Why I am Thankful! Counting blessings...

For the last little while, the following quote has been my signature online:

"The first of Martin Luther's 95 Theses was that the whole of a Christian's life is to be one of repentance of sin." ~ J. I. Packer

Why repentance? Because of who we are: Fallen creatures, prone to wander.

Were it not for our Beautiful God who keeps us in the palm of His hand;
were it not for the Spirit’s promptings, and our Gentle Shepherd’s leading;
we’d wander aimlessly off the Path, looking for meaning in all the wrong places.

How do I know this? Because I've done it. I've forgotten to look to the Lord, to seek His face in the morning, to ask direction for my day. I've forgotten that I can do NOTHING to please Him, apart from the Grace of God. I've dug out that old checklist of things to do to be spiritual, and been very pleased with myself as I check them off: Read the Bible, check. Pray, check. Be kind to others, check. Intercede for the hurting, check. Don't lose my temper, check. And I've swelled with pride and thought myself a very good Christian, and asset to the Kingdom.

Hogwash. All of my righteousnesses are filthy rags. Any good I do is only because I am a branch attached to the Vine, and He does all things well.

No wonder I am thankful. When I consider all that my God has done for me, how can I be anything but grateful?

He sets us in families. I have a really big family, and lots of children and grandchildren to love. I am blessed to get hugs from big boys, and juicy kisses from little babies. I am thrilled to hear, "Dranny, tan I have a dwink?", and I rush to get it for the wee one who's asking.

But even if I had no family, if every one of them were taken away, I know I am part of the family of God. I have the best Brother, the best Father, the best Guide. I am so blessed to be part of this family, adopted as one of His children. I am so thankful.

He gives us work to do. God is a God of purpose, and does nothing by accident. He has created us to work (six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work) and gifted us with talents that reflect His glory. There is no excuse for boredom, because there is always something for us to do. We are truly blessed when we have work.

Sometimes the sheer amount of work I have to do is overwhelming, but I then remind myself that my God has not given me more than I can bear. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. I am truly thankful!

He surrounds us with beauty, with evidence of His glory. The sheer beauty of the sunset this evening was astounding. Clouds rippled across the sky in varying colours from the brightest gold to a deep purple, with brilliant orange and magenta between. As darkness fell, the full moon rose, giving enough light for the children to keep on with their games of British Bulldog and Red Rover. I look at the beauty, and I am thankful.

But even more astounding than the beauty of creation that surrounds us is the beauty of a God who Heals the Brokenhearted and Loves the Unloveable. This is my God...How can I be anything but thankful?


He gives us the Spirit, as an earnest, a downpayment of what is to come. What joy we will experience one day when we reach that heavenly shore. No more sin. No more need of that daily repentance! Just constant praise and glory and thanksgiving offered to His name!

As we mature in the Lord, we discover what it really means to give thanks. As baby Christians, we are thankful for our salvation, for having been brought into the kingdom of God, and having new purpose in life. We recognize God’s goodness in the tangible things – food, clothing, housing, relationships, church.

But as mature Christians, we learn to give thanks for the trials, too. That’s not easy…. But we are taught in James to count our trials as joy:

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

I am so thankful for a Shepherd who knows me very well. He knows my every need, and He knows exactly what will mould me into the delight that He is designing me to be.

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,because the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;

Jesus has brought good news to me. How thankful I am!

he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

Jesus has healed my broken heart. I lost both my parents and a baby all in the same year. I suffered misunderstandings, abandonment by friends, pain and hurt and loss, but that didn’t even come close to the brokenness I felt when I realized that it was MY sin that put Him on the cross. Jesus bound up my broken heart. How thankful I am!

to proclaim liberty to the captives,and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

He set me free! How thankful I am!

2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;

He taught me His attributes – He is a God of Grace, but He is also a God of Vengeance. Yet, He comforts those who mourn. How thankful I am!

