Washed and Ready

The last novel I read included a scene that took place in a Civil War hospital. Among the horrific images the author painted of the wounded and the dying, he added a graphic description of a certain doctors surgical practices. His practice included performing amputations on a bed of sand, to better capture and absorb the massive amounts of blood. The nurse character in the story is rightfully mortified by the doctor's carelessness. She is even more taken aback by the doctor's refusal to wash before performing surgery, something we cannot even comprehend these days! We see Medical Drama's where doctors scrub and are gloved, cleaning and remaining clean while they perform a tasks that are messy at best. Psalm 119 asks this question - "How can a young man keep his way pure?" A more direct translation might be "How can a young man keep his way clean?" What this implies is that the scrubbing has already been done. The young man is clean. Yet he is, like any child, inclined to get dirty quickly. When God calls us His children, we recognize that the only way this can happen is if He cleanses us from our sin. In His grace and mercy that cleansing, that scrubbing, that once and for all bath has taken place in our baptism into the blood of Christ. We are made His children, as spotlessly clean as the Lamb who shed His blood for us. While we are clean, we are also children. We're kids who are attracted to the messier parts of life. How can we, God's messy little babies keep clean? The Psalmist answers, by God's Word. The commandments of God, His directions are not meant to DO the scrubbing, they're like the gloves that keep the hands clean in the midst of the mess. God's rules, statutes and testimonies help us through the hard times, to make choices that cause the least amount of mess. This work of the Holy Spirit keeps our hearts pure as we continually turn, listen and follow God's Word as His redeemed children in Christ Jesus. 

Holy Moses??

I love this picture! Old Chuck Heston. As time went by, I'm pretty sure he thought he was Moses!

In the classic film The Ten Commandments we encounter the life of Moses. We get a window into his tests and trials, along with the amazing feats he is able to perform under the guiding hand of God. But I wonder, is the story about Moses or about God? When I read the REAL 10 Commandments in Exodus 20, I can't help but to focus on the first words:

"I am the LORD your God."

The remainder of the text plays like a film of God's righteousness, His holiness. From His name, to His days, from His gifts to His regulations we see a being who is definitely NOT us! Psalm 19 begins with these words:

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork." the heavens do not declare the glory of man - like Moses, or any of us - but the glory of God! David goes on in this psalm to meditate on the perfect law of God, His sure testimony and right precepts, His pure commandment and true rule. The Law of God cannot and does not give us a path to God! Instead it is a picture of the ever living and everlasting -  a film clip of the works of the Father and a trailer to the coming of the Son! Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to God - seeing Holiness as His gracious and merciful quality of love!

A Psalm of David...a Psalm of PRAISE

I know, I know...it's Lent.

There's a tradition in Lent, to put away the praise until we experience the cross and bask in the glory of the empty tomb.

I'm sorry - that's a crock!

If our lives are to be "lives of worship" - that means that each day, every day we stand before the Lord we do so in repentance, forgiveness, thanks and praise.

That means every day is a "sending up" to God -  a great a glorious Hallelujah to our God!

Psalm 22 starts with these words - the very words Jesus speaks for us from His cross:

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my god, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest." What a dark moment of realization for David. David has bared the deepest most raw place in his soul. David has been brought low - into the final consequences of sin - separation from a God who wished nothing else than he be a man after His own heart. Salvation seems distant. Cries go unanswered. Day and night living steeped in our own desire God is pushed out. Yet, for David and for us there is hope - 

"Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame."

David's faith in a God that will deliver is grounded in the praise lifted up by those who have been saved! How can we "put away the praise" when it is the very recognition of all Christ has done for us on the cross? We are, after all, Easter people! Those who bask in the glow of Jesus victory over sin, death and the devil every moment of every day! Must we recognize our sin? YES! But must we praise our salvation? DOUBLE YES! David reminds us in the Psalm:

"You who fear the Lord, praise Him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify Him, and stand in awe of Him, all you offspring of Israel!" For He has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, He has not hidden His face from him, but He has heard when he cried to Him!" 

The Father heard the cries of the Son from the cross - as He alone was saddled with the sins of the world - the greatest praise offered by Jesus and the greatest praise we can offer in response to His love are all wrapped up into those final words on our Saviors lips...

"Father, into YOUR hands I commend my spirit."

HALLELUJAH!!!!

A Wonderful Message!

Friends - 

Check out this link to a wonderful message about the hope of Christ in the midst of the temptations of this world. The Questions and answers at the end are an interesting discussion of sharing the Word of Christ with others!

May God bless you in your hearing and living His Word!

http://media.lhm.org/lutheranhour/mp3s/7625.mp3