profile’ or ‘demographic’ of the prospective church attendee we are currently targeting.”

Carl Richardson writes, “Institutionalization is marked by inflexibility, immobility, insensitivity, and inconsequentiality.

Chanting the “party line” and reciting proven “trigger phrases,” the perpetuators of the institutionalized church give primary lip service to the Great Commission but only secondary action.

Often the most zealous among them actually perceive themselves as preservers of “the faith.” Imagining themselves to be among God’s most favorite people, they are expert at self-deception and self-righteousness, artifice and guile. Within the ultimate framework of the institutionalized church, the Great Commission is not resisted. It is ignored. It is quietly displaced with lofty sounding substitutions and high-gloss new programs void of much of anything of eternal consequence.

The bottom line is the only line. The mission of the church is surrendered – then forgotten. Meetings replace mission. Focus on the letter of the law unsparingly replaces the life-giving anointing of the Holy Spirit of God.

Servicing the institution becomes primary. Kingdom ministry becomes secondary.

Christ is no longer Lord of all. He is not Lord at all. Jesus is no longer Savior. He is relegated to and referenced as merely a partner in the “business” of running the church.”

One seminary professor wrote, “The real trouble is not in fact that the Church is too rich, but that it has become heavily institutionalized, with a crushing investment in maintenance. It has the characteristics of the dinosaur and the battleship. It is saddled with a plant and program beyond its means, so that it is absorbed in problems of supply and preoccupied with survival. The inertia of the machine is such that the financial allocations, the legalities, the channels of organization, the attitudes of mind, are all set in the direction of continuing and enhancing the status quo. If one wants to pursue a course which cuts across these channels, then most of one’s energies are exhausted before one ever reaches the enemy lines.”

Scripturally, individually we are each God’s Temple and corporately we are also His Temple. Why then do we work so hard to raise up professional priests to lord over believer priest and try to do all the work of the ministry, centralized buildings in which the majority of ministry is done, and institutionalized sacraments (Baptism and the Lord’s Supper) whose practice is governed by the heads of the institution?

Our definition of church without the centrality of Jesus is a key to our problem of believing it is quite all right to have the church be attractional, institutional, stationary, and non-reproducing. Most common definitions of the church do little to even mention Christ.

As seen biblically, the church is not structured the same way a business corporation or university is. Rather, it is structured like the human body—on the basis of life. At its most basic level the church is a community, not a hierarchy; an organism, not an organization (Mt 18:20; Rom 12:5-8; 1 Cor 12; Eph 4:1-16; 1 Pet 4:10-11).

Most of the metaphors and explanations of the Kingdom of God and the Church in the New Testament use natural concepts for identification and description:  the Body, the Bride, the branches, the field of wheat, the mustard seed, the Family, the Flock, leaven, salt, and light.  When the New Testament uses a building as a metaphor of the Church, it is quick to add that it is made up of Living Stones (1 Peter 2:5).

We would do much better as leaders in the Church to learn at the feet of the farmer rather than study with the CEO of a corporation. It is time we see that the Church starts in the fields, not in the barns (Prov. 24:27).  We spend so much time building nice barns with padded pews, air-conditioned halls, and state-of-the art sound systems, yet we have neglected the fields. We are as foolish as the farmer who builds a barn and then stands in the doorway calling all the crops to come in and make themselves at home. It is time for the Church to get her hands dirty in the soil of lost people’s lives.

When we become part of the perpetuation of the institution so that our own identity and security and ministry are found there, we have become insti­tutionalized like Brooks.

Of course, God may well be working in and through the organized expression of the church, but I guarantee he is also at work outside of it. His kingdom is bigger than any church, denomination, or institution.

It is dangerous when the institution becomes the leaders’ and the peoples’ source of identity and purpose. (Ask the typical Christian what and where their church is and they give you a building’s name and street address.) After being in this type of environment for a while, the leader feels compelled to give his life to maintaining the institution, while utilizing the people in the building to assist him in keeping the organization’s machinery well-oiled and running smoothly. In essence the leader and the typical church member is a prisoner to a made-made institution and cannot imagine life on the outside.

Back to the movie, Andy asks Red, “You think you’ll ever get out of here?”

Red looks down, almost in defeat. Unable to see the possibility be-cause the reality of the prison walls is truer for him, Red replies, “I don’t think I could make it on the outside, Andy.”

As he gazes up at the high, cold stone walls that have imprisoned him, he goes on, “I’ve been in here most of my life. I’m an institutional man now, just like Brooks was.”

After Red has given his response to Andy’s question, he assumes that he is about to choose to surrender to life behind the walls and give up on Mexican fantasies, but Red is wrong. Andy is unsinkable. He summarizes in one sentence the choice all of us have to make if we are to break free from being institutionalized. Our simple choice is the same as Andy’s: “Get busy living or get busy dying.”

Andy would not surrender to the walls. He would be free. He was free before he was in prison, he was free while in prison, and he would be free outside of prison.

And you can be too.

Andy saw great potential in Red, more than Red himself could see. And eventually, they would both realize the freedom that Andy always had on the inside.

Will you be free of the institution and involved in a living, moving, virally infectious, reproducing, glocal church (glocal = both local, national and international)? The choice is yours. Get busy living in a growing organism or get busy dying in the institution.

 

 

 

Prayer Request for Honduras Mission Trip –January 20-26, 2012

We ask for your prayers as my wife, Anne and I (Wade) leave for Siguatepeque, Honduras on Friday, January 20. We will be with one of my spiritual daughters in the faith, Rhonda Jackson, at her mission station – Destino del Reino. Pray for traveling mercies, health, discernment as to preaching topics, fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit, good translators, and fruit for our labors. We will be preaching at various types of meetings, in some of the churches, as well as teaching a discipleship training conference. Thank you for your prayers and ongoing investments in this ministry that makes such an effort possible. We look forward to bringing back a good report.

Pastor Wade and Anne Trimmer

A Spiritual Dropout

2 Timothy 4:10, “For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world …”

The brief, but revealing statement concerning Paul’s co-laborer, Demas, serves as a beckon of warning to us. It reminds us that it isn’t enough to start well, or to be intimately associated with and discipled by the greatest Christian that ever lived. In spite of all his spiritual progress and advantages, Demas became a spiritual dropout – a casualty of the world system’s fatal attraction! The lure of the world became so irresistible to Demas, that he abandoned both Paul and the ministry.

