From it’s inception in 1973, Beacon Baptist Church has demonstrated a heart for missions. One of the long extended partnerships has been with Tim and Kathy Easley; International Intercession, in India. Though I have never met either of them in a personal, face-to-face way, here on earth; there remains a certainty of union in the bonds of Christ and the gospel of the glory of our blessed God with which we have been entrusted. Thus upon Kathleen’s departure to be with the Lord, Monday, January 24, 2011, the following was written in thankfulness for the grace that has been shown to us and the faithfulness of Christ displayed through a life time of service to His glory.
January 26, 2011
Dear Tim,
As a member of Beacon Baptist Church who moved to California in May, I continue to receive prayer requests. Although to my knowledge we have never met face to face here on earth, but as members of the body of Christ we are indeed blessed to weep with those that weep and rejoice with those that rejoice. What a wonderful Savior we have that knows the feeling of our infirmities and causes us to rejoice in Him always.
While in the body, Jesus felt
The pangs of death as there he knelt
And "Abba" Father there he cried,
"Thy will be done"; then crucified.
He is the rock on which we're built,
Who overcame our sin and guilt.
The gates of hell shall not prevail,
Not one in Him shall ever fail
To see our blessed Potentate,
Who for his glory doth create
One holy temple to His praise
To be with Him through endless days.
And so rejoice, though now in time
We feel the loss of one divine
Whose likeness, not one can replace
Now called home to see the face
Of Christ himself and hear, "Well Done",
The sweetest sound from God the Son,
And God the Father glorified
As death itself in Christ has died!
For those of us on earth a while,
Oh Father help us by Your smile
Of grace til with You then complete
With mercies crowns laid at the feet
Of Jesus with our praise perfected,
Whose countenance in all elected
Will give You all the glory there
As one with him, Your faithful Heir!
Michael & Dianna Wood,
Sacramento, California
Monday, January 31, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Do You Know Whom You Greatly Offend?
Michael E. Wood
January 2, 2011
Upon reading a little book by Walter J. Chantry, describing the difference between the authentic gospel as opposed to a synthetic gospel, the following words came to mind, of which we might develop into a poetic gospel tract.
Oh, do you know Whom you greatly offend?
That tragic loss will be your sure end?
For salvation is not all about you,
Or what you think that you ought to do.
Yea, God Is Holy, and we are not!
And nothing you do shall remove the blot.
Though try you may, with all kinds of good,
The glory of God, you’ve not understood!
He Is Just, and by no means will clear,
The guilty soul that knows not His fear.
And though you hear of a wonderful plan,
You must fulfill God’s righteous demand.
He Is our God; a consuming fire,
And only those clothed in white attire
Will stand before Him on judgment day,
Made righteous, by Christ alone, Who did pay
For sins so infinite, all would be lost
Had He not alone paid the ultimate cost.
As all the law He did completely fulfill,
And nailed to the cross, by His Father’s will.
For love Christ came, and for love He died
As the only acceptable way satisfied,
That God could look upon such wretched men,
And be glorified by atonement for sin.
But what do you think, when it comes to this matter?
Do you need not repent, and yourself you do flatter?
Do you think your Creator will overlook all,
If you bow not before Him, and by mercy call,
On God Who see’s through to the sins of your heart
And apart from His grace, you will never depart?
The gift of true faith intermixed with repentance
Comes only by Christ, Who has paid the due sentence.
As He suffered God’s wrath, for His children who call,
Giving glory to God, Who Is LORD over all!
So it’s not by our power and not by our might,
But only God’s Spirit by which we’re made right
To stand with a conscience made pure to endure
In His presence til with Him in heaven made pure.
And Jesus will be our most beautiful sight,
As grace turns to glory, in Whom we delight!
January 2, 2011
Upon reading a little book by Walter J. Chantry, describing the difference between the authentic gospel as opposed to a synthetic gospel, the following words came to mind, of which we might develop into a poetic gospel tract.
Oh, do you know Whom you greatly offend?
That tragic loss will be your sure end?
For salvation is not all about you,
Or what you think that you ought to do.
Yea, God Is Holy, and we are not!
And nothing you do shall remove the blot.
Though try you may, with all kinds of good,
The glory of God, you’ve not understood!
He Is Just, and by no means will clear,
The guilty soul that knows not His fear.
And though you hear of a wonderful plan,
You must fulfill God’s righteous demand.
He Is our God; a consuming fire,
And only those clothed in white attire
Will stand before Him on judgment day,
Made righteous, by Christ alone, Who did pay
For sins so infinite, all would be lost
Had He not alone paid the ultimate cost.
As all the law He did completely fulfill,
And nailed to the cross, by His Father’s will.
For love Christ came, and for love He died
As the only acceptable way satisfied,
That God could look upon such wretched men,
And be glorified by atonement for sin.
But what do you think, when it comes to this matter?
Do you need not repent, and yourself you do flatter?
