Question: Why Does God ____________?

Feb 212009
 

Answer: Everything the Lord God does is for the glory and praise of His name.

That is the short answer.

Al Mohler touches on this topic in his post called “The Divine Egotist — Is God Arrogant, Selfish, or Megalomaniacal?” .  He begins by quoting Ezekiel 36:22-23:

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.

“I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst Then the nations will know that I am the LORD,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight.  NASB

He continues, “Ultimately, creation serves as the theater of the glory of God’s redeeming love. The drama of God’s redemption accomplished in Christ is the great story on display. In the consummation of history, the revelation of a new heaven and a new earth will become the platform for the manifestation of the glory of the triune God throughout eternity.”

So why does God do what He does?  The pride shattering answers is, for His glory. We are fools to think otherwise.

 February 21, 2009  For God's Glory Comments Off

But I Don’t Feel Thankful

Nov 222008
 

With Thanksgiving around the corner, we are rushing to perform all the things that must be done for the holiday to be successful (in our eyes).  In light of that, I suspect actually giving thanks may be further down on the list than we want to admit. Jim Elliff talks about the feeling of thankfulness and our attitude if our heart is not in it at the CCW blog. 

1 Chronicles 16  NASB

    8 Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name;
         Make known His deeds among the peoples.
    9 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
         Speak of all His wonders.
    10 Glory in His holy name;
         Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
    11 Seek the LORD and His strength;
         Seek His face continually.
    12 Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done,
         His marvels and the judgments from His mouth,
    13 O seed of Israel His servant,
         Sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!
    14 He is the LORD our God;
         His judgments are in all the earth.
    15 Remember His covenant forever,
         The word which He commanded to a thousand generations,
    16 The covenant which He made with Abraham,
         And His oath to Isaac.
    17 He also confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
         To Israel as an everlasting covenant,
    18 Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan,
         As the portion of your inheritance.”
    19 When they were only a few in number,
         Very few, and strangers in it,
    20 And they wandered about from nation to nation,
         And from one kingdom to another people,
    21 He permitted no man to oppress them,
         And He reproved kings for their sakes, saying,
    22 “Do not touch My anointed ones,
         And do My prophets no harm.”
    23 Sing to the LORD, all the earth;
         Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.
    24 Tell of His glory among the nations,
         His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
    25 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
         He also is to be feared above all gods.
    26 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
         But the LORD made the heavens.
    27 Splendor and majesty are before Him,
         Strength and joy are in His place.
    28 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
         Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
    29 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name;
         Bring an offering, and come before Him;
         Worship the LORD in holy array.
    30 Tremble before Him, all the earth;
         Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.
    31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
         And let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.”
    32 Let the sea roar, and all it contains;
         Let the field exult, and all that is in it.
    33 Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the LORD;
         For He is coming to judge the earth.
    34 O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
         For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
    35 Then say, “Save us, O God of our salvation,
         And gather us and deliver us from the nations,
         To give thanks to Your holy name,
         And glory in Your praise.”
    36 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
         From everlasting even to everlasting
         Then all the people said, “Amen,” and praised the LORD.

 November 22, 2008  Christian Living, For God's Glory Comments Off

I Will Be Honored

Mar 022008
 

Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is what the LORD spoke, saying, ‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, and before all the people I will be honored.’” So Aaron, therefore, kept silent.      Leviticus 10:3   NASB

This is the final word from God regarding the death, by the Lord’s own hand, of Aaron’s two sons, Nadab and Abihu. What led up to this, what happened, and what the possible motives were is what I want to explore. This story has a strong message for leaders in the church.

Continue reading »

 March 2, 2008  For God's Glory, The Word of God 1 Response »

Consider It All Joy-To Be Continued

Feb 162008
 

Well it has been almost exactly one year from my last post, February 4, 2007, Consider It All Joy-Update. That post announced my diagnosis of Hodgskins lymphoma.  I received the news on February 7, 2008 that I am now officially in remission.  Praise the Lord!  As you may suspect, a great deal has happened between those two dates.  I have been updating friends and family by email throughout my treatment, but I did not blog about it as I thought I was going to do.

The short version is that I received 16 chemotherapy treatments, one every two weeks. I also took a broad range of medications to offset my chemo side effects and to offset the side effects of the medications I took for my side effects. It proved to be a delicate balance to maintain.  My primary side effects were extreme fatigue and feeling “yucky”(that really is the best word to describe it). Other than that, through the Lord’s grace and strength I worked my job the entire time.  I took only a total of one sick day in the last year.  That consisted of two half days I left early because of the chemo side effects. That is not to say I didn’t miss work.  I still had doctor’s appointments, CT scans, PET scans, treatments, etc. My employer is a gift from God and was very, very understanding.   I was allowed as much time off as I wanted. 