Grant me spiritual license to speculate on the factors that may have led to Demas’ forsaking Paul, and in all probability, Christ as well.

First, love begins to Wane.

Demas had been with Paul for a long time. In Philemon 24, he refers to him as a fellow-laborer. He mentions his name again in Cols 4:14. He has been with Paul through many tough battles – battles such as those described in 2 Cor. 11:24:27. I believe he got so busy doing the Lord’s work that he begin to neglect the Lord of the work. He probably became so busy talking to others about their need of the Lord that he begin to find it difficult to find time to talk to the Lord for his own heart’s sake.

No doubt there was a time in Demas’ spiritual pilgrimage when Jesus was the joy of his day and the song in his night; when prayer was a sheer delight; when the throne of grace was frequently visited; when the communion of the Holy Spirit was so real and fresh. But secretly and slowly love began to wax cold. Waning love doesn’t happen all at once. The Christian begins dabbling in the things of the world. He gets deeper and deeper in sin, slowly sliding away from the Lord, without even knowing what is happening.

Some of you are not as you once were. Your soul has lost ground; the divine life has declined; the fruit of the Spirit has withered; the heart has lost its softness; the conscience its tenderness; the throne of grace its sweetness; the cross of Christ its attraction. Love is beginning to wane.

Secondly, labors became very Weighty.

When Demas’ affection for Christ started to cool, he then began to grow weary in well doing. What was once a sheer delight now became a chore. He had grown weary in the work and was now beginning to grow weary of the work.

When you love someone work is hard, but it is not too heavy. But when love cools it becomes an onerous, resented, troublesome task. Beware when any spiritual assignment, any step of obedience, begins to be met with a rising of rebellion in your heart – a feeling of being used and unappreciated. It’s so easy to forget that we are to do what we do anytime, anyplace and for any person, as unworthy servants, doing our duty for the glory of God, without expecting anything in return down here.

Thirdly, the lure of the World begins to Woo You.

Demas fell in love with this present age, which, if a man love, he is the enemy of God, and the love of the Father is not in him; this world whose wisdom is foolishness with God.

Why did he do this? Perhaps it was the fascination of the “better life.”  Perhaps it was a feeling of “missing out in life” that seduced him into an affair with the world. Perhaps it was as John Bunyan portrayed him in Pilgrim’s Progress, the love of silver or money that caused him to become a spiritual dropout. 

Fourthly, limitations become Wider.

No doubt Demas begin to think about things that at one time would have been immediately rejected. He begins to rationalize his conduct, tranquilize his convictions, and compromise his commitment. Some of you reading this are now saying things, seeing things, and doing things that you know grieve the Holy Spirit and you once vowed and declared that you would never do such things. You now call it liberation, tolerance, but God calls it compromise and sin.

Fifthly, leaving it all seems Wisest

Finally, a heart broken Paul writes, “Demas has forsaken me…” The word forsaken literally means to leave in the lurch, or between a rock and a hard spot. He had forsaken Paul and followed his new love. Demas left Paul in the lurch, utterly forsaking him, letting him down. Such a disappointment must have broken Paul’s heart.

Tradition says that he ended up in the lap of luxury by becoming a prominent, powerful government official. When Demas left Paul, (and as far as we know he never returned), he must have thought that he was leaving so little to gain so much of this world’s things. But no doubt he discovered too late that he had lost far more than he could have possibly imagined.

He lost the companionship of his best friend and of his mentor. He lost the joy of the Lord. He lost his testimony. But above everything else, he lost the blessing of hearing Jesus say, “Well done thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joys of the Lord.” Demas became a “spiritual casualty.”

We need to pay especially close attention to the words of the old Puritan, Thomas Guthrie as he admonished:  “If you find yourself loving any pleasure better than your prayers, any book better than the Bible, any house better than the house of God, any table better than the Lord’s table, any person better than Christ, any indulgence better than the hope of heaven — take alarm.”

 

My One New Year’s Resolution!

 Someone well said that a New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one Year and out the other!  The reason this is true, for the most part, is because most good resolutions are simply personal checks that men draw on the Bank of Self where the account reads, “This check is invalid due to insufficient funds.” 

Some of the synonyms for “resolution” are determination, decision, fortitude, and will power. Little god-players, i.e. the unsaved, believe that a “just say no” resolution coupled with “you can do it” effort will make this year, and all that follows successful. Unfortunately, we Christians still have a lot of this little god-player nature residing in us. So we make our “do” list resolutions and ask the Lord to help us to be good, do good, and do more good things. Then the first thing we begin to notice is our do’s and don’ts get blended together and our well-intentioned resolutions are done – a do-do list made by dough-doughs! 

After 45 years in the faith, I have come to realize that there is only one resolution that I need to make that will keep me drawing daily from the Bank of Grace, where all the resources of our Father in Heaven are made available through the gospel-purchased collateral of His Son’s successful life and labors, and released by the resident resource funds manager – the Holy Spirit. What resolution is this? The resolve to preach the gospel to myself daily! 

Author and pastor, C.J. Mahaney writes, “Reminding ourselves of the Gospel is the most important daily habit we can establish. If the gospel is the most vital news in the world, and if salvation by grace is the defining truth of our existence, we should create ways to immerse ourselves in these truths every day. No days off allowed.” Pastor Mahaney goes on to say in this powerful, perceptive  statement: Haney wasH”The gospel isn’t one class among many that you’ll attend during your life as a Christian – the gospel is the whole building that all the classes take place in! Rightly approached, all the topics you’ll study and focus on as a believer will be offered to you `within the walls’ of the glorious gospel. Never be content with your current grasp of the gospel. The gospel is life-permeating, world-altering, universe-changing truth. It has more facets than a diamond. Its depths man will never exhaust.” 

What is the “good news” that I am going to preach to myself daily? Paul sums up what we need to preach to ourselves daily in his letter to the Colossians. Breaking in at Cols. 1:12, we read, “… giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”  

I will be changed, not by telling myself what I need to do for God, but by hearing daily what he has done for me in Christ. Because of Christ’s work for me I am no longer in spiritual darkness, but one of the sons and saints in the light. I will always have his presence and power filling me with ongoing revelation in an ever-deepening knowledge and love-relationship of who Christ is and who I am in him. In Christ there is nothing that I can do to make him love me more, and nothing that I have done can make him love me less. 

I announce the good news that there has been a kingdom transfer from the prince of darkness’ kingdom into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. Now, I am in the kingdom and the kingdom is in me, around me and above me in Christ our King. My past is Christ-redeemed, my present is Spirit-empowered and directed, and my future is Father God-secured. 

