When God Makes a Point

For the last couple of weeks I have been following my normal routines and am detecting a pattern or theme that God is bringing to my attention. I can be as dumb as dirt so He's left all subtlety behind and is using a holy 2x4 at this point. Let me explain. I just read a fabulous post on holiness on Steve Camp's blog. I recommend it, you can find it here. Earlier today I attended a community bible study where the topic was on God's holiness and our sin. Sunday my pastor delivered a sermon that was both convicting and encouraging. He was preaching on Philippians 2:9-11 and tied it to the holiness of God. Just before that I was asked by a group of women to define the holiness of God. See what I mean? One of the principles of hermeneutics is when God repeats something, it's important. It seems apparent to me that God wants my attention and He wants it focused on His holiness.

I know I was going to write more about confrontation, but when God keeps bringing something to your attention it is best to listen. I don't believe in coincidence. I believe that God has providentially placed these people and circumstances in my life to snap me to attention. So here I am, Lord and I am listening.

The holiness of God is a truly awesome and terrible thing. The only way to begin to understand His holiness is in juxtaposition to my sin. No matter how I try I cannot really comprehend the absolute righteousness, perfection, and goodness of my God. I think a nanosecond of seeing Him in all of His holiness and glory would vaporize us. Isaiah was undone, Moses' face and hands shone after spending time with God and God protected Moses from seeing Him. (Isaiah 6, Exodus 34). The holiness of God will lay you out flat and make you tremble. Sitting here thinking about it has moved me to tears.

God, in His merciful providence, is allowing me to see how great a gift I have been given in my salvation. If I could, I would run from Him. I know who I am. I know the wicked heart I have. I know that He is the one person I cannot trick into thinking there is something good in me, other than His Holy Spirit. I know my bent for sin. I know that even after this glimpse of His holiness and the way I tremble here and now, in the next moment my flesh can rise up. And yet, for reasons I will never understand let alone never merit, He has called me to be one of His own. Jesus Christ, my Savior, has paid the penalty for my sins past, present and future. Knowing exactly how many times and ways I would fail Him, he has imputed his righteousness to me.

Recently I asked God to help me desire heaven. I think His answer has come in reminding me of His holiness and seeing my sin for what it truly is. My salvation is secure and I am free from the penalty of sin. My sanctification continues as I am freed from the power of sin. When I serve Him in heaven I will be free at last from the presence of sin.

Wow.

Spiritual Aphasia aka Senseless Theology

I was recently asked why I read theology and follow theological debates. "It's all just words and opinions." Words. Words on a paper, words on a blog. Words that travel invisibly through our airwaves and our minds. What would our inner monologue consist of without words? Harsh words, gentle words, untrue words, and solid you-can-die-behind them words. They have secret lives in the depths of our souls. They overflow in torrents of grief and joy. They seep out of our character flaws, wearing down the weak convictions that hold them back until they contaminate all those around us. All of us are stained within and without by the raw sewage of unkind words. Our souls are in jeopardy for want of The Word. Jesus Christ. The Gospel. The Good News. Words matter. Doctrine matters. Theology Matters. What you win them with is what you win them to. I study theology because I was lost too long in a world that scrambles truth with its own ideas and preferences. I was fed a diet of tosse

Super Church a song for the Emergent-sy

In the early 70s I was in a youth choir at my church. Our youth pastor was a musician and his way of connecting with us as a group was through the choir and music. Somehow there was an affiliation between him and The Continental Singers, New Hope and Jeremiah People. He was worked with Moishe Rosen of Jews for Jesus too, I think. Are any of these names familiar to you? Though I remember the church fondly I was a profoundly lost and troubled young woman during my years there. That and time have muddled the memories quite a bit. Today I was digging through some old paperwork and one of the books to the musical we did. It's Getting Late For the Great Planet Earth, a folk rock oratorio by Cam Floria. Yes, that's right. Cam Floria put Hal Lindsey to music. There's a lot to laugh about and some to groan about but as I was looking through the songs and remembering, I found this little ditty and I only wish I could sing it for you. Just remember that this is circa 1972 and even th

What if.....

...what if I just need a place to let some words spill out? What if they spill out in bouquets of bright colors and pleasing scents but their frames are made of snakes and lies? Will you the reader be able to tell? Will it matter? When words smell like lilacs and honeysuckle do you care what lies beneath them? Perfumed syllables cover the stench of hope's decay. A violet or two will fool most surface dwellers, allowing them to pass by quickly and unaware. Is that what words are supposed to do? What if my aesthetics with words are similar to Morticia Addams' with flowers? What happens when luscious blooms are discarded? When the ragged silhouette of thorns is all that remains will you still see the beauty? Perhaps we'll find out.

rambling rosemarie

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