Do you think your Creator will overlook all,
If you bow not before Him, and by mercy call,
On God Who see’s through to the sins of your heart
And apart from His grace, you will never depart?
The gift of true faith intermixed with repentance
Comes only by Christ, Who has paid the due sentence.
As He suffered God’s wrath, for His children who call,
Giving glory to God, Who Is LORD over all!
So it’s not by our power and not by our might,
But only God’s Spirit by which we’re made right
To stand with a conscience made pure to endure
In His presence til with Him in heaven made pure.
And Jesus will be our most beautiful sight,
As grace turns to glory, in Whom we delight!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Christ Rule Our Symphony!
Michael E. Wood
December 29, 2010
“The best, most beautiful and most perfect way that we have of expressing a sweet concord of mind to each other, is by music. When I would form in my mind an idea society in the highest degree happy, I think of them as expressing their love, their joy, and the inward concord and harmony and spiritual beauty of their souls by sweetly singing to each other.”
From the Miscellanies of Jonathan Edwards # 188
“The kingdom of heaven excels in unity. All the inhabitants agree together in love. Love will be the perfume and music of heaven; as love to God will be intense, so to the saints. As perfect love casts out fear, so it casts out envy and discord. …there shall be no vilifying, or censoring one another, or raking into one another’s sores, but all shall be tied together with the heart strings of love. There Luther and Zwingli are agreed.” Thomas Watson, “The LORD’S PRAYER”
While pondering these thoughts by Jonathan Edwards, along with the writings of Thomas Watson concerning the kingdom of heaven, the following came to mind.
Not out of envy, and not out of strife,
But pleasure You’ve given us, here in this life,
That for Your glory with hearts made to sing,
You bind us together in every thing.
With great love to You, above all we put on
With thankful hearts, O God on the throne.
For You, our Father have given the songs
To teach of Christ Jesus, for Whom our heart longs.
In sweetest accord, perfect harmony,
Let the peace of Christ rule our symphony.
As a body of one, to which we were called,
As You by Your grace remove all that’s flawed.
So help us more heartily do every thing,
And give You the glory, through our offering.
To show forth Christ Jesus beyond all our measure,
Our Lord and our Savior, our One greatest Treasure.
A taste of heaven; Oh help us display,
With hearts made pure by Christ, til the day
When all of the earth shall tremble and see,
The King of all Glory in His Majesty.
Help us know more, our great privilege,
With hearts set ablaze, through mercy to pledge,
A greater degree of allegiance alone
To You our King, Jesus, Who sits on the throne.
December 29, 2010
“The best, most beautiful and most perfect way that we have of expressing a sweet concord of mind to each other, is by music. When I would form in my mind an idea society in the highest degree happy, I think of them as expressing their love, their joy, and the inward concord and harmony and spiritual beauty of their souls by sweetly singing to each other.”
From the Miscellanies of Jonathan Edwards # 188
“The kingdom of heaven excels in unity. All the inhabitants agree together in love. Love will be the perfume and music of heaven; as love to God will be intense, so to the saints. As perfect love casts out fear, so it casts out envy and discord. …there shall be no vilifying, or censoring one another, or raking into one another’s sores, but all shall be tied together with the heart strings of love. There Luther and Zwingli are agreed.” Thomas Watson, “The LORD’S PRAYER”
While pondering these thoughts by Jonathan Edwards, along with the writings of Thomas Watson concerning the kingdom of heaven, the following came to mind.
Not out of envy, and not out of strife,
But pleasure You’ve given us, here in this life,
That for Your glory with hearts made to sing,
You bind us together in every thing.
With great love to You, above all we put on
With thankful hearts, O God on the throne.
For You, our Father have given the songs
To teach of Christ Jesus, for Whom our heart longs.
In sweetest accord, perfect harmony,
Let the peace of Christ rule our symphony.
As a body of one, to which we were called,
As You by Your grace remove all that’s flawed.
So help us more heartily do every thing,
And give You the glory, through our offering.
To show forth Christ Jesus beyond all our measure,
Our Lord and our Savior, our One greatest Treasure.
A taste of heaven; Oh help us display,
With hearts made pure by Christ, til the day
When all of the earth shall tremble and see,
The King of all Glory in His Majesty.
Help us know more, our great privilege,
With hearts set ablaze, through mercy to pledge,
A greater degree of allegiance alone
To You our King, Jesus, Who sits on the throne.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
For Your Good Pleasure
Michael E. Wood
December 27, 2010
Philippians 2:13 "for it is God Who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."
As we meditate upon the Word of God, dependant upon His Spirit to renew our minds, working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure, He continually gives to us an understanding of those things that are so freely given.
He is also desirous that we ask of Him, as the regular means by which we receive from Him, all things that pertain to life and godliness whereby we are enabled to serve Him in meekness and godly fear, entrusting into His care to bring forth the fruit which will not only be the evidence of the gift of faith we have received through the finished work of Christ but will also be the means through which He will bring forth great glory unto Himself as we are conformed throughout our lifetime here on earth to the image of Christ, as vessels of mercy through which He will declare the glory of His grace unto others, that they may know that He Is God, and God alone!
