That Which Toucheth You

Michael E. Wood

December 30, 2013

For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” Ephesians 5:29-31

For the holidays the city had given Dianna six days off, so she decided to take an additional four days which would give her two full weeks before returning to work. This would allow her to come with me to the various facilities of which the Lord has opened opportunities for ministering the Word and allow her to help finish a number of projects that have been on the back burner for some time.

Shortly into this time she developed severe back pains. By doing a little research she determined that it was sciatica. Providentially she had also decided to go on a new diet, of which during her research found to be helpful for treatment for the sciatic condition. Her pain subsided over the course of the two weeks, but she felt discouraged over not being able to do all the things she had planned.

In many ways I felt helpless to be much comfort and sometimes selfish for my own perceived loses during this time and yet these are the thoughts which came to mind to bring some level of comfort to my beloved wife.

Upon reading this to her, I said, “You can always tell when I have been hanging out with the Puritans by the way I write can’t you?”

Perhaps thy God will come

And take the burden from thy breast

Or stoke the fires, refining faith

Like gold to stand the test

To prove by His own presence

He indeed knew what was best

To make thee like Himself in

Thine own heart’s true treasure chest.

For that which trills the soul

Amidst a bitter providence

Is the sweetness God brings forth

To show His love and faithfulness

In all He has appointed

To produce the fruit remaining

When the winter turns to spring

And we with Him rejoice in gleaning

From the benefits received

Which He alone could e’er produce

Through this trial He brought us through

To make us meet for His own use.

For you see now that which toucheth you

Now also toucheth me.

So together let us bold approach

God’s only mercy tree.

Which provideth all the healing

For the nations from its leaves

And has given us true shelter

By His righteousness which cleaves

To each soul of which He’s humbled

By His grace to thus proclaim

He alone is God eternal

And His glory is our aim!

This Time of Year

Michael E. Wood

December 31, 2013

They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” Luke 24:32

Dianna and I began a tradition of audibly reading the Bible through together which actually started before we were married.  Today will mark the third year we have chosen to use “The Discipleship Journal Plan”.  It is designed for consecutive reading in four different parts of the Bible for each day and allows for one day of rest per week.  We have found that it is an easy way to be disciplined in reading through without necessarily following the plan punctiliously.  We have likewise found that since we do not know what a day may bring forth we can skip some days, make up for them on other days, and still accomplish the desired goal of reading the Bible through in a year in addition to personal readings individually.  Using this particular method has thus far allowed us to complete the desired goal and finish out the year reading our own selection of additional passages.

With several good motivations our desire was to close out the year reading through the Gospel of Luke once again. Though we did not finish together by December 31, enough progress was made to bring forth additional thanksgiving to Jesus our Lord, the Son of Man.

Thank You for this time of year

To ponder now anew

Things You did while You were here

To show that which is true

Of which we as Your children

Celebrate rejoicing,

Looking to that one day when

All creation voicing

Praise and honor and glory

As God’s sons are revealed

Consummating the story

How by Your stripes we’re healed.

Your Glory and Power and Worth!

Michael E. Wood

December 29, 2013

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with money bags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Luke 12:32-34 (ESV)

And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 

1 Peter 1:17-19 (KJV)

While in the process of preparing for ministry at Atria I had stopped to read a portion of scripture from Luke 9-12 to Dianna. A few moments later while pondering the passages for the upcoming message about “Making the Best Use of Your Time”; these words came to mind as a prayer in the preparation.

Oh LORD, You have saved me

And made me Your own.

Oh, send the supply

Of Your grace from the throne

Of mercy, refreshing

And waking my heart

Through which You may use

For Your truth to impart

To those You prepare

As the ground for the seed

And water them often

As You see each need.

And lead in the way

As You deem for each best

To strengthen by faith

Till we enter the rest

Which comes at the end

Of our sojourn on earth

To show forth Your glory

And power and worth!

The One who Reconciled

Michael E. Wood

December 27, 2013

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19

John Newton said it well when he penned the words, “Tis grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed. “

The more we are given the privilege of seeing through the scriptures the condition of the heart and mind with which we were born into this world the more amazed we become that God would have looked upon any of us with pleasure. Sin permeated every aspect of our being and we were blinded to that fact by the god of this world. We followed the spirit of this fallen world without a thought of our lost condition, thinking only of things in light of our personal advantage.

Having been born of the Spirit and made new creations in Christ we have been given a new principle of life effectually working in us whereby we are enabled to glory in the cross of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Likewise we are enabled by the Spirit to glory in God as our Father, who has reconciled us to Himself through God the Son.

Though unworthy, yet we glory

In the One who reconciled

We the people of His pleasure

When through Christ He on us smiled.

As His blood upon the alter

Through His veil of flesh was laid

In the presence of the Father

Justice for our sins displayed

Such an awesome show of mercy

None can fully fathom here

Yet through faith we live to honor

Him who died and shall appear

To bring forth the full redemption

Raising from the dust of earth

Bodies new then in the likeness

Of the One who gave new birth.

By the Spirit, let us praise Him

Till the final hour come

When in fullness we adore Him,

Christ, our God and Father’s Son.

This Prayer (Christmas Card)

Michael E. Wood
September 26, 2013

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). Matthew 1:22-23

As you might have noticed by the date of writing, contemplation's of the eternal Son of God incarnate is a privilege we have as His followers to think of at anytime of the year. In fact we are encouraged to have this mind in ourselves which is ours in Christ Jesus, who though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in the human form, he humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death upon a cross. And yet it seemed appropriate to wait to share these thoughts at such a time as this.

This prayer I pray for you today 

And trust throughout the year 

That God Himself will draw you close 

And make Himself more dear, 

Than anything that you may grasp 

With hands or thoughts of mind. 

As He, Himself surpasses all 

We think or feel, or find 

In fleeting pleasures of this world 

Though good, they won’t transcend 

The greatest Treasure given 

With His glory as our end. 

For when He sent His Son, as babe, 

In lowly manger’s hay, 

The promise of eternal life 

Came down to earth that day. 

And though so many see Him not 

By grace through faith alone;

He did indeed, go to the cross 

And with His blood atone 

For all who would believe and turn 

From sin, with this in mind, 

Into our hearts the glory of 

Our God, in Christ has shined.

With One Voice Then Everywhere

Michael E. Wood

December 10, 2013

In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you.

Psalm 56:10-12

With so many “designer churches”, with varying degrees of emphasis on secondary issues, it brings great comfort to know that God has not left us to ourselves but has provided us through the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ with the word of His grace and the indwelling Holy Spirit to teach us and to guide us into all truth. Likewise, it is such a wonderful thing to know that regardless of how adamant we may be when it comes to some of these issues, all who are truly born of the Holy Spirit, washed in the blood the Lamb may look with great expectation to the day that we with one voice praise Him for His perfections everywhere!

Oh, Praise God for His virtues

And in them His Beauty see,

As He, Himself reveals them

By His Word with clarity.

And though He is much greater

Than we’ll ever know in time,

He delights in all who take delight

In Him who is sublime!

Oh, Praise God for His Word

Through which He richly now reveals

The light of His own presence

By His Spirit as He seals

Our hearts of which He has shut up

To show His glory there

In transformation power

Making new our every care.

For the things of first importance

Are the things in which we boast

Through the cross which Christ has suffered

And has sent the Holy Ghost

To protect us and to guide us

Through this life until we share

In the praise of His perfections

With one voice then everywhere!

All of Grace

Michael E. Wood

November 23, 2013

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:3-6

Though the following does not come close to encompassing every aspect featured in the text above, it is an example in simplicity of how theology leads to doxology.

All of grace and all of You,

And all for Thine own glory too.

You bid us come; and make alive,

And by Your Spirit make us thrive

With energy proceeding from

Thy throne until Thy kingdom come.

We thus rejoice in thinking of

Your mercies through redemption's love

Which captivates and stirs anew

Our thoughts to know, there’s none like You

Which could have made so high a plan

And condescend to sinful man.

Deliver us from lowly thought

To praise the grace by which You brought

Us to Yourself at Calvary

In Christ alone upon the tree

To make us Holy, blameless there

In heavenly places where we share

The hope and richest inheritance

In Him who gave us penitence

By which we sing the sweetest frame

And worship You in Jesus name!