The Seal of God

Yes, I know it’s been ages since I’ve posted anything. But I thought I would share something that I wrote for the meeting with the saints last night. I hope it’s enlightening for you.

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Even the most powerful of kings on this earth have never been omnipresent. Their reigns have had limits…their power, boundaries. Such kings have always been and always will be incapable of encompassing their kingdoms: their peoples and their lands. Therefore, throughout history, from the time of the ancient Egyptians, there has been a practice used (particularly among those in power) for the purpose of extending one’s authority from the throne. This practice requires a special tool that is used to mark any object, person, or message that attests to the authority of its bearer. This is the function of the seal.

Seals, or signets, were usually pieces of stone metal that had some sort of design or letters engraved into them. The designs would normally represent the king in some way. For example, seals of Persian kings that have been discovered often featured the king doing some heroic act, such as slaying a monster or beast. Most seals were either made in the form of stamps or into rings: such rings were called “signet rings.” The seal was either covered in ink or pressed into hot wax in order to make its mark on an object or document. If a king wanted to give his authority to another person, he could give to that subject his seal or signet ring.

Seals and signet rings are mentioned all throughout scripture. For example, after Joseph had been sold into slavery by his brothers and was thought to be dead by many, he rose to the highest position over the land: sitting at the Pharaoh’s right hand. Pharaoh told Joseph that only in the throne would he, Pharaoh, be greater than him (Genesis 41:40). He gave Joseph his signet ring as proof of his newfound position. All authority and power had been given to Joseph

In the book of Esther, Mordecai was going to be sentenced to death by Haman, the king’s highest servant, because he refused to bow down and pay homage to him. Haman also had formulated a plot to destroy all of God’s people, the Jews, because they did not obey the king’s laws. However, it transpired through the deeds of Esther that Mordecai was instead honored and was given Haman’s position, long with the signet ring that had been on Haman’s finger, was given to Mordecai. Esther asked that a decree be written and sealed with the king’s signet ring that the death sentence given to the Jews would be reversed and that God’s people would be saved. According to Esther, “a decree which is written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s signet ring may not be revoked” (Esther 8:8)

Yet another example can be found in the book of Haggai, where the Lord says to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah and rebuilder of God’s temple, “I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. And I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the horses and their riders will go down, everyone by the sword of another. On that day, I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant, and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you” (Haggai 2:21-23).

I probably have no need to point this out, but each of the three men from the Old Testament that I have mentioned here: Joseph, Mordecai, and Zerubbabel, are all types/shadows of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Joseph, the man who was thought to be dead but had been given all authority in the land and became the source of bread for all of the people. Mordecai, the poor, humble man who became the salvation of God’s people, protecting them from their enemies. Zerubbabel, a descendant of King David and the one who came to Judah to rebuild the temple of the Lord, which was in ruins. Each of these men bore the seal of a king, whether on earth or in heaven.

Now look at the words of the Lord that he spoke of himself in John 6:27:

“Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you, for on Him the father, God, has set His seal.”

Unlike all earthly kings, our God is a king who DOES encompass and embody his kingdom. For the Lord, Jesus Christ has the seal of the Father. Not only does he have the seal, he IS the seal. The image that is engraved on God’s seal is Jesus Christ. He is the signet ring of the most high God. For just as Pharaoh set Joseph over all the land, all authority has been given to Jesus Christ in heaven and on earth.

But that’s not all. Seals were not only used to bear the authority of their owners, but also to close up messages in order to conceal their contents either until the appointed time or for the proper eyes and ears. They prevented tampering up until the time was right…and then the seal would be broken. When the seal was broken, the decree was carried out. In the same way, all of the mysteries and intentions of God were hidden from man from the beginning, concealed in our Lord. Even when he walked the earth, those who walked with him and watched him perform miracles did not recognize him. But when the Son of Man, the seal of the Father, was broken, then the appointed time had come. The Lord’s decree was carried out. Christ could now be revealed to his people.