Oh Father help us for Your good pleasure,
To will and to work unto the measure
Of which You have so lavishly poured
Into us by Christ Jesus adored.
As lights in the world, O make us to shine
More bright, holding fast to the Word that is Thine,
Of life everlasting in the midst of this twisted
And crooked generation, by Your Spirit assisted.
Oh help us to run, not to labor in vain,
That all may rejoice in Your will that’s made plain.
So that You in the day of Christ will subdue
All things to the praise of Your glory that’s due
December 27, 2010
Philippians 2:13 "for it is God Who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."
As we meditate upon the Word of God, dependant upon His Spirit to renew our minds, working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure, He continually gives to us an understanding of those things that are so freely given.
He is also desirous that we ask of Him, as the regular means by which we receive from Him, all things that pertain to life and godliness whereby we are enabled to serve Him in meekness and godly fear, entrusting into His care to bring forth the fruit which will not only be the evidence of the gift of faith we have received through the finished work of Christ but will also be the means through which He will bring forth great glory unto Himself as we are conformed throughout our lifetime here on earth to the image of Christ, as vessels of mercy through which He will declare the glory of His grace unto others, that they may know that He Is God, and God alone!
Oh Father help us for Your good pleasure,
To will and to work unto the measure
Of which You have so lavishly poured
Into us by Christ Jesus adored.
As lights in the world, O make us to shine
More bright, holding fast to the Word that is Thine,
Of life everlasting in the midst of this twisted
And crooked generation, by Your Spirit assisted.
Oh help us to run, not to labor in vain,
That all may rejoice in Your will that’s made plain.
So that You in the day of Christ will subdue
All things to the praise of Your glory that’s due
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Set Your Mind On Things Above
Michael E. Wood
January 18, 2011
In preparation for heaven, through the disappointments and distractions of this life which come from within and without, we are reminded in Colossians chapter 3 to set our minds on things above and not on the things of earth for we are dead and our lives are hid with Christ in God. As we seek to be pleasing to our Father who is Sovereign over all the affairs of time and creation we can rejoice with thankful hearts and rest in the assurance that He knows exactly what we have need of as it pertains to both the temporal things of this life and for our growth in Christ-likeness.
The following song was written over a period of six days in which numerous attempts were made to find temporal employment. Priorities having already been established, preferences were refined; and thus, we continue to be led forth with the peace of Christ ruling in our hearts.
Set your minds on things above
Where Christ with God now sits.
If you have been raised with Him
And for His praise befits
You with life now hid in Him
Though now on earth with tears
You cry out to Him alone
Who conquered all our fears.
Put to death the things of earth
No longer idols make.
For your old self was put off
By God for Jesus sake.
And the new is now put on,
By day to day renewed
In the knowledge of the One
By Whom we were pursued.
For His image we shall bear
As chosen ones of God.
Holy and beloved then
All virtues as you trod
Put on with compassion and
Humility of heart,
By the Spirit of the Son
Who did to you impart.
Bear with one another and
Forgive each other too,
As the LORD has by Himself
Also forgiven you.
And above all these put on
The love of God which binds
Everything together in
His harmony of minds.
Let the peace of Christ rule in
Your hearts to which He called
You into one body and be
Thankful as you’re awed
By His Word which dwells within
So richly taught to sing
To our Father and our God,
Lord Jesus Christ the King!
January 18, 2011
In preparation for heaven, through the disappointments and distractions of this life which come from within and without, we are reminded in Colossians chapter 3 to set our minds on things above and not on the things of earth for we are dead and our lives are hid with Christ in God. As we seek to be pleasing to our Father who is Sovereign over all the affairs of time and creation we can rejoice with thankful hearts and rest in the assurance that He knows exactly what we have need of as it pertains to both the temporal things of this life and for our growth in Christ-likeness.
The following song was written over a period of six days in which numerous attempts were made to find temporal employment. Priorities having already been established, preferences were refined; and thus, we continue to be led forth with the peace of Christ ruling in our hearts.
Set your minds on things above
Where Christ with God now sits.
If you have been raised with Him
And for His praise befits
You with life now hid in Him
Though now on earth with tears
You cry out to Him alone
Who conquered all our fears.
Put to death the things of earth
No longer idols make.
For your old self was put off
By God for Jesus sake.
And the new is now put on,
By day to day renewed
In the knowledge of the One
By Whom we were pursued.
For His image we shall bear
As chosen ones of God.
Holy and beloved then
All virtues as you trod
Put on with compassion and
Humility of heart,
By the Spirit of the Son
Who did to you impart.
Bear with one another and
Forgive each other too,
As the LORD has by Himself
Also forgiven you.
