Belgic Confession Article 3: "The Written Word of God"

Article 3 begins right where Article 2 left off with speaking about "special revelation"; Article 3 goes like this:

We confess that this Word of God was not sent nor delivered by the will of men, but that holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit as Peter says (2 Peter 1:21 "For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.")

Afterwards our God--because of the special care He has for us and our salvation--commanded His servants, the prophets and apostles, to commit this revealed Word to writing (Exodus 34:27; Psalm 102:18; Revelation 1:11, 19) . 

He Himself wrote with His own finger the two tables of the law (Exodus 31:18). 

Therefore we call such writings holy and divine Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16).

I absolutely love this article and I just want to point out the nature of the inspiration of Scripture. And there are three options when we speak of the written Word of God.

First, we can speak of men simply being inspired to write just as the famous Shakespeare was inspired to write his plays. 

Secondly, we can speak of men being told every single word to be written down by God; for example, God told Moses to write, "in" so Moses wrote, "in". Then God said, "Moses, write 'the'". So Moses wrote, 'the'. 

And thirdly, we can speak of God using men's natural abilities and talents through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit guiding them as they wrote.

Now, these all can seem correct and yet not so correct also. However, there is one that clearly stands out and that is the third view, known as the organic view. God used men's natural abilities and talents to reveal Himself by the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

And notice the comfort that is included in this article, "because of the special care He has for us and our salvation..." Seriously, remember that Guido de Bres is writing this with the threat of persecution all around him. Yet Guido considered God to be a caring God.

Revelation 2:1-7 "Your First Love"

Read: Revelation 2:1-7

I. Introduction

            I want to begin tonight by asking you about the first time that you felt like you were in love. Do you remember that time that you first set your eyes upon your current spouse or even your significant other? Do you remember where you were or what you were doing? Do you remember the emotions that were running through your mind?

            You see, many people don’t forget these “first looks” because the events after seeing this person changed their life. They met this person that they were so in love with, possibly started dating this person and then even married this person.

            When we first see this person whom we absolutely love; some call it falling “head over heels” for them. Others say that we were “hook line and sinker” when we saw them. This is because that memory of your significant other is etched into your brain and you can’t forget this “special moment” that you had with him or her. For some, it was love at first sight. You see, the sparks were flying and the flame of their relationship was lit and was burning bright!

            However, as time goes on and the relationship develops; we can easily forget about our emotions or things that we felt when we first saw our loved one. And we don’t treat our significant other like our first love anymore. It is as if the flames that once burnt bright are now coals. We treat them poorly, hurtful words are spoken and other things done to make your significant other feel like just an ordinary person in our lives. He or she doesn’t feel like your first love anymore.

            And maybe you’ve even had a conversation about this; like when your wife sat you down and said, “Honey, I know you love me, but right now I just don’t feel like you’ve been loving me like you used to.” And in response, there are usually excuses made and/or a promise to do better from this point on. But then nothing changes. And you wonder; what went wrong? How could our relationship get to this? What got in the way of our brightly lit fiery passion for each other?

            But you see, this fiery relationship turning to embers or coals isn’t something that just happens with our relationships to others; it is something that happens with a churches relationship to Christ. And one fantastic example of this is the Church in Ephesus in which our passage speaks about. The Ephesian church went from a period of passionate on fire love for the Jesus Christ to a time of love that was smoldering like embers. And the reason was this: they had forsaken their first love.

            So tonight; we are going to examine what the Ephesian church used to be like; then the evaluation to which Christ gives to them and then finally the steps that they must take to fall back in love with Christ.

II. The “On-Fire-For-God” Ephesus

            The Ephesian church is one that we meet multiple times throughout the New Testament. In Acts 18 we can read of Paul planting this church on his second missionary journey. After he spends some time there; he leaves Priscilla and Aquilla (the tentmakers from Corinth) there along with the great teacher Apollos to continue to labor for the church.

            And then in Acts 19-20 while Paul was on his third missionary journey; he spends 3 years there strengthening the church—the most time that he has spent at any church. And during his time there; some magnificent things happen in the church and throughout the community.

            You see, Ephesus was a thriving city; the city of all cities. It was located in Asia Minor on the Aegean Sea. It had the major highways running through it and boasted a great harbor in which even the largest ships could port for some time. The market place was thriving and the economy was doing well. Ephesus also boasted because of the Greek goddess Artemis. There were shrines, statues and other paraphernalia of this goddess placed all over the city.

            However, during Paul’s time there for three years; the church began to grow significantly. And as the church grew; many people were being saved from false religion that the idol industry went into recession. The local craftsmen became afraid that they might be out of jobs before too long. Clearly, the church was making a huge impact on this city for the sake of God’s name.

