Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Explanations’ Category

Seeing Christ (and us) in the Psalms

Posted in Bible, Explanations, Reading, tagged , , , on July 14, 2010| Leave a Comment »

“He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me” – Psalm 41:9; John 13:8

Jesus understood the Psalms a special way.

Here, beyond the context of the psalmist and a faithless friend, Jesus said it actually referred to himself, the Christ, and his betrayer.

All the New Testament writers likewise interpreted first person pronouns (“Me”, “My”, “I”) in Psalms as referring to Christ, not the psalmist. Notice Peter on the Jewish feast of Pentecost preaching Jesus’ resurrection, quoting

“For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” – Psalm 16:10, Acts 2:27

It wasn’t the psalmist, David, but Christ this speaks of!

Read the Psalms from the first person of Christ, and of us united with him1; it will add a whole new dimension.

– fritz

1 – Post from July 12, 2010 Bible – a book about one man

Read Full Post »

Bible – a book about one man

Posted in Bible, Christ's Body, Church, Explanations, Faith, Forgiveness, In Christ, Jesus, Righteousness, tagged , , , on July 13, 2010| Leave a Comment »

And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, [Jesus] expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. – Luke 24:27

Two travelers on the way to a town called Emmaus, seven (7) miles from Jerusalem, picked up a stranger. Though unrecognized until the last, he took them through the Bible from a new perspective — Christ in every Book, Letter, and Psalm. “Did not our hearts burn within us!”, they said!1

The Bible really is a book about just one man — All the apostles saw it that way. Here is just one (1) example:

Paul, quoting a very familiar passage about Adam and Eve but with a new twist:

“For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh … I speak concerning Christ and the church.” – Ephesians 5:30-32

Neither we nor Jesus are any longer just ourselves, but eternally linked in covenant like a husband and wife! Him taking my sinfulness, me taking his righteousness,2 becoming one new man,3 the last Adam4 (male and female 5). We, together, approach God with nothing owing and all debts paid, God’s grace working is us (Christ and me) in all circumstances to bring about our good and God’s glory.6

Wow, what a book, what a savior, what a God, what a privilege!

— fritz@langgang.com
1 – Luke 24:32
2 – 2nd Corinthians 5:21
3 – One new man (not referring to Jew and Gentile but us and Christ) – Ephesians 2:14-15
4 – Last Adam – 1st Corinthians 15:45
5 – Adam, male and female – Genesis 1:27
6 – See Post from July 11, 2010 – “Where is God’s Blessing”

Read Full Post »

God needs no explanation

Posted in Explanations, God, tagged , , on June 7, 2010| Leave a Comment »

God and Satan talk in the Bible and it looks like a giant chess game with Job’s family as the pawns. In the garden God calls to Adam, “Where are you?”, but doesn’t he already know? Joshua is told by God to leave no survivors; where is the love and mercy in that?! People are offended by these and other scriptures, sometimes wanting nothing to do with God because if it.

There are explanations, sure, and we are quick to provide, but this surfaces an important fact about our Heavenly Father – God doesn’t try to explain Himself.

Our culture demands explanations. From presidents, employees, preachers, parishioners, parents, children, in public and in private, to others and to ourselves we feel explanations must be given; they don’t have to be true only plausible.

God doesn’t play along!

Jesus was (and is) constantly misunderstood; at one point losing all but his closest disciples because of it. His response was not, “Wait, let me explain!”, he kept loving and obeying the Father. He later put it this way,

“ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep … My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” – John 10:26-27 (KJV)

True, we are not to blatantly disregard the feelings of others but we shall be misunderstood no matter what we do. We are not to waste time defending and explaining, but keep loving and serving Christ, always ready to explain our hope which sustains us. (1st Peter 3:15)

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »