All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others

RAMBLING: The Cup

39
After walking a little farther, he quickly bowed with his face to the ground and
prayed, “Father, if it's possible, let this cup {of suffering} be taken away
from me. But let your will be done rather than mine.”
Matt 26:39 (GW)

In 1952 Thomas B. Costain
wrote the novel The Silver Chalice . The story is how a silver cup was
made to hold the cup Christ allegedly drank from during the last Passover prior
to His death. Quite an interesting story and considered by some a Christian
classic book. The word "cup" is used frequently throughtout the Bible but not
always a cup of remembrance ( which I will return to in a bit). In the old
Testament the "cup" is symbolized as being a cup of God's
wrath;
8
A cup is in the Lord's
hand.

(Its foaming wine is
thoroughly mixed with spices.)

He will empty
it,

{and} all the wicked
people on earth

will have to drink
every last drop.

Psalms 75:8 (GW)

15
This is what the Lord God of
Israel said to me: Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my fury,
and make all the nations to whom I'm sending you drink from it. 16
When they drink from it, they will stagger and go insane because of the wars
that I'm going to send them. Jeremiah 25:15 10 will
drink the wine of God's fury, which has been poured unmixed into the cup of
God's anger. Then he will be tortured by fiery sulfur in the presence of the
holy angels and the lamb. Rev 14:10
(GW)
David Platt in his
book RADICAL suggests that when Christ prayed “Father, if it's possible, let this cup {of suffering} be taken
away from me..." the "cup" does not refer to
the cross rather it is a reference to divine judgement. A quick review of man's
relationship with God. Adam and Eve were doing perfectly well until they chose
to disobey God. The folks during Noah's day went total anarchy. Not only was
there a lack of political organization and thus no organized government to
enforce law & order but mankind had almost totally turned their backs on od.
Life, in fact all of society had become total chaos everyone doing what they
wanted without consequences. Then there was Noah and his small family who threw
a monkey wrench (so to speak) into their society by being faithful to God. We
know the story how God poured His wrath upon the World. Then we have the story
of the great patriarchs who were not always o obedient to God either though
their faith and love for God would help them mature in their relationship with
God. Israel as a nation, as a kingdom would experience God's discipline and
finally His wrath was poured out when Israel would all but "vanish" and cease to
exist as a Kingdom. The Nations that hated Israel and tried to destroy them
would experience the wrath of God. I cannot find the words that would describe
how undeserving we are of God's love. We have done nothing but rebel against
Him. When God say "love" we reply "only under my. conditions." When God says
"forgive" we reply "they don't deserve it." When God says "serve me" we reply
"only if it suits me" God says "put me first" we reply "not until my wants are
fulfillerd." God says "give up sin" we reply "its not sin." God says "follow my
teachings" We reply "only if they fit into my interpretation." We are a
rebellious, disobedient, wicked, sinful, selfish, self centered, Ok I have run
out of words but you get the picture we have done NOTHING to deserve
(i.e. we are not entitled or worthy) God's love much less His His forgiveness.
In fact as Isaiah said we are like sheep who go our own way, do our own thing,
we are unaware of the dangers that surround us. We are without leadership,
without guidance because we choose to. So why doesn't God just let us go our way
and let us meet our doom (destruction)? Because
The person who doesn't love doesn't know
God, because God is love 1 John 4:8 (GW) God agapes us. Someone
told me recently (jokingly) I need to love. I replied, "What is love?" To my
surprise they couldn't give me a definition of love. Christ does though. He
demonstrated what true love is when He surrendered Himself totally to the cross
and died for me. That cup He mentions in His prayer? It is the cup of God's
wrath that SHOULD HAVE BEEN POURED ON ME instead God poured out His wrath on
Christ who suffered my punishment. Christ died for Edward who doesn't deserve
God's love, His grace, His forgiveness but because Christ loves me ( I can't
understand why) He carried the cross I should have carried, He suffered the way
I should have suffered He died the death I should have
died.
Folks
I have run out of words what more