And above all these put on
The love of God which binds
Everything together in
His harmony of minds.
Let the peace of Christ rule in
Your hearts to which He called
You into one body and be
Thankful as you’re awed
By His Word which dwells within
So richly taught to sing
To our Father and our God,
Lord Jesus Christ the King!
Monday, January 17, 2011
The Grace of Heaven's Gate
Leon Smith and Vickie Kolesnikov were united in holy matrimony, Saturday, January 15, 2011 at Immanuel Baptist Church. On the morning of their wedding, the following was written in honor of their union. Dianna artistically designed, framed, and matted it. We decided to give it to them as a gift.
United As One!
Written for Leon & Vickie By: Michael E. Wood
On January fifteenth, two thousand and eleven,
God joined you as one, ‘til with Him in Heaven.
For now, O Rejoice; by His pleasure delight
In your union reflecting His glorious might!
‘Tis Christ who redeemed and made us His bride—
Shown by the wounds in His hands and His side.
What glorious blessing and comfort of soul,
That through Him we’re justified; by Him made whole.
And now as you journey as Husband and Wife—
O seek Him together and show forth His life.
And never give in to just “go through the motions”;
But, love Him together with pure soul devotions—
That Christ in the end will gain all the glory,
As He, by His Spirit, will lead in your story.
As you live by His faithfulness; in Him abide—
‘Til like Him in Heaven, we stand satisfied!
"As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness." Psalm 17:15
_____________________________________________________________
During the wedding, of which Pastor Robert Briggs officiated, the gospel was clearly presented and interpreted in Russian for the occasion. A primary text preached upon was Galatians 3:27-29 “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ Jesus have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.”
Dianna took a number of pictures, developed the collage above and the following poem came to my mind:
Do you see a picture of the gospel of our God?
How beautiful the feet of those with shoes of peace are shod.
All other walls are broken by His Spirit’s Mighty Sword,
For only those made one in Christ will know His full reward.
Rejoice with them that do rejoice, as all of One shall speak
The glories of our God and King; His kingdom first we seek.
The righteousness of Christ transcends the lines of Jew, Gentile.
Both male and female here on earth are we for just a while.
As heirs according to the promise; Abraham’s offspring,
Made one in Christ, His bride elect; His praise we’ll ever sing.
Forever and forever our Bridegroom then adore,
As we behold the face of God, as pure forevermore.
Beyond all comprehension here or words now to express,
We’ll know the beauty of our God in His Sweet Holiness.
His matchless glory then displayed; our privilege so great,
As all the angels wonder at the grace of heaven’s Gate.
Michael E. Wood
January 17, 2011
United As One!
Written for Leon & Vickie By: Michael E. Wood
On January fifteenth, two thousand and eleven,
God joined you as one, ‘til with Him in Heaven.
For now, O Rejoice; by His pleasure delight
In your union reflecting His glorious might!
‘Tis Christ who redeemed and made us His bride—
Shown by the wounds in His hands and His side.
What glorious blessing and comfort of soul,
That through Him we’re justified; by Him made whole.
And now as you journey as Husband and Wife—
O seek Him together and show forth His life.
And never give in to just “go through the motions”;
But, love Him together with pure soul devotions—
That Christ in the end will gain all the glory,
As He, by His Spirit, will lead in your story.
As you live by His faithfulness; in Him abide—
‘Til like Him in Heaven, we stand satisfied!
"As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness." Psalm 17:15
_____________________________________________________________
During the wedding, of which Pastor Robert Briggs officiated, the gospel was clearly presented and interpreted in Russian for the occasion. A primary text preached upon was Galatians 3:27-29 “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ Jesus have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.”
Dianna took a number of pictures, developed the collage above and the following poem came to my mind:Do you see a picture of the gospel of our God?
How beautiful the feet of those with shoes of peace are shod.
All other walls are broken by His Spirit’s Mighty Sword,
For only those made one in Christ will know His full reward.
Rejoice with them that do rejoice, as all of One shall speak
The glories of our God and King; His kingdom first we seek.
The righteousness of Christ transcends the lines of Jew, Gentile.
Both male and female here on earth are we for just a while.
As heirs according to the promise; Abraham’s offspring,
Made one in Christ, His bride elect; His praise we’ll ever sing.
Forever and forever our Bridegroom then adore,
As we behold the face of God, as pure forevermore.
Beyond all comprehension here or words now to express,
We’ll know the beauty of our God in His Sweet Holiness.
His matchless glory then displayed; our privilege so great,
As all the angels wonder at the grace of heaven’s Gate.
Michael E. Wood
January 17, 2011
From Grace to Glory
Michael E. Wood
December 23, 2010
While reading a treatise on “The Lords Prayer” by Thomas Watson, a particular phrase continued to surface that caught my attention. As he expressed vividly a number of the benefits of the kingdom of heaven to come, as grace gives way to glory, he referred to the fact, “In the kingdom of heaven we shall be freed from all signs of God’s displeasure…Though He has the heart of a Father, he may have the look of an enemy; and that is sad…But in the kingdom of heaven, there shall be no spiritual eclipses, there shall never appear any tokens of God’s displeasure; the saints shall have a constant aspect of love from Him, they shall never complain any more, ‘My beloved had withdrawn himself.’"