3to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
(H) that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the LORD,(I) that he may be glorified.

Beauty for ashes; gladness for mourning; praise instead of fear; All this is from our God. He has taken me, a worm, the chief of sinners, and called me an oak of righteousness. He has planted me here in this time and space, and will be glorified because of me. I can’t begin to comprehend His love. How thankful I am!

Be not deceived, God is not shocked.

I often find myself weighed down by the mess I make of my life. I am a perfectionist at heart, and I never measure up to my own standards.

Thankfully, I am on a journey of comprehending how deep and vast the love of my Saviour is.

Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

It will take a lifetime, I'm sure, to really GET how much God loves me. I won't really understand it all until I wake up in glory.

Until then, articles like this one are an encouragement to me.

Oh, Be Careful...

Proverbs 4

20 My son, pay attention to what I say;
listen closely to my words.

21 Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;

22 for they are life to those who find them
and health to a man's whole body.

23 Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.

24 Put away perversity from your mouth;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
fix your gaze directly before you.

26 Make level paths for your feet
and take only ways that are firm.

27 Do not swerve to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.

The heart is much discussed by Puritan writers. The Bible has 743 verses with the word "heart". Jeremiah indicates that it is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, and the very next verse indicates that "I, the Lord, search the heart. I try the reins..."

God knows our hearts. He knows our frames. We're weak and full of sin. That's why we're admonished to guard our heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Everything begins within. It's the inner man that we must be aware of. All sin begins inside...we think about it, then we carry it out.

Mark 7: 20 He (Jesus) went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' 21 For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' "

Some sin doesn't even manifest in action, but as Jesus said, "as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he". If I think about murder, I am a murderer. If I ponder adultery, I am an adulterer. Such is the purity and holiness of God. Such are His exacting standards.

That's why we need a Saviour! Because our hearts are deceitful, and because we sin every day in multiple ways (and many times are unaware of how much we fall short of the glory of God), we need to draw close to God, to guard what we are thinking, and to guard our heart attitudes and motives. We need to be watchful. We need to mortify (put to death) the sin as it rises, in the heart, before it manifests itself in wrong actions, or words.

The Puritans spoke much of "coram deo" - our heart before God.

Remember the passage that says "out of the same mouth comes blessing and evil...brothers, this thing ought not to be so"? We must guard that the words we say and the thoughts we think and the actions we perform are those that are pure, reflecting the image of Christ in our lives.

Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.
24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
26 Ponder the path of your feet,
And let all your ways be established.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil.

We must study the Word of God…not just to shun sin, but to learn what we ought to do. Matthew Henry says,


The attentive hearing of the word of God is a good sign of a work of grace begun in the heart and a good means of carrying it on.


A great duty required by the laws of wisdom, and in order to our getting and preserving wisdom: Keep thy heart with all diligence. God, who gave us these souls, gave us a strict charge with them: Man, woman, keep thy heart; take heed to thy spirit.

We must maintain a holy jealousy of ourselves, and
set a strict guard, accordingly, upon all the avenues of the soul;
keep our hearts from doing hurt and getting hurt,
from being defiled by sin and disturbed by trouble;
keep them as our jewel, as our vineyard;
keep a conscience void of offence;
keep out bad thoughts; keep up good thoughts;
keep the affections upon right objects and in due bounds.
Keep them with all keepings (so the word is); there are many ways of keeping things—
by care,
by strength,
by calling in help,
and we must use them all in keeping our hearts;
and all little enough, so deceitful are they, #Jer 17:9.
Or above all keepings;
we must keep our hearts with more care and diligence than we keep any thing else.
We must keep our eyes (#Job 31:1),
keep our tongues (#Ps 34:13),
keep our feet (#Ec 5:1),
but, above all, keep our hearts.

2. A good reason given for this care, because out of it are the issues of life.
Out of a heart well kept will flow living issues, good products,
to the glory of God and the edification of others.
Or, in general, all the actions of the life flow from the heart, and therefore keeping that is making the tree good and healing the springs. Our lives will be regular or irregular, comfortable or uncomfortable, according as our hearts are kept or neglected.

So, ABOVE ALL ELSE, guard your heart.
Examine your thoughts.
Ponder your priorities.
In Whom do you put your trust?
What do you think about throughout the day?
What goals do you have? What are you striving for?

All of this introspection should lead to action. It's no good to be looking at your life under a microscope if it doesn't translate into right actions.

The children's song reminds us:
Be careful, little heart, where you lean.
Be careful, little tongue, what you say.
Be careful, little feet, where you go.
Be careful, little hands, what you do.
Be careful, little eyes, what you see.

For the Father up above is looking down in love,
So be careful...
and GUARD YOUR HEART.

35 Reasons Not to Sin

35 Reasons Not to Sin

by Jim Elliff

1. Because a little sin leads to more sin.
2. Because my sin invites the discipline of God.
3. Because the time spent in sin is forever wasted.
4. Because my sin never pleases but always grieves God who loves me.
5. Because my sin places a greater burden on my spiritual leaders.
6. Because in time my sin always brings heaviness to my heart.
7. Because I am doing what I do not have to do.
8. Because my sin always makes me less than what I could be.
9. Because others, including my family, suffer consequences due to my sin.
10. Because my sin saddens the godly.
11. Because my sin makes the enemies of God rejoice.
12. Because sin deceives me into believing I have gained when in reality I have lost.
13. Because sin may keep me from qualifying for spiritual leadership.
14. Because the supposed benefits of my sin will never outweigh the consequences of disobedience.
15. Because repenting of my sin is such a painful process, yet I must repent.
16. Because sin is a very brief pleasure for an eternal loss.
17. Because my sin may influence others to sin.
18. Because my sin may keep others from knowing Christ.
19. Because sin makes light of the cross, upon which Christ died for the very purpose of taking away my sin.
20. Because it is impossible to sin and follow the Spirit at the same time.
21. Because God chooses not to respect the prayers of those who cherish their sin.
22. Because sin steals my reputation and robs me of my testimony.
23. Because others once more earnest than I have been destroyed by just such sins.
24. Because the inhabitants of heaven and hell would all testify to the foolishness of this sin.
25. Because sin and guilt may harm both mind and body.
26. Because sins mixed with service make the things of God tasteless.
27. Because suffering for sin has no joy or reward, though suffering for righteousness has both.
28. Because my sin is adultery with the world.
29. Because, though forgiven, I will review this very sin at the Judgment Seat where loss and gain of eternal rewards are applied.
30. Because I can never really know ahead of time just how severe the discipline for my sin might be.
31. Because my sin may be an indication of a lost condition.
32. Because to sin is not to love Christ.
33. Because my unwillingness to reject this sin now grants it an authority over me greater than I wish to believe.
34. Because sin glorifies God only in His judgment of it and His turning of it to good use, never because it is worth anything on it's own.
35. Because I promised God he would be Lord of my life.

Relinquish Your Rights - Reject the Sin - Renew the Mind - Rely on God

Copyright © 1992 Jim Elliff Christian Communicators Worldwide, Inc.Permission granted for not-for-sale reproduction in unedited formincluding author's name, title, complete content, copyright and weblink.Other uses require written permission.

For more articles by our writers, visit www.CCWtoday.org

Living Grace

I was blessed today by the words of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, preaching a sermon called "The End of the Age".

Dr. Lloyd-Jones made the point that this world is NOT our home. We're just camping out. We're sojourners here, on our way to eternity. This life will be over in the blink of an eye, and then what will we do? We'll find ourselves standing before an utterly holy God.


Actually, we won't be standing. We'll fall on our knees, worshipping.

And if not that, then we'll bow the knee anyway. Every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

It's amazing to me that I can sit in my own living room and listen to one of the great preachers, long since gone on to glory, expounding a passage of Scripture that impacts me today.

