Big Words of the Christian Life: Omnipresence (Part 2)
June 29, 2018 at 2:40 pm | Posted in big words of the Christian life | 4 CommentsTags: Acts 17, attributes of God, Ephesians 1, God's omniscience, God's presence, Isaiah 66, Jeremiah 23, omniscience, omniscience of God
The presence of God, though invisible in its true essence, is inescapable throughout all of creation.
3.God’s presence is infinite.
God is not limited to any “place” – to any location or “point” of existence. He is truly everywhere all the time. Not only that, but “all of Him” is always present at every point all the time. We could say that He “fills up” the entire universe, but, being finite ourselves, such a concept is difficult to grasp. It might be more useful to think of everything in all of existence existing “within Him.”
God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
Acts 17:24-28, emphasis added
4. God’s presence is invigorating.
The revelation that God is everywhere should prove to be a great comfort and a great motivation to His people. He does not stand aloof from His creation, and there is no possibility of an opposing regime or faction ultimately establishing itself anywhere within the realm of existence, because He not only supervises each molecule, but reigns absolutely supreme and victorious.
Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
Isaiah 66:1
Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.
Jeremiah 23:24
And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Ephesians 1:22-23
What Can I Do for God?
February 18, 2015 at 11:48 am | Posted in Matthew | 6 CommentsTags: good works, Isaiah 66, love of God, Matthew, Matthew 19, Matthew 5, Romans 5, Sermon on the Mount, Sunday School lessons on Matthew, working for the Lord
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 5:16
The point of doing “good works” is not to impress other people with how “good” we are. Nor is the point to impress God, in the sense of gaining or earning His favor. However, the Bible does say to live your life before the eyes of God (I Kings 15:5; I Samuel 26:24). Many years ago, when I first started actively serving as a member of a local church, I was not sure what I would be able to do. The church had a gym, and it was in need of painting, so, as part of a big group project, I was assigned to paint a large section of the walls. I had done plenty of painting growing up, but this was special. In my mind, I wasn’t doing this for the church, or for the approval of the pastor or other church members. I was doing it for the Lord. I don’t think I’ve ever painted with such care and effort. I wanted to do a good job for my Lord.
If you are a father and you’ve ever taken a small child to a public playground, you have probably experienced this: There will almost always be young boys there with their mothers or some other female caregiver. They are happy playing by themselves until they see you (the only grown man) there. Almost immediately, they will begin showing off, vying for your attention, hanging upside down from the monkey bars, jumping off the highest part of the slide, turning a back-flip off a swing. “Hey, hey, look at me – look what I can do!” There is something inherent in boys that makes them want to please their fathers (or in the absence of their fathers) some male authority figure. It’s not exactly the same thing with God and His children, but there is a sense in which we should be striving to please our Heavenly Father.
On the other hand, though, we must be careful not to make an idol of our accomplishments when they appear noteworthy. We have a tendency to feel content as Christians when we accomplish all our spiritual “chores:” when we have read our Bibles, said our prayers, witnessed faithfully, advanced in our sanctification. When we have a day like this, we might secretly, perhaps even subconsciously, believe that God loves us “more” than on the days when we lose the battle to temptation, fall into sin, shirk our spiritual duties, and regress into the flesh. I call that type of of thinking “idolatrous” because, when that happens, we have become the source of our own “blessedness” – our own peace and contentment.
There is a difference between striving to fulfill every rule of law and living to please God – of being motivated by His greatness and goodness on one hand, versus being motivated by the false belief that I am somehow adding something to Him, on the other hand.
We like to think that God has no other hands than our hands, no other feet than our feet, no way of speaking but by our mouths, but this is not true. God is not dependent upon His children, and there would be no place for us in the Kingdom of Heaven if it was a place only for those with great faith, tireless devotion, and unfailing, continual, never-sliding-back progress in sanctification.
Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
Isaiah 66:1
The idea that God doesn’t need us might make some folks mad, but it makes me very, very happy. God can raise up a rock to do anything I can do – and do it better than me! It’s not the world’s version of the “great ones” who rule with the King in the Kingdom of Heaven.
But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
Matthew 19:30
For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:17
Yes, we shall reign in life, but not by our own righteousness. It shall be by the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
The New Girl Arrives
August 31, 2013 at 1:34 pm | Posted in Isaiah, John, Uncategorized | 15 CommentsTags: 1 Corinthians 15, 1 John 5, childbirth, Isaiah 66, Jesus Christ, John 1, John 8, light, Lucy, Nicole
This has probably been the longest period of time I’ve gone without adding a new post to The Deep End. Although I’ve taken a break or two in the past, this time the occasion was very special. On August 21, 2013, God placed our fourth daughter, Lucy Nicole, into our family and into our care. It had been 13 1/2 years since the birth of our third daughter!