            Before Paul’s three years were done, just before he leaves, he warns the elders of the church that there will be “wolves among them” that will teach false doctrine, twist the Gospel and distort the truth.

            After Paul leaves; he becomes imprisoned and writes this church a letter—which we know as Ephesians. In this letter; Paul commends them for many things—especially their love for the Lord. He doesn’t have to correct too many things because this appeared to be an “on-fire-for-the-Lord” church and seemed to be healthy.

            However, when Timothy arrives in Ephesus to lead the church; the church is being infiltrated with false apostles and men and women who were teaching false doctrine as well as distorting the truth. Therefore, Paul writes to Timothy—1 and 2 Timothy—and encourages him to stand for the truth which he knows and to which he was taught. And even though this church was being pressed down upon by false teachers; they still had a passionate love for the Lord and stood strong despite the teachings of these false teachers.

            So clearly; the church in Ephesus had a strong love for the Lord through their history.

III. Christ’s Evaluation

            However, now as Jesus is evaluating the church in Ephesus which is roughly 40-60 years after Paul had birthed the church; there clearly is something wrong amidst many good things. There is a new generation that has come to leadership and the older generation who first had a fiery passion for the Lord are now gone.

            Therefore Jesus evaluates them by acknowledging two things they do well. He praises them for their enduring work and for their intolerance of false doctrine. Amidst all the pressures of the goddess Artemis; the church in Ephesus had stood strong. They have labored daily to preserve the teachings of the true Gospel. They didn’t want to participate in worship to Artemis or learn false teachings. In fact, Jesus says that they have “tested those who claim to be apostles” and when tested; they were found to be false! And they also hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which Christ agrees that He hates also.

            So all in all; this church clearly had it going. If you told me that there was church who was solid in their doctrine and could endure under hardship—of course I would be there! What a marvelous church this was!

            Yet Christ also says this, “I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.” You have forsaken your first love. What terrible words to hear! The Ephesian church had abandoned their first love. They have left their first love while they have been enduring hardships and knowing doctrine. The church in Ephesus seemed to have everything; except the greatest thing—Jesus Christ.

            It is true, as individuals and as a church, we can get so wrapped up in getting doctrine right and enduring our hardships, that we too, can become like Ephesus—we too can forget our first love Jesus Christ.

            I have experienced this in my own life also. I can read and read and read about doctrine, about the Bible, about theology, about Bible characters, you name it; I can have all this knowledge in my head, yet I often don’t apply it to my heart—I seem to have everything, but have lost the only thing I need—Jesus Christ.

IV. Christ’s Prescription

            Therefore, Christ tells the Ephesian church three things that they must do—remember, repent and recover.

            First, the church at Ephesus was told to “remember the height from which you have fallen” meaning that Christ wanted them to understand the place that they used to be. They were to remember the past—the “good ole days”. However, there is a danger here which is to live in the past and to long for how it used to be. That is not what Jesus is saying; what He is saying is that we can’t be disconnected from the past. We need to learn from the past in order to live in the present so that we may change in the future.

            If you examine the Psalms or other places in the Old Testament; there are reflections upon the past and how God has worked in the past. The Psalmist remembers God’s hand of protection over Him, thus he knows that God will continually protect him. So too, as a church; we must learn the history of this church so that we can learn from it and do things differently in the future.

            Secondly, the church at Ephesus was called to repentance. Jesus called them to repent of the things that they weren’t doing—namely, loving Jesus Christ. Repentance is the act of making a complete 180 degree turn towards something else. It is completely leaving one thing and pursuing another. Repentance is an inward change which results in different outward actions and behaviors. This is what the Ephesian church must do—they must turn from their ways of forsaking Jesus to pursing Him in an on-fire-passionate way once again.

            Thirdly, Jesus tells them to “do the things you did at first”. The church in Ephesus is to recover the first things that they used to do. If we return to Acts 19—the beginning of this church—we can read what marked them as a congregation. Vs 18-20 read this way, “Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas (1 drachma=1 days wage; that means there were 50,000 days of work just thrown away). In this way, the Word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.”

We can see a two things from these verses; those who believed openly confessed their deeds and they burned the sorcery scrolls (false teachings). You see, this is what Christ is calling them to recover: the passion for knowing Him and making Him known.

V. Conclusion

            So as we face the end of another year—2013—we should evaluate ourselves as a church and as individuals in accordance with this passage from Revelation—have we as a church lost our first love? Or have we as individuals lost our first love for Christ?

            Do you remember the feelings and emotions you had when you first encountered Christ? Do you ever get those emotions or feelings? Jesus encourages you to remember them, to repent of where you are at, and to recover by knowing Him and making Him known.