Now for us, who are his people, the reality of this stretches even further. Look at what Paul says of us in his letters to the Corinthians and the Ephesians:

“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.” (2 Cor. 1:21-22)

“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Eph. 1:13-14)

This, to me, is mind-blowing. By the Holy Spirit, the seal of Christ has been placed upon us, His treasured possession. He has made his claim, his mark upon us. No one can touch us. Those who are in Christ have been “stamped,” and now bear the authority and image of Christ on this earth. We may now declare and express the purpose of God in Christ to mankind. This is clearly what Paul’s mission was, as he told the Corinthian church:

“You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts.” (2 Cor. 3:2-3)

Cheer up, loserface.

After playing a looong, competitive game of Settlers of Catan (which I lost) with family the other night, I had a strange sense of clarity on the drive home that must have been from the Lord…

We compete and strive for so many things in this world that don’t matter (I’m not referring to board games in this case, but it’s the game that got me thinking…). We try to be the best…or at least something worth mentioning…time and time again. Whether it be with our looks, our money, our stuff, our job, our education, our hobbies, or our overall performance in life, we give way too much thought to the things that are gone in a flash when one has eternity in view.

The funny thing is that Jesus almost constantly spoke against chasing after these things. He said to lose your life, not save it. Blessed are the poor. Store up treasure in heaven. Don’t seek praise from others. Don’t worry about tomorrow.

And my personal favorite…the FIRST shall be LAST.

Wow…my achieving mindset doesn’t want to hear that one. In this upside-down kingdom of which we are citizens, the losers are the winners.

So this is my advice to you (and to myself, for I frequently fall short in this area):

Lose. Give it up. Let go. Be last. Surrender. Stop caring about that which fades away.

You’ll gain everything.

Seriously. Everything that’s worth it is in Jesus Christ.

La Familia

On a late Thursday night I arrived by plane in NC for a weekend-long stay. It was a busy few days with many great visits with family and friends. However, on Friday afternoon I had a visiting experience that easily outshone all of the others.

As many of you know, I worked for an after-school program (& middle school program over the summer) for the majority of the past four years while living in NC. Over that time, I developed very strong relationships with over forty kids ranging from kindergarten through eighth grade. As I’ve mentioned before, leaving that job was one of the most difficult aspects of the move to Florida.

Well, it had been about two and a half months since I had seen the kids when I returned to NC. Friday afternoon was when I decided to pay a surprise visit to Oak Forest. I planned the time very specifically, arriving just after 2:00…the kids normally arrive there around 2:30, so it would give me ample time to find a great hiding place beforehand.

My plans were basically shattered. I did not realize that Friday was an early release day with the schools, so the kids had already been at Oak Forest for about an hour and a half, which I realized as soon as I walked in the door. When I saw that they were there, I started to turn and leave immediately in order to find a more covert entrance.

But I was spotted. The boy who saw me shouted, “Mr. Nick’s here!” There was hardly time for me to react as a stampede of almost twenty-five screaming kids appeared from the nearby rooms. Within ten seconds, I was surrounded and almost  every inch of my body below the chest had been seized. Amidst all of the shouting and laughing, my heart nearly burst with joy. For about thirty seconds I was unable to move my limbs until Mr. Ben, the director, called off the hoard. My day had been made.

The reason I tell this story is because I see something of the Lord’s desire and purpose in it…a reflection of which he has put into us as human beings.

Those kids feel like family to me…like they are my own. The joy I feel when they run and cling to me is only a pale reflection of what the Lord feels when His people do the same to Him. I believe that one of the things that moved God to create was so that He could have a people…a family on this earth. Sons and daughters for Himself. Why do you think that God’s chosen have always called Him Father?

Before we believed on Christ, we were far off. Strangers to God. Orphans. But the blood of Christ has brought us near. We are in Christ…and just as Christ is God’s son, so we are His children, holy and blameless in His sight. We are the family of God.

“Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.” ~Psalm 127:3

We are not the only blessed ones here. The Lord is blessed to have us as children. Let us run to Him. Cling to Him. The Lord desires to be loved.

