“… He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” Col 1:18 ESV “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” 1 Cor 15:20 ESV “When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, and he … [Read more...]
The Law of Kingdom Concealment
The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field ... Matthew 13:44 The laws of the Kingdom of God are contrary to the ways of men. Hidden from the casual seeker, the kingdom of God is not superficial to be stumbled upon. It does not lie on the surface and is not obvious—it is "like a treasure hidden in the field". It is in fact, concealed, obscured from … [Read more...]
The Hiddenness of God
Truly you are a God who hides himself ... Isaiah 45:15 The hiddenness of God is one of the greatest paradoxes of the spiritual life. On the one hand, he is the self-revealing God who delights to communicate with man, but on the other, he hides himself. God is a mystery. An anonymous fourteenth century divine refers to this as, the Cloud of Unknowing. The psalmist cries out … [Read more...]
Scandalised by Extravagant Love
Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and rock of offense ... Romans 9:33 The school of the Spirit is pre-eminently a ‘school for scandal’. Whenever God visits the earth he does it contrary to our patterns and expectations. He does not fit our preconceived notions of who we think he is and of how he should do it. Even though he is the God that never changes, he … [Read more...]