Because of Christ’s finished work, victorious resurrection, ever-living priestly intercession, and His now-in-me indwelling presence in the person of the Holy Spirit, I have been forever qualified, delivered, approved, accepted, loved, forgiven, made clean and covered with the righteousness of Christ. Father sees me in Christ and loves me as Christ. Glory to God in the Highest! Is that good news or what? 

I will be changed, not by behaving better and resolving to quit this and start that, but by believing bigger, and in deeper, wider ways, what Father, Son and Holy Spirit have already secured for me in his gospel. When I am daily preaching the gospel to myself, the Spirit of God will use the story of the gospel of God to make the beauty of Christ come alive in my heart. Growing is never going beyond the gospel but going deeper and deeper into the gospel. Every day I need to hit the refresh button and get gospel-soaked. Then as the news gets better and better to me, I will realize that it is too good to keep and then I will desire to tell it out and shout it out, and let the whole world hear the good news. The good news is, as one pastor said it, “Jesus Plus Nothing Equals Everything!” 

Are you a gospel preacher? Every Christian should be.

How’s your talk? Is it good news announcing, God-centered, Christ-exalting, Spirit-empowered, kingdom born, kingdom based, and kingdom building? Or is your talk unbelief based, self-pitying bound, and negatively blighting, complaining, criticizing, or commiserating over how big the opposition is, or how bad things are, or how helpless and hopeless you feel? 

Resolve with me to be daily a gospel preacher, beginning with ourselves! If we do, this time next year will find us changed in every dimension of our lives and enjoying God more delightfully!

Are You a Shirker?

 In his excellent book Death by Suburb, David Goetz tells about the theory of a biologist who majors on the study of deer and elk that created a lot of debate among other biologists by setting forth the theory of the “shirker bull.”

Among elk and deer there’s a fall ritual called the “rut” in which the bulls square off against each other, butting heads and seeking dominance over other bulls, and favor with the females, in order to fulfill their biological duty and make sure there is a future generation. According to the biologists, a “shirker bull” is typically a loner who avoids fighting with other males and thus pours all his caloric energy into growing bigger in size, while growing exceptionally large antlers.

Then David Goetz makes application of this practice by saying: “Shirkers are religious folks who unintentionally disengage from the suffering of the world and who unsuspectingly collect to themselves every available religious experience.”

When I read this I was personally convicted and pastorally convinced that this is a major problem with most of us Christians. We have redefined “Christ-likeness” as being only inner essence of character and thus we spend all of our lives trying to be more Christ-like. For our personal growth we go to church to get more truth instead of being the church and as we are going, giving away what truth we already have for spiritual reproduction of more new babies in Christ. We get involved in every Bible study we can, go to every conference we can, read the latest books on how to be a better Christian, watch Christian television, listen to sermons and teachings by the tons on self-improvement, and it only amounts to growing fatter in the faith, not growing up and going out in the faith, and growing the beautiful antlers of personal holiness, which we thing Jesus admires. Thus, future generation multiplication is forfeited in self-centered spiritual growth.

Instead of being like the ready-to-risk all bull elks for the reproduction and multiplication of future generations, we turn inward and either spend all of our time trying to get our personal issues resolved or spend it worrying and working on getting and keeping more things. We fret and fume over what might happen to our stuff, our reputation, our standing, our personal safety, our children, our ideology, and our investments. In doing this we forget that we have all these things so we can live fully for Christ.  All the things we value were never meant to be safeguarded.  We and our material things were meant to be put at risk and spent for the glory of God by being and building disciples who will reproduce and multiply.

Is your Christian life more like that of the shirker bull that looks groomed and great, or the old warrior bull that’s often weary and wounded, with antlers broken, but willing to fight to the death for the privilege of seeing offspring?

As for me, I repent for being a shirker! I want to be a spiritual father that is willing to risk it all in order to do what Jesus commanded every Christian to do – Make DMD’s (disciples who make disciples) of all nations so that the glory of the Lord fills the earth through spiritual sons and daughters.

The Gift that Keeps on Giving!

If you asked the average person on the street to list the first words that come to their mind when “Christmas” is mentioned, the consensus would probably be, “givers and gifts — getting them and finding a use for them, and giving them, and finding a way to pay for them!”

Many gifts are unneeded, unwanted, and useless. Yet all of our gifts and giving is supposed to cause us to pause and reflect upon Heaven’s Perfect, Indescribable, and Unspeakable Gift.

Christmas is not about a season of the year that we revel in, but about the Sovereign of the Universe who revealed Himself fully in Christ. It isn’t about shopping and stuffing our stomachs, but about a Savior providing salvation for our souls. It’s not about memorable times at home, but about the monumental task undertaken in a cradle and on a cross. It’s not about Christmas trees and the toys, tools and trinkets found under it. It’s about the God who so loved the world that He sent His one of a kind Son to die on a tree that we might live by it.

In reality, Christmas is too wondrously magnificent to be confined to one solitary, fleeting day! There is a deathless, never-ending significance to this Child of Christmas — a permanent and divinely bestowed Gift of God that keeps on giving and giving and never giving out!

Seven hundred plus years before His actual birth, Isaiah the prophet, gazed down through the corridors of time and saw a Child born and a Son given that would go on forever giving and giving – giving purpose, peace, power, pleasure, prosperity and joy for living life meaningfully and enjoying it immensely!

In this gift of the Child born and the Son given, we discover the potential for satisfying of all our needs, providing the substance to all our hopes and the power for settling of all our fears.

Isaiah 9:6, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

In the above text, Isaiah records four (some translations say five) titles given to the Christ-child that express something of His nature and how He can become real to us and in us and through us.

Wonderful Counselor — this aspect of Christ’s nature can take care of the Boring and Baffling Issues of Daily Life.

Mighty God – this aspect of Christ’s nature can take care of the Breaking Down and Burdening Pressures of Daily Life.

Everlasting Father — this aspect of Christ’s nature can take care of the Brevity of Life by Bringing Us into God’s Forever Family.

Prince of Peace — this aspect of Christ’s nature can take care of Battling the Fear of not Having What it Takes. (The Hebrew word shalom means wholeness — the possession of adequate resources.)

Time and space constraints will restrict us to just a few brief comments on this one aspect of the Messiah – The Wonderful Counselor.

Why is Jesus called the Wonderful Counselor, or as one translation says, “The Wonder of a Counselor?”