“[Our] soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds [us].” ~Psalm 63:8

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I’ve posted this before, but I thought it would be a nice way to end this blog. This is a video that I shot/edited last December during my last month at Oak Forest. It’s basically a collage our time spent there, and a way to preserve memories (with a little humor added in):

“Your point…?”

I’ve been thinking lately about the purpose of this blog. I believe that trying to define what the purpose is will help guide me in the direction I want to go with the content.

As a side note, I believe this is a a valuable practice for people to do with any aspect of their lives, whether they be believers or not. Having a purpose/vision for the various aspects of our lives compels us to live more intentionally. And if we DO follow the Lord, then knowing Christ and God’s purpose in Him deeply can breathe life into everything…even the most mundane of tasks.

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Hmmm, that was a lengthy side-note.

Anyway, back to this blog. After some contemplation, I’ve concluded that its purpose will be five-fold:

1. Sharing Christ – The first and foremost reason I have this blog is for the purpose of sharing things that I have learned of Christ. That may be through personal revelations or that which others have shared with me. It may be through the medium of the arts, through words of encouragement, through teachings…the possibilities are vast, just as our Lord is vast.

2. Reflecting on and/or challenging “business as usual” – Most everyone who knows me well knows that I tend to question a lot of things. I don’t believe in tradition for the sake of tradition (at least concerning the things that matter). My desire is to “examine everything carefully, holding fast to that which is good, and abstaining from every form of evil” (1 Thess. 5:21-22). My goal will not be to offend, but I cannot guarantee that you will not be offended.

3. Enhancing expression and clarifying thoughts – The best way to improve as a writer is to write. I certainly don’t aim for intricate, well-structured and edited prose here (as that would kill my motivation), but I believe that regularly posting blogs gives me discipline and helps me to express myself better. It also can help me make sense of thoughts that have been rolling around in my head for some time but have yet to become cohesive.

4. Promoting valuable resources – Basically, I would like to use this blog occasionally to promote music, books, articles, videos, etc. that I believe to be of great value. In most cases, these resources will be things that, in my opinion, point to Christ strongly.

5. Receiving feedback – This is one of the most important purposes behind this blog. It applies to every one of the other purposes…yet it doesn’t depend on me at all. I want to hear from the people who read my posts. It’s clear from my blog stats that there are a lot of people who read but don’t comment. I wish this were not the case…I honestly want to hear from you, whether you agree or disagree with what I have said. This is one of the ways in which we grow. I certainly don’t have all the answers, and invite correction on anything I have communicated…we may not come to an agreement, but if we can see things from one another’s perspective and still agree on Christ…maintaining unity…then He is glorified.

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And that is it. I was considering also making this to be a place for personal updates (things that are going on in my life here in Florida). I have done so in the past. However, I have, for various reasons, decided against it. In the future, I will not be posting personal updates unless they somehow tie into the five-fold purpose I detailed above.

That being said…love, grace, & peace to you all.

Meet Mr. Garrels

I’m always on the lookout for Christian musicians that are actually good. I apologize if people take offense to that statement, but in my opinion, the majority of the material that I hear coming from the Christian music industry these days seems trite and thrown together at best. A lot of the great Christ-centered music (well…most all music, really) out there that I’ve heard seems to fly under the radar…which makes it a little more difficult to locate.

So, I thought I would take this opportunity to share an artist whom I believe to be one of the most talented Christian musicians that I have ever heard. I’ve actually mentioned him on this blog twice before, but here I thought I would turn my full attention onto him and highly recommend his music to you.

That musician’s name is Josh Garrels.

Josh’s music, from what I’ve heard and read, would probably best be classified as folk / neo-soul / roots / acoustic / electronica. To me, his lyrics are absolutely incredible in their depth, wisdom, relevance, and revelation of Christ. Yet his sound and instrumentation are very unconventional (which you could probably tell from the music’s classification). It’s not what one would normally consider “praise and worship” music.

Josh has released three major albums: Over Oceans (2006), Jacaranda (2008), & Lost Animals (2009). I own the first two and highly recommend them…although I’ve sampled the last one and it seems awesome as well (I think it dabbles more in the electronic than the others).