My wife was extremely brave throughout a difficult ordeal, and it was a little touch-and-go for a couple of days. During the night before Lucy was born, we found and claimed this promise from the Word of God:
Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut [the womb]? saith thy God.
Isaiah 66:9
I know that someone will probably say that this is out of context – that the verse is talking about the nation of Israel rather than the literal birth of a little baby girl – but we found it extremely comforting, and believe that God used it to help us through a difficult time. The Bible contains both principles and precepts, and I refuse to be disabused of the notion that God is 100% faithful and has the ability to finish absolutely everything that He starts, in a way that perfectly serves His ultimate glory. Nor do we discount the possibility that God arranged her birth on 8-21, when Romans 8:21 and 22 talk about the pain of childbirth and the deliverance of the children of God. The Lord was (as He has been throughout our marriage) amazingly gracious and loving to us, and mom and baby are home safe and sound and doing well. We thank Him and worship Him for this great gift placed into our trust and stewardship. May we, with His help and in His power, be faithful to teach her about Jesus and His Gospel, and to bring her up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
We kept the baby’s name a secret throughout the pregnancy, and my wife and her friends referred to her simply as “The New Girl,” but the main reason we like the name “Lucy” is that it is derived from the ancient word for “light,” and “Nicole” is from a word meaning “victorious people.” Certainly, Christians are victorious people of the Light!
There was a man sent from God, whose name [was] John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all [men] through him might believe. He was not that Light, but [was sent] to bear witness of that Light. [That] was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name:
John 1:6-12 (emphasis added)
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 8:12 (emphasis added)
But thanks [be] to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
I Corinthians 15:57 (emphasis added)
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
I John 5:4-5 (emphasis added)
The Deep End 
No Rest for the Wicked; Rise and Shine; Trampled Underfoot
June 5, 2023 at 1:41 pm | Posted in Isaiah | 3 CommentsTags: commentary on Isaiah, common expressions in the Bible, Isaiah 57, Isaiah 58, Isaiah 60, Isaiah 61, Isaiah 62, Isaiah 63, Isaiah 64, Isaiah 65, Isaiah 66, Micah 7, Psalm 84, Sunday School lessons on Isaiah
Lord, we look forward to Your coming, but let it motivate us to serve You with a new urgency. We praise You for Your greatness and Your power. You are the Almighty. We thank You for Your goodness and Your righteousness. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
After prophecies and Servant songs in Isaiah, there is preaching against sin in Chapters 57-59.
Comfort is not complacency.
Isaiah 57:3-4
Idolatry is spiritual adultery or whoremongering.
Isaiah 58:3-4
Hypocrisy is revealed in motives. Christians like to have fun, but we must not fall into the trap of being envious at all the worldly “fun” that the world is having. There is greater joy in serving the Lord. Don’t sell your true joy for a little “fun.”
Isaiah 57:21
Isaiah 60:1
Rise and shine is a wakeup call, but also a reminder that the Lord is light, as opposed to darkness.
Micah 7:8
Darkness here is a metaphor for pain and suffering and imprisonment. Micah was Isaiah’s contemporary. He described darkness like in a dungeon.
Psalm 84:11
God is like the sun for believers. He gives us life and we can’t live without Him.
Isaiah 60:19-20
When the sun goes down each night we have less light, but when Christ is physically present and ruling the Earth it will be like daylight all the time.
Isaiah 61:6
God’s people will get a new name, the way a bride gets a new name from her husband.
Isaiah 62:4
Hephzibah means “My delight is in her.” Beulah means “married.” Israel was put away by the Lord for a time – separated, but not divorced – for reasons of spiritual adultery.
Isaiah 62:10
Why would God trample people underfoot like grapes in a winepress? Is it because He is petty and spiteful? No, He takes no pleasure in the destruction of the wicked, much less the punishment of those He loves.
Isaiah 63:10
Isaiah 64:6
If our supposed righteousness is as filthy rags, how must our SIN look to Him?
Isaiah 65:1
Isaiah 66:29
This is a reference to Gehenna, the infernal garbage dump outside the city which Jesus used to illustrate eternal punishment in hell. Isaiah offered comfort to the people, but not empty comfort. They needed to confront spiritual reality, not a mere show. They slaughtered animals and called it sacrifice, but is the New Testament worship we offer in our day any less hypocritical? Are we praising the Lord a couple of times a week in church while sinning gleefully the rest of the time? There is no peace for the wicked, and there shouldn’t be, but we must care enough about them to offer them the only real comfort.