He who has an ear, let him hear, what the Spirit says to the churches.

Pray

Colossians 1:15-23 "The Supremacy of Christ"

 [**This was my assigned candidacy text by the CRC]

Read: Colossians 1:15-23

I. Introduction

            This passage from Colossians is one of the greatest passages in the New Testament which declare the majesty and glory of Jesus Christ. However, even though this is a magnificent passage; it is also a very difficult passage. It is very difficult because there are many themes and doctrines touched on in this passage—out of the 7 heads of doctrine—this passage covers 6 of those. Thus, it becomes overwhelming at times to read it and study it—I even found a pastor who preached 15 sermons on these 8 verses. There are also many repeated words and phrases which foreshadow what Paul is going to write about in the letter as a whole.

            This passage is also the most debated in the history of the interpretation of the New Testament. There is much ink spilled about these verses in commentaries arguing for certain positions. Some scholars think this was a hymn in the early church, others do not. Some think that is a poem, while others think it is Paul just doing what he does best—displaying the glory of Christ.

            Therefore, even though it is difficult to determine many things about this passage—there is clearly one theme running through this passage—the Supremacy of Christ. In saying that Christ is supreme it is pointing to the highest rank and authority that is found in Christ.

And I hope and pray that as we hear God’s Word this morning that we can continue to stand in awe and amazement of Christ’s majesty and glory for the work that He has done and the work that He continues to do. And there are three truths in regards to Christ’s work He has done and continues to do that are clear in this passage—

·         first, we learn that Christ is the creator of all things

·         second, we learn that Christ is the sustainer of all things

·         third, we learn that Christ is the reconciler of all things.

II. Christ is the Creator of All Things (vs 15-16)

            The first truth about Christ’s work that we come to is that Christ is the creator of all things. Paul begins by declaring that Christ is the “image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” Just as we, human beings are made in the image of God; so too Jesus Christ—the Son of God born in the flesh—is made in that same image.

            Jesus Christ is also the “firstborn over all creation.” This phrase can be troublesome for people. The Jehovah Witnesses use this phrase to argue that Jesus Christ cannot be divine because He is the firstborn of all that was created. However, what they are missing is the surrounding context to this phrase—this passage as a whole is clearly exalting the divinity of Christ to prove that He is supreme over everything. Therefore, they have taken this phrase out of context to the benefit of their belief system—a clear danger that is very easy to do.

            So then, what does it really mean that Christ is “firstborn over all creation”? Well, the word firstborn here as well as in verse 18 is in reference not to a physical or temporal birth before creation, but to rank and authority.  

We can know this by finding other places in the Bible that this word, “firstborn” is used. It is used of David in Psalm 89:27 where the Psalmist says: “I will also appoint David, my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth.” If you remember correctly, David was not the firstborn of his family—he was actually the youngest; therefore this too proves that the word “firstborn” stands for one who is of a high rank. Therefore, what Paul is declaring here is that Christ is firstborn of all creation meaning that He is of the highest authority and highest rank above creation.

            And Paul continues to prove that Christ is first born over all creation in vs 16 stating that Christ is the creator of all things. “For by Him all things were created.” That is, by Christ all things were created—He is the agent of creation. All that was created was created by means of Christ. Christ was with God, in God, and was God as God created all things through Him as John says in the opening of his Gospel account and Paul in 1 Corinthians 8 echoes this same truth as well—that Christ created all things.

And notice a minute what these is contained in these two words “all things.” “He created things in heaven and the things on earth; the visible things and the invisible things; the thrones or powers or rulers or authorities—all things (in case you missed it before) were created by Him and for Him.” You see, “all things” created by Christ literally means all of creation. All things were created by Christ and for Christ as Paul says.

As you look around you throughout this week; isn’t magnificent to notice all the various created things—birds, clouds, sunsets, sunrises, grass, dirt, mud, humans, snow, rain, sunshine, thunder, lightning, stars, moon, lakes, rivers, etc. etc. etc. You see, all things were created by Christ and for Christ. The purpose of creation was and is to display the greatness of God and to declare His glory! The Psalmist echoes this also in Psalm 19 saying, “The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the works of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.”

You see:

·         As the sun rises in the east and sets in the west; it does so for the glory of God

·         As each bird soars in the sky or builds its nest—it does so for the glory of God

·         As the grass turns green and the dirt enhances this greenery—it does so for the glory of God

·         As the weather elements do what they do—they do so for the glory of God!

·         As the ocean tide comes in and out each day—it does so for the glory of God

·         As all things in the created order do the things that they do—they do it for the glory of God!

