The Exodus and God’s Redemptive Plan

To understand how God implements his redemptive plan for the elect, one needs to carefully look into the pattern of the Exodus and discern God’s strategy to reclaim those who belong to Him scattered in all the nations of the earth. (1)

When the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, they were chained in the harshest forms of slavery and could not unfetter themselves.  Worse, they endured Egypt resignedly as if giving up on God’s promises to the patriarchs altogether!  They were under foreign rule, they lived on foreign soil and the scenario does not seem reconcilable with that painted by God before Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3. Though it seemed that God had forgotten His promises, the carefully arranged events in the life of Moses exemplified a careful working out of God’s plan of redeeming Israel.  After using the hardships of enslavement as a backdrop to highlight the fulfillment of God’s promises, God prepared to free the Israelites from bondage by setting apart Moses to mediate God’s redemptive plan.  Through Moses, God awakened the Israelites not only to leave, but to never look back; not only to move out from Egypt, but to move into the promise land!  (6)

The question “How were the Israelites freed from Egyptian slavery?” may take the form of “How can one enter the Kingdom of God?” — this question assumes relevance today.  Here, it is important to note that Moses’ ministry foreshadows the nature of the work of Jesus Christ, and on the basis of which the answer to the question posited may be gleaned.  While Moses is the divinely appointed man to whom God reveals His purposes and will for His people, Jesus is the divinely appointed God-man to whom God revealed the fullness of His glory and restoration plan for all the nations. (3)

To make the Israelites choose to move out of Egypt, they had to refresh their memory, through Moses, and remember what the God of their fathers has done in the past in fulfilling His promises and commitments to their fathers, and believe what He is saying He will do. On the other hand, to free the sinner from his wretched condition of enslavement by the devil, the elect who at first is a sinner needing redemption, must recognize what Jesus has done and believe by faith that the price has been paid on the cross thus, ascertaining his future.(2)

It is on the same vein that the involvement of Israel in the tenth plague assumes a significant role in our understanding of redemption because when the nation of Israel and Egypt are drawn into the final stroke, it has been mandated that every firstborn in Egypt shall die.  The scope of God’s redemptive plan is highlighted here, that is, both the Israelites and Egyptians must believe God and follow His directions, otherwise, their posterity will be cut off.  On this score, sons of Israel were in no way more privileged than the sons of Egypt when it came to wretchedness!  Had the Israelites failed to identify themselves with the blood of the Passover Lamb, whose blood was shed for their salvation, then they could not have been worthy to be part of the promised kingdom God had prepared for them.  It is at this juncture wherein it may be said that the Exodus is necessarily a powerful work of God alone to rescue people from the powers of evil so as to be reconciled to Himself, not by their works which utterly fail, but by His gracious commitment and His faithfulness in fulfilling his promises. (5)

What is the significance of Hebrews 4:9 for the Christian?

What is the significance of Hebrews 4:9 for the Christian?

There remains, therefore, a Sabbath rest for the people of God.

Hebrews 4:9

The verse carries a promise for Christians, a promise of eternal rest after toiling for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It presupposes then that the Christian who must enter into this rest had been doing the work of a disciple, self-denial, carrying one’s cross and following Jesus, as well as making disciples of all nations.  In other words, the Christian had been waging spiritual warfare against the powers of darkness in this world.  Just as Joshua rested after the conquest of Canaan land, God has prepared a nobler and more enjoyable rest for the warriors of the cross. The eternal Sabbath of the New Jerusalem however will be made possible only because of God’s victory in Christ.  (5)

The sabbath rest can be characterized as follows:  it is a royal inheritance from God, it is God’s gift; it is not just a time, but a place; Christians today experience this divine resting now, which has come in Christ, but is not yet fully consummated. (1)