Here’s a sample of his song “SISU” from Over Oceans, which is one of my family’s favorites (my mom, brother, and I have all memorized the words to it):

And another from Jacaranda, “Don’t Wait for Me,” which is one of my favorites:

And here’s another favorite, extremely moving, called “Good Friday.” Ignore the video itself and listen to the words…the way the pictures are presented is sort of cheesy…

And finally one of him playing live:

I very much hope, if you are into this genre of music at all, that you will look into Josh’s music, and support this brother in the Lord! Here is a link to his website, which has music samples (a few of which can be downloaded):

http://www.joshgarrels.com/

…and also his Myspace page, on which you can listen to pretty much everyone of his songs:

http://www.myspace.com/joshgarrels/

Peace be with you.

Jesus Smells

A week or two ago I awoke in the morning and began to seek the Lord. In this particular instance, I decided to do so through Scripture, so I grabbed my Bible off of the nearby chair and pulled it into bed with me. My book of choice was 2 Corinthians (I seem to be camping out there a lot lately). Chapter two, verses fourteen and fifteen, are as follows:

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing…”

So, Jesus has a smell. There’s such a thing as a Jesus smell. Hold that thought.

Did you know that Jesus is the reality of everything created? Meaning, when Jesus says He’s the TRUE vine, He’s not saying, “Hey guys, let me give you an analogy…I’m sort of like a vine.” He’s saying that He is the REAL vine, and the vines that we see here on earth are merely pictures of Him. When God created the heavens and the earth, He did it by, to, for, in, and through Christ. The things we experience with our senses from day to day are all a testimony to Him. They’re a picture. They all share something of who He is.

Now, back to my original thought.

On that morning, for some reason, I already had smells on my mind. But when I read the 2 Corinthians Scripture (which I had read many times before), this time it jumped out at me: “the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him.” Knowing Christ is a sweet aroma. That’s so true. We may not be able to smell him with our physical sense, but spiritually, He is certainly fragrant. And those of us who possess Him within us can spread that life-giving fragrance to the dying world around us.

May the world smell the smells of Christ through His people, for our own smells are sure to repel!

What, to you, is like the fragrance of Christ? He is so multifaceted, so vast…He is new every single day. He certainly doesn’t just have one smell. What aromas that you have experienced physically here on earth remind you of Him? Even if you’ve never considered Christ as a fragrance before, think of some of your favorite smells…how are they like the Lord?

One smell that particularly reminds me of Christ is that of the early morning. Have you ever noticed that the morning has a smell? It’s a smell of newness and freshness. It’s a smell that is subtle, and normally only those who actually seek it out can experience it. If you’re rushing out the door to go to work, school, or on some other errand, chances are you’ll pass it by. It’s an inviting smell, drawing you in to participate in the rising sun, the opening flowers, and the singing birds. Next time you’re outside in the early morning, breathe in deeply and remember Christ.

What are some of your favorite Jesus smells?

The Glory Restored

Hey everyone…I know I’ve been EXTREMELY slack with blogging since I’ve moved to Florida (okay, that’s probably an understatement…I think I may have posted one). I do intend to pick back up with it eventually, but for right now, I’m still in a very transitional period, and it’s really hard to blog in this season. Once I get more acclimated to this new life and develop rhythms and patterns, I hope to start posting once or twice a week again like I did in the beginning.

But anyway…my purpose for this post was not to blog about my blog slacking. I actually have something that I’ve written that I would like to share. Last night, our church was meeting around the theme of Christ as our high priest and the Church as His holy priesthood. I wrote a story to share in this meeting, and I would like to share it with anyone who reads this blog as well. It is based on the account of Simeon in Luke 2, in which he is able to see the Christ before he dies, as was promised to him by God. I hope you are blessed by it in some way!

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The Glory Restored

“Lord, I am an old man. My strength is failing. I long more than anything to see Your salvation, as you have promised Your servant.”

