It is good to remind ourselves, in the middle of fierce storms – when it is frighteningly dark, and it feels like dead of night – that what is true of the world of meteorology is also true in the spiritual realm: monster storms are allowed to do their worst, but the God of Love, so orders His most-wise providence, concerning his child or Church, that destructive winds, that do his bidding, will cease sooner than we think. 

This is a record storm!
The pressure is dropping, it’s picking up energy!
Wow! Look at the backwall of the eye – it’s so sharply defined!
A sudden upgrade from Tropical Storm to a Category 2 Hurricane.
This is incredible! From Category 1 to Category 5 in 6 hours!
Now it’s turning North, but it will probably bend South-East!
It is now predicted to make landfall as a Category 4 – but what we really need to watch, as the wind-shear spreads this system out, is the huge storm surge which, we expect, will inundate low-lying ground.
So, get out while you can, or, if not, hunker-down and try to ride it out at home (not in the basement: stay on the second floor!) – please stay safe: this freak-weather-event could take your life if you’re caught!
Then, suddenly it’s here – it actually feels far worse: howling winds, lashing rain, flood-defences overwhelmed, debris in the air, trees uprooted and roofing torn-off – power lines crash down as transformers flash with sparks and the night-sky is lit up.
Then in the eye – quite eerily, a lull: it’s time to catch your breath in a brief respite of calm –
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Never forget that what the devil plans for bane God permit to bless. Brace yourself in advance so that you won’t be shocked by dark days in your life. Be resolved to keep going, not faint, and get the intended benefit of character forged like Christ. Ask for all His wisdom that you need to steady the ship and navigate your course. Wait for God who works all for good.

Some trials of faith can be so sudden and ferocious that they can knock us off balance, cause our hearts to tremble, confuse our minds, force us to run away, or yield to pressure, compromise or stress. Other tests we face are so arduous and prolonged that they wear or grind us down, leave us exhausted and wrung out, or gradually drive us down into the depth of depression and despair.
Context
James, not one of the twelve, but a brother of our Lord, presided over the earliest Jerusalem Church. He had passed unscathed through initial waves of hostility that buffeted apostles. His namesake had been martyred by beheading after a brutal reprisal of Herod. Disciples had been hauled before courts, hurled into jail, or left without work, as Saul raged against Christ. He writes to calm and challenge scattered saints.
Be Positive
Though their trials are great, believers must not lose heart. Their outlook should be buoyant as they reckon pain “all joy”. This careful calculation is not Christian masochism. It is not “pure” or “sheer” joy, as some translator suggest, that is delightful in itself. “No pain, no gain” comes closer to the truth. If it is an instant plus to suffer stripes that identify believers with Christ, affliction and persecution accrue long-term benefits, and are thus “all joy”.
Be Bi-Perspectival
Don’t jump to rash conclusions about the origin of your pain. It is overly simplistic to point the finger at the devil, or reduce all affliction to divine punishment. James employs an identical term for both “temptation” and “test”. What he is impressing upon us is that, like a coin, trials are two-sided and should be viewed from both angles. Satan aims to hurt by what God allows to help. In trial we are meant not to sin but to stand.
Be Prepared
Christians are neither to be surprised or alarmed by trails of “various kinds”.
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Never for a moment did his unspotted, perfect, obedience, hesitate or halt: from the heart, for the entirety of His life, His will and mind were aligned and allied sinlessly to God. Both tablets of the LORD, were harmoniously and persistently observed, even when facing the most extreme and difficult circumstances – from birth to death, our beloved High Priest was the delightful Son who served the pleasure, and received approval, of God His Heavenly Father.

One of the most wonderful statements in the whole of the Bible is made in the second chapter of the Book of Hebrews, 2:17.
Therefore, He had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that He might become a merciful and faithful High Priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of His people.
Context
Having laid out the case for the supremacy of Christ over angelic mediation of the Mosaic Law at Sinai, and proved His case by a plethora of Psalter texts, the writer proceeds to urge the church (which, it appears, is at risk of imperceptible drift-off) with a whole other set of reasons, that related to Jesus as the supremely faithful priest who has worked salvation for God’s flock.
Linguistic Faithfulness
Whether we explain this statement by reference to the Greek word group (which has to do with trust or trustworthiness), or by drawing on the Hebrew vocabulary behind it (which relates to fidelity to the Covenant or reliable, loyal or dependable, based as it is on the word group from which we get AMEN), Jesus Christ, as the High Priest of the Church, was reliable before God and can be relied upon.
Liturgical Faithfulness
There were some disreputable priests that served at Israel’s sanctuary: flames of wrath incinerated Nadab and Abihu when the ignored the regulations and offered up strange fire; if Eli was weak and late in disciplining wayward sons, Hophni and Phinehas were struck down for immoral sanctuary sins; Aaron, of course, not only lied about the manufacture of a golden calf at Mount Sinai, but set it up as a syncretistic object of worship, having spinelessly caved in to the popular Israelite vote; in comparison to all these the Son of God was supremely and superlatively faithful as a servant over God’s House, and never lost his temper like Moses who smote the Rock in anger twice.
He was faithful to Atone
Wrath was due to the church for the weight of adamic guilt and the breach of divine Law: He became the one who bore the sentence and condemnation we deserved, and exhausted the curse that was justly due to us, thus turning aside all the heat of the consuming fire of Yahweh’s holiness – His death, as an atoning sacrifice, is like a massive heat shield that deflects incandescent indignation from us. This was not atonement for one sin or annual crime or national guilt, but a once-for-all time, and once-for-all His own, eternal sacrifice of infinite worth to be applied efficaciously and individually for the salvation of His sheep. By predestination and design, for His Church, there is covering, cleansing and conformity to Christ through His flame-extinguishing death.
He was faithful to the Law
Never for a moment did his unspotted, perfect, obedience, hesitate or halt: from the heart, for the entirety of His life, His will and mind were aligned and allied sinlessly to God. Both tablets of the LORD, were harmoniously and persistently observed, even when facing the most extreme and difficult circumstances – from birth to death, our beloved High Priest was the delightful Son who served the pleasure, and received approval, of God His Heavenly Father.
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He reigns, for us, at the right hand of God; He dwells forever in the Heavenly Zion-Sanctuary; He is King and God over those celestial courts which He has purified by His blood. Relish the height of the Mount “not beclouded in smoke” but “happily drenched in the eternally-efficacious blood of the crucified, risen, exalted, glorified, Lord” that cries for saving not for judging! How can we faint, and not endure discipline, as we fix our eyes on Him? 

I’ve been rebuked this afternoon for slackness in the Scriptures – and, at the same time, been thrilled and delighted by a few of the gems that, by grace, with the Spirit’s help, I have mined from a simple, basic, 1-mouse-click Word study of “magnificent greatness” or “majesty” in the Greek Bible.
Magnificence
As I was studying Hebrews 1:1-4, suddenly vistas of truth opened up before the eyes of my heart, to which I had been previously blind – suddenly I came to see a little more of the glory and splendour of the reign of Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest, who by His blood rules all things for the Church from God’s throne in the heights. I rebuked myself, again, for being dull and slow of heart.
The key term was found towards the close of the third verse of Hebrews 1, the introduction in which the writer lays bare the fullness and finality of the revelation of God, given in His Son, which puts the prophets in the shade – the Lord Jesus Christ, having made purification for sins, has sat down at the right hand of the Father in the majestic heights.
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs – Hebrews 1:3-4.
This is a magnificent greatness which is to be ascribed to Jesus as Jehovah in Dt 32:3.
For I will proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God – Deuteronomy 32:3
This is the majesty that is declared by David to have been promised and performed by God to and for him, in 2 Samuel 7:21 & 23.
Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it – 2 Samuel 7:21!
And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods – 2 Samuel 7:23?
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We live in a polluted, irreligious, narcissistic, culture ruled by the idolatry of self. God has little place. Others are only a means to exploit. The needy are bypassed and of small concern to us. The intensely practical nature of real godliness calls us to a cross, to death of sin and self, that the love of God, which freely falls on saints, might govern our mouth, mind and moral acts towards those made to bear His stamp.

Introduction
In His book practical religion, Anglican bishop of Liverpool, JC Ryle, extols the virtues of powerful practical evangelical Christianity.
Context
In this little section of James chapter 1:26-27, the apostle lays bare what genuine godliness looks like.
Text
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world – James 1:26-27 ESV
1. The Contradiction of True Religion – an Unbridled Mouth
Whoever does not control their tongue is self-deceived and not truly religious. How many bless God on Sunday but tear stripes off others on Monday.
2. The Character of True Religion – Truly Religious Folk Are Pure and Undefiled by the Taint of Intemperate Speech
Instead of boasts and empty talk, their religion is uncontaminated by what flows from their lips. Only in Christ does true religion peak – but Jesus gives more grace.
3. The Arena of True Religion – Living to Please God
Those born again, who are really children of God, live to please their Father – to show His family likeness, is what they desire most. Driven by His love, intent to win His eye, they live and move before the Lord. True religion is not the hypocritical man-pleasing performance of those who do not know God.
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Let us never forget key lessons we should have already learnt: to vacate solid granite of Scripture for shifting sands of feelings, impressions, hunches, emotions, sense, reason, circumstances, providences and signs, always results in a knot that is only untangled by grace.

We are called to walk by faith, through which we are also justified. Far too often, believers including mature saints, even in top ecclesiastical posts, seek to further God’s work by resorting to the flesh.
DIY salvation (adversely reviewed) is one of the main points of Genesis 16 – here the holy family, with Abram included and implicated, without jeopardizing his saved status, faithlessly and pragmatically, tosses a carnal spanner in God’s Work.
A catastrophic lapse led to a failed attempt to give the LORD a helping hand in hurrying His world-blessing plan along: with no heir in sight, and beyond all human hope, Sarai’s servant-surrogate Hagar, whom providence put within reach, offered an open door to sire, and adopt, an illicit to-be-son.
Certainly, we can sense the frustration of his wife whose womb Yahweh had shut, with perhaps a hint of blame? It was 10 years down the line from the night God launched His plan in Ur – impatience, sense, reason and sight gave the patriarch a nudge &, with echoes of Eden, Abram listened to his wife.
But, it really does matter how the plan of God moves forward – the Angel of the LORD, with his first appearance on-stage, indicates clearly that the One who sees all & knows the fact-file of our lives, is as interested both in the way of what we do as the what of Jehovah’s work.
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Not only was rest given for the enjoyment of Lord Adam of Eden: the ultimate beneficial reason for the giving of the Sabbath to the human race, was so that when the Word took Flesh, Jesus, Himself, might sanctify this day of rest. From before the world was made, the Logos fully intended to use the Sabbath Day to bring blessing to the world. 

Over the past two weeks, given Christ’s statement in the Gospels, I’ve been mulling over the question of how the Sabbath of Creation connects with Christ as Son.
The Sabbath was Made by The Son.
We are plainly told in Genesis that, having concluded Creation work,  God set Day Seven apart. At this particular junction in divine revelation, Moses is not concerned with the Persons of the Godhead: if explicit mention of the Father, Son and Spirit of Yahweh is held back to the Baptism of Christ, we know from New Testament references that, as The Pre-Incarnate Logos, God the Son was The Agent of Creation who also gave the Sabbath Ordinance.
In all of the external works of God (or opera ad extra), all Three Glorious Persons of the Godhead are active: we must clearly state that if the Father ordained the Sabbath by the Spirit, the Seventh Day of Rest, equally, is the Son’s gift to mankind. Or, at risk of stating the matter in an anachronistic fashion, the origin of the Sabbath can be traced to the now-Enfleshed Word. His sanctifying that day by setting it apart as special could have been intensive (most sacred), factitive (made sacred), or declarative (marked sacred), or perhaps all three. Whatever the precise nuance involved in demarcation of the Seventh Day, let us be very clear that having made that Day, the Sabbath belongs to Him. It is not an exaggeration to call it the Sabbath of the Son.
The Sabbath was Made for The Son.
Not only was rest given for the enjoyment of Lord Adam of Eden: the ultimate beneficial reason for the giving of the Sabbath to the human race, was so that when the Word took Flesh, Jesus, Himself, might sanctify this day of rest. From before the world was made, the Logos fully intended to use the Sabbath Day to bring blessing to the world. Not only did Christ hallow this day of worship growing up, but for 3 three years of Sabbaths, this time was set apart, from the rest of His hectic weeks, for some of His most notable words and works of public ministry among Jews.
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Until we accept that human free will does not determine who is saved, we will still remain confused about the place of Israel (Romans 9:14-29). More examples follow as Paul cites Law and Prophets – a most basic fact about the God of Sinai is that He was just and right to raise-up and reprobate Pharaoh in order to display His power & glory. His will alone fixes who is mercifully softened and who is justly hardened. Equally, we must embrace the truth that creatures never have any claim or leverage on the Creator. 

Interpretation
The proper procedure, in settling this question, is to read obscure OT prophecies in light of clear NT texts of Romans 9-12. What is God’s role for Paul’s genetic kin?
Procedure
What I want to do, in this first blog on the subject, without claiming to be an expert, is to lay down some principles to help find answers to this question.
Principle 1 – We will only find right answers if we have the mind of Christ and unceasing anguish in our heart (Romans 9:1-3).
While the language sounds extreme, Paul didn’t fake or lie – in union with Christ, by the Holy Spirit, he acknowledged his debt to his religious heritage & wished he could be crucified to save His fellow countrymen. In our heart, if we care little for Jews or Greeks, it is highly unlikely we will gain insight into this truth. Confess all indifference to perishing fellow countrymen, disregard for Gospel heritage, and sinful antisemitic views.
Principle 2 – We will only grasp the place of the Jews in the plan of God to the extent we understand the Old Testament history of Israel is part of the unfolding Gospel (Romans 9:4-5)
The call of Abram, election of Israel, Red Sea Crossing, Lawgiving at Mount Sinai, Shekinah Presence, Noah-to-David Covenants, trace the progress of God’s eternal, sovereign, gracious, purpose to save a people for Himself. At no point was this purpose jettisoned or blocked. With every step, the relentless will of God advanced with a momentous, messianic, march to the time of Jesus’ birth.
The mistake of many who consider these things is that they drive a wedge and create a disconnect between Abraham and Noah, Moses and Abraham, and David and Moses – a wedge is inserted which (in their minds) dams up the stream of Gospel grace of God. Light will start to shine to the degree that we observe that, form beginning to end, the Bible is One Book with a single, unified, message from start to finish: Divine Revelation in Redemptive History is a progressive, historical, organic, unfolding of the “Seed Promise of Eden” that was given to Adam (Genesis 3:15), which will only be complete when we eat of the fruit of Revelation’s Tree of Life.
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Even in gathered churches, hearers must be warned as well as being cheered; the Gospel is always relevant to ongoing life in church; flaws in practice may red-flag faulty profession; the best proof of a state of grace is Christ’s own progressive, inward, spiritual, loving, renewing, life in us.

Sorry Introduction
I recall a few years back having a quiet conversation with a shocked, disappointed, chastened, and influential fellow-pastor. Following the tragic demise of a famous Christian leader, his serious, solemn, words struck an unforgettable note: “Never again,” said added, “will I preach to a church and assume everyone is saved!”
Gospel Battlefield
It takes us to the heart of what the Apostle Paul is saying in his epistle to the Galatians – during one of his missionary visits, occasioned by his own ophthalmic problems, the people welcomed the message and were gathered into God’s Church. Then twisters came along to corrupt free grace with works – conflict was the result.
Distinctive Traits
Two groups are distinguished by paradigmatic statements made in a legalistic context: mere profession may be accompanied by legal rites, religious feasts, pulpit texts, winsome acts, religious pomp, flowery prayers and loud claims, but without new birth, and faith at work through love, there is no justification by saving grace.
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The wrath of death make life necessarily brief! Fear of wrath and hope of bliss means, for sinner and saints, there is no more time to waste! Break with guilty past! Seize the blessed hope! Bear fruit while life lasts before you leave to be with Christ!

Psalm 90 in Psalter Sequence
Canonically positioned by Ezra at the beginning of Book IV of the Psalter, it provides a long-term solution to the trauma of the exile and Dynastic kingdom crisis.
The congregation returning from Babylon in the Second Temple Persian period now answers the call of the Prophets of the LORD, and at last turns back to Moses.
Past Anguish v1-11
A heart-rending, broken-hearted, cry of repentance bubbles up from the depths of pain of Israel’s shepherd-man-of-God on the plains of Moab in sight of Pisgah.
The prayer of this penitent, face-to-face, with the Eternal, Holy, God, confesses repeated, rebellious, Covenant breach and fully-deserved, all-consuming, terrifying, deadly, wrath.
For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? – Psalm 90:7-11
For the Generation who fell in sand, before Israel reached the Promised Land, there could be no escape – as Adam found out, there is no such thing as truly-secret sins with God. All is laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
For the Generation who fell by sword, the experience of Jews in Exile was the same – chastened by wrath both now unite, by the Spirit of Christ, to break with their guilt and come back home to God, their true and timeless Dwelling Place.
The stench of the deconstruction of death now gives way to the smile of the reconstruction of renewed covenant life and Israel’s everlasting hope
Present Anticipation v12-17
With selfless intercession, the brother of High Priest Aaron prays for the conquest generation – and by implication, he also supplicates, for the post-exilic remnant he knew would return, sorely-chastened, just as he had predicted.
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