When God rested on the seventh day, it does not mean that He was tired for tiredness is inconsistent with His nature as the omnipotent God.  But rest here signifies satisfaction and delight after seeing His handiwork.  Led by the Holy Spirit, the writer of Hebrews used anthropomorphic language for our benefit, to aid us in comprehending the progression of God’s divine activity in all of creation after the fall up to the consummation of God’s kingdom.  The Sabbath concept was a reminder of restoration, and all Christians participate in this march to the True Canaan or True Promised Land.  In the same way that the Sabbath Rest is also a time, it refers to the final Day of the Lord when Jesus Christ shall come to judge mankind for the perfecting of the temple of God.  (5)

For those who are in Christ, the real Temple, the kingdom is a present reality, but is not yet consummated, hence the need for a weekly day set apart for worship to God in heaven.  Observance of the Sabbath itself is proof that God is our Lord, and just as Christians have to cease to work during the Sabbath testifies that we are being good stewards of what God has entrusted to us to lord over. (2)

Christians then must be encouraged that true rest comes only by grace through faith in God’s Son, only way by which we can enter into the place and time of the eternal Sabbath.  The obligation of the Sabbath we enjoy today still remains until the final consummation of God’s Final Day when together with all of the restored, renewed and renovated elect ones enjoy the company of their Triune God.

Dr. Michael S. Horton at Febias College of Bible

January 28, 2010 (Thursday)
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Vision Chapel, Febias College of Bible, Karuhatan Road, Valenzuela City 1441
FREE ADMISSION
For more info, call 445-5951

MICHAEL S. HORTON, PH. D.
Ph. D., University of Coventry and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford

Dr. Horton is a J. Gresham Machen professor of Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary California, editor-in-chief of Modern Reformation magazine, and host of the syndicated radio broadcast, The White Horse Inn.

Dr. Horton has written and edited more than 15 books, including Putting Amazing Back Into Grace, Christless Christianity and Gospel-Driven Life. He is also a minister in the United Reformed Churches in North America. He resides in Escondido, California, with his wife, Lisa and their four children.

photo from http://creedorchaos.wordpress.com

Self-Denial and Its Importance in the Great Commission

Every organization has a set of membership requirements.  Unless one complies, one will not belong.  In this verse, Jesus set three requirements for those who are minded to follow Him.

In accepting Jesus as our Savior — when we do follow Him, we have to allow Him to make us part of His system, and then we better be ready for the surprises that come with it.

I’d like to focus on SELF-DENIAL.  Why do you think did Jesus require those who would come after Him to deny themselves?  The answer proposed is this:  The self has a set of desires that affect our perspective and response to God’s word.

I believe that self-denial is the true mark of a follower of Christ. A true follower of Christ has been crucified with Christ and lives by faith (Gal. 2:20).  In our focal passage, Jesus emphasized self-denial.  The reason is that when we receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord, our sense of self must give way to the Holy Spirit.  It is compelled to give way to the Holy Spirit.

The importance of self-denial in obeying Jesus’ mandate in Matthew 28:19-20 is indubitable. Missionaries I’ve met struck me as the most self-less people on earth.  I observed their demeanor and manners, and I am encouraged to note down two needs that they may have forsaken to do their jobs.

The need for self-recognition. Why?  One basic reason is that we do not find it in Jesus’ example.  He is the humble King.  He endured the worst of humiliation and his shame was exposed on the cross — for our benefit.  He was cursed by His own Father so we can be blessed (Gal. 3:13).  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by being the curse, for it is written, cursed is anyone who is hanged on a tree.

Jesus taught us that self-recognition is not the primary motive of a servant. We must then always direct attention not to ourselves but to God.  We must desire that others see Jesus in us, as we fade in the background.  And as we share the Word of God, our allegiance must be not to any creed, organization or denomination, but only to the Gospel.  With our lives and testimony, we must endeavor to protect it.  We are encouraged to always have the glory of God in mind.  As John the Baptist put it, we must decrease, as He increases (John 3:30).  At the risk of being put down, scorned and derided for the Gospel, we must endure, knowing that the battle is not ours —  it’s God’s.