Simeon was lying prostrate on the floor as he prayed the prayer that had become like second nature to him. He had spoken these words so many times that they fell off his lips as easily as the greetings he gave each day walking the streets of Jerusalem. Yet somehow, even in all of his waiting, in all of his travailing in prayer, this one desire of his heart had not faded. For it had been revealed to Simeon and his gray hair that he would not taste death until he had actually seen the Christ with his own eyes! The people of Israel had waited countless years for this arrival, and this honor had been bestowed upon him, of all people! It wouldn’t do at all to get impatient now.

“Amen,” the old man whispered.

Rising from the ground slowly, Simeon felt the aches of many years in his joints. He wiped the dirt off of his face and the front of his clothes, and then began to stretch his arms the best that he could. It was in that moment that he felt a wind. Not a physical wind like that which moves the trees outside. It was a wind within. An urging. He immediately left his place of prayer and began to walk out the door of his house and into the streets. With confidence and anticipation, he turned and set out for the place where he now knew he was supposed to be: the temple.

All the sights and sounds of the hustle and bustle in the city of Jerusalem were enough to set any man off his course. On an average day, Simeon might find himself conversing with his family, helping out a friend, or giving something to the poor. But on this day, there was nothing that would steal his attention. Simeon could only hope that what was drawing him to the house of God on this seemingly ordinary day was the One he had been seeking for most of his life.

“Lord, may this be the day,” he thought to himself.

Simeon soon caught sight of the high walls that surrounded the temple and its courts. It was certainly a sight to behold; the beautiful renovations that Herod had added demonstrated the king’s great aspiration. But to Simeon, these material things were as nothing. The glory of the Lord had long departed from the temple. Simeon tried to imagine what it was like for his distant ancestors, actually being able to behold the Lord’s glory as it came down from heaven in a cloud and filled the house. He had only heard of it in stories passed down through the Scriptures. Never before had he been able to see it anywhere but in his imagination.

Still in contemplation, Simeon arrived at the stairway leading up to the Royal Porch. He didn’t even feel the usual pain in his legs as he quickly climbed the stairs and entered the gate to reach the Lord’s courts. He weaved around and between the people who were on their various errands, until he finally arrived at the temple itself.

Suddenly, amidst all the clamor of men speaking and animals moaning, he heard it: the sound of a baby crying. He turned on the spot in order to find the source of the noise, and his eyes met with a very young woman who looked no older than fifteen. She was accompanied by her husband, who held two pigeons instead of a lamb for a sacrifice, revealing to Simeon that the family lived in poverty. The woman gave Simeon a warm, yet somewhat anxious smile, and then looked down toward her chest. In her arms was the baby Simeon had heard: a young Jewish boy being brought for presentation in the temple, as was the custom according to the Law.

Simeon’s heart burned with joy as he beheld the tiny little olive-skinned boy, who had now stopped crying and was looking up into his mother’s eyes. For a moment the old man could not move, as he was so overwhelmed by the fire that raged inside of him. But he soon realized that he was staring awkwardly, and immediately moved to approach the family. When he stood before the young mother, there were no words exchanged, but as they looked at one another and at the baby, there was understanding. She lifted the bundled child up to the stranger that stood before her. The old man took the boy into his own arms and looked down upon his tiny face. The child was staring at him with both eyes and mouth wide open in wonder. They looked at each other for what seemed like an age. Then a small hand reached up from the bundle and touched the mass of gray hair that grew from Simeon’s face.

Suddenly, Simeon could not contain himself. His eyes filled to the brim and a few tears rolled down his cheeks before falling onto the baby’s face. This is why he was still alive. He had now seen the consolation of Israel. He had seen the glory of God, which had departed from his people for so long, finally enter into the temple once more. He knew now that he could die a man blessed beyond imagination.

Looking up into the heavens and blessing God in return, Simeon opened his mouth and spoke:

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel!”

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The glory of God has come down out of heaven…it is Jesus Christ. He dwells in us corporately: we, as His church, make up the temple, the house of the living God.

And as we behold His glory, we are transformed into that glory.

Be encouraged.