Thanks be to God, that we shall be absolutely and ultimately pleasing in His sight, in every aspect of our being because of the finished work of Christ. And thanks be to Him even now for the sanctifying work of His indwelling Spirit, and the promises of His Word, which causes us to long and to pray to the end that in all things He may be glorified.
In addition to these things, we also have need to remember that we live in a fallen world, and that not every thing that happens to us in this world is an evidence of His displeasure, but is a means by which He may get glory to Himself, and for the advancement of the gospel through our response to what may appear to be a frowning providence.
When the face of God appears
Like to an enemy,
Remember that like Jesus
Is to be your destiny.
And when His smile then takes upon
The form of angered frown,
It is His pleasure to withdraw
To make more bright the crown
To be given for the loss
Of all our temp’ral things,
More sanctified and lifted up
To soar with eagles wings
Unto our gracious Father
Who regardeth all our tears.
By steadfast love, secures our way,
Removing all our fears.
So wisely now consider Him
In all you think to ponder,
As He in pleasure draws you near
Unto His heart in wonder
And awe of His great patience
As in Him is all our gain.
Though here before by things we did
Brought Him only much disdain.
But now from grace to glory
And in measure with each loss,
More grace He gives, as Jesus lives
Within to count the cost.
And by His Spirit raises us
By faith in every place.
Til all that’s left is sweet desire
To see His smiling face.
December 23, 2010
While reading a treatise on “The Lords Prayer” by Thomas Watson, a particular phrase continued to surface that caught my attention. As he expressed vividly a number of the benefits of the kingdom of heaven to come, as grace gives way to glory, he referred to the fact, “In the kingdom of heaven we shall be freed from all signs of God’s displeasure…Though He has the heart of a Father, he may have the look of an enemy; and that is sad…But in the kingdom of heaven, there shall be no spiritual eclipses, there shall never appear any tokens of God’s displeasure; the saints shall have a constant aspect of love from Him, they shall never complain any more, ‘My beloved had withdrawn himself.’"
Thanks be to God, that we shall be absolutely and ultimately pleasing in His sight, in every aspect of our being because of the finished work of Christ. And thanks be to Him even now for the sanctifying work of His indwelling Spirit, and the promises of His Word, which causes us to long and to pray to the end that in all things He may be glorified.
In addition to these things, we also have need to remember that we live in a fallen world, and that not every thing that happens to us in this world is an evidence of His displeasure, but is a means by which He may get glory to Himself, and for the advancement of the gospel through our response to what may appear to be a frowning providence.
When the face of God appears
Like to an enemy,
Remember that like Jesus
Is to be your destiny.
And when His smile then takes upon
The form of angered frown,
It is His pleasure to withdraw
To make more bright the crown
To be given for the loss
Of all our temp’ral things,
More sanctified and lifted up
To soar with eagles wings
Unto our gracious Father
Who regardeth all our tears.
By steadfast love, secures our way,
Removing all our fears.
So wisely now consider Him
In all you think to ponder,
As He in pleasure draws you near
Unto His heart in wonder
And awe of His great patience
As in Him is all our gain.
Though here before by things we did
Brought Him only much disdain.
But now from grace to glory
And in measure with each loss,
More grace He gives, as Jesus lives
Within to count the cost.
And by His Spirit raises us
By faith in every place.
Til all that’s left is sweet desire
To see His smiling face.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
He is our Anchor!
Michael E. Wood
December 14, 2010
(Proverbs 14:14b) and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.
While this portion of Proverbs 14:14 comes as a stark contrast to the proceeding portion which states, "The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways" the latter sparked a question of which I trust the answer given will bring clarity to some that might think themselves to be "good" when in reality their definition of good is measured by the standard of other men rather than the character and holiness of God.
What is it that makes a man a "good" man?
There are those that are good on a temporal level as they have been created by God, who Is good and created men after His Own image. Thus there are those who are born with a propensity toward good on a temporal level, and shall be filled with the enjoyment of those things which are manifest in this life as a bi-product of their manner of life.
This however falls infinitely short of the original purpose for which man was created. Man was created to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Man in his best estate from natural birth because of the original fall in the garden of Eden is hopelessly self-centered and thus every good deed is in some way bound up in the aggrandizement of self without thought toward the glorification of God with the end result of the temporal life being a separation for all eternity from His transcendent glory and the enjoyment of Him.
The rich man in hell referred to in Luke 16:19-31, is a real man, eternally perishing in a real hell. As he appealed to Abraham to send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water to cool his tongue for the anguish of the flame he is in, he was told, "You in your lifetime received your good things."