First, because He is Miraculous, Marvelous, Astonishing, Wonderful in His Personality — “a child is born a son is given.” The phrase “a Child is born (Isaiah 9:6a) speaks of Messiah Jesus’ humanity. We read in John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Jesus is the miracle of all miracles – just as much God as if He were not man and just as much man as if He were not God. He had to be who he was in order to become what he did. He had to become what he did in order to do what he did. He had to do what he did in order that we may have what He is. Wonder of wonders, the God who invented the world now invaded the world in human form! The One who created it now crashed it in order to reclaim it!

The phrase “a Son is given” speaks of His deity. We read in John 1:18, “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.” In Jesus, God became understandable to us. At Bethlehem, God became “with us” like never before. In Christ, the Infinite became an Infant, the Massive became the Miniature, and the Noblest Being in the cosmos became a Nursing Baby in a crib.

Everything Jesus did was an extension of Father God’s presence, an exhibition of His power and purpose, and everything He said was an expression of God’s will and Word. Christ was and is the sufficiency of God’s grace, the infallibility of God’s Word, the impregnability of God’s peace, and the tranquility of God’s rest.

Secondly, because He is Miraculous, Marvelous, Astonishing, Wonderful in His Humility – Philippians 2:6-7, “who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.”

In Philippians 2:8, we are told that, “He took upon Himself the form of a servant and humbled Himself.”  No one humiliated or humbled Him, He made that choice Himself. This choice required the laying aside of the outward appearance of His God-head, taking the nature of man, the form of a servant, and the likeness of a sinful people.

Herb Hodges asks and answers the question, “What is the “attitude” of heaven?  It is humility.”  He goes on to write, “So God would never have regarded Bethlehem’s cow trough as a reduction, as a condescension, as a stooping down, as a humiliation. I think God is right at home in a barn! Is that too daring for our minds which are so dizzied by pride? But isn’t this the way heaven ALWAYS acts? Yes! Yes, it is! God’s Heart is always humble.”

The scripture says He gave up certain things. What was it that He temporarily relinquished? It was not His essential being, His Godhead, but the visible manifestation of it, the outward glories of it.  What did He give up?  Among a number of things, we select just one: He gave up His riches.  II Corinthians 8:9: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though He was rich yet for your sake He became poor that you through His poverty might become rich.” Think how the Owner of all things had to borrow a place to be born and a house to live in, a boat to preach from, an animal to ride into Jerusalem on, a room in which to initiate the Lord’s Supper, and a tomb in which to be buried.

But that’s not the half of it.  He gave up His true riches — His heavenly glory. He left the glories, adulation and admiration of Heaven and condescended to come to this sin-cursed earth. During His earthly sojourn He was spit upon, reviled and rejected of men. A Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief.  There was no outward manifestation, no outward demonstration in His appearance that naturally attracted men to Him.  It took a miracle to open the eyes of an individual in order for them to perceive the glory and true identity of His person.

Thirdly, because He is Miraculous, Marvelous, Astonishing, Wonderful in His Activity — Jesus is active in the ongoing continuing process of reversing the curse. He is infinitely energetic with absolutely unbounded and unending enthusiasm for the fulfillment of His assignment to see that every lost sheep is gathered, every foe is vanquished and Christ is Lord indeed! He is never bored or boring. He is never depressed, dejected or disappointed. In His presence there is fullness of joy and at His right hand there are pleasures forevermore. He will rejoice in doing us good and delights in prospering us. He is like the highway patrolman pursuing us down the highway of life with lights flashing and siren blaring to get us to stop – not in order to arrest us and lock us up, but in order to give us a message so good it couldn’t wait until we got home. A message that says, “I rejoice over you with singing. I love you so much that I had rather die than live without you. I long to be the Treasure and Pleasure of your life, then you will never be bored!”

Fourthly, because He is Miraculous, Marvelous, Astonishing, Wonderful in His Availability — The dullness and boredoms of life aren’t caused by circumstances on the outside but by spiritual conditions on the inside of your heart.

The wonder of all wonders is to realize that Christ wants to make my heart His home. John 14:23, “Jesus replied, ‘If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.’” When He comes in, it then becomes “Christ in me the hope of Glory!”

True wonder has depth. It isn’t a shallow emotion or a passing wave of excitement. True wonder has value. It isn’t a novelty or surprise that creates cheap amusement and enervates our emotions. Wonder enriches our emotions, excites them, and enhances them. True wonder creates and attitude of humility.

Listen to some of the many hymn writers who were caught up in the majesty and mystery of the Wonder of a Counselor:

O Lord my God, when I in awesome WONDER, consider that you, your Son not sparing, sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in; that on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin!

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord. A wonderful Savior to me!

Jesus, my Savior, to Bethlehem came, laid in a manger to sorrow and shame; O it was wonderful, blest be His name, seeking for me, for me: O it was wonderful, blest be His name.

Christ has a full redemption made: What a wonderful Savior! We are redeemed! The price is paid: What a wonderful Savior!

There is never a day so dreary, there is never a night so long so long, but the soul that is trusting Jesus will somewhere find a song. There is never a guilty sinner, there is never a wandering one but that God can in mercy pardon thru Jesus Christ His Son, Wonderful, wonderful Jesus, in the heart he implanteth a song, a song of deliverance of courage of strength.

O the wonder of it all, the wonder of it all, just to think that God loves me!

I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene, and wonder how he could love me, a sinner condemned, unclean. O how marvelous; O how wonderful is my Savior’s love for me.

To me He’s so wonderful; to me He’s so wonderful; just to know that Jesus is mine!

Jesus, the Wonder of a Counselor counsels in Revelation 3:18: “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.”

The Wonder of a Counselor breaks the power of canceled sin and sets the prisoners free; He will set your bearings straight so that you don’t have to live in doubt and double-mindedness over decisions to be made; He gives the Spirit of love, power and of a sound mind to those who have been getting counsel from a spirit of fear; He binds up the broken-hearted who have been living by the counsel of a spirit of hopelessness with the information that He will never leave you nor forsake you! He gives wisdom to those who ask.

This Wonder of a Counselor is the key of knowledge, because in Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge abide. He is the way of wisdom, the truth to walk in, and the life to trust in. He is the pathway of peace, the roadway of righteousness, the highway of holiness, and the gateway to glory.

His name is wonderful, His name is wonderful, Jesus my Lord.

