Our Rejoicing Jesus

 You may have heard it said that the angels rejoice when a sinner repents, but the actual verse says, "there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:10 NIV).  So if it's not the angels who are doing the rejoicing, but it's in their presence, who is doing the rejoicing?  My husband used to wonder if it was Jesus up there doing cartwheels.

We do know that He, "for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame" (Hebrews 12:2).  So the knowledge that so many millions of people over the centuries would come to Him for the salvation that He had bought and paid for, and which He offers to every individual, caused enough joy that He could endure all that He suffered for us.

Zephaniah 3:17 was given to me just a few days after Eric's funeral.  It says, "The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save.  He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."   I always loved the idea of Him rejoicing over me.

But today, I got a new layer.  I was looking something up in Jude and then just read to the end where there is this beautiful benediction.  It's obviously always been there, and who knows how many times I have read it, but today something new registered.  Verses 24 and 25:  "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever.  Amen."  I said, "Hallelujah" and "Thank You, Jesus" about the fact that He is there to keep me from stumbling, and I am eternally thankful about the fact that I am faultless in the sight of God because I have been washed with Jesus' perfect cleansing blood.  That is another truth too big for my mind.  But the picture of Him presenting me before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy and rejoicing, with exultation, triumphant joy and unspeakable delight (according to other translations), has me entirely mind-boggled.  You may have seen a young man introducing a new bride to someone with a delight and pride that he doesn't even try to hide.  That is how I see Jesus, bringing me forward to present me before the glory of the holy and righteous Father, but with not the slightest idea of embarrassment, having made me faultless, blameless, without blemish, and He's doing it with joy and delight.  Too wonderful.

Precious Father God, thank You, thank You, thank You...for devising such a plan that You could not only bring me to Yourself, but make me so entirely holy that I am completely acceptable in Your presence, that I can approach Your throne anytime without guilt or shame or fear or condemnation.  Thank You for actually rejoicing over me.  How this knowledge makes me love You!  In the name of Jesus, whose blood has made me clean.  Amen.

Words can pierce

 My Timothy Keller devotional based on Proverbs starts today with Proverbs 12:18 and 18:21:  "The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing...The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit."  He goes on to say, "You are not wise unless you fully grasp the power of words. Words pierce like swords - they get into your heart and soul.  When you say a hurtful word, you can never make things as if it had never been uttered...The wound may heal but the...scar remains..."

My daughter-in-law texted me this Father's Day morning to say she was especially missing Dad today, but was thankful for all the good memories.  He had spoken many words of blessing over her, so she could now say that she has those good memories.

We were pretty young when we got married and certainly not mature, so I'm really glad that early on we received teaching on the power of our words to curse or to bless, to hurt or to heal, to harm or to help.  My husband was a very self-confident man of strong character, strong principles, strong opinions (!), but it was clear to me that I could bring him down and wound him severely with my words, which had sometimes happened before I learned what I'm telling you now.  We had 50 years of a (mostly) really good marriage for a large part because we (mostly) practised Ephesians 4:29:  "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification (building up) that it may impart grace to the hearer."

Psalm 34:12, 13:  "Who is the one who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good?  Keep your tongue from evil..."  Proverbs 21:23:  "Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles."

Happy Father's Day to you, and may this year be better than all the ones that have come before, because you "keep your tongue from evil".

Praying in the Spirit

 In Ephesians 6, we have the parts of the armour of God listed, starting in verse 14, and they are:  the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.  But in my Bible, there is no period after "the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God", but rather a comma, so that it continues with "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end  with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints..."

What is this "praying in the Spirit"?  

Some have suggested it means to pray with the Holy Spirit's guidance.  No doubt, it includes that.

But in 1 Corinthians 14, Paul equates praying in or with the Spirit with praying in tongues.  (The word "tongues" here has nothing to do with the tongue in your mouth; it refers to languages.) "For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my understanding is unfruitful.  What is the conclusion then?  I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding.  I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding" (verses 14 and 15).  I have found that I can be praying in the spirit under my breath while I am concentrating on something, talking with someone, or having my mind otherwise occupied.  My mind is not required for me to pray in the spirit.

I have heard tongues dismissed as being "a lesser gift", according to the list at the end of 1 Corinthians 12:  "And God has appointed these in the church:  first, apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps administrations, varieties of tongues" (verse 28).  And then 1 Corinthians 14:5 says, "I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied, for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues..."  Paul acknowledges that "in the church, I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue" (1 Corinthians 14:13).  However, even if it may be a lesser gift, do we allow ourselves to sneer at any gift that God may offer?

But Paul makes a clear differentiation between tongues in public and tongues in our private prayer times.  He says we are "giving thanks well" when we pray with the spirit, "but the other is not edified" and "I thank God I speak in tongues more than you all; yet in the church..."  "Whenever you come together...if anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or three at the most, each in turn, and let one interpret.  But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the church and let him speak to himself and to God" (verses 17-19, 26, 27-28).

So, why speak or pray in tongues in our personal faith life?

We've already noted that Paul says, in doing so, he gives thanks well.  Verse 2 says, "...he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God..."  That's prayer!  Verse 4 says, "...he who speaks in a tongue edifies himself..."  Who doesn't need to be edified (built up)?  In the book of Jude, verses 20 and 21, "praying in the Holy Spirit" is connected with "building yourselves up on your most holy faith" and "keep(ing) yourselves in the love of God."  (We know that His love for us never wanes or disappears, but our awareness of it does.)  I've just given you a list of vital advantages!

Then, we have the people who say, "Well, I've asked for the gift of tongues but never got it."  Over the years, we saw many people receive when we pointed out that, in Acts 2:4 "they began to speak" -that was their part, "as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance" (or "enabled them to speak" according to the ESV) -that was His part.  If this is a gift from God that Paul wished everyone had, then we should approach in faith when we ask for it.  Expect that the Holy Spirit will still be giving the utterance or enabling, but don't expect Him to push air out of your lungs past your vocal chords.  You have to do the actual speaking, and that is purely a step of faith.  You start to speak, not in words you understand, but with words that He brings up from your innermost spirit.  I know this could sound somewhat intimidating, but we never have to be shy with our God.  He's not going to roll His eyes, or hide a smirk behind His hand.  He'll be applauding, like we do when our little children start trying to speak.

I encourage you to go for it!  You will be giving thanks well, speaking to God, getting built up in your spirit and on your most holy faith, and keeping yourself in the love of God.  It's a win-win offer.