It is amazing to think of the vast amount of the created order and just stand in awe of the greatness of our God. However, I have not always done this. As I have been on top of mountains in California and Colorado or as I have stood at the bottom of the Grand Canyon or as I have watched the tide come in from the ocean—it has been easy for me—at those times in those places—to stand in awe of the greatness of our God. But throughout the normal week here in Byron Center; all things in the created order; don’t seem to do the same thing for me. But a few months ago; the greatness of God became an even bigger realization for me.

Two months ago I visited one of the college students of this church—Brian Keuning. Brian is a junior at Michigan State University studying horticulture—studying plants—and Lord willing he will graduate in the spring of 2015. I was very excited to get to visit him at college to see the campus and to see the various things that he does on a daily basis.

As Brian showed me the part of campus where he spends the majority of his time; I stood in amazement at two things—the wealth of knowledge that he has and the greatness of our God in the creation that He has made. As we walked through several gardens of plants, shrubs and trees, Brian would point to a plant, tree or shrub and ask me, “Do you know what that is?” Now, I must say that I was a landscaper for close to 7 summers during my high school and college years; so I assumed that I had a good knowledge of plants and trees and how this stuff works. However, I was proven wrong.

I think I only knew one plant that he asked me about and that was the “White Pine”. But for every plant he asked me, he would then go on and name the common name for the plant and then the scientific name. I was blown away at his knowledge of them and how we walked around for close to 3 hours and didn’t see the same plant again. This is where the greatness of God’s creation was expanded.

Let me explain further—there are about 600 plant families. You see, a plant family means that these plants have the same characteristics as other plants such as the grass family, rose family, pea or bean family. And inside those families; there are multiple genes and species of plants. This means that there are about 350,000 plant species that have been identified with many, many, many more that have NOT been identified. And get this; of those 350,000 there are about 1,800 plant species that are native only to Michigan.

And one of these plants absolutely amazed me. It was a tiny plant that didn’t look like much, but it is absolutely amazing. It is called the “Sensitive Plant.” This plant is in the pea or bean family because it produces a pod. Since it was smaller plant, Brian and I bent down to get a closer view. Brian then proceeded to take his finger and rub it gently over its leaves. And immediately after rubbing it; the leaf closed up. I thought that this was the coolest thing ever!

Brian then explained that it folded up because of a chemical response that happens when it is touched. It folds up for numerous reasons—one is to keep off bugs that may eat it and another is to reduce the amount of water that passes through the plant from roots to leaves.

As I continued to look and stand in awe of this plant and the others that Brian had showed me; all I could think about was the greatness of our God. And this is just 1 plant of 350,000 that have been identified. I share this story, not to brag about Brian and his knowledge, but to show you that even this little tiny plant is created by Christ and it is created for Christ. As it lives; as it folds up to prevent from itself from being eaten and to prevent water from exiting itself; it is doing this for the glory of God and to display the greatness of the one who created it! Now how awesome is that!

And you see, all things that have been made were created by the one who is “the firstborn over-all creation.” And nothing, nothing in the entire creation exists for its own sake.

Everything

·         from the bottom of the oceans to the top of the mountains,

·         form the smallest particle to the biggest star,

·         from the most boring school subject to the most fascinating science,

·         from the ugliest cockroach to the most beautiful human,

·         from the greatest saint to the most wicked genocide dictator

Everything that exists, exists to make the greatness of Christ more fully known.

III. Christ is the Sustainer of All Things (vs 16-18a)

            Not only is Christ the creator of all things, but He is also the sustainer of all things. In vs 16 Paul says that “For by Him all things were created…” The word for “created” here in the Greek is in the Aorist tense. The Aorist tense is used to describe an event that has happened in the past. However, at the end of the verse when Paul says “all things were created by Him” he doesn’t use the Aorist tense anymore; he switches to the Perfect tense. And the perfect tenst means that it is an event that has happened in the past yet there is continued significance even today. So Paul’s purpose in doing this is to proclaim that not only has the creation been created in the past, but Christ is still in the process of creating today—in other words, Christ is “preserving, sustaining and governing”[1] the creation which He created—all of it!

            And Paul continues this truth of Christ sustaining the creation in vs 17 stating, “He [meaning Christ] is before all things, and in Him [again, meaning Christ] all things hold together.” The firstborn of creation, created the world and now He sustains the world by holding all of it together! And again, in the Greek, Paul uses the perfect tense for the words “hold together” implying that Christ didn’t just once hold things together in the past; rather, He still holds all things together!