God is the source of all good, even on a temporal level. Jesus said, "There is none good but God." He also said, " I and my Father are One." And, "I am the way, the truth and the life; no man comes to the Father but by me." Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And thus it is only through Christ that any of us are made eternally good. This understanding comes not from any good we may find in ourselves, but solely as a result of the free grace of God unto Whom all the glory is due and shall be given eternally.
So then, in answer, it is not only what, but Who makes a man a good man, but God alone, by His Spirit, through the cross of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. From him comes all things of eternal significance, manifested both in this life and in the one to come. And to Him be all the glory both now and forevermore. Amen!
As all things are from God, I found it quite interesting that here in the state of California most of the larger corporations now require that you make application for employment online. As a part of the employment process, you are also required to answer a series of statements by which they evaluate whether you are the type of employee they desire to hire. One such company which has over 1,400 stores is called Panera Bread. By the providence of God, I happened to fill out an application for this company the day after pondering and writing the previous article. Of the approximately one-hundred twenty statements made, one of them was, "All men are basically good." The choices of answer were, Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree.
WOW! Of course I answered Strongly Disagree, and by the time I was finished felt as though I had just undergone psychological, and spiritual warfare. With the answers that I gave, my thought is that their program is probably preassigned to automatically kick out all applicants which do not fit within their humanistic guideline; will never be seen by a real person; resulting in, not being hired by this company. Feeling a little discouraged by the whole process, I turned to read in the Psalms and came to 74:21, of which actually rhymes in the English translations. Beginning there I wrote:
Let not the downtrodden turn back in shame;
Let the poor and needy praise Your Name.
Arise, O God, defend Your great cause,
Be Thou the helper of him who falls
Before You in honor for all that You Are,
Our Father in heaven , Who names every star.
Remember, O LORD, how the enemy scoffs.
Like waves breaking violently over the rocks
You placed to stand strong against all evil tides
Through strength of Your Spirit, in Jesus abides.
As He is our anchor of hope in this place
Through mercy, that we know more fully Your grace.
Forget not the clamor of all of Your foes,
Which think by their violence Your glory o'erthrows.
Yet Yours is the day, and Yours also the night,
You established to show forth the heavenly lights
And fixed all their bound'ries by covenant made
With Jesus, Your Son, by whom we are saved.
Note: Upon giving a copy of this post to one of the managers at Panera Bread in Citrus Heights, CA, I was assured by him that the computer program didn't automatically kick out applicants for their answers and that I should come back to the restaurant after the fifteenth of January.
December 14, 2010
(Proverbs 14:14b) and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.
While this portion of Proverbs 14:14 comes as a stark contrast to the proceeding portion which states, "The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways" the latter sparked a question of which I trust the answer given will bring clarity to some that might think themselves to be "good" when in reality their definition of good is measured by the standard of other men rather than the character and holiness of God.
What is it that makes a man a "good" man?
There are those that are good on a temporal level as they have been created by God, who Is good and created men after His Own image. Thus there are those who are born with a propensity toward good on a temporal level, and shall be filled with the enjoyment of those things which are manifest in this life as a bi-product of their manner of life.
This however falls infinitely short of the original purpose for which man was created. Man was created to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Man in his best estate from natural birth because of the original fall in the garden of Eden is hopelessly self-centered and thus every good deed is in some way bound up in the aggrandizement of self without thought toward the glorification of God with the end result of the temporal life being a separation for all eternity from His transcendent glory and the enjoyment of Him.
The rich man in hell referred to in Luke 16:19-31, is a real man, eternally perishing in a real hell. As he appealed to Abraham to send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water to cool his tongue for the anguish of the flame he is in, he was told, "You in your lifetime received your good things."
God is the source of all good, even on a temporal level. Jesus said, "There is none good but God." He also said, " I and my Father are One." And, "I am the way, the truth and the life; no man comes to the Father but by me." Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And thus it is only through Christ that any of us are made eternally good. This understanding comes not from any good we may find in ourselves, but solely as a result of the free grace of God unto Whom all the glory is due and shall be given eternally.
So then, in answer, it is not only what, but Who makes a man a good man, but God alone, by His Spirit, through the cross of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. From him comes all things of eternal significance, manifested both in this life and in the one to come. And to Him be all the glory both now and forevermore. Amen!
As all things are from God, I found it quite interesting that here in the state of California most of the larger corporations now require that you make application for employment online. As a part of the employment process, you are also required to answer a series of statements by which they evaluate whether you are the type of employee they desire to hire. One such company which has over 1,400 stores is called Panera Bread. By the providence of God, I happened to fill out an application for this company the day after pondering and writing the previous article. Of the approximately one-hundred twenty statements made, one of them was, "All men are basically good." The choices of answer were, Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree.
