DailyTheocentrisms
DailyTheocentrism: A “Category” for God: He stands singular and unique (Isaiah 46:9)
May 17, 2011 | 
Author So often when we think of God, we compare Him to ourselves or another. Whereas symbol is the language we use to speak of The Transcendent One, there is in truth No Other Like Him. Let’s take caution that we never mix categories when thinking of God – when relating to God – when worshipping God.
Valley of Vision 2 – The Trinity
THREE IN ONE, ONE IN THREE, GOD OF MY SALVATION,
Heavenly Father, blessed Son, eternal Spirit,
I adore thee as one Being, one Essence,
one God in three distinct Persons,
for bringing sinners to thy knowledge an dthy kingdom.
O Father, thou hast loved me and sent Jesus to redeem me;
O Jesus, thou hast loved me and assumed my nature,
shed thine own blood to wash away my sins,
wrought righteousness to uncover my unworthiness;
O Holy Spirit, thou hast loved me and entered my heart,
implanted there eternal life,
revealed to me the glories of Jesus.
Three Persons and one God, I bless and praise thee,
for love so unmerited, so unspeakable, so wondrous,
so mighty, to save the lost and raise them to glory.
O Father, I thank thee that in fulness of grace
that hast given me Jesus,
to be his sheep, jewel, portion;
O Jesus, thank thee that in the fulness of grace
that hast accepted, espoused, bound me;
O Holy Spirit, I thank thee that in the fulness of grace
thou hast exhibited Jesus as my salvation,
implanted faith within me,
subdued my stubborn heart,
made me one with him forever.
O Father, thou art enthroned to hear my prayers,
O Jesus, thou hand is outstretched to take my petitions,
O Holy Spirit, thou art willing to help my infirmities,
to show me my need, to supply words, to pray within me,
to strengthen me that I faint not in supplication.
O Triune God, who commandeth the universe,
thou hast commanded me to ask for those things
that concern thy kingdom and my soul.
Let me live as one baptized into the threefold Name.
Valley of Vision 1
LORD, HIGH AND HOLY, MEEK AND LOWLY,
Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory.
Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.
Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,
and the deeper the wells the brighter the stars shine;
Let me find Thy light in my darkness,
Thy life in my death,
Thy joy in my sorrow,
Thy grace in my sin,
Thy riches in my poverty,
Thy glory in my valley.
DailyTheocentrism: Jesus was 100% Man during the Incarnation, but not like any other man . . .
I have heard it said time and again that Jesus was a man just like us, often times because of passages like Luke 2:52. However, when I read passages like John 1:1-18, Colossians 1:15-20, Hebrews 1:1-3 I do not get that sense. See what you think on one of them:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.
8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,
13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me 1has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ ”
16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.
17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.
John and Paul and the author of Hebrews do not seem to have that sense – namely that Jesus is just like us, in any way. He was presented temptation, just like us – but He was not/did not respond/ did not end up to be “just like us.”
Maybe, in light of ALL of Scripture, we might see this for what it is: a product of Western Modernity upon the text when we hear of a Jesus, just like us; a Jesus who grew in progressive knowledge of His own deity/lordship/sonship.
Read here for more on this, especially in the section entitled, Narrative Flow:
Posted in DailyTheocentrisms, Papers and Articles | 
Tags: Divinity, God, Holiness, Humanity, Jesus Christ, Truth | 
No Comments »
DailyTheocentrism: Some of the most ironic words spoken: Exodus 32 – “. . . make for us gods . . .”
A brother has reminded me of this passage in Exodus 32 today and I think again on the ridiculous nature of idolatry. Speaking to Aaron, a man, they said, “Come, make us (a) god(s) who will . . .” This is the great irony – a man is to make a (so-called) god. God is not a man (Numbers 23:19, 1 Samuel 15:29, Job 9:32) and He does not dwell in what we build (Acts 7:48, 17:24). Yet, the people asked Aaron to MAKE a god for them – not to mention the Living God that just brought them out of the world super-power with tremendous signs and wonders – they asked Aaron to make a god for them . . . and he does.