The Heidelberg Catechism echoes this truth in Question and Answer 26. It asks, “What do you believe when you say, ‘I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth’?” And the answer is this: “That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who out of nothing created heaven and earth and everything in them…still upholds and rules them.”

            For me, this has been an essential truth to remember; especially as of late. As graduation is nearing and marriage is right around the corner; I have no idea what will happen after graduation. I wonder if I will get a call to a church right away or will I have to wait? I wonder where Denae and I will be live after getting married. And then as I wonder about the future ahead; I begin to worry about these things. Admittedly, it is scary to have an unknown future. It is nerve wrecking to think about getting married (but exciting at the same time!). Therefore, even as I studied this passage; this truth has rang clear in my head and I hope it does for you also—“in Christ all things hold together.” 

            Maybe you have a child on the way and you are nervous about being a parent or how good of a parent you will be. Maybe it is finances and you wonder how you are going to pay each bill at the end of the month. Maybe it is your job which seems to be going nowhere quickly. Maybe you lost your job and are searching for a new one and nothing seems to be coming up.

            There are moments in life where we want to simply give up because we feel like we can’t go on any longer. But you see; Paul is combating against this by reminding us of a marvelous truth: “in Christ all things—that means your job, your marriage, your future, your present situation, your family crisis, your finances—in Christ all things hold together.”

When these times come; we must remember this truth that Christ has not left the creation to operate on its own—He is continually sustaining it and will always continually do so.

            One specific area which Paul mentions that Christ will sustain because He is supreme over it; is the church. Paul states in vs 18; “And He is the head of the body, the church….” Now, without going into too much of this; this also has the same implications of the above verses in regards to the created order—Christ hasn’t left the church to function and operate by herself—the church is Christ’s bride and He will continually sustain and provide for her daily needs. Therefore; as a church we must trust this truth and acknowledge this truth in our decisions and operation of the church.

            So as we continue through our life facing difficulties and trials; Christ has held all things together and will continually hold all things together; therefore we shall not fear what lies ahead, nor shall we lose hope in what is to come—for Christ sustains the creation which He created now and forevermore until His glorious return.

IV. Christ is the Reconciler of All Things (vs 18b-20)

             And now we come to the third truth found in this passage in the latter half of vs 18 through vs 20 which is that Christ is the reconciler of all things. Now Paul points to Christ’s resurrection which highlights Christ’s supremacy over the New Creation.

            Just as vs 15 began with acknowledging Christ being the “firstborn over all creation” so too this section begins in similar fashion—“He [that is Christ] is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead.” Again, the word “firstborn” doesn’t refer to a physical sense, because if you remember; Lazarus was raised from the dead by Christ while Enoch and Elijah didn’t even die; therefore “firstborn” refers to rank—Christ is supreme over the dead because He conquered death; thus ushering in the New Creation.

            Christ was able to conquer to death as vs 19 states “For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him [that is Christ].” When Christ became a human being, born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem; all the fullness of God dwelled in Christ—He was 100% human and 100% divine.

            You see, Christ needed to be fully human and divine so that He could reconcile all things back to the Father. Paul speaks of the need for humanities need for reconciliation in vs 21-22 saying, “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you…” Notice the contrast here: Once we were alienated from God and were enemies of God, BUT NOW Christ has reconciled us back to the Father.

            The term reconciliation is one that can be misunderstood and hard to understand for some people. You see, Adam and Eve were once able to be in God’s presence; however, because of their sin, they were casts out of God’s presence. This became true for all of humanity also; we are all alienated from God apart from Christ.

However, Christ has now brought us back into God’s presence through the shedding of His blood on the cross. We are no longer enemies of God; we are at peace with God. Therefore, a simple definition of reconciliation is that Christ has brought us back into peaceful fellowship with God through the bloodshed of His cross.

            The bloodshed of His cross has reconciled, as Paul says in vs 20, “all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven”. There are some who take this verse to mean that because of this reconciliation of “all things” then there will be none who go to hell for eternity—however, this is not true; for the Bible clearly teaches that there will be some who go to hell and others heaven. So what Paul means here is that there is the opportunity to have eternal life through the sacrifice of Christ, yet some reject this opportunity by seeking their own way to be saved.

V. Our Response to Christ’s Work (vs 21-23)

            You see, this act of reconciliation is the heart of the Gospel; we are soiled sinners in need of a sinless Savior to rescue us from our sinful state. Therefore, this is what Christ has done for us; if we believe that He is our Savior; then we can be assured that He has presented us before the Father now AND on judgment day as “holy in the Father’s sight, without blemish and free from accusation”. We are no longer soiled sinners; we are now spotless saints because of the shedding of Christ’s blood on His cross. This is the goal of the sacrifice of Christ—reconciling us back to God.