Jesus is the Gift that forever goes on giving! Have you received this gift of all gifts?

 

 

Whom are You Kissing this Christmas?

A Study in Psalm 2:1-12

Before Christmas day, one could anticipate being asked a variety of questions like: “Have you done all your shopping?” “How are you going to pay for all the stuff your wife has purchased?” “Where will you be spending Christmas day?” “How long do you have off work?” However, the question I wish to ask is by no means a standard Advent Season type, and it is certainly not the kind of question you might expect when you come to church. Here’s the question: “Whom are you kissing this Christmas?”

Most of us are familiar with a popular old Christmas song along these lines: “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.” The lyrics go like this:

‘I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus underneath the mistletoe last night. She didn’t see me creep down the stairs to have a peep; she thought that I was tucked up in my bedroom fast asleep. Then, I saw Mommy tickle Santa Claus underneath his beard so snowy white. Oh, what a laugh it would have been if Daddy had only seen Mommy kissing Santa Claus last night.’

Of course, we adults know that the Santa Claus mommy was kissing was her husband dressed like Santa. For those who have someone to snuggle up to during Christmas this song makes for warm, cozy, innocent family type emotions. For those who don’t, Christmas can be a very sad time. What I want to demonstrate from my strange question is that there is Someone who anyone can and everyone should kiss, even if they’ve got no one else. In fact, the person I’m referring to gives an invitation that also involves a command  — Kiss the Son of God, lest He be angry with you — Kiss Him with the kiss of reconciliation, submission, adoration and affection.

Psalm Two can be divided up into four sets of voices speaking. Listen to the first of these voices:

I. The Voices of the Universal Rebellion of Sinful Men – Ps 2:1-3

“Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?  (2:2)  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his anointed, saying, (2:3)  “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”

A. The Voices of Society Speaking Defiance Against the God of the Bible  

1. They want no Authority to Give an Account To – All mankind is by nature “little god-players” with a determination to have their own kingdom, make their own rules and as a result will resent and rebel against any attempts to infringe upon their rights to kingship. In America there has been a massive attack on “the notion of authority.” The outcome of this battle has shown up in rejecting authority in the home, in the classroom, in church, and in government. Since the sixties violent crime has risen by 550%, criminal arrests of teenagers by 150%, illegal drug use by 6000%, births to unwed mothers 500%, and a whole generation of over 45 million killed by abortion in our country alone. The root of this destruction is abandonment of God’s law as absolute truth. It is rejection of God-appointed authority. 

The old Puritan John Trapp summed up the attitude of the world as he writes, “Resolved they were to run riot, as lawless, and aweless, and therefore they slander the sweet laws of Christ’s kingdom as bonds and thick cords, which are signs of slavery.” 

2. They want no Absolutes to Give Obedience To — Humanity defiantly rejects the thought of God’s kingdom and the rule of His Son. The moral teaching found in God’s law is construed as bondage instead of freedom. The gospel message with its call to repent of sin and submit to Christ as your only King cramps the desires and passions of men in rebellion against God. 

One man in speaking to a pastor said, “I think that anybody who holds to absolute truth is oppressive, intoler­ant, self-righteous, rigid, close-minded and an arrogant know-it-all.” There was a banner seen hanging between two trees in a local park, stating, “It isn’t wrong to think you’re right, but it isn’t right to think others are wrong.” Nice sentiment, isn’t it? It isn’t wrong to have personal con­victions or opinions about what’s right and wrong; it’s just not right to judge the opinions of others. Most Americans reject the idea of any absolutes that are universally applicable and knowable. This is true even in the Christian church. 

Our text raises the question, “Why do nations make a noise, or stay in an uproar or rage”? The Hebrew verb is not expressive of an internal feeling, but of the outward agitation which denotes it. The past tense of this verb (Why have they raged?) refers to the commotion as already begun, while the future in the next clause expresses its continuance. The word with which Peter, in Acts 13:25, renders this is the term “rage”, which in the Greek denotes horses that snort and neigh, and rush into the battle. 

Psalm 2 talks about nations raging, people’s plotting, kings standing, and rulers assembling against the Lord’s Anointed. Here the most powerful among men gather their strength of mind and arms against Jehovah and His Christ. This “corporate spirit of rebellion” shows more determination than a few individuals here and there. The Psalmist intends us to understand that this plot against God was not from a few renegades among the throngs of humanity. But it is the earth’s kings and rulers, the collective minds of men, allying themselves against heaven. Even bitter enemies, like Herod and Pilate, find themselves united in deliberate animosity against Jehovah and His Son. 

The battle in Psalm 2 is characterized as a battle over the ownership of the nations and over the laws that Christ’s kingdom people are to restrain the rebellious with. God wants the kings of the earth (political orders) and the judges (law-interpreters) to yield to Christ, lest he destroy them. This is spiritual warfare with political implications over the establishment of whose law will rule. 

In Acts Four, we see the believers affirming that the healing of the lame man that had prompted the religious leaders to threaten the church with violence was consistent with Christ’s own battle with the world system. If you take the time to read Acts 4:25-27, you will find they list three systems aligned against Christ:

Christ vs. Herod and Pontius Pilate – (political rulers)

Christ vs. the Gentiles – (national and international systems)

Christ vs. the people of Israel – (religious systems) 

We should always keep in mind that when the gospel of the kingdom is preached in power it doesn’t just address souls or personal morals, but it challenges and claims authority over the entirety of the world system’s laws, social and religious structures. It demands the release of the captives to serve God.

We see this battle intensifying today and here are some examples: 

Sam Harris in his book, The End of Faith, condemns what he terms “the lunatic influence of religious belief.” 

Columnist Christopher Hitchens writes, “All religions and all churches are equally demented in their belief in divine intervention, divine intercession, or even the existence of the divine in the first place.” 

British biologists Richard Dawkins, in his book, The God Delusion writes, “Faith is one of the world’s great evils, comparable to the small-pox virus but harder to eradicate;” “Religion is capable of driving people to such dangerous folly that faith seems to me to qualify as a kind of mental illness”  

Listen to Dawkins raging against the God of the Bible: “The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it, a petty, unjust, unforgiving control freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.”‘ Dawkins shows that he doesn’t just disbelieve in the Christian God, he detests Him. 

