Henry Law Quote from The Gospel in Genesis

The object of these pages is simple, clear, holy. It is to arouse attention to the blessed truth, that Christ pervades all scripture, as salt all waters of the sea,, as light the brightest day, as fragrance the garden of choice flowers. To see this is my prime delight. To testify it is my happiest duty. Devoted loyalty to Him who is the first and last, the sum and substance of all scriptures, impels me. I know, and am intensely persuaded, that all peace, all joy, all salvation are in Him. My eyes are widely open to the fact that men are blessed, and are blessings, just in proportion as they live, ever gazing on Christ, ever listening to His voice. -- Henry Law

The Trial

Genesis 3:1-5

The Fall

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

When Satan wanted to deceive God's children he didn't go after God's existence. He didn't try to convince Eve to be an atheist. He didn't try to attack God's power or capabilities. Satan targeted his attack on the goodness of God. He put God on trial.

We know the rest of the story. Adam and Eve trusted Satan instead of their Heavenly Father.

I am learning so much from being a dad to my two little boys. As Joshua gets older and his will becomes stronger, I am challenged daily on how to discipline him. Joshua's will is a fortified city... on a hill ... with armed guards. He doesn't break easily. I have had so many times of frustration lately where I have asked him, Rebecca, and myself, "Why doesn't he just trust me?" My heart has been broken as I see my own sinful, distrusting heart.

Like Adam and Eve, I don't trust my Father. He has done me no wrong and only wants my good, yet I have put his goodness on trial, run away, and hidden from him.

The old hymn, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing says it so beautifully, "Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, Lord. Take and seal it. Seal it for Thy courts above." I feel the effects of Adam's (and my own) choice everyday.

The good news in the midst of the bad is that it will not always be this way. Jesus Christ, God the Son, came to earth and took the trial of God to its ultimate ending. He allowed his own sinful creatures to accuse him, mock him, and ultimately kill him to show his people his goodness.

Augustus Toplady writes,

"O Love incomprehensible
That made Thee bleed for me
The Judge of all has suffered death
To set His prisoner free

Arraigned at Pilate’s shameful bar,
Unparalleled disgrace!
See spotless innocence appear
In guilt’s detested place"

Jesus took our place on trial. The Judge was judged. The innocent became sin so the guilty could become righteous. The story, the sacrifice, never gets old. I long for the day when trust is all I have for my Heavenly Father. I long for the day when I am no longer prone to wander.

Revelation 22:20

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

Andrew

Andrew's first clip. Enjoy.

A Walk With Joshua

This is a bit long, but if you're a Joshua fan, you'll enjoy it. If you're not, move right along. I will tell you, there is some moving dialogue between Joshua and a bug. I'm just saying.

Memories and a New Understanding of Worldliness

One of the things I was taught growing up in a cult was that I had to be morally perfect in order to be eternally saved. This was referred to as the doctrine of overcoming or perfection. At the time, I thought this was a conservative stance that was "tough" on sin.

(The group taught, and still teaches, that a person is saved from their past sins by faith in Christ, but after this "initial stage of salvation" there was much more to be accomplished. I am still amazed that the group wholeheartedly claims to believe in faith alone, yet believes a person's soul isn't truly alive until they have spoken in tongues.)

As I have left the group and come to truly know Christ I have been astonished at how a doctrine based on our ability to attain moral perfection actually makes a mockery of God's law and our sin. In all actuality, there is nothing more worldly than believing human beings can merit eternal salvation. Every man made religion is steeped in the belief that what God wants is for mankind to reach out to him. Christianity is different because it is about God coming to man.

Genesis 11:4

Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

The builders of Babel had spiritual aspirations for their city. At the heart of their city was a tower whose heights reached the gods. This tower would meet God halfway and obligate him in some way to meet their efforts. This is the epitome of worldliness.


1 Kings 18:25-29

Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it.” And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made. And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.

The worshipers of Baal believed they could excite him enough to act on their behalf. The belief was that when Baal and Asherah would be aroused by their active worship they would become intimate and bless the land with rain.

False gods, idols, are always worshiped with deeds and sacrifices based on the theory that favor can be obtained by human effort. The God of the bible is entirely different. He is holy and only worshiped by men and women who have been granted access through the merits of another.

Jonah 2:9

But I with the voice of thanksgiving
will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
Salvation belongs to the Lord!”