            We continue to live holy, without blemish and free from accusation by the grace of God and by the mercy of God extending to us daily. His grace allows us to live as forgiven sinners and His mercy grants us freedom to do things we don’t deserve. This is why Paul encourages the Colossian believers and believers today in vs 23 to continue daily in the faith—established and firm; not moved or shifted from the foundation that Christ offers us. For Christ is the only foundation to which we should build our faith upon. Christ is the only foundation because He is supreme over all things.

VI. Conclusion

And the supremacy of Christ absolutely and wholeheartedly makes me stand in awe of His majesty and greatness. Christ’s majesty and greatness should stir in our hearts a longing to worship Him for:

·         He is the image of the invisible God, in whom all the fullness of God dwelt.

·         He is the firstborn of all creation; which doesn’t mean that He was created first, but that

·         He is the creator of all things—things in heaven and things upon earth, invisible things and visible things, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created by Him and for Him

·         He is the  Pre-existent Creator, who is before all things

·         He is the cosmic glue, in whom all things hold together—sustaining the creation He created

·         He is the head of the body—the church

·         He is the beginning, and the book of Revelation adds; the end

·         He is the firstborn from the dead, having been raised from the dead

·         He is the reconciler of all things to God—the things in heaven and the things upon earth

·         He is the bloody peacemaker who presents soiled sinners to God as spotless saints if only they continue in their faith built upon the only solid foundation—Christ, the Supreme Being over everything.

Pray

---

[1] Belgic Confession; Article 2

Old Year; New Year

2013 is coming to a close and 2014 is rushing in, in roughly about 8.5 hours.

2013 has been an incredible year indeed.

In 2013 here are some significant events in may life:

• My brother had surgery to remove what was thought to be cancerous; it ended up being benign. Praise the Lord!
• My nephew celebrated 1 year of life outside the womb! And he has been constantly growing before our eyes!
• I found out that my pastoral internship for 10 weeks would be at First CRC in Bellflower, California. I cannot thank God enough for this placement as I met so many wonderful people and was able to learn so much about God, myself, the church and relationships
• My relationship with my girlfriend developed even more; we celebrated 1 year of dating and then three days later we were engaged!
• Thanksgiving and Christmas and other family events were a reminder that in 2014 I might be on the other side of the country or far away; therefore I need to cherish them now.
• My Grandpa's health took a downward turn and he is now in a nursing home doing better than he was this summer.
• My cousin who is 6 days younger than me got married and I was able to join in that celebration
• And two good friends from church were married also.

And in 2014; Lord willing, I am excited for these blessings: 

• My sister's graduation from college on May 2
• My graduation from seminary on May 24
• My approval at the CRC Synod in early June
• Mission trip with the youth (my last one) on July 19-26
• Another little nephew or niece born to my brother and sister(in-law) sometime in July 
• Marrying my best friend on August 22
• And hopefully moving and beginning a new job somewhere in the Christian Reformed Church in North America

An exciting year ahead indeed! Cannot wait for 2014, but don't want to wish it away too soon either!

Happy New Year everyone!

Praying God's blessings upon everyone this year!

Numbers 6:24-26

Greek and English of Colossians 1:15-23

My own translation of Colossians 1:15-23. The Greek is above and the English below the corresponding verse...

vs 15
 ὅς ἐστιν εἰκὼν τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου, πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως,
He Himself is [the] image of the invisible God, [the] firstborn [of/over] all creation,

vs 16
ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, τὰ ὁρατὰ καὶ τὰ ἀόρατα, εἴτε θρόνοι εἴτε κυριότητες εἴτε ἀρχαὶ εἴτε ἐξουσίαι: τὰ πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν 
ἔκτισται,
For in/by Him all things were created--things in heaven and upon the earth, the visible things and the invisible things, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities: all things through/by Him and for Him have been and are being created.

vs 17
καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν πρὸ πάντων καὶ τὰ πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ συνέστηκεν. 
And He Himself is before all things and all things in Him have been and are being held together.

vs 18
καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος, τῆς ἐκκλησίας: ὅς ἐστιν ἀρχή, πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν
 νεκρῶν, ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων,
And He Himself is the head of the body, the church. He Himself is the beginning [the] firstborn from/out of the dead, in order that He might become in all things the one who is preeminent/supreme.