This raging against the Lord’s Anointed, Appointed Son has been going in for millenniums. The infamous Roman Emperor, known as Julian the Apostate was determined to return the Romans back to their pagan gods and obliterate every semblance of the Christian faith. He is said to have pointed his dagger to Heaven defying the Son of God whom he constantly called the despised Galilean. However, when he was wounded in battle, Julian saw that all was over with for him. He then is said to have gathered up his clotted blood, and throwing it in the air, exclaimed, “Hail! Thou hast conquered, Thou Galilean!”  

We now listen to the second voice speaking in Psalm Two:

II. The Voice of the Unalarmed Response of the Sovereign God – Ps 2:4-6

Psalm 2:4, “He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. (2:5) Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, (2:6) “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” 

Spurgeon calls our attention to the obvious contrast between the attitude of the enemies of the Lord and the Lord Himself: “Observe, dear friends, the wonderful contrast between the violent excitement of the enemies of the Lord and the sublime serenity of God Himself. He is not disturbed though the heathen so furiously rage and their kings and mighty ones set themselves in battle array. He smiles at them—He has them in derision. You and I are often downcast and depressed and our forebodings are dark and dismal, but God sits in His eternal peacefulness and serenely overrules tumult and rebellion. The Lord reigns and His Throne is not moved, nor His rest broken whatever may be the noise and turmoil down below. Notice the sublimity of this Divine calm. While the heathen and their princes are plotting and planning how to break His bands asunder and cast His cords from them, He has already defeated their devices and He says to them, “Yet have I set My king upon My holy hill of Zion. You will not have My Son to reign over you, but nevertheless He reigns. While you have been raging I have crowned Him. Your imaginations are, indeed, vain, for I have forestalled you and established Him upon His Throne. Hear Him as He proclaims My decree and asserts His filial sovereignty. By God’s decree the Ever-Blessed Son of the Highest is placed in power and exalted to His Throne. The rulers cannot snatch from His hand the scepter, nor dash from His head the crown—Jesus reigns and must reign till all enemies are put under His feet. God has set Him firmly upon Zion’s sacred hill and raging nations cannot cast Him down! The very idea of their doing so excites the derision of Jehovah, He disturbs not His great soul because of their blustering. As if it were a banquet rather than a conflict, the Lord God, as Himself King, speaks to the King’s Son, even to His Anointed on His right hand and having acknowledged His royal rank, confers upon Him the highest honors.” 

A. The Voice of the Sovereign God Laughing in Derision

We now turn our ears from the voices of the rebels and the raging clamor of man to the secret place of the majesty of the Most High. What does God say? What will the King do unto the men who reject His only-begotten Son, the Heir of all things?

Notice the quiet, unperturbed dignity of the Omnipotent One, and the contempt which He pours upon the princes and their raging people – Here He does not take the trouble to rise up and do battle with them – He despises them, He knows how absurd, irrational, and futile are their attempts against him – He therefore laughs at them.

The prophet Isaiah gives a similar view of the almighty, majestic and one and only true God as he writes in:

Isaiah 40:15, “Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.”

Isaiah 40:22, “It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers”; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in”; 

Isaiah 40:23, “who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.”  

We hear His declaration in verse 6, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” God’s anointed has been appointed and He won’t be disappointed!

God’s King, being anointed and appointed by Him, is not subject to the voter’s ballot, the assassin’s bullet, the alluring bribe, the media’s broadcasts, or the scientists and philosopher’s babble. He has said to Him, “Sit at my right hand until I make all your enemies your footstool!”

The third voice speaking in Psalm Two catches our attention:

III. The Voice of the Uniquely Related Son of God – Ps 2:7-9

Psalm 2:7, “I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. (2:8) Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. (2:9) You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

A. The Deity of His Person – 2:7

“The Lord has said unto me, thou art my Son…” He is not the Father’s Son by creation, as angels and men; nor by adoption, as saints; nor by office, as civil magistrates; nor on account of his incarnation or resurrection; nor because of the great love of God unto him; but in such a way as cannot be said of any creature nor of any other, (Hebrews 1:5); He is the true, proper, natural, and eternal Son of God, and as such declared, owned, and acknowledged by Jehovah the Father, as in these words; the foundation of which relation lies in what follows. 

“… this day have I begotten thee…” This act of begetting does not refer to the nature or to the office, but to the person of Christ; not to his nature, not to his divine nature, which is common with the Father and Spirit; wherefore if his was begotten, theirs must be also: much less to his human nature, in which he is never said to be begotten, but always to be made, and with respect to which he is without father: nor to his office as Mediator, in which he is not a Son, but a servant; besides, he was a Son previous to his being Prophet, Priest, and King; and his office is not the foundation of his sonship, but his sonship is the foundation of his office; or by which that is supported, and which fits him for the performance of it: but it has respect to his person; for, as in human generation, person begets person, and like begets like, so in divine generation; but care must be taken to remove all imperfection from it, such as divisibility and multiplication of essence, priority, succession, dependence, and the like: nor can the manner of it be conceived or explained by us. 

John 1:14 states:  “And the Word was made flesh.”  Incarnation is the theological expression that defines the above phrase.  The Latin word “carnal” means flesh. So, the Word was in-fleshed and dwelled among us and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” 

The word begotten has caused many to conclude that Jesus had a beginning. The word in the Greek is “monogenes.” Mono means one or only, genes means of a kind or species. Biology speaks of a particular grouping as the genus, the species, or the kind. Applying this meaning to the word begotten, we discover that John declared that Jesus was the One and only One of His kind. 

Contrary to what many enemies of the faith assert, we Christians are not tri-theist, worshipping three gods; nor are we mono-theist — worshipping a non-trinitarian god.  We are Trinitarians. 

Orthodox Christianity holds that the Three Persons of the Godhead are one in substance, one in the depths of common consciousness, one in purpose, with absolute equality, power and glory. They agree with one another in nature, being life, time, dignity, glory, or anything else pertaining to the Divine essence. In all these they are one and the same, consequently, co-essential, co-equal, and co-eternal. This is the mystery of all mysteries – the fact that God is One in Three and Three in One. He is not Three in the same that He is One, nor is He One in the same that He is Three. All true Christians are Trinitarians. We can hear someone saying, “Please explain the Trinity!” We can’t nor can anyone else!  If we could explain it, we would be God. 

Colonel James Irwin, one of America’s finest astronauts, was once asked about his experience of walking on the moon. His response was beautiful: “Far more wonderful than walking on the moon is the fact that one day God walked on the earth.”  

The song writer asks a profound, heart-stirring, mind-boggling question when he asks, “Mary, did you know that when you kissed that baby boy, you kissed the face of God? 

