The Depth of the Father's Love Is Overwhelming

We often sing a song in corporate worship entitled, “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us”, the text is awfully powerful.  I think that the text is so powerful because it calls us to grips to the depths of God’s love.  The only way that we can remotely understand and comprehend the depths of that love, is through the understanding of the depths and severity of our own sin.  The text actually combats our natural and sinful inclination in which we are tempted to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to.  Though while none of us would readily admit it, we more often than not, live our lives as if we have something to offer God, that there is something that God somehow needs from us.  While the reality is, as the song says, we are “wretch”, people of a despicable character, who undeserving have been made a treasure. 

Furthermore, the reality that this text continues to reveal, is that this undeserving grace did not come without a price, it did not come without a cost.  There was much pain physically and emotionally, as God who was fully human experienced not only physical torture, but humiliation as well.  This grace did not come without a price, it was our guilt upon His shoulders, it was our mocking voices who were crucifying Him, it was our sin that brought Him death, which brought us life.  This is the depth of the love of the Father, this is the depth of our wretchedness, this is the depth of our salvation. 

Therefore as redeemed wretches, what can we boast in apart from Jesus Christ?  Apart from Him we have nothing to offer, we bring nothing to the table; we brought guilt upon His shoulders, He gave us life.  Why should we gain this undeserved grace, this reward?  Our only response can be that Jesus Is Lord!  Christ died for the ungodly. 

Anthony Carter states this point well in an article at Ligonier.org:  “All because of the love of God. Christ left heaven. He laid aside glory, concealing His majesty. He subjected Himself to the creature’s scorn, outcast from a world He created. He suffered demonic attack, lies, and public ridicule. Friends forsook Him. He was brutally beaten, stripped, and put to open shame. Spat upon and slapped, publicly and shamefully executed, He assumed the guilt and punishment for every sin we ever committed. He reconciled us to God and secured our acceptance before God. Why? Because justice demanded it and our justification required it. Because He loved us even before we ever knew Him or understood what He was doing.

Thankfully, now we do.”

How Deep The Father’s Love for Us!

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:6-8

     

Are Resolutions Only For The New Year?

Are Resolutions only for the New Year?  

Happy New Year!  This is a phrase that we often say to one another around this time of year, although time is continual, with the restarting of the calendar, this time of year can bring an attitude and hope of a “restart”, newness, and freshness. Often time around this time of the year people make resolutions or they resolve themselves to a commitment of sorts for the new year.  Often times these resolutions consist of loosing weight, becoming more organized, or being more financially responsible.  While these are not bad goals, they are however temporal.  

In 2010 and 2011, just as many of you, I experienced the loss of loved ones.  Death is always a good reminder that life is not forever, it is a gift which should not be wasted.  Therefore each of these years of losses have led me to think, “what should the Christian resolve to do?”.  Not in the sense of a resolution due in part to a New Year, but a resolution that defines ones life.  I answered the question at the beginning of 2011 with the answer that I wanted to resolve not to waste my life.  If each breath is a gift from God, I want each breath to be given back to God for His Glory.  This has been a good phrase for my family as we go about our day-to-day lives with the continual question, “how is what I am doing bringing Glory to God and not wasting my life?”.    

As we experienced the death of another loved one in late 2011 I begin to think more upon the question of what should not only I resolve to as a Christian, but what should my family resolve to as a Christian family?  What legacy do I want my family to be remembered and known for?  Therefore in late 2011 Natalie and I begin to pray and commit ourselves that we want to be known as a family who loves God, hates our sin, and loves others more than ourselves.  This is the legacy that we want to hold ourselves to as well as our children to.

What are your goals for yourself and your family?  I learned through a leadership class I took this year that goals must be held for daily objectives to be accomplished.  What are your overall goals for life?  Do you talk about them with your spouse or children?  Although resolutions are not limited to the new year, this is a perfect opportunity to discuss and bring up how you and your family can better Glorify God this year through setting long-term goals that define your daily objectives.  

I love you all, covet your prayers, and am in prayer for you always,

Jonathan    

Great Is His Faithfulness

Great Is His Faithfulness

"Great Is Thy Faithfulness, O God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changes not, Thy compassion's, they fail not, As Thou hast been Thou Forever wilt be."

Everything is changing constantly.  Change is not bad, actually in many instances, its is a really good thing.  I am glad that I am not single any more, that was a great change; I look forward to the day when my daughter does not have to wear diapers any more, that will be a glorious change.  However just because change can be a really good thing, it is also refreshing to have consistency.  There are some things that never change.  I know when I go to my mothers house she is going to make a great big meal with lots of fresh vegetables and sweet tea, that is a great constant;  I know that when I go to Starbucks and get a cup of coffee it is going to be strong and hot, it is a great constant; I know that when I go home I have a wife who loves me no matter what has gone on during the day, that is an overwhelmingly great constant.  

What about the constantness of God?  Does God change?  Absolutely not.  He even says in Malachi 3:6, "For I the LORD do not change".  What if did God change?  What if He decided one day that He would no longer be a loving God?  It's impossible to think of isn't it, because God cannot change, He is ever faithful and ever loving.  Unlike humanity who often changes their definition of love, often changes their habits or preferences, God never changes.  This is a wonderful thing!  Therefore God's love is a standard, it is a constant.  As the song says "there is no shadow of turning with Him - He doesn't change - His compassion never fails - As He is, as He has been, He will always be!".  

Somedays it is easy to become discouraged; it is easy to forget the provision of God in the past; it is easy to forget the love that He has displayed upon us for salvation in pulling us out the wretchedness of sin; it is easy to forget how sinful we were and are and how loving He was and is.  I pray that you're reminded today of the faithfulness of God.  No matter where you are, what struggles you are going through, or what your situation is, call out to God and He is ever faithful, as He has been, as He is, He will always be!

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations. - Deuteronomy 7:9 ESV

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. - 1 Corinthians 1:9 ESV

He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. - 1 Thessalonians 5:24 ESV

But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. - 2 Thessalonians 3:3 ESV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:9 ESV

God Is Good

A year ago today, God chose to bless Natalie and I with a special gift.  This gift came with a fear of the unknown: of what would be our new reality and what would never be the same again.  God through His sovereignty and grace, chose to give us Mackenzie Grace.  Early in the morning on October 5th, Natalie and I were excited and scared - as the day continue to evolve and the difficulty of birth developed, my fears where intensified and emotions overwhelmed me.  I can honestly say that on this day last year was one of the greatest strengths in my prayer life; I feared for both my wife and my future daughter with the difficulties of the delivery - but once again God is sovereign and a year later they are both living to His Glory.

In the past year, due to the circumstances of our current life situation, I have had the opportunity to spend far more time with Mackenzie Grace than I would have in any other context.  This has been an amazing blessing as we spend many daddy/daughter days together doing all of Mackenzie's favorite things such as going to the botanical gardens, parks, and the apple store.  I have learned many things in the past year that are of great value, however the most valuable thing I have learned, I cannot summarize in mere words, I have learned the love of a father for his child.  Through this learned love, I now understand more fully and completely the love that The Father has for me - I now grasp what an Awesome love it is, in every sense of the word.

Happy Birthday to Mackenzie Grace who has brought so much into our lives this past year, but more importantly All Thanks Be To God for the great love and blessings He has lavished upon us.

A Timeline of Sorts of the Past Year