WOW! Of course I answered Strongly Disagree, and by the time I was finished felt as though I had just undergone psychological, and spiritual warfare. With the answers that I gave, my thought is that their program is probably preassigned to automatically kick out all applicants which do not fit within their humanistic guideline; will never be seen by a real person; resulting in, not being hired by this company. Feeling a little discouraged by the whole process, I turned to read in the Psalms and came to 74:21, of which actually rhymes in the English translations. Beginning there I wrote:
Let not the downtrodden turn back in shame;
Let the poor and needy praise Your Name.
Arise, O God, defend Your great cause,
Be Thou the helper of him who falls
Before You in honor for all that You Are,
Our Father in heaven , Who names every star.
Remember, O LORD, how the enemy scoffs.
Like waves breaking violently over the rocks
You placed to stand strong against all evil tides
Through strength of Your Spirit, in Jesus abides.
As He is our anchor of hope in this place
Through mercy, that we know more fully Your grace.
Forget not the clamor of all of Your foes,
Which think by their violence Your glory o'erthrows.
Yet Yours is the day, and Yours also the night,
You established to show forth the heavenly lights
And fixed all their bound'ries by covenant made
With Jesus, Your Son, by whom we are saved.
Note: Upon giving a copy of this post to one of the managers at Panera Bread in Citrus Heights, CA, I was assured by him that the computer program didn't automatically kick out applicants for their answers and that I should come back to the restaurant after the fifteenth of January.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
O Thou That Hearest Prayer!
Having begun reading "The Lord's Prayer" by Thomas Brooks, the exhortation to Hallow God's Name is given. He speaks of the fact that in so doing, by life and through prayer, "There is nothing lost by what we do for God."
O Thou that hearest prayer,
Unto You shall all flesh come.
For the race is not to the swift;
But through Christ our vict'rys won.
The battle is not to the strong;
But strength You give to the weak.
And pleased You are to give honor
To those whom Your glory seek.
Oh help us to spread then Your fame
With lives sanctified by Your Name.
For nothing shall ever be lost
By those who have counted the cost.
And the price was fully paid,
As our sins were on Jesus laid,
And He then bore our reproach,
That we may now boldly approach.
For mercy is that which we plead.
Give grace to meet every need.
Through Christ, You hear every prayer,
And through Him receive glory there.
Thus we will sweetly resign
To wait as Your ear You incline
To hear now the sound of our voice.
O Father, in You we rejoice!
O Thou that hearest prayer,
Unto You shall all flesh come.
For the race is not to the swift;
But through Christ our vict'rys won.
The battle is not to the strong;
But strength You give to the weak.
And pleased You are to give honor
To those whom Your glory seek.
Oh help us to spread then Your fame
With lives sanctified by Your Name.
For nothing shall ever be lost
By those who have counted the cost.
And the price was fully paid,
As our sins were on Jesus laid,
And He then bore our reproach,
That we may now boldly approach.
For mercy is that which we plead.
Give grace to meet every need.
Through Christ, You hear every prayer,
And through Him receive glory there.
Thus we will sweetly resign
To wait as Your ear You incline
To hear now the sound of our voice.
O Father, in You we rejoice!
Monday, January 10, 2011
The One True Offering
Michael E. Wood
November 4 through December 18, 2010
As a result of the finished work of Christ manifesting the steadfast, everlasting love of the Father for us, everything we do should be an expression of gratitude in joyful service as we wait for His return and the full revelation of His Glory!
The first lines of this poem came while listening to a devotional from Isaiah 53:10 by Jeremy Twombley on November 4th; additional lines from a message from 2nd Thessalonians 3:16-18 on December 5th; with the final contemplations resulting from further meditations in Isaiah on December 18, 2010.
Oh what love God did display
When pleased He crushed His Son that day;
And by His Spirit thus diffused
The grace of Him we once refused.
For as his precious blood was spilt;
He from his soul then for our guilt,
Was made the One True Offering
As He saw all of His offspring.
And out of anguish He did see
Our Father satisfied would be.
Accounted righteous; num'rous throng,
The spoil divided with the strong.
Because His soul poured out to death
And bore our sins to final breath;
Transgressors numbered to Him flee,
Secured by Christ at Calvary.
And ev'ry blessing we receive
Is all of grace and fully free--
Assured to us when we believed
And purchased by His purity.
Break forth, and sing; and cry aloud
All ye purchased, faithful crowd--
Gathered with compassion great,
On Him we joyf'ly serve and wait.
November 4 through December 18, 2010
As a result of the finished work of Christ manifesting the steadfast, everlasting love of the Father for us, everything we do should be an expression of gratitude in joyful service as we wait for His return and the full revelation of His Glory!
The first lines of this poem came while listening to a devotional from Isaiah 53:10 by Jeremy Twombley on November 4th; additional lines from a message from 2nd Thessalonians 3:16-18 on December 5th; with the final contemplations resulting from further meditations in Isaiah on December 18, 2010.
Oh what love God did display
When pleased He crushed His Son that day;
And by His Spirit thus diffused
The grace of Him we once refused.