In August I received my last chemo treatment.  Since then I have had two CT scans and a PET scan.  I was told everything looks great.  My blood work is normal.  I am in remission. Now the doctor wants me to lose weight.  How encouraging that the most important item on the agenda is losing weight. 

Praise the Lord for what He has done!  I thank those of you that prayed for me and my family.  We have been blessed and have received richly of His mercy.

To be continued …..

 February 16, 2008  For God's Glory Comments Off

I Am Debtor

Sep 172007
 

The below words appeared on  Slice of Laodicea on August 31, 2007.  Since then, the Slice of Laodicea site has experienced some technical problems and no longer has this available. 

For your encouragement, these words are by Scottish pastor, Robert Murray M’Cheyne from a poem he wrote entitled, “I Am Debtor.” This was sent to me today by a listener serving a sentence in a maximum security prison. He had hand written this out.

When this passing world is done,When has sunk yon glaring sun,When we stand with Christ in glory, Looking o’er life’s finished story,

Then, Lord, shall I fully know—

Not till then—how much I owe.

When I hear the wicked call,On the rocks and hills to fall,When I see them start and shrinkOn the fiery deluge brink,

Then, Lord, shall I fully know—

Not till then—how much I owe.

When I stand before the throne,Dressed in beauty not my own,When I see Thee as Thou art,Love Thee with unsinning heart,

Then Lord, shall I fully know—

Not till then—how much I owe.

When the praise of Heav’n I hear,Loud as thunders to the ear,Loud as many waters’ noise,Sweet as harp’s melodious voice,

Then, Lord, shall I fully know—

Not till then—how much I owe.

Even on earth, as through a glassDarkly, let Thy glory pass,Make forgiveness feel so sweet,Make Thy Spirit’s help so meet,

Even on earth, Lord, make me know

Something of how much I owe.

Chosen not for good in me,Wakened up from wrath to flee,Hidden in the Savior’s side,By the Spirit sanctified,

Teach me, Lord, on earth to show,

By my love, how much I owe.

Oft I walk beneath the cloud,Dark, as midnight’s gloomy shroud;But, when fear is at the height,Jesus comes, and all is light;

Blessed Jesus! bid me show

Doubting saints how much I owe.

When in flowery paths I tread,Oft by sin I’m captive led;Oft I fall—but still arise—The Spirit comes—the tempter flies;

Blessed Spirit! bid me show

Weary sinners all I owe.

Oft the nights of sorrow reign—Weeping, sickness, sighing, pain;But a night Thine anger burns—Morning comes and joy returns;

God of comforts! bid me show

To Thy poor, how much I owe

–Robert Murray M’Cheyne, 1837

 September 17, 2007  For God's Glory Comments Off

Consider It All Joy-Update

Feb 042007
 

Proverbs 2:6
For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
NASB

In my last post found here, I was waiting for the results of medical tests. The results are in.  I have Hodgkins Disease, a type of lymphoma. That would explain why my immune system was down and my platelets were low. That would explain many other symptoms I experienced before that I thought were related to a busy schedule and a lack of sleep. It is all starting to make more sense now.

If this were a typical good news/bad news presentation, what preceded would be the bad news. What is unique to this story is that the good news is the same. I have Hodgkins Disease a type of lymphoma. Medically and statistically speaking if someone is to have a type of lymphoma, Hodgkins is the one to have.  It has the highest (80%-90%) cure rate.  Over and over again my doctors and nurses have told me how fortunate I am to have this particular type of lymphoma. With 6 months of chemotherapy I should have a full recovery.  With that being said, there are some observations I would like to make.

I must confess, that I was very relieved to hear that I have Hodgkins. My wife and I knew that I was being tested for lymphoma, so my wife researched everything about it. She discovered, as the doctor later confirmed, Hodgkins was the type with the best cure rate. Those conclusions are based purely on statistics gathered from people diagnosed and treated with conventional treatments.  Those treatments were discovered and developed by medical science. 

That leads to the question, “What is the origin of man’s wisdom?” We get over confident, even cocky, about the advances in medical science, technology, education, etc.  If we can, through “our” understanding, explain a process or determine a course of action, we quickly remove God from His throne and place ourselves there. We are quick to relinquish control to God when the situation seems hopeless and beyond our capability to change.  But when we think we know what to do, we take over and relegate God to blessing our plans.