B. The Victory of His Purpose – 2:8

Psalm 2:8, “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.”

Father’s invitation to his Son is to be understood in His wondrous nature as the God-Man Mediator. Before he became God in the flesh, the Divine Son ruled over all. There never was a limit to the reign of Jesus as God, not even when He was hanging on the Cross—He was the everlasting Father even when He was “the Child born, the Son given. 

According to Paul, in Acts 13, the resurrection of Jesus fulfilled these verses in Ps 2 and the Lord Jesus Christ is now enthroned in the heavenly Zion in the place of absolute authority.

Acts 13:32-33, “And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’”

It is in resurrection power that Christ comes forth and God gives to Him dominion over the earth and all that is upon it. Because He lives and was dead He has the keys of Hell and of death. By virtue of His humiliation He reigns. For the suffering of death He is crowned with Glory and honor. The heavenly host proclaim His worthiness to take the Book and open its seven seals, singing, “For You were slain and have redeemed us to God by Your blood.” He descended that He might ascend above all things and fill all things! He laid aside His Glory that He might be crowned with this new glory and honor and might have all things put under His feet as the Son of Man. We speak, therefore, of Jesus Christ the Risen One, who once died, but has now risen from the tomb and left this earth for the splendors of the New Jerusalem.

Our conviction is that this same Jesus is to reign over the whole world. The gospel will be universally victorious before His coming. The Great Commission will be fulfilled by the missionary enterprise of the redeemed people of God. A world wide dominion has been given to our Lord and assuredly His kingdom will embrace all the nations of mankind. The whole earth shall yet be filled with His Glory! The Seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head and clear the world of his slimy trail! 

Spurgeon passionately asks: “Do you think that the crucified Lord will be disappointed of the end for which He died? Will you venture to assert that a single drop of His blood was shed for nothing? Rest assured that He shall see of the travail of His soul, till even His great loving heart shall be content! God has said it, “I will divide Him a portion with the great and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He has poured out His soul unto death.” And you can be calmly confident that the Word of the Lord will stand! If Jesus is King, He is the only Potentate. Christians are enlisted under a banner which does not allow another standard side by side with it! They serve a Prince who will not share dominion with others—who will not submit that even a province shall be torn away from His government! He shall reign forever and ever, King of kings and Lord of lords. Hallelujah! Like a burst of thunder let all hearts that love Him say, Amen!” 

C. The Authority of His Position — 2:9

Psalm 2:9, “You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” 

Who are these that will be treated like a potter’s vessel? It is not the subject nations, nor the inherited heathen, but the kings of the earth who stood up and took counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed; against these He will lift up His iron rod of stern justice and irresistible power! The stubborn and rebellious ones among the heathen, and in each of the parts of the world, who will not have him to reign over them; who treat his person with contempt, reject his government, disobey his Gospel, and despise his commands; towards these Christ will use severity, and will exert his power and break them in pieces. 

This was in part fulfilled when the nation of the Jews, those that persisted in unbelief and enmity to Christ’s gospel, were destroyed by the Roman power, which was represented (Daniel 2:40) by feet of iron, as here by a rod of iron. It had a further accomplishment in the destruction of the pagan powers, when Christianity came to be established; but it will not be completely fulfilled till all opposing rule, principality, and power, shall be finally put down, 1Cors 15:24; Psalms 110:5-6. Observe, How powerful Christ is and how weak the enemies of his kingdom are before him; he has a rod of iron wherewith to crush those that will not submit to his golden scepter; they are but like a potter’s vessel before him, suddenly, easily, and irreparably dashed in pieces by him. Nations shall be ruined, rather than the gospel church failing to be built and established in them. I have loved thee, therefore will I give men for thee, Isa_43:4. “Thou shalt have power to do it; none shall be able to stand before thee; and thou shalt do it effectually.” Those that will not bow shall break. 

In singing this, and praying it over, we must give glory to Christ as the eternal Son of God and our rightful Lord, and must take comfort from this promise, and plead it with God, that the kingdom of Christ shall be enlarged and established and shall triumph over all opposition. 

The writer of the book of Hebrews informs us of the present position and power of Christ Jesus: Hebrews 1: 3-4 –Amp Bible: “He is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God's] nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high,” 

Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of God’s being. Jesus isn’t the ABC’s of Christianity; He is the A to Z of it. He is the reality of all Old Testament rituals, the substance of OT shadows, and the author of salvation. He declared God’s purpose fully, displayed God’s power mercifully, disclosed God’s principles clearly, and demonstrated God’s presence flawlessly.

Hebrews 1:3, declares that the uniquely begotten Son of God, “sat down”– This is an expression that denotes honor, authority, satisfaction, and intercession. All authority has been given Him in heaven on earth! There is no limit to His legislation, jurisdiction, or administration. He is the Maker and Maintainer, the Originator and the Overseer, the Creator and Caretaker. He is the Captain of all conquerors, the Head of the heroes, the Leader of the Legislators, the Master of the Mighty, the King of kings and Lord of lords. The dynamics of nature and the destinies of the nations are directed by His nail-pierced hands! 

In light of this, I remind you that God’s Favor is His Grace Found in Jesus Christ – alone! It is true that all of God’s creation tastes of His mercy. The rain falls, the sun shines, the ground bears fruit for the righteous and the unrighteous. The mercies of God are new every morning. However, His grace and favor resides only upon those who kiss or embrace His Son. “This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” (Lk 3:22).”I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (Jn 8:24).
“Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish” (Ps 2:12).

The last voice we hear is a summons to kiss the Son, and to do it immediately: 

IV. The Voice of Urgency Requiring Total Surrender to the Son of God! – Ps 2:10-12

Psalm 2:10, “Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. (2:11) Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. (2:12) Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”

Spurgeon writes: “Woe to all human societies and brotherhoods which are framed to resist the Lord! Mark the conflict and its end! It is brief enough. A stroke! Where is the hope of the Lord’s adversary? Gone, gone, utterly gone! Only a few potsherds remain. Oh for such a smiting of the apostasy of Rome! Oh for one touch of the iron rod upon the imposture of Mohammed! Oh, for a blow at Buddhism and a back stroke at the superstition of Brahmanism and at all the idols of the heathen! Woe unto the gods of the land of Sinim in that day! A single stroke shall set the potsherds flying. Why, then, should we fear, although they plot and plan? Although a solemn conclave of cardinals is held. Though the “Pope” fulminates his bulls. Although the Sultan ordain that every convert to Christianity shall be put to death; though the scoffers still revile at Christianity and say that it spreads not as once it did, a speedy answer shall confound them, or if not speedy, yet the stroke shall be sure!