Don't miss it!

Held Together by His Power

Colossians 1:9 ¶ For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;
12 ¶ giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

The ESV and NIV put it this way:

He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.

Water! A new Well!

Our farmer neighbour stopped by a week ago to tell us that he is buying the farm that surrounds our property from his dad. This farm used to be part of the property we now own, and when our little piece of land was severed off from the farm, the well ended up on their land. We paid for the use of the water for a few years after we moved in, then disaster struck! One day, when we arrived home from Rick's mom's funeral, we discovered we had no water. The farmer wasn't willing to do anything about it, so we made arrangements to get the water mainline dug up and replaced. That was a very expensive proposition at the time. We've used that water (from the neighbour's well) ever since.

So, Mr. Farmer (alias) dropped by last week to tell us that his lawyer informed him that the supplying of water to a neighbour was a litigation waiting to happen. The lawyer told him to cut us off.

We can't blame our neighbour. Ever since the Walkerton tragedy, where contaminated water caused death and hospitalization to a few people, Ontarians have been very cautious about their water supply. Wells have been decommissioned, and new wells dug. And farmers who supply their neighbours have simply stopped doing so, just in case something would go wrong.

So, we called the well guy, and he arrived today. The kids were fascinated with the huge equipment, and wanted to know how things worked. Did you know that the drilling process begins with water? They also use air under pressure! And here I thought the drill would be made of diamonds. Shows how little I know.

I'm not sure how deep he had to go, but he was out there for hours. Apparently we have good water, and lots of it. It is not yet connected to the house, because, in spite of much digging, the boys haven't found the main pipeline yet. I do hope they'll find it tomorrow. I can't wait to take a shower with a bit more water pressure than the slow trickle I am used to!

Of course, all of this thinking about the necessity of water has brought me to consider Christ, who is the Living Water:

Revelation 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

Jesus gives of the fountain of the water of life freely! This One Who is the beginning and the end, who is Omnipotent God, died on the cross that I may live.

I love the story of the Samaritan woman who comes to the well during the dusty heat of the day. When Jesus asks her for a drink of water, she is incredulous. How can you, a Jew, speak to me, a Samaritan AND a woman?


John 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Matthew Henry comments,

"Jesus begins with a modest request for a draught of water: Give me to drink. He that for our sakes became poor here becomes a beggar, that those who are in want, and cannot dig, may not be ashamed to beg. Christ asked for it, not only because he needed it, and needed her help to come at it, but because he would draw on further discourse with her, and teach us to be willing to be beholden to the meanest when there is occasion. Christ is still begging in his poor members, and a cup of cold water, like this here, given to them in his name, shall not lose its reward."

Jesus needed the water because He, Who created the entire universe (including every drop of water) and sustained it moment by moment, was willing to subject Himself to dwelling in a body, experiencing fatigue and hunger and thirst. He did that for our sake. He asked the woman for a drink for her sake.

Matthew Henry continues:

He assures her what he would have done for her if she had applied to him:

“He would have given thee (and not have upbraided thee as thou doest me) living water.”

By this living water is meant the Spirit, who is not like the water in the bottom of the well, for some of which he asked, but like living or running water, which was much more valuable. Note:

(a.) The Spirit of grace is as living water; #Joh 7:38. Under this similitude the blessings of the Messiah had been promised in the Old Testament, #Isa 12:3; 35:7; 44:3; 55:1 Zec 14:8. The graces of the Spirit, and his comforts, satisfy the thirsting soul, that knows its own nature and necessity.

(b.) Jesus Christ can and will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him; for he received that he might give.


