Blogs - Resonant 7

February 12, 2019 by smattern 2 Comments

We’ve Only Just Begun

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.

Amazing Grace
By: John Newton, 1725-1807

Listen as you read. This version features Ayako Ishikawa on violin.

I still remember singing this for the first time. As the notes began to ring out from the piano and I stood there about to be baptized, I belted out this new song I had learned in the three weeks since I had first surrendered to grace. It was very encouraging to have only begun to wrap my mind around the fact that I now had peace with God which would last for eternity, peace which I declared with confidence as I modulated for those last two lines.

I had only just begun to sing God’s praise, but I had quickly found that there was no feeling like it. I have spent the last twenty-two years enjoying and reliving that experience again and again, and helping others to do the same. Even with that little perspective it is overwhelming to think of how much praising still lies before me. Thank You Jesus!

Over the years I have often said that it is unfortunate how little time we spend thinking about the place where we will spend so long. I like imagining what it will be like to sing God’s praise in His very presence, before the throne. I like thinking about how different that will be, partly because of how different I/we will be.

The words say, “Bright shining as the sun”. Every other line acknowledges we, you and I, all the saints who will enjoy Heaven because they have found their rest in God’s amazing grace. This line reveals a bit about our appearance, and in so doing it eludes to other things.

You and I will shine brightly, as the sun. On my best days on this side of glory, I am nothing nearly as bright as that. My very appearance will have been radically transformed. Whether it happened to prepare me to be in God’s presence or is the by-product of being there makes no difference to me. I will not be the same.

If this is true, and I absolutely believe it is (2 Corinthians 3:18), then there are implications at every level of our existence. If I thought I could sing now, imagine what we will sound like then. Voice strong and free, a tongue only, ever used to praise God, and a lung capacity that is unfathomable. Not to mention every other part of me lending itself to amplifying His praise.

So how does that coming reality effect my current one? How can I tune my life to that perfect pitch? Well, realizing that I have been made and am being remade for thousands of years of giving God praise should encourage me to begin practicing now. I should use my voice these days in a way that is consistent with how I will use it those days, and that is not limited to singing praise, although I believe it absolutely should include it. Take some time to ask God to help you tune your voice…and the rest of you, to sing His praise.

Happy Tuning!

Jesus, thank You fro calling out of darkness and into Your glorious light so I can praise You. I know that I have even now only just begun, and I pray you will help me to grow in my ability to do so in these days, even as I long for those yet to come. Help me to always use my voice in a way that brings You glory, whether I am singing to not. In Jesus name. Amen.

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February 7, 2019 by smattern Leave a Comment

I Am Not What I Will Be

Newton memory — Image from the movie “Amazing Grace”

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.

Amazing Grace
By: John Newton, 1725-1807

Listen before you read this one. This version features Wintley Phipps.

I hope you listened to that informative and inspiring rendition of Amazing Grace. If not, I want to encourage you to take a few minutes and do that. I will even try to tighten up my verbiage a bit for this one.

I really want to pick up where we left off from the last Tuesday Tuning from 2.5.19 about calling and draw an interesting distinction between the unchanging nature of the calling of God and the implications of change it has on evening else. What I mean is simply this. Though even earth and sun made fade away, God’s call on us will not. In the face of the constancy of the call, we are confronted with our need to be transformed in order to truly answer. Our illustrative subject for today is our author, John Newton.

John Newton

He was an interesting character who, like Wilberforce, came to faith later in life. Unlike Wilberforce, Newton was a sordid individual who was considered extremely profane, which is remarkable especially because he was a sailor. After leaving the Royal Navy, he continued sailing and eventually became a captain on a slave ship.

But that was not the most significant change in his life. He never forgot calling our for mercy in the midst of a perilous situation at sea, and eventually surrendered to the call of Christ, first becoming a Christian and then after some time an Anglican priest and abolitionist. The slave trader became an advocate for freedom, in more ways than one. That transformation helps to add weight to not only the quote above but also this one.

The More Things Change…

I have often said the Christian life is a life of change. Newton nailed it with his litany of what he is not. The same could be said of the standing and experience of all who have responded to the call of Grace, and yielded themselves to His transforming power.

Most of us are not naturally very fond of change, unless we are in charge of it, and the changes Christ requires of us are no exception to the general rule. The interesting dichotomy I see here is that it is the Unchanging God who issues an irrevocable call which initiates and demands transformation. Everything in creation will change, but not Him, or His call on us.

The More They Stay the Same

So we take great confidence from this. God who called us to be His in this age, will ours throughout them all. He does not change, and neither does His grace.

Think about it. If God could turn this slave trader into the man who would write these words sung by millions in praise of God’s grace each year, what does He have in store for you. Let the Holy Spirit reveal to you the truth that although many things around you may change-profession, finances, future-God’s grace for you will not. Let the peace that flows from this truth transform the way you think, what you say, and how you act. Then you will be able to say with Newton that although you are not yet what you want to be, you are not either what you used to be, all by His grace.

Joyful Thinking!

Jesus, thank You for You unchanging call, and the way it is changing me. Cause me to long for it now so that realization will be even sweeter. Help me love You with all my mind as I wait! In Jesus name. Amen.

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Subscribers, enjoy this podcast! Everyone else, the transcript below.

Podcast 2.6 Transcript

Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow

The sun forbear to shine;

But God, who called me here below,

Will be forever mine.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow

2 Peter 3:10 ESV

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

The earth and the works that are done…everything about this temporal existence will evaporate like a mist, melting away in the heat of that Day. Are you ready for it? Ask Him to help you be ready.

The sun forbear to shine;

Acts 2:20 ESV

The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.

It will be a great and magnificent day for all trusting in God’s grace, and a dreadful and terrible day for everyone who is not. Determine to put all your trust in His grace to carry you through to the end.

But God, who called me here below,

1 Peter 2:9 ESV

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

And herein lies our confidence. We did not approach Him. He approached to us. He called us from darkness to light. May we always be quick to acknowledge the grace of His call as we offer our praise for his excellencies.

Will be forever mine.

Song of Solomon 2:16a ESV

My beloved is mine, and I am his;

This inner peace is such a stark yet tender contrast from the external chaos unfolding in the cosmos at the end of days. The intimate confidence is especially striking when set against the public turmoil. Thank Him for that confidence.

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow

The sun forbear to shine;

But God, who called me here below,

Will be forever mine.

Take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond. Until next time, be Resonant.

February 5, 2019 by smattern 1 Comment

Constant Confidence

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.

Amazing Grace
By: John Newton, 1725-1807

Listen then read. This version is Chris Tomlin as found on Music inspired by the Motion Picture Amazing Grace.

I think I first heard this stanza as the closing reflection of this version by Chris Tomlin featuring the new refrain he wrote for the movie. There is this incredible, grand sweeping idea that all we know in this existence as constants, the earth in its apparent solidity, the sun in its faithful radiance, will change; but this one thing will not, my relationship to God. It is difficult to wrap my mind around this, so expansive are the implications of this truth.

Reading these words initially had the impact of making me feel very small, until the sweeping realization of the last portion sinks in. I go from feeling very insignificant, to very significant. I think this is especially true since I am writing on a day when I just experienced a solar eclipse. God, who made all the wonders of earth, moon, stars and sun, called me. He called me to be His, first made by Him then remade by Him, and I simply responded with praise.

Calling

This calling is not just reserved for those who are in vocational ministry, by no means. When God calls us from darkness to light (1 Peter 2:9), He does so on purpose and with purpose. Our lives can seem small and ineffective at times, but they are not. God has called us “here below” and there is a purpose in that calling beyond just being His. It beckons us forward on a great journey with our Lord, though some are afraid to go. There is something He wants us to do and it flows out of our calling.

I think William Wilberforce knew this. A British Parliamentarian, it was not long after he surrendered to the call of Christ that he became a strong voice for the abolition movement in England. The movie Amazing Grace chronicles his struggle against the slave trade, one that dominated about 20 years of his life, and ended with the passing of The Slave Trade Act in 1807.

He knew that it was imperative that he act, not simply to have faith. Do you know what God has called you to do? God has called you to be His, but what flows out of that being for you? Maybe you already know the answer to that question. Great! But are you at it? If so, awesome! If not, why not? If you can not say with confidence what God has called you to do, take a few minutes right now and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you if there is anything that He is calling you to do. But a quick word before you do…

Before you are tempted to spiritualize this question beyond all hope of recognition, let’s keep it real. The Latin word meaning to call is vocare, from which we derive the word vocation. God has called you to do something, and a big part of that may very well be your vocation and/or the things your vocation positions you to do. Do not dismiss the possibility that you may be doing part of, if not even more of what God has called you to do. Ok, now take a couple minutes. Seriously, just ask Him. You may be surprised by what you hear.

Once you have determined that and surrendered to it, two very different but deliberate actions, I want to encourage you to press into it with all you are. Do not relent when things get difficult. Press on until one of three things happen.

You accomplish it.
Jesus calls you to Heaven.
The earth dissolves like snow [which I am pretty sure will not happen before 2.]

Happy Tuning!

Jesus, thank You for the confidence that even if the earth dissolves and the sun darkens You will care for me. I can rest in and move around in that confidence to do what You have called me to do. May You find me faithfully working until it is fully accomplished, or You call me home. In Jesus name. Amen.

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January 31, 2019 by smattern 2 Comments

What’s Behind the Veil?

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

Amazing Grace
By: John Newton, 1725-1807

Listen as you read. This version is from Grace by David Tolk.

When I read the word veil the first thing that comes to mind for me is a bridal veil. This is not what the hymn is referencing, but it does introduce a whole different set of images. Veils are meant to cover something up or keep something hidden, even if not entirely, and that is exactly what we are going to think about here.

In the simplest, most direct sense, the veil referenced here is an allusion to the fact that we can not clearly see the amazing reality of heaven, and all that will be ours in that blessed reality. The truth described here is the hope we have in eternal life, even when this life ends. Using the phrase “within the veil” conjures up a few other rich images though that are in some ways connected.

Heaven

Jesus has made Heaven available to us through His sacrifice. Even though it is our inheritance, we do not yet possess it. When was the last time you spent a few minutes and simply thought about eternity. Images like this sunset mountain scene stir up within me a longing for more than this life affords. There is a sense of expectancy and hope within the misty mysteries of forever.

Think for a moment about the two pictures the hymn writer has so skillfully juxtaposed. Heart and flesh failing, joy and peace unveiling. When my heart fails me, then I shall know that joy that I only tasted of in this life. When my flesh ceases its strivings, then shall I finally find peace. How often we pray for broken hearts to be mended and fatigued flesh to find new strength, and rightfully so, but fail to thank God for the reminders these faltering blessings usher in to our existence on this side of the veil.

Maybe better than faltering, the word incomplete might suffice. Heart and flesh are blessings, but they are incomplete in that they point us to a better, greater blessing. Which brings us to another veil.

Temple Veil

The Old Testament sacrificial system pointed us to a better, greater blessing as well. As a part of the system the High Priest would enter the Most Holy Place, by the blood of goats and calves, to atone for the sins of the people once a year. The veil of the temple kept the Most Holy Place beyond view.

When Jesus died that veil was torn in two from top to bottom. As opposed to endless sacrifices, Jesus died once for all and entered the Most Holy Place, by His own blood, to make atonement. [Hebrews 9:12] That veil would not longer block entrance to the Most Holy Place. It was a representation of what Jesus actually accomplished, but we are waiting to behold.

Connected

The veil of the Temple, Heaven, and bridal veils are all connected. Here’s how.

We can not see into Heaven, any more than the priests could see into the Most Holy Place. The groom can not clearly see his bride while her veil is down. The Church is the Bride of Christ, and she is getting ready to meet her Bridegroom. That will take place in Heaven, and the access to Heaven was granted by Jesus sacrifice. Think about how all this rich symbolism ands context and texture to these wonderful truths through things we know and see, pointing to things we believe which are veiled.

There are definitely some really cool things to think about. Take a few minutes and ask the Holy Spirit to help you to wrap you mind around the incredible treasure that is waiting for you, within the veil.

Happy Tuning!

Jesus, thank You for giving me access to pass through the veil when my time comes. Give me courage to face that day with the hope that what I have longed for will be realized. Cause me to long for it now so that realization will be even sweeter. Help me love You with all my mind as I wait! In Jesus name. Amen.

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January 29, 2019 by smattern Leave a Comment

Yes, and Amen

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

Amazing Grace
By: John Newton, 1725-1807

Listen as you read. This version is from Grace by David Tolk.

Now there is a word I have not used lately. How about you? Unless you were in a formal business meeting and the moderator called for the question to be answered yea or nay, I think the chances are pretty slim. Let me be clear that this is simply an affirmative answer, but it sets up the powerful declaration which follows, while at the same time affirming the truths that have already been sung.

The last stanza we considered made very clear we have hope that God is with us and for us throughout this life. That is a needful and powerful thing, but it is not all that we have. Herein is evidenced one of the most beautiful things about many of the great hymns, in my humble opinion, a declaration of the hope of life beyond this.

Forever

A few stanzas ago as we tuned to the idea of God as our portion, we examined one of the verses that specifically speaks of this truth. We come back to that verse now and acknowledge what seems to be one of the hymn writers favorite verses, since it offers not only an allusion to this Scripture but almost a word-for word transcription.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26 NIV

What this verse reminds us of is that not only is God our portion “as long as life endures”, He is actually our portion FOREVER. It makes even more sense that the stanza would start with a strong “YES” affirming God has been our portion as it prepares to put forth the truth that He also will be.

Possession

We will think a little more about the veil in the next piece, but let’s just a take a moment and consider what the FOREVER portion looks like. Three things stand out, with the first one being a little less obvious than the latter two.

Even when this mortal life comes to an end, another life will still be mine. For those who might be tempted to fear death, this statement comes as a great comfort. I will die, but even when I do, I will live, and truthfully I will be more fully alive that ever.
My life beyond this life will be marked by joy. Joy can be defined as a feeling of great pleasure and happiness, or the prospect of possessing what one desires, but that seems to fall way short of what we will actually possess, because our feeling will not be connected to a prospect, but to ac actual, eternal possession. Joy will be ours.
My life beyond this life will also be marked with peace. Peace is often defined as the freedom from disturbance, or a state of quiet and tranquility, but again I think our concepts fall short of what will actually be ours. I have heard it said, “Peace is not the absence of conflict. Peace is the presence of God.” That is a better description of the peace we will know.

Let’s apply these things. To tune today, simply take a few moments and thank God for all that will be yours when this life ends. Then ask Him for the grace to live today like someone who believes there are far better days coming. That way, even when the threat of flesh and/or heart failure, you will still be able to say, so be it, “Amen!”, because you know that when this life ends, an even better life begins.

When you are tempted to feel a little glum today because life is not going the way you want, say “Yea!”, it’s going to get better, way better. And all because of grace.

Happy Tuning!

Jesus, thank You for the reminder today, that even when my heart and my flesh fail, when this mortal life ends, You have a eternally better life in store for me. Help me to live out that hope today because someone may need to see it! In Jesus name. Amen.

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John Newton

The More Things Change…

The More They Stay the Same

2 Peter 3:10 ESV

Acts 2:20 ESV

1 Peter 2:9 ESV

Song of Solomon 2:16a ESV

Calling

Heaven

Temple Veil

Connected

Forever

Possession

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