Can We Please God?

The Bible teaches that since the original sin of Adam, all humans are spiritually dead and morally incapable of submitting to God in faith and obedience.  By nature we have a mindset that cannot submit to God.  "The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed it cannon.  Those who are in the flesh cannot please God" (Rom. 8:7-8).  The reason for this moral inability is given in Ephesians 2:1-"You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked."  And therefore, we are "sons of disobedience" and "children of wrath"...

John Piper,
Bloodlines

This Is Our God

Meekness and majesty

Manhood and Deity

In perfect harmony

The Man who is God

Lord of eternity

Dwells in humanity

Kneels in humility

And washes our feet

O what a mystery

Meekness and majesty

Bow down and worship

For this is your God

Father's pure radiance

Perfect in innocence

Yet learns obedience

To death on a cross

Suffering to give us life

Conquering through sacrifice

And as they crucify

Prays "Father forgive"

O what a mystery

Meekness and majesty

Bow down and worship

For this is your God

Wisdom unsearchable

God the invisible

Love indestructible

In frailty appears

Lord of infinity

Stooping so tenderly 

Lifts our humanity

To the heights of His throne

O what a mystery

Meekness and majesty

Bow down and worship

For this is your God

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And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.  As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross.  And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.  And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots.  Then they sat down and kept watch over him there.  And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews."   Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.  And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross."  So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, "He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.  He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"  And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.  Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, "This man is calling Elijah." And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink.  But the others said, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him." And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.  And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.  The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.  When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!" 

Mat 27:29-54

I Am A Worm

I heard this before and was reminded of it today I  found it so fascinating, I had to share.  May you be blessed by it.  

"That word worm in the Hebrew is the word tola'ath.  It's a word that's used 43 times in the Bible and it's usually translated "scarlet."  One time it's translated "crimson."  For example, "Though your sins be as scarlet," tola'ath, "they shall be as white as snow."

But eight times that same word tola'ath is translated "worm"-"scarlet" and "worm."  What's the connection?  Well, this worm in Psalm 22-"I am a worm and no man"-many scholars believe refer to what is known as a scarlet worm that is common in the Middle East.  It's similar to the cochineal that you find in Latin America.  You may have read about these when these insects are crushed the blood that comes out makes a crimson dye.  It's brilliant color that's used in making red garments and red fabrics.

Well, this scarlet worm, the tola'ath is found in Palestine, in Syria.  It secretes a scarlet fluid that was used in ancient times to make a beautiful scarlet dye.  It was used in things like the curtains in the tabernacle in the Old Testament that were scarlet colored.  These scarlet worms were used to make that scarlet dye.

In the life cycle of this scarlet worm we see what I think is a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus.  When the scarlet worm was ready to give birth she would find the trunk of a tree, and she would attach her body securely, permanently to that tree trunk.  Then she would lay her eggs, and the eggs would remain under her body until they hatched.  The mother's body would provide protection for the babies until they were ready to get out and function on their own, and then the mother worm, the scarlet worm would die.

As it died, its body affixed to that tree would burst, and the scarlet fluid inside would flow out and stain her body and her babies and the tree.  I believe we have in that a graphic illustration from the world of nature that points to Christ who said, "I am a worm," tola'ath, "and no man."

As the scarlet worm died whild being attached to a tree, the Son of God was attached to a tree and laid down His life to give us eternal life and to make us children of God.  As the scarlet fluid flowed out from the dying worm and covered her young, so the blood that flowed out from the veins of Christ covers us.  It makes atonement for our sins and clothes us in His righteousness.  As one commentary says, "The glorious garments of our salvation have been procured as a result of Christ's death and suffering.  He became the tola'ath, the worm, crushed in death so we might be robed in glory."

Nancy Leigh DeMoss
http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/revive-our-hearts/i-am-worm/