Secondly, That the living waters he would give should yield a lasting satisfaction and bliss, #Joh 4:14. Christ’s gifts appear most valuable when they come to be compared with the things of this world; for there will appear no comparison between them. Whoever partakes of the Spirit of grace, and the comforts of the everlasting gospel,

a. He shall never thirst, he shall never want that which will abundantly satisfy his soul’s desires; they are longing, but not languishing. A desiring thirst he has, nothing more than God, still more and more of God; but not a despairing thirst.

b. Therefore he shall never thirst, because this water that Christ gives shall be in him a well of water. He can never be reduced to extremity that has in himself a fountain of supply and satisfaction. (a.) Ever ready, for it shall be in him. The principle of grace planted in him is the spring of his comfort; #Joh 7:38. A good man is satisfied from himself, for Christ dwells in his heart. The anointing abides in him; he needs not sneak to the world for comfort; the work and the witness of the Spirit in the heart furnish him with a firm foundation of hope and an overflowing fountain of joy. (b.) Never failing, for it shall be in him a well of water. He that has at hand only a bucket of water needs not thirst as long as this lasts, but it will soon be exhausted; but believers have in them a well of water, overflowing, ever flowing. The principles and affections which Christ’s holy religion forms in the souls of those that are brought under the power of it are this well of water.

[a.] It is springing up, ever in motion, which bespeaks the actings of grace strong and vigorous. If good truths stagnate in our souls, like standing water, they do not answer the end of our receiving them. If there be a good treasure in the heart, we must thence bring forth good things.

[b.] It is springing up unto everlasting life; which intimates,

First, The aims of gracious actings. A sanctified soul has its eye upon heaven, means this, designs this, does all for this, will take up with nothing short of this. Spiritual life springs up towards its own perfection in eternal life.

Secondly, The constancy of those actings; it will continue springing up till it come to perfection.

Thirdly, The crown of them, eternal life at last. The living water rises from heaven, and therefore rises towards heaven; #Ec 1:7. And now is not this water better than that of Jacob’s well?

I am thankful today that God has given me an opportunity to reflect on the glory of my Saviour. He is a gracious Saviour, who has given me eternal life; not only that, He has deposited a down payment in me: the Holy Spirit, Who lives within, sanctifying me and giving me joy in the midst of sorrow, and hope in the face of despair. Because of Jesus, I have my eye fixed on heaven. Because of the Holy Spirit, my life has changed, and I continually do those things that my Father has planned for me to do (for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them!). This living water will never end, and one day I will spend eternity with The Water of Life Himself. PTL!

How Big is our God?

My husband was asked to read the first chapter of Ezekiel this morning, as preparation for our Pastor to begin his sermon. The vision Ezekiel has is of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.
As I stood there, listening to the description, I realized that I cannot begin to comprehend God. He is above all. He is utterly magnificent.

Does my vision of God shape my life? Do I live for Him? Do I instruct my children to focus on the One who sits on that glorious throne, with a rainbow of grace surrounding it?

God is the Lord of Time and Eternity. One day, every single knee, whether willingly or unwillingly, will bow, and every single tongue will declare that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

God is the Creator of all things. Every heartbeat, every breath I take is only because of His mercy. Do I use them for His glory? Do I arrange my days to serve Him? Is He at the forefront of my mind and plans for the days and weeks and months ahead? Or am I simply relegating Him to the back corner, and putting my self on the throne? Are MY plans, MY dreams, MY desires and MY goals what I focus on?

When I read the first chapter of Ezekiel, I know that I must

BOW DOWN!
HUMBLE MYSELF!
ARRANGE MY LIFE AS A SERVANT!

God is the Potter, and we are the clay. He has every right to do as He wills with His own creatures. Some He will raise up, and some He will put down -- all for His good pleasure, and all because of His sovereign will. He chooses our course, and we must learn to humble ourselves before Him, surrendering to His will. Whether we are up, or whether we are down, we must live for God!

Am I ready to live for God, radically, moment-by moment?

Ezekiel was.

