One of a parents’ greatest joys on Christmas morning is watching their children open up their presents. The most “excited” age group tends to be that which lies between the toddler and teen years, when a child's glee over gifts seems to be at its zenith. The air is filled with laughter as girls play with their new dolls and boys conquer the universe with their action figures. Many games and adventures are enjoyed by our children as they utilize one of God’s greatest gifts--imagination.
About thirty years ago, when my siblings and I were caught up in our own imaginary world, my father took notice of our fanciful fun and wrote a poem about it. In essence, Dad's poem reminds us of the role that imagination plays and the importance of keeping it in its proper place. The poem is entitled "Make Believe." I've thought of this poem many times over the years while watching my own kids play in their little world of "let's pretend." I hope that you, too, will enjoy the poem and take its message to heart.
I often watch my children play,
And how amazed am I that they
Are occupied for hours on end
With games that start with “Let’s pretend.”
They play at “house”, they play at “store”;
They play at “school”, they play at “war”.
They play at “cops and robbers”, too;
There’s nothing little minds can’t do.
Yes, “let’s pretend” contributes joy
To every little girl and boy;
And drab and dull would childhood be,
If it were not for fantasy.
The thought that weighs upon my mind
Is: Some don’t leave those years behind.
Concerning things “beyond the veil”,
They still let fantasy prevail.
They make believe there is no hell;
They make believe their souls are well;
They reason, under false pretense,
That works will be their sure defense.
Behold, the final, fearful end
Of those, like babes, who still pretend!
For in eternal things, you see,
There is no room for fantasy.
For fantasy oft times conflicts
With that which God on high edicts;
And fiction from the days of youth
Must not displace the written truth.
Because the Bible doth reveal
That mankind’s need for Christ is real.
Imagination has a role,
But not in matters of the soul.
And what of you, good Christian friend?
Do you serve God, or just pretend?
Do you the Holy Spirit grieve,
By service only “make believe”?
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
How Has God Magnified His Word Above His Name?
This morning I was reading Psalm 138 and came across an intriguing statement: "You have magnified Your word above all Your name."
If you think through the implications of this statement, then you can see why it’s so intriguing. God’s name speaks of His great power and majesty, His perfect character and utter holiness. His is the name which is above every name (Phil. 2:9). Since God’s name represents His person, how can anything – including God’s word – be magnified above His name?
To answer this question, we must go to the context in which this statement occurs. Psalm 138 is written by David, after having been delivered from a difficult or perilous situation. Here are the first three verses of the psalm in their entirety:
I will praise You with my whole heart;
Before the gods I will sing praises to You.
I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name
For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
In the day when I cried out,
You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my soul.
So the context has to do with God’s faithfulness to His servant. Other gods (notice the small ‘g’) are everywhere, but David worships the one true God - the God who has been true to His word. God did not only do what He said He would do, but a whole lot more. Through the abundant fulfillment of His promise to David, God showed Himself to be more than what David had already thought Him to be.
Along these same lines, it may also be said that this demonstration of God’s faithfulness surpassed all previous revelation concerning Himself. This would be very consistent with David’s prayer in 2 Samuel 7, which he gave after receiving the Davidic promise. In verses 21-22, David prayed, "For Your word’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things, to make Your servant know them. Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears." God, through His faithfulness, showed Himself to be even greater than that which had been previously revealed to His people. In this way, He magnified His word above all His name.
There’s a third and final sense in which this statement might be interpreted, and this is in reference to Christ Himself. What if this statement, like so many others in the Psalms, is Messianic in nature? That is to say, perhaps it has an immediate reference and application to David’s present circumstances as well as an ultimate reference and application to the Lord Jesus Christ. If "Your Word" in Psalm 138:2 refers to the Incarnate Word, then it means that God has magnified His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, above every other manifestation of Himself. Consider the following Scriptures:
John 1:14, 18 - "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him."
Colossians 1:15 - "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation."
Hebrews 1:1-4 - ""God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son. . . who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they."
The name of Jesus Christ is indeed the name "that is above every name" (Phil. 2:9). Now this is pretty exciting stuff, but it gets better! Second Corinthians 3:18 says, "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." The mirror is the Word of God. As we go to the Bible, we see Jesus revealed in all His splendor. We don’t see Jesus simply in the light of His moral beauty – and certainly not His manly beauty (Isa. 53:2) – but in His present glory, exalted at the Father's right hand (Phil. 2:9-11; Col. 1:15-18; 1 Tim. 6:15-16; Heb. 1:1-13; Rev. 1).
If all this were not astounding enough, there is yet another glorious reality expressed in 2 Corinthians 3:18. Did you catch it? Paul says that as we behold the glory of Christ in Scripture, we "are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." Herein lies the secret to Christian holiness: Preoccupation with Christ as revealed in Scripture. The more we truly come to know Him, the more we become truly like Him.
Granted, this transformation is not automatic or immediate, but gradual. As we let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly (Col. 3:16), our lives increasingly reflect His glory. What a great incentive to study God’s Word! May we give ourselves to this worthy endeavor, knowing that God has exalted His Word above all His name!
If you think through the implications of this statement, then you can see why it’s so intriguing. God’s name speaks of His great power and majesty, His perfect character and utter holiness. His is the name which is above every name (Phil. 2:9). Since God’s name represents His person, how can anything – including God’s word – be magnified above His name?
To answer this question, we must go to the context in which this statement occurs. Psalm 138 is written by David, after having been delivered from a difficult or perilous situation. Here are the first three verses of the psalm in their entirety:
I will praise You with my whole heart;
Before the gods I will sing praises to You.