Self-recognition is therefore an enemy of the Great Commission. If we have it in an unhealthy degree (that is, not putting it in subjection to the control of the Holy Spirit), we will fail our Master.  We may be able to walk with Him a few kilometers, but we cannot go the extra mile.  Why?  Because being a servant is a thankless job a lot of times.  Christians will be persecuted, mocked, and misunderstood.  To be humble in the midst of these, to answer with meekness and fear, as the Bible says — that is the true mark of a disciple of Jesus Christ.

The need for self-preservation. Why is the need for self-preservation (again, when not placed in subjection to the work of the Holy Spirit) a hindrance to the Great Commission?  One basic reason is that again, Jesus Himself did not adopt it.  Jesus did not teach self-preservation, but self-sacrifice. Jesus died on the cross.  He gave His life as a ransom for many.  Not many choose the way of the cross.  Not many choose to defend the Gospel against its detractors afraid that they will be labeled fanatics or ostracized by non-believers.  Many put their reputation, business, good-standing in society foremost than Jesus.

Last September, my sister sent me some magazines (Voice of the Martyrs) and my eyes were opened to the hardships that missionaries have to experience while obeying Jesus’ command to reach the nations.  I was deeply moved by the stories that the magazines featured.  All of them are stories of selflessness, exemplified by putting God’s glory before their safety.  Their message became very real to me when despite all the persecutions to their faith and threats to their lives, they continued with joy.  In countries such as Myanmar, Colombia, Vietnam, Pakistan and Iran, being a Christian is a crime.  I was minded to pray for these “criminals” for Christ, those who are in prison for their faith.  When asked about his dangerous journey, one missionary who was able to minister to a terrorist group in Colombia responded:  “Jesus’ command is to go.  He never said anything about going back.”

Whenever the demands of the self try to overpower the work of the Holy Spirit in us, let us remember the example of the Suffering Servant, Jesus Christ.  He is God, but He put His Father first.  And because of His selfless sacrifice, we have eternal life. A Christian’s primary purpose is to glorify God, and not himself.  The desires of the self, such as self-recognition and self-preservation are placed in subjection to the control of the Holy Spirit. Having the mindset of self-denial, we will can be able ministers of the Gospel and reach the unreached for God’s glory, notwithstanding threats to our need for self-recognition and self-preservation that we are likely to face as we go.

~*~

Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons — but they are helpless against our prayers.

Billy Graham

It started with a question…

http://www.fanpop.com/spots/photography/links/535693

I was taken aback by a question a few days ago, and it has never left my head since.  The query obviously evolved into a personal puzzlement that I must write down to make sense of.  That’s just me.

I have dug into many books during the course of my twenty-something existence, but I cannot, try as I might, summon enlightenment from them. This makes me feel uneasy. Does it mean I’ve been spending money, time and effort on many subjects that cannot offer me even a sliver of a tangential answer to one core issue in my life?

One guy asked me to identify the characteristics that my ideal man must have, and from the look on his face, I sensed that I must have given him an answer that most guys would never expect from women in their late twenty-somethings already, but I said it. His amazement was contagious, and I got it after much mulling over.

“He must be a Christian,” I said and I added: ”He must be better than me in every possible way…” He gasped. Poor guy.

At least I should have been rewarded for my honesty, but he probed deeper, as if what I have just said was immediately adjudged a wrong answer. I felt hurt. What’s wrong with my standard?

My sister reprimanded me later that day and said it’s impossible to find such a guy. Another friend of mine laughed at me and said I was asking for an extinct species! I have great hope in God that such a person exists, for I admire his craftsmanship — surely, He’s got that guy in store for me! Likewise, I have great respect for the pursuits of men in improving themselves to become today’s Henry the Eighths whenever they can, I mean, come on, they now even go for facials! So, if they can engage in such painful endeavors as facials, surely, they could have at least read The Republic, quote Shakespeare, preach the word of God, play the piano, the guitar and drums, and thumb through pressing issues without difficulty, aside from showbiz news. All I was saying was, I had in mind a guy who is stronger than me , sings better than me, writes better than me, speaks better than me, cooks better than me, hence, smarter than me.