For as his precious blood was spilt;
He from his soul then for our guilt,
Was made the One True Offering
As He saw all of His offspring.
And out of anguish He did see
Our Father satisfied would be.
Accounted righteous; num'rous throng,
The spoil divided with the strong.
Because His soul poured out to death
And bore our sins to final breath;
Transgressors numbered to Him flee,
Secured by Christ at Calvary.
And ev'ry blessing we receive
Is all of grace and fully free--
Assured to us when we believed
And purchased by His purity.
Break forth, and sing; and cry aloud
All ye purchased, faithful crowd--
Gathered with compassion great,
On Him we joyf'ly serve and wait.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
The One Who Is Our Purity
Michael E. Wood
December 13, 2010
God, in His infinite wisdom has chosen, as John Bunyan put it, "To withhold light from some better than we" concerning secondary issues which are not essential to the clarity and unity of the gospel. And thus, when the aim of our charge as individual believers as well as an assembled local body is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith, then by the abundance of His mercy and grace we are enabled as one to worship Him in Spirit and in truth unto the praise of His glorious grace.
What sweet communion God affords
As all of Him in one accord
Seek to know in unity
The One Who Is our purity.
As every man that has this hope
Will seek to know the fullest scope
In all of life by His embrace
To be like Him as one new race.
For Christ has broken all the wall
Now ill effected by the fall.
By grace all glory shall be found..
Oh haste the day that He be crowned!
December 13, 2010
God, in His infinite wisdom has chosen, as John Bunyan put it, "To withhold light from some better than we" concerning secondary issues which are not essential to the clarity and unity of the gospel. And thus, when the aim of our charge as individual believers as well as an assembled local body is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith, then by the abundance of His mercy and grace we are enabled as one to worship Him in Spirit and in truth unto the praise of His glorious grace.
What sweet communion God affords
As all of Him in one accord
Seek to know in unity
The One Who Is our purity.
As every man that has this hope
Will seek to know the fullest scope
In all of life by His embrace
To be like Him as one new race.
For Christ has broken all the wall
Now ill effected by the fall.
By grace all glory shall be found..
Oh haste the day that He be crowned!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
As Peter Saw the Savior's Face
Michael E. Wood
November, 11 through December 10, 2010
On November 21, 2010, Pastor Robert Briggs preached a message on the denial of Peter from Mark 14:66-72, speaking of "The Reality of Spiritual Complacency and its Effects". Dianna and I had read of the account in the book of John earlier that morning. Another statement of truth at the forefront of my mind in writing the following is that Christ is far more committed to our holiness than we are at any point in our life. Thanks be to God that He is and thus we can take heart and be encouraged by the word of His grace, that He which hath begun a good work in us shall perform it til the day of Christ. For without holiness no one shall see the Lord.
As Peter saw the Savior's face
And knew within of his disgrace,
His stare pierced like unto a dart
Within the depths of his own heart.
As he went out and wept and cried
Because Christ Jesus he denied,
He had not seen himself so weak,
When foretold by the man so meek.
And yet because of hidden fear
He ran from Him, he loved so dear.
Yet for our good our Lord did turn
This lesson from Him to be learned.
Oh shall we be such ones to judge
When just like he with sudden plunge
We tend to grieve while we have breath
He who bore our sin in death.
On watch, O Father help us stay
With eyes fixed on eternal day,
In moments which appear with gloom,
To see in You all things will bloom
Beyond our feeble strains convey
The fullness of Your Word displayed,
As Christ will come with trumpet sound
To gain His bride, His faithful crown.
November, 11 through December 10, 2010
On November 21, 2010, Pastor Robert Briggs preached a message on the denial of Peter from Mark 14:66-72, speaking of "The Reality of Spiritual Complacency and its Effects". Dianna and I had read of the account in the book of John earlier that morning. Another statement of truth at the forefront of my mind in writing the following is that Christ is far more committed to our holiness than we are at any point in our life. Thanks be to God that He is and thus we can take heart and be encouraged by the word of His grace, that He which hath begun a good work in us shall perform it til the day of Christ. For without holiness no one shall see the Lord.
As Peter saw the Savior's face
And knew within of his disgrace,
His stare pierced like unto a dart
Within the depths of his own heart.
As he went out and wept and cried
Because Christ Jesus he denied,
He had not seen himself so weak,
When foretold by the man so meek.
And yet because of hidden fear
He ran from Him, he loved so dear.
Yet for our good our Lord did turn
This lesson from Him to be learned.
Oh shall we be such ones to judge
When just like he with sudden plunge
We tend to grieve while we have breath
He who bore our sin in death.
On watch, O Father help us stay
With eyes fixed on eternal day,
In moments which appear with gloom,
To see in You all things will bloom
Beyond our feeble strains convey
The fullness of Your Word displayed,
As Christ will come with trumpet sound
To gain His bride, His faithful crown.
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