Jesus As Lord

[DanV]

That they may know that You, whose name alone is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth - Psalm 83:18

From many vantage points, Jesus does not seem to be in charge of much that goes on in our world. Sickness, greed, lust, hatred--you can find them all in any news report. The prayer of this Psalm could be our own, that God would intervene and that His glory would be evident to all. Yet God so often seems silent. Why? God, whose power overcomes all opponents, often chooses not to show that power. When He does, it's often shown in apparent failure, suffering and setback. Jesus, the King on Psalm Sunday, is crucified before the week is over.

In your life, has cancer taken a loved one? It has in mine. Has an accident left a healthy person disabled, a divorce ruined a family? Whose plan does that reflect? Where is the Lord Most High when tragedy strikes? Why does He keep silent? We don't know why God restrains Himself, but we do know that behind all this suffering is a bigger purpose. God will have His day--soon, powerfully, finally. The psalmist would not be writing if faith had been snuffed out, if hope had been extinguished. Instead, he calls on God, believing that right will win and that evil will be silenced by the coming of God in glory.

The faith of the believer must sometimes endure the cancer and accept the results of the accident as part of a plan more wonderful, in its final act, than we can imagine. As with Jesus, Friday turns to Sunday and God's glory shines through the pain and loss. Let your tear-stained prayer rise to the heavens: "O Most High over all the earth, let them know!"

God Bless

 

[DanV]

The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. - Isaiah 40:5

When Jesus walked on the earth, He was God in the flesh. He didn't apppear glorious at the time, but it was still God's glory wrapped in humanity. You might expect the glory of the Lord to be revealed at a gathering as least as classy as the Academy Awards or as watched as the World Series or the World Cup in Soccer. But no, the Lord's glory shows up in the wilderness, a desert place.

Yet Isaiah describes great reversals in nature. Holes in the landscape turn to mountains while mountains themselves into pits. Places rocky and hard to climb become like a child's playground.

God's glory changes everything. Jesus changes everything. Whether this passage refers to Jesus' first or second coming, the point is that when He arrives, God is sharing a glory unprecedented since the moment of creation. He pulls back the curtain just a little, and everything is changed: new priorities, new purposes, and our own new identify as members of God's family. Always the theme is that glory is redemption: hopeless people given hope, because God cares.

Jesus is the source and center of God's glory. Where Jesus walks, the ground shakes into new terrain. Where Jesus speaks, hearts are moved to embrace a new message. Jesus communicates the glory of God. Jesus invites us to enjoy the glory of God. No life remains status quo in this encounter.

Can you put yourself in places where that glory is prominent, not hidden? Can you find times when God's voice becomes easier to hear, not drowned out by stereos or compressed by demanding schedules? Yes you can.

You'll see mountains leveling and rough places smoothing if you stop, ask, pray, and look. But take this warning: People who see God's gloray cannot stay the same. The glory of the Lord Jesus will change you.

God Bless

 

[DanV]

But why do you call Me "Lord, Lord," and do not do the things I say? - Luke 6:46

When we call someone "Lord," it means that person is in charge over us--not a popular sentiment in our world where individuality is thought to be the greatest good and self the most important person. We don't want to have to serve anybody.

When we call Jesus Lord, however, we are putting Him in charge of our lives. We are saying we want to serve Him. We are submitting to Him. To call Him Lord means that He is worthy of our obedience. Jesus demanded such a response. Do not call Him Lord if you do not intend to do as He says. Half-hearted people need not apply. Thos who want to pick and choose areas of obedience will not be tolerated. Onlookers who merely want to enjoy a free meal but don't want to call Him Lord will only find thenselves hungry again.
Jesus is Lord, and He calls His followers to act on that fact.

Money is not lord. Recreation, fame, beauty, or success are substitutes not worth a second look. Jesus is Lord. He plays backup to no other. He does not negotiate His Word or consider compromises to its truth. No, we must do as He says. We must keep our ears open to His voice, for we cannot obey if we do not listen.

Your faith is in a living Lord. Not only that, it is faith in a loving Lord. You need not fear obedience to One who seeks only your very best, who loves you, who wants to make you the very best you can be.

Do you call Him Lord? Then do as He says. You will find great blessing when you do.

God Bless