I admit I scared that guy away, for he said it was impossible. I am confident he is not asking such questions for his own account, because he’s married and he is my friend. I presume he inquires out of curiosity.

“It’s impossible,” he said.

Maybe I was waiting for my philosopher king , a guy that belongs in the ruling class of Plato’s dream society that never saw light beyond the pages of his philosophical treatises. I spelled impossibility in so many words.

But he did not give up, so he asked me again, and I felt the need to clarify, for my own benefit. Realizing the futility of my search (for no one person is ever better in every possible way than another), I rephrased my response and said: “Okay, I want someone who is better than me when it comes to the Bible and Christian pursuits.” I noted his agreement.  Perhaps I came up with a practicable answer, finally!

Is it because I still do not know that’s why I cannot have? God, I must admit, is so wise. He is never in the habit of condoning the wishes of impulsive ladies like me; He must constantly save me from my own devices.

Hence, my prayer is this: “Let me not have, until I know for sure what I need, in accordance to Your will.”

Having said that, all I have to do is wait as I keep still and let Him be God.  I’m saving my other questions for another post.  The title of my post only makes room for one question.  Alas, I am but human, too, like the man I must decide to love, whoever he is.  I can only think deep into one question at a time.#

Guided Prayer

Picture from http://www.biblefacts4kids.com/acceptjesusnow.html

I had a chance to write about lasers last year.  I wrote an article (or two) for a website that markets lasers.  I did a research about the subject and I was fascinated by the precision that is the key in the utility of lasers.  Lasers are useful in the fields of astronomy, national defense, medicine, physics and search and rescue operations.  It’s amazing how one little beam of light can spell healing to the sick, as well as how disastrous its consequences when a powerful green laser is beamed at an aircraft, for it causes temporary blindness in pilots.

But what got me most fascinated are the lasers that are used to guide weapons.  Precision here is the key.  In the military, nobody is amused with friendly fires.

I  have been considering the status of my spiritual weapon lately.  For every Christian, prayer is a weapon, so that when we get down on our knees before God, we are declaring war against the evil forces that have come to saturate even the air that we breathe.  Evil, that is our target (though many times we’d have to point our lasers inward, to ourselves, the sinful nature in us!)  Living in this world, we don’t lay this weapon down on the ground — we are in enemy territory, for this world is not our home.

And so I thought, if prayer is indeed my weapon, I have to harness it and upgrade it so that it can stand the fiery darts of the devil who never runs out of strategies to pin me down.

My prayer life, I realized, must be more precise.  It may not follow a strict formula, but it should become, in itself, my strategy.  Every thing I do must begin with prayer.  I’ve started doing this of late (though I still struggle at it), and I’ve found that it lessens the likelihood of losing my temper in the office (though I still yell, silently, hmm…) Whenever I’m confronted with a situation that tries to steal my joy, I just pray and in the middle of an argument, a squabble, a skirmish, or what have you, I become aware of my responsibility to love my neighbor.  There’s a reason why the Word of God reminds us to pray without ceasing — I see that now.  In every situation, the weapon is needed and if needs be, we must aim it to ourselves and experience God’s correction and guidance!

I upgraded my prayer, and I realized I must focus on God, not myself.  My precise, not scatter-shot prayer, should be guided by the Holy Spirit and I must constantly and consciously invoke Its intercession so that It can pray in my behalf.  More than I ever will, It knows Jesus Christ, the only Way to the Father, to whom we pray, following Jesus’ example.  Therefore, I realized that unless my prayers are guided by the Holy Spirit, I cannot please God!  And what more, when I am totally clueless what to pray for, the Holy Spirit intercedes for me with groans that words cannot express!  Amazing!  (Please read Romans 8 — I’ve plagiarized portions of the chapter for emphasis.)

