June 28, 2010

Deuteronomy 33 &34
For me to live is Christ; to die is gain. I know those are the words of Paul. But here is an illustration of those words. How do we prepare to die? We prepare by living in the presence of the Lord. Moses blesses the tribes of Israel. How could he do otherwise? He had spent the last 40 years living in the presence of the Lord. The character of the Lord was shining through him. Moses proceeds to the top of Mt. Pisgah. There the Lord gives him a virtual tour of the promised land. There Moses dies. There the Lord buried him. He is the only person in the Bible that it says that the Lord buried them. What an intimate picture! Do you suppose the spirit of Moses stood and watched while the Lord buried that old tabernacle? When the Lord was done, did He turn to Moses and say, “Come on, Mo, lets go home?” But Moses already communicated with Him face to face. I think He already was home. Home was wherever the Lord was. It was just that Moses could now see His glory unrestrained. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Acts 9:1-22
Wow! Wow! Wow! This is indeed one of the high spots of the glory of Christ in Scripture. Here is a deceived man, who hated Jesus. He was trying to stop anyone from speaking the glory of Christ. He participated in the murder of Stephen. He had put people in jail for loving Jesus. Now he is on a mission to kidnap and bring to Jerusalem anyone in Damascus who loved Jesus and spoke His glory. Why would Jesus just strike him dead? He, if anyone, deserved it. That would indeed have been glorious! But that isn't the way Jesus prefers to work. His love is irresistible. Saul needed some proof of the glory of Jesus. Jesus condescended to give it to him. Wow! Saul saw some of His glory. It destroyed his physical sight. It destroyed his spiritual life. It destroyed his soulish-self-confidence. Just a moment of the glory of Christ and Saul was instantly and forever changed. He didn't quite understand it mentally but he was forever changed. Jesus took him, renamed him Paul, restored his sight, re-birthed his spirit, and reinitiated his confidence. From that point on Paul could only speak of the glory of Christ. Lord, let me see Your glory! Indeed we serve a glorious king! Speak His glory to someone today! He uses our speech to draw others to Himself.
--Pastor John