We soon forget that it all comes from the Lord. There is nothing that we have that has not been provided by the Lord; even wisdom and intellect. Everything was created by Him and is provided to us according to His purpose, not ours.  Although I was relieved to hear the diagnosis, I was quickly reminded that I am just as dependent on the Lord as I was before.  He hasn’t changed nor has my reliance on Him. Tomorrow is not guaranteed for me. I had no guarantee six months ago when I thought I was healthy. Every day is a gift from God. He sustains me moment to moment.  Whatever His will is for me, I trust in Him alone. Forever I will be grateful. 

 February 4, 2007  For God's Glory Comments Off

Consider It All Joy

Jan 122007
 

James 1:2-4 2
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.   
NASB

The above passage of scripture is one that I often reference. I usually shorten it to “when you encounter various trials”. I do that to remind myself that as Christians, we will experience trails.  That is why the verse says “when” not “if”. 

The part of the verse that I always skipped over was “consider it all joy”. I certainly believed that we could have joy in the midst of our trials. But I suppose I equated it to having the right attitude about the situation. It never occurred to me that true joy could be experienced when facing trials.  That all changed for me on December 11, 2006.

That Monday after work, I drove myself to the emergency room with a nosebleed that wouldn’t stop.  It was quickly determined that my platelets were low-6,000 (compared to 140,000-400,000 for normal people).  Platelets are responsible for blood clotting when there is a cut.  Without them, you bleed to death. Between December 11th and January 7th I was in the hospital for three weeks.  I was in two weeks the first time and after one week at home, I returned to the hospital for another week.

During my time in the hospital I had my spleen removed, a lymph node removed and my bone marrow extracted for testing.  As I sit writing now, I am waiting for the results of the tests.  The indications are that I have lymphoma. The tests are to determine what type, how far it has advanced, and what the treatment should be. I think this qualifies as a trial. But the real story is that the Lord has been working in all of this. 

First, my family is part of a wonderful church family.  I had no idea how wonderful until this all happened.  I was visited many, many times and have been prayed for constantly.  I receive cards, phone calls, and words of encouragement. The ladies of the church provided meals for my wife and daughter at the hospital when they were visiting. Special prayer times were established just to pray for my family and me.

Secondly, family and friends I suspect are not believers have told me they would pray for me. I am excited because this situation swings the door wide open to share the gospel with them. The Lord is preparing hearts and providing opportunities.

I also received very good care at the hospital.  I believe the Lord directed very specific nurses and doctors to care for me.  Each of them showed a special interest in my case. Through that, I developed some friendships that I hope to continue outside of the hospital setting.

I share these things not to boast about the attention I have received. I share these things to boast about the Sovereign Lord. I boast about His mercy and His majesty. I boast about His love for His adopted children and how He works through them to bless others. I boast that the Lord is patient not wanting anyone to perish.

As you may suspect, I am experiencing joy.  I never understood it before like I do now.  Just knowing that the Lord is at work in this situation is giving me peace and joy. It also gives me a sense of anticipation of what is yet to come.  As I mentioned before, I am still waiting on the final results of the tests. But whatever the future holds, the Lord is with me. I just pray that I remain faithful as He works His will through me. 

I wanted to end this with Psalm 148.  I have been reading it these past few weeks.  It has been a source of encouragement and focus.  May you be blessed by it also.

All for His glory!

Shane


Psalm 148 

1 Praise the LORD!
         Praise the LORD from the heavens;
         Praise Him in the heights!
    2 Praise Him, all His angels;
         Praise Him, all His hosts!
    3 Praise Him, sun and moon;
         Praise Him, all stars of light!
    4 Praise Him, highest heavens,
         And the waters that are above the heavens!
    5 Let them praise the name of the LORD,
         For He commanded and they were created.
    6 He has also established them forever and ever;
         He has made a decree which will not pass away.
    7 Praise the LORD from the earth,
         Sea monsters and all deeps;
    8 Fire and hail, snow and clouds;
         Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;
    9 Mountains and all hills;
         Fruit trees and all cedars;
    10 Beasts and all cattle;
         Creeping things and winged fowl;
    11 Kings of the earth and all peoples;
         Princes and all judges of the earth;
    12 Both young men and virgins;
         Old men and children.
    13 Let them praise the name of the LORD,
         For His name alone is exalted;
         His glory is above earth and heaven.
    14 And He has lifted up a horn for His people,
         Praise for all His godly ones;
         Even for the sons of Israel, a people near to Him.          
         Praise the LORD!    NASB


 January 12, 2007  For God's Glory Comments Off
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