vs 19
ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ εὐδόκησεν πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα κατοικῆσαι
For in Him it pleased [the Father--*does not have this anywhere; it is implied] [that] all the fullness to dwell

vs 20
καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ ἀποκαταλλάξαι τὰ πάντα εἰς αὐτόν, εἰρηνοποιήσας διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ 
σταυροῦ αὐτοῦ,[δι' αὐτοῦ] εἴτε τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς εἴτε τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.
And through Him to reconcile all things to Himself by making peace through the blood of the cross of His (through Him--*in parenthesis in the Nestle Aland #27 edition), whether the things upon the earth or the things in the heavens

vs 21
Καὶ ὑμᾶς ποτε ὄντας ἀπηλλοτριωμένους καὶ ἐχθροὺς τῇ διανοίᾳ ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τοῖς 
πονηροῖς,
And you all at one time were alienated and hostile in mind in the work to evil deeds

vs 22
νυνὶ δὲ ἀποκατήλλαξεν ἐν τῷ σώματι τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ διὰ τοῦ θανάτου, παραστῆσαι 
ὑμᾶς ἁγίους καὶ ἀμώμους καὶ ἀνεγκλήτους κατενώπιον αὐτοῦ,
But now He has reconciled in His physical body through [His] death in order to present you all holy and blameless (without blemish) and beyond/above reproach [in the] sight of Him.

vs 23
εἴγε ἐπιμένετε τῇ πίστει τεθεμελιωμένοι καὶ ἑδραῖοι καὶ μὴ μετακινούμενοι ἀπὸ τῆς 
ἐλπίδος τοῦ εὐαγγελίουοὗ ἠκούσατε, τοῦ κηρυχθέντος ἐν πάσῃ κτίσει τῇ ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανόν, οὗ ἐγενόμην ἐγὼ Παῦλος διάκονος.
If indeed you all continue in the faith--stable and steadfast and not shifting from the hope of the Gospel that you heard; which has been proclaimed/preached (to every creature)/(in all creation) under the heaven; of which I, Paul, became a minister/servant.

Side note:
This is one of the most debated passages as far as translation and interpreting goes in the New Testament; therefore this is by far a complete or perfect translation.

Christmas Songs

One aspect of Christmas that I absolutely love (in moderation though; roughly three to five days before Christmas) are Christmas songs.

Have you ever really pondered the lyrics as you sang them or heard them?

Verse 1
Joy to the world, the Lord has come! Let earth receive her King! Let every heart prepare Him room and then all heaven and nature sing! (Echoes of the Psalms!)

Verse 2
Joy to the world, the Savior reigns.....fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains repeat the sounding joy....(again, creation praising God!)

Verse 3

No more let sin and sorrow grow, nor thorns infest the ground (result of the fall). He[Christ] comes to make
His blessings flow; far as the curse is found.....as far as the curse has spread because of the Fall; Christ's blessings will go that far and even beyond that!

Verse 4

He[again, Christ] rules the world with truth and grace. And makes the nations(the Gospel is for ALL people!) prove (again, echoes the Psalms!) the glories of His righteousness and wonders of his love.

And then to just think of how Jesus brings us the true joy found nowhere else in the world; yet seems to be found in every gift that is opened. We think the newest toy will bring joy. And lets just go with that a minute. If the newest toy brought you joy; did you prepare room in your heart for it? Does heaven and nature sing because of this new toy? Does nature repeat the sounding joy from this toy? And can this toy go as far as the curse is found? 

And if you sing this song, I encourage you to sing it like you mean it--do you smile when you sing "Joy to the World"? I surely hope this would be true if we meant it!

I don't think so. Therefore, remembering that Jesus is the true joy--the only reason we can have joy; will help make Christmas more memorable and centered on the one aspect of Christmas we should be centered on--Jesus Christ.

O come all ye faithful--did you hear that? When is the last time you, as Christian, have been called faithful? This was common many years ago, but we have lost that vibe and sense of what it actually means to be a Christian--faithful to God.

O Come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free thine own from Satan's tyranny from depths of hell Thy people save. And give them victory o'er the grave....REJOICE! REJOICE! Emmanuel, shall come thee O Israel. What powerful and comforting words with a marvelous response! REJOICE!

Or just listen and watch these two at these links.

O Holy Night

Once In A Royal David's City

Or as you have worship services singing these songs; listen to the words you are singing; they are truly awesome and life-changing.

Merry Christmas!

Belgic Confession Article 2: "The Means By Which We Know God"

One of the aspects of the Christian Reformed Church's confessions that I absolutely love is how they flow together. After reading Article 1; someone may ask, "Well, how can we know this God describe in Article 1?"
Well, if we keep reading, we will find out.

Article 2 states this:

We know Him by two means:

First, by the creation, preservation and government of the universe, since that universe is before our eyes like a beautiful book

in which all creatures, great and small, are as letters to make us ponder the invisible things of God: His eternal power and His divinity, as the apostle Paul says in Romans 1:20. 