Our King waits a while. He has leisure. Haste belongs to weakness. His strength moves calmly. Only let Him be awakened and you shall see how quick are His paces! He redeemed the world in a few short hours upon the Cross and I guarantee you that when He gets that iron rod once to working, He will not need many days to ease Him of His adversaries and make a clean sweep of all that set themselves against Him! If you want to see how it will be done, read, I pray you, Daniel 2:31, “You, O king, saw and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before you; and the form thereof was terrible. This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.”

It was a strange conglomeration—all the metallic empires are set forth as combined in one image—which image is the embodied idea of monarchical power which has fascinated men even to this day. The Prophet goes on to say, “You saw still that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay and broke them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver and the gold broken to pieces together and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”

And so it is to be—the vision is being each day fulfilled. The Gospel stone, which owes nothing to human strength or wisdom, is breaking the image and scattering all opposing powers. No system, society, confederacy, or cabinet can stand which is opposed to the Truth of God and righteousness. Evil is short-lived. Truth shall yet rise above all. The Lord says, overturn, overturn till He shall come whose right it is and God shall give it to Him. Woe unto those that stand against the Lord and His Anointed, for they shall not prosper. “Be wise now, therefore, O you kings: be instructed, you judges of the earth. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.”

The only proper response to Christ is expressed figuratively: Kiss the Son!

Kissing can be a submissive sign, a social smack, or a sexual smooch. What is a kiss? There are all kinds of definitions of a kiss. Scientifically it is the ovicular juxtaposition of the oral protrusion of the outer cavity. From the negative view, it is the mutual interchange of salivary bacteria. More romantic is the view that a kiss is a secret told to the mouth instead of the ear. More passionate is the definition of Paul Verlaine who defines the kiss, “As the fiery accompaniment on the key board of the teeth of the lovely songs which love sings in a burning heart.” Someone defined a kiss as, “The cement, the glue of love that makes me one with you.” However you look at it, one thing is sure; kissing is a pleasant reminder that two heads are better than one. 

Peter Leithart has some interesting insights on a kiss: “A kiss is also an exchange of breath. A man and woman cannot exchange the kiss of the mouth without breathing into one another. That hints at a wider theological dimension of kissing. Humanity comes alive by a kiss, when the Lord breathes into Adam’s nose the breath of life. Humanity comes to new life with the breath of Jesus, the Spirit, breathed out on Easter and poured out on Pentecost. Yahweh kisses the world when He breathes on the Red Sea and lays bare the foundations of the earth (Psalm 18:15). With the breath of His lips, the Messiah slays the wicked (Isaiah 11:4). Job speaks frequently about the breath of God: His breath kills (Job 4:9); it clears the heavens (26:13); it gives life to humans (27:3; 33:4); it gives understanding to humans (32:8); it freezes waters (37:10). A kiss recapitulates the Lord’s breath on Adam, the Lord’s breath on the sea, the breathing of the Spirit Breath that keeps everything animate. It’s no wonder that we can be refreshed and even revived from a kiss from our wife or husband. It’s no wonder a young woman’s world can turn upside down with one stolen kiss.”

KISS THE SON! Not with a betraying kiss, as Judas kissed him, but with a believing kiss. With a kiss of agreement and reconciliation. Kiss, and be friends, as Jacob and Esau; let the quarrel between us and God terminate; let the acts of hostility cease, and let us be at peace with God in Christ, who is our peace. (2) With a kiss of adoration and religious worship. Those that worshipped idols kissed them, (1Kings 19:18; Hosea 13:2). We need to be daily learning how to do honor to the Lord Jesus, and to give unto him the glory due unto his name. (3) With a kiss of affection and sincere love: “Kiss the Son; enter into a covenant of friendship with him, and let him be very dear and precious to you; love him above all, love him in sincerity, love him much, as she did to whom much was forgiven, and, in token of it, kissed his feet,”( Luke 7:38). (4.) With a kiss of allegiance and loyalty, as Samuel kissed Saul, (1Samuel 10:1). Swear fidelity and reverence to him, submit to his government, take his yoke upon you, and give up yourselves to be governed by his laws, disposed of by his providence, and entirely devoted to his interest.

Psalm 2 can be summed up in a single great truth: “There is no refuge from Christ except that which is in Christ!” The only safe place from the wrath of God is in God. Everywhere outside of his care is dangerous. He is the only hiding place from his own wrath. The safest place from the wrath of God—the only safe place—is God. Come to God. Take refuge in God.

The gospel is that this unique baby, born without a human father – born the God-man — grew up a sinless man, died on a Roman cross to bear the punishment for our sin, and rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, where He sits at Father’s right hand – this Man – the Son of God — invites us to kiss Him in reconciliation and affection and enter into eternal life and joy with Him. 

Dr. Richard Selseur, was a Professor at Yale Medical School who wrote a book called “Mortal Lessons” – Notes on the Art of Surgery.” This surgeon and professor tells the story: 

“I stand by the bed where a young women lies, her face post-operative, her mouth twisted in palsy, clownish, a tiny twig of the facial nerve, the one to the muscles in her mouth has been severed. She will be thus from now own. The surgeon had followed with religious fervor the curve of her flesh. I promise you that. Nevertheless, to remove the tumor in her cheek, I had to cut the little nerve. Her young husband is in the room. He stands on the opposite side of the bed and together they seem to dwell in the evening lamplight, isolated from me, private. Who are they? I asked myself. He and this wry mouth I had made, to gaze at a touch either so generously. The young woman speaks, “Will my mouth always be like this,” she asks? “Yes, I say, “It will. It is because the nerve was cut.” She nods and is silent. But the young man smiles – “I like it,” he says. “It is kind of cute.” All at once I know who he is. I understand and I lower my gaze before an encounter with God. Unmindful he bends to kiss her crooked mouth. And I am so close I can see how he twists his own lips to accommodate to hers to show that the kiss still works.” 

Twisted! -That’s what we are. And Jesus became twisted that we might know the kiss of God; that we might become straight. He who knew no sin became sin for us in order that we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ.

 During this Christmas season, have you kissed the Son with the kiss of reconcilation, affection and adoration, of allegiance and loyalty? If not yet, when?  If not now, why not?

Kiss the Son least he be angry with you and you perish in the way!

 

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