The God of the bible comes down to man to bring salvation. He is not reached, he reaches. He is not obligated, he is gracious. Grace isn't grace if there is a trace of obligation. Salvation doesn't belong to the Lord if it can be earned.

There is nothing more worldly than the belief that God is attracted to us or obligated by us because of anything good in us. Any doctrine that maintains salvation is based on merit of any kind is steeped in man-made religion and results in the worship of an idol.

Jesus Christ, Immanuel, is God with us. He became a man, lived the life we should have lived, and died the death we should have died. The cult I grew up in was correct in their stance that only moral perfection is good enough to connect humans to a holy and righteous God. They are incorrect in believing we can contribute anything to that connection.

When believers put their faith in Christ their sin is imputed to him and his righteous is given to them. Not some of his righteousness, all of it. Not a portion of his holiness, all of it. Not a fraction of his perfection, all of it. The Father sees his adopted sons and daughters as being as obedient as his eternal son. Thank God for the gospel. Thank God for salvation.

Spurgeon Quote on Tears and Compassion

I read this quote last night and was broken by it. I need more grace to be more like my Savior. I am thankful he is not only an example, but my mighty and great savior of mankind.

In another matter, our Lord is our example; learn from Him that our indignation against evil will best show itself in compassion for sinners. I hear you denouncing the sin of drunkenness. I am glad to hear you: you cannot say anything too hard or too heavy about that degrading vice. But I pray you, end your denunciation with weeping over the poor drunkard. I heard you speak on behalf of moral purity, and you smote the monsters of lasciviousness with all your force. I wish more strength to your arm! But when you have finished, sit down and weep, that such filthiness should defile men and women who are your fellow creatures. A flood of tears before the Holy God will do far more than the hugest roll of petitions to our politicians. "Jesus wept," and His tears were mighty weapons against sin and death. You feel indignant of the lazy, idle, loafing vagabonds whose very illness is produced by their own vice: I cannot condemn your virtuous wrath. But if you should in all things imitate Jesus, please note that it is written not that Jesus thundered but that He wept. Let indignation have pity mixed with it. I do not like lightning without rain, nor indignation without tears. You will do more good to the offenders and more good to yourself and more good to the best of causes if pity moistens all. You may, if you will, beat the terrible drum and sound the war trumpet, but the noise will rather deafen than soften. The voice of your weeping will be heard deep down in the soul and work more wonders than thunders of denunciation.

Excerpt from a Missionary E-Mail

Recently my friends, Greg aqnd Cathy Letherer took their two children to Africa on a missionary trip. This is an excerpt from their last update.

We truly felt your prayers and God's protection as we entered a mob situation on our last day in Uganda while on our way to visit missionaries at the Rafiki Village. We passed by a large group of local villagers surrounding a man seated on the ground with his head cut open. We turned the car around and on the second time around, we saw that this man was tied up with a rope. Shannon got out of the car and entered the crowd to ask what was going on with this man. The locals said that the man was caught stealing some items from a woman's home. We found out from missionaries at the Rafiki later that this is typically how they deal with wrongs called "mob justice" where they beat and possibly kill the offender. I felt rather nervous with Noah sleeping in the car along with Denice who was sick. Shannon and Greg got the man with the gaping head wound into the back of the car along with a couple other villagers. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my doctor's bag on this outing (big mistake where medical needs abound). We asked for for directions to the local counsel who wasn't there then proceeded to take him to the police dept. then to the "hospital" which in our equivalency would be less than 10 times our clinics. I examined the patient and asked the nurses for sterile equipment to stich his scalp which needed about 30 stiches. They looked at me dumb-founded because they had no sterile instruments. By that time, the local counsel arrived. I asked the nurses how they'd treat the man. They said that they'd take care of him. I wondered which was worse, leaving him with the mob or at the clinic. Greg and Shannon then wrote the man a note to share with him that God shows him mercy.

I thought that truly, the Lord has shown us mercy as He himself came in the flesh to pull us out of our death sentence. I always seem to leave with the question, "Have I done enough?" Even as I ask that question, I realize that so much of my identity lies in what I do rather than who I am in Christ. Like this man with a big gaping head wound which he could not repair, I despair in myself when it comes to missions. John 1:14 as it says, "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." This message is my hope as we seek to live out each day in Upland or Uganda.