At the time of Ezekiel, there was great political upheaval. Judah was in the middle between Egypt (Pharaoh Neco) and Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar). In 609 good King Josiah was killed at Meggido, and by 605 BC Neco's armies were destroyed by Babylon at the Battle of Carchemish. King Jehoiachim was playing politics instead of turning to the living God. He kept switching allegiance from Egypt to Babylon, which didn't go over very well.

Daniel was taken in the first wave, in 605. In 597, Ezekiel was carted off to exile, along with 10,000 others. By 586, Nebuchadnezzar in his fury destroyed the temple.

The children of Israel cried out, "What's going on? Where is God? Why did He allow this destruction? Doesn't He care about us? Isn't He in control?"

That's why God gave Ezekiel the vision of WHO HE WAS. And when Ezekiel saw it, he fell on his face:

Ezekiel 1:28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
2:1 ¶ And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.
2 And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me. 3 And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day. 4 For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD. 5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.

Ezekiel was certainly a prophet - he saw the vision and took the message to the people. He was also a priest, the son of a priest. His name means "I will strengthen", and he was strengthened by God to do His bidding and minister to the people.

He had a tough message. Daniel, like Hosea, was tender. Ezekiel, like Amos, was tough. God uses all sorts of people for His purposes. Don't compare ministries or personalities, but be thankful when you see God's provision in the talents of His people!

So God sent Ezekiel with a the message that judgment begins at home. They were dabbling in sin, going after idols, listening to false prophets, using false measures, pursuing gain, ignoring the needy, and trusting in super-powers rather than in the Living God. God used Babylon to discipline His people, to purify them and bring them back to a relationship with Him.

The book of Ezekiel is all about

the PLAN of GOD - to discipline Judah;
the PURPOSE of GOD - to restore Judah; and
the PROMISE of GOD - that His people would return to the land.

It wasn't an easy task, to take this message to the people. They were confused and felt abandoned, and Ezekiel knew it. That's why God gave him a glimpse of His power and glory, along with a reminder of His unfathomable grace. The rainbow encircling the throne was a powerful reminder that God always keeps His promises. Even if the enemy has come in and carted you away to a foreign land. Even if you have lost your home, your family, your land, your temple, your very country...God never fails. He will judge the sin of His people, and it is never easy. He also will restore His people back to a full relationship with Himself. One day, we will be in the Land - the best land - the heavenly land, where God dwells in the midst of His people.

We had a foretaste of heaven today as we gazed upon Jesus. He is the One with the plan to make a way for the elect from every tribe and tongue to be gathered as a People of God. He is the One with the purpose to redeem us from a life of sin, under the power of Satan and the sentence of death. He is the One who promised never to let one of His chosen ones go, and HE has the power to carry out His plan, His purpose, and to keep His promise.

It's all about YOU, King Jesus, and the glory of Your name.

My God is so BIG,
So strong and so mighty,
There's nothing my God cannot do!

The mountains are His,
The valleys are His,
The stars are His handiwork too!

My God is so BIG,
So strong and so mighty,
There's nothing my God cannot do!

Oh, God, Help me to live as one who really GETS that I am very small, and You are very BIG. Let me keep the vision of Your power and Your glory at the forefront of my mind. Remind me that Your eye is always upon me, and that You ordain every little thing that happens to me for my ultimate good, and for your glory.

In the name of Christ, my Saviour and Lord, I pray. Amen.

Marriage, Responsibility, and the Fall

In Biblical Theology class today, we were going through the three Creation Ordinances: Sabbath, Marriage, Work (Rule/Reign). I got pondering what Pastor Bob said about Marriage Principles, the Responsibility of Adam as the Covenant Head, and the subsequent Fall.

There are Seven Christian Marriage Principles found in Genesis 2:18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” 19 Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.”

24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

1. Celebration of Compatibility.
Both marriage partners are image bearers, made in the image of God (imago Dei), so they were spiritually and emotionally compatible. Eve wasn't a dog or a horse - but was very similar to Adam, because God made the woman out of the rib of the man. This means their flesh was perfectly compatible, physically.