All these things are enough to convict men and to leave them without excuse.

Second, He makes Himself known to us more openly by His holy and divine word, as much as we need in this life, for His glory and for the salvation of His own.

Not all of the posts will be as long as the other; sorry that was really long.

Anyways, Article 2. 

We can know the God of Article 1--by two means or by two "books" as Guido writes. Or as what theologians call: General and Special Revelation.

General Revelation

First, "by the creation, preservation, and government of the universe, since that universe is before our eyes like a beautiful book..."

God the Creator:

The first way which we can get to know God is this--look around you. 

Okay, first look up--the sky, clouds, sun, and possibly rainbow. At night it is the stars, moon and maybe even planets! Dark thunder clouds? Tornado twisters? Lightning? Snow, rain or hail falling? 

Yeah, the God of Article 1 created all of that.

Okay, now look down--the dirt (maybe even a worm?), the gravel, the sand, the grass, the sticks and leaves on the ground, the mud and the rain puddles.

Yeah, the same God of Article 1 created all of that also.....

Okay, now look around---trees, animals, other humans, bodies of water, shrubs, plants, gardens, and others...

Yeah, the same God of Article 1 created all of that also....

Now look at yourself--your hands, toes, stomach, etc. God made all of that--and everything on the inside to function correctly also....

God the Preserver and Governor:

Okay, so all of those things going on above you, below you, around you and in you.....the same God that created ALL of that is the same God who preserves each item He created and also governs or rules each item He has created.

And throughout all of this general revelation of Himself through creation; this makes us ponder God's invisible qualities--"His eternal power and His divinity....all these things are enough to convict men and to leave them without excuse." 

Basically what Guido is saying is....well actually He is quoting the Apostle Paul in Romans 1:20. God's power and divinity are on display throughout all of creation--therefore this leaves no one without an excuse for not knowing God because God has been and is continually and will continually reveal Himself to us through His creation.

Special Revelation

Secondly, we can get to know this God of Article 1 because "He makes Himself known more openly by his holy and divine Word..." 

This is the Bible.

God reveals Himself to a greater extent and in a more personal way through His Word. It is absolutely amazing.

And He does this "as much as we need in this life" meaning that He doesn't give us more than we need and He doesn't give us less than we need--it is just the right amount. The perfect amount.

And this special revelation of Himself is done for two purposes:

1. For His Glory

2. For the salvation of His own.

He reveals Himself not in a selfish manner for His own glory, but it is for His own people; to see the gloriousness (not a word) of Himself.

What marvelous truths in this Article! God reveals Himself in creation for those who don't have His Word and for those who choose not to read His Word--and they are without excuse for not believing/knowing God!

And also, the same creation which God created--He sustains and governs!

And the same God who reveals Himself in His creation; also reveals Himself in His Word!

There are many passages of Scripture which speak of God's revelation; however, one that I memorized when I was a senior in high school was Psalm 19. Psalm 19 incorporates general and special revelation together into one passage; I encourage you to turn to your Bibles and mark it down; otherwise continue to read. Try and catch the two revelations in this passage--the General (creation) and Special (God's Word) Revelation:

(1)The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. (2) Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. (3) There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. (4) Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun, (5) which is like a bridegroom coming forth from His pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run His course. (6) It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.

(7) The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. (8) The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. (9) The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. (10) They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. (11) By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

(12) Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. (13) Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.

(14) May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer

Drinking Damnation Dry

The following is a quote from Charles Spurgeon’s sermon delivered on April 5^th, 1856 titled, “Justification by Grace” at the New Park Street Church:

[Read slowly, pondering each line as you read]

“The whole of the punishment of His people was distilled into one cup; 

no mortal lip might give it so much as a solitary sip. 

When He put it to His own lips, 

it was so bitter, 

He well night spurned it.

‘Let this cup pass from me’. 

But His love for His people was so strong, 

that He took the cup in both His hands,

and 

‘At one tremendous draught of love He drank damnation dry,’ 

He drank it all, 

He endured all, 

He suffered all; 

so that now forever there are no flames of hell for them, 

no racks of torment; 

they have no eternal woes; 

Christ hath suffered all they ought to have suffered, 

and they must, 

they shall go 

free.”

Truly, an amazing picture of judgment and grace woven tightly together.

In this Christmas time of year, as we celebrate the birth of God the Father’s one and only Son [6 days from now!]; we must remember the real reason and purpose that Jesus came to this earth. 

And the Gospel of Matthew chapter 1 verse 21 tells us the real reason and purpose.....

“She [Mary] will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, 

for He will save His people from their sins.”