I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name
For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
In the day when I cried out,
You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my soul.
So the context has to do with God’s faithfulness to His servant. Other gods (notice the small ‘g’) are everywhere, but David worships the one true God - the God who has been true to His word. God did not only do what He said He would do, but a whole lot more. Through the abundant fulfillment of His promise to David, God showed Himself to be more than what David had already thought Him to be.
Along these same lines, it may also be said that this demonstration of God’s faithfulness surpassed all previous revelation concerning Himself. This would be very consistent with David’s prayer in 2 Samuel 7, which he gave after receiving the Davidic promise. In verses 21-22, David prayed, "For Your word’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things, to make Your servant know them. Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears." God, through His faithfulness, showed Himself to be even greater than that which had been previously revealed to His people. In this way, He magnified His word above all His name.
There’s a third and final sense in which this statement might be interpreted, and this is in reference to Christ Himself. What if this statement, like so many others in the Psalms, is Messianic in nature? That is to say, perhaps it has an immediate reference and application to David’s present circumstances as well as an ultimate reference and application to the Lord Jesus Christ. If "Your Word" in Psalm 138:2 refers to the Incarnate Word, then it means that God has magnified His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, above every other manifestation of Himself. Consider the following Scriptures:
John 1:14, 18 - "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him."
Colossians 1:15 - "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation."
Hebrews 1:1-4 - ""God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son. . . who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they."
The name of Jesus Christ is indeed the name "that is above every name" (Phil. 2:9). Now this is pretty exciting stuff, but it gets better! Second Corinthians 3:18 says, "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." The mirror is the Word of God. As we go to the Bible, we see Jesus revealed in all His splendor. We don’t see Jesus simply in the light of His moral beauty – and certainly not His manly beauty (Isa. 53:2) – but in His present glory, exalted at the Father's right hand (Phil. 2:9-11; Col. 1:15-18; 1 Tim. 6:15-16; Heb. 1:1-13; Rev. 1).
If all this were not astounding enough, there is yet another glorious reality expressed in 2 Corinthians 3:18. Did you catch it? Paul says that as we behold the glory of Christ in Scripture, we "are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." Herein lies the secret to Christian holiness: Preoccupation with Christ as revealed in Scripture. The more we truly come to know Him, the more we become truly like Him.
Granted, this transformation is not automatic or immediate, but gradual. As we let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly (Col. 3:16), our lives increasingly reflect His glory. What a great incentive to study God’s Word! May we give ourselves to this worthy endeavor, knowing that God has exalted His Word above all His name!
Friday, December 14, 2007
Ministering to Children: A Lesson from the Life of Robert Murray M'Cheyne
This past Tuesday, we enjoyed yet another Christmas program put on by the students of First Baptist Christian School. How great it is to hear kids sing out with all their hearts to the Lord. Children are such a blessing! I wonder how many of us adults seek to bless them?
Some years back, I read Andrew Bonar's biographical work on Robert Murray M'Cheyne, a godly Scottish pastor who died at age 29, having been beset by various illnesses throughout his short life (1813-1843). Yet M'Cheyne's love for the Lord and for people was so intense, that he made more of an impact on his generation in his 29 years than most people do in a lifetime -- or even twenty-nine lifetimes!
In reflecting on some of M'Cheyne's most endearing qualities, Andrew Bonar recalled how his dear friend's "heart felt for the young." He found considerable joy in teaching children and had a knack for getting down on their level to communicate to them biblical truth. Citing one particular case that came to mind, Bonar wrote, "Ever watchful for opportunities, on the blank leaf of a book which he had sent to a little boy in his congregation, he wrote these simple lines:
Peace be to thee, gentle boy!
Many years of health and joy!
Love Your Bible more than play,
Grow in wisdom every day.
Like the lark on hovering wing,
Early rise, and mount and sing;
Like the dove that found no rest
Till it flew to Noah's breast,
Rest not in this world of sin,
Till the Savior take thee in.
Most of us can't write clever little rhymes such as this, but we can follow M'Cheyne's example in ministering to children -- first to our own and then other children as God gives us opportunity. This is especially important this Christmas season, as commercialism can so easily crowd out Christ from our affections. As we go about our busy lives this week, let's do what we can to be a blessing to children, remembering the love that God has for them.
Some years back, I read Andrew Bonar's biographical work on Robert Murray M'Cheyne, a godly Scottish pastor who died at age 29, having been beset by various illnesses throughout his short life (1813-1843). Yet M'Cheyne's love for the Lord and for people was so intense, that he made more of an impact on his generation in his 29 years than most people do in a lifetime -- or even twenty-nine lifetimes!
In reflecting on some of M'Cheyne's most endearing qualities, Andrew Bonar recalled how his dear friend's "heart felt for the young." He found considerable joy in teaching children and had a knack for getting down on their level to communicate to them biblical truth. Citing one particular case that came to mind, Bonar wrote, "Ever watchful for opportunities, on the blank leaf of a book which he had sent to a little boy in his congregation, he wrote these simple lines:
Peace be to thee, gentle boy!
Many years of health and joy!
Love Your Bible more than play,
Grow in wisdom every day.
Like the lark on hovering wing,
Early rise, and mount and sing;
Like the dove that found no rest
Till it flew to Noah's breast,
Rest not in this world of sin,
Till the Savior take thee in.
Most of us can't write clever little rhymes such as this, but we can follow M'Cheyne's example in ministering to children -- first to our own and then other children as God gives us opportunity. This is especially important this Christmas season, as commercialism can so easily crowd out Christ from our affections. As we go about our busy lives this week, let's do what we can to be a blessing to children, remembering the love that God has for them.
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