2. Celebration of Companionship.
It was not good for the man to be alone. The animals couldn't talk, or share their feelings or hopes or dreams or desires. Adam needed someone to share his vision, to come alongside of him as his companion.

3. Celebration of God's Precious Gift.
Just as a father walks his daughter down the aisle, giving her to her groom, God brought Eve to Adam as a most precious gift. Adam's reaction was joy! Finally, someone to share his life with.

4. Celebration of Covenant Headship. (vs. 24)
In marriage, the wife leaves her father's headship (including his provision and protection) and comes under her husband's headship.

5. Celebration of Cleaving.
Just like two lumps of clay that are molded together and left to dry in the sun, the husband and wife are to cleave to each other. If you try to separate that dried lump of clay, it crumbles and is destroyed. Marriage is to be a cleaving together of two separate people. As a soldier without his sword will die in the midst of battle, so a husband without his wife is without strength.

6. Celebration of Completely One!
One in heart, one in vision, one in purpose - the husband and wife become one flesh. This is more than physical oneness. Adam and Eve were naked and unashamed - completely vulnerable, honest with each other, without secrets.

We are not told in the account how long Adam and Eve were married before the Serpent (Satan) came along, intending to destroy. The Bible makes it clear that Adam fell, Adam sinned, that he transgressed the law, and so on. Eve certainly was deceived.

2 Corinthians 11:3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

1 Timothy 2:13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.


Eve was the one who reached out and took of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and she gave some to Adam, who was with her.

We don't know if Adam was there the whole time, or if he happened on the scene. But it is clear that God holds him responsible as the Covenant Head.

In pondering this, I realized that both of them failed in their role as a marriage partner. As soon as Eve heard the snake talking, she should have run to her husband, her protector, to let him know that the garden had been invaded! Snakes don't talk! Something was up. But she thought she could handle it, and didn't think she needed protection. After all, she was as smart as Adam, and perfectly capable. Or was she?

And where was Adam? Was he being the companion to his wife that she needed? Was he protecting her, and being intimate with her in fellowship, instructing her and explaining all he knew about God's instruction. He should have stepped up! He should have known that she was vulnerable and easily deceived. If he had taken the time to really KNOW her, he would have figured that out.

I know this is speculative. However, I believe that God holds Adam responsible for a reason. Just as the wives and children of Daniel's accusers were thrown to the lions alongside their husbands/fathers, and just as Achan's family was cremated right along with him, God sees the family as a unit, and the husband as the responsible head.

Some applications:

1. Marriage is God's ordinance, not man's invention.
2. Marriage is a heterosexual union.
3. Man is the head of the home. (Genesis 2:18; 21 cf. Ephesians 5:22-23)
4. Marriage is a union for two believers. Do NOT be unequally yoked. (2 Cor. 6:14-18)
5. Sexual intercourse is great, but only within the marriage union. (1 Cor.7)
6. Women are not permitted to be in authority as a pastor. (1 Tim. 2:13ff)
7. Divorce is the result of sin. (Matthew 19:4-9)

So, husbands and wives, spend time together. Cultivate common interests. Practice the roles God has called you to, by letting your husband lead or your wife follow. Men, you are called to be leaders! Wives, you are called to be helpers. Do so, to the glory of God.

Husbands ought to be protecting their wives. This is important even within the family context. If a child is rude to his mother, the dad should be all over that with shock and awe! Protect her, and she will feel loved.

Work at intimacy by being vulnerable. Share intimately, and keep no secrets.

Companionship means working together on the house and property. Plenty of shoulder to shoulder time, subduing the earth and making it reflect the glory of God builds a sense of teamwork!

It's a mystery that Adam, created in the image of God, sinned in the first place. We have inherited that sin nature, but God calls us to be holy, as He is holy. One way we can do that is by determining that, with the Lord's help, our marriages will bring glory to God.