Friday, January 20, 2006

Now go and learn...

Your words have struck me twice....putting in me this ache. I want to know. Will you teach me? I will gladly lay down every sacrifice, every offering. Everything, if I only can know your heart.

"...Matthew invited Jesus and his diciples to be his dinner guests, along with his fellow tax colectors and many other notorious sinners. The Pharisees were indignant."why does your teacher eat with such scum?"they asked the disciples. When he heard this, Jesus replied, "Healthy people don't need a doctor - sick people do." Then he added, Now go and learn the meaning of the this Scripture:' I want you to be merciful; I don't want your sacrifices.' For I have come to call siners, not those who think they are already good enough." (Matthew 9: 10 -13)

"Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off heads of wheat and eating the grain.Some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, "Your disciples shouldn't be doing that! It's against the law to work by harvesting the grain on the Sabbath." But Jesus said to them, " Haven't you ever read in the scriptures what King David did when he and his companions were hungry? He went into the house of God, and they ate the special bread reserved for priests alone. That was breaking the law too. And haven't youever read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the temple may work on the Sabbath? I tell you one is here who is greater than the Temple! But you would not have condemned those who are not guilty if you knew the meaning of this scripture: 'I want you to be merciful; I don't want your sacrifices. For I, the Son of Man, am master of the Sabbath."

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

A passion for His Glory

"He who has the bride is the groom. But the groom's friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the groom's voice. So this joy of mine is complete. He must increase, but I must decrease." The One who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms. The One who comes from heaven is above all." John 3:29-31

"Love is labouring and suffering (if necessary) to enthrall another person with what will make them most infinately and eternally satisfied....There is nobody else who can meet our needs. Nobody else that can satisfy our hearts.Nobody else that can forgive our sins. There is nobody else that can give us meaning.....God's constant exalting of His glory for our enjoyment is the most loving thing He could do, for in Christ alone are we satisfied." - John Piper (paraphrased)

Jesus prayer before his death reveals His heart:

"Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said: Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son so that the Son may glorify You,
for You gave Him authority over all flesh; so He may give eternal life to all You have given Him. This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent--Jesus Christ. I have glorified You on the earth by completing the work You gave Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with that glory I had with You before the world existed.I have revealed Your name to the men You gave Me from the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.Now they know that all things You have given to Me are from You, because the words that You gave Me, I have given them. They have received them and have known for certain that I came from You. They have believed that You sent Me.I pray for them. I am not praying for the world but for those You have given Me, because they are Yours.All My things are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I have been glorified in them. I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, protect them by Your name that You have given Me, so that they may be one as We are one.While I was with them, I was protecting them by Your name that You have given Me. I guarded them and not one of them is lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture may be fulfilled.Now I am coming to You, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have My joy completed in them. I have given them Your word. The world hated them because they are not of the world, as I am not of the world.I am not praying that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, as I am not of the world.Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.I sanctify Myself for them, so they also may be sanctified by the truth.I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in Me through their message.May they all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You. May they also be one in Us, so the world may believe You sent Me. I have given them the glory You have given Me. May they be one as We are one.I am in them and You are in Me. May they be made completely one, so the world may know You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me.Father, I desire those You have given Me to be with Me where I am. Then they will see My glory, which You have given Me because You loved Me before the world's foundation.
Righteous Father! The world has not known You. However, I have known You, and these have known that You sent Me.I made Your name known to them and will make it known, so the love You have loved Me with may be in them and I may be in them."
John 17

Lord let me not become focused and fixiated on lesser things; wood, hay and straw. Draw back my gaze oh Beautiful One.