To those I’ve yelled at, hurt, or belittled, in any way (physically, emotionally, psychologically) please turn your weapons of prayer at me, and may your prayer be precise, so they would hit the middle of my heart.   Seriously, I’d love to receive your friendly fires. 

Thank you, Jesus, for teaching me how to pray to the Father, through the intercession of the Holy Spirit, in accordance with God’s will.

Godbless, everyone…

I Will Sing the Wondrous Story

I had the chance to sing “I’ll Sing the Wondrous Story” before my home church in Baguio during the New Year’s Eve service. It was nice trying to sing with a sore throat, I mean, it was God-dependence through and through. But one day, if I be found with eyes closed, and my days totally resigned to God, I want this song to color my lips, and its message add pink to my cheeks — Jesus’ wonderful story, the greatest story ever told, the story that lingers ever since before the world began, and from here to life eternal.

I hope I can record that song in my brother’s studio; he’s biased against such old, and slow renditions, but I will try to goad him when I go back to Baguio again.

I love the version of Sandy Patti. Hope you like it.

December 30, 2009

Father,

As I study Your Word, grant me wisdom…
As I go deeper in Its Message, increase my faith…
As I grow in knowledge, guard my ambition…
As I increase in confidence, remind me of Your Son’s humility…
As I hold on to Your statutes, ascertain my grasp…
As I listen to Your Spirit, keep me focused…
As I look unto Jesus, look upon me…

In Jesus’ precious name,

Amen.

http://www.prisoneralert.com/

http://www.prisoneralert.com

What I did with “What Would Jesus Do”

“May this second hand book enrich your first hand experience of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as you continue to walk in His steps.”

One typical afternoon, I checked out Booksale (as I am always in the habit of doing), and I spotted, dusty among flashier paperbacks, a book featuring on its cover a depiction of Jesus’ face. It looked decent, but incongruous with its companions in the pile, all printed using acid-free paper, perhaps. At first glance, it was easy to tell that it has never been read, and though previously owned, it was never treasured, for though the edges have been yellowed by time, it didn’t bear the marks of one the contents of which had already been explored, savored or digested. It looked like it could use some wonderful times with the burning midnight oil, I thought.

When I picked it up, I discovered that I already have a copy of the book. It is “In His Steps” by Charles M. Sheldon, and the battlecry of the classic is “What would Jesus do?”

I sighed. “What do I do?” I asked myself. I already have the same title, and besides, I have picked up for that day about ten books on varied subjects, from romance to philosophy and C.S. Lewis to E.B. White. My shelf can withstand ten books at one time, but not my shoulder! Besides, I was running low on cash. One time, I bought fifteen (15) titles in one day, but on that particular instance, all I could psychologically afford was ten. It only had to be ten or I’d go crazy, for some reason or another.

I imagined a bag swollen with books, but more than that, it felt like a pity to leave a rare copy of the classic there. Believe it or not, it called to me. Without wasting any time, I carefully considered the contents of my basket — one book has to go. I randomly picked out one and gave the Jesus book its proper place in my basket, if not in my heart. I was humbled by the analogy — it’s a shame a lot of people can’t find a space for Jesus, and I was liable to be one of them.

What Jesus has done for my behalf is unquestionable: He died for me. He took the form of a servant and chose the way of the cross to save me. My eyes stared on the book with remorse. When I got home, I placed it alongside my collection of Jesus books. It has found a better place (no longer a manger), but it was never read.

I’ve been keeping it for months, and just this morning, I thought of giving it to my friend, Aljun, a kindhearted boy I met at Febias College of Bible. I see in him a lot of admirable qualities: he’s humble, he’s a passionate student of God’s word, and he never once utters an idle or careless word. I admire his God-given qualities, and I find myself blessed with his friendship.

My dedication will go like this:

“May this second hand book enrich your first hand experience of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as you continue to walk in His steps.”

Tonight, this book will have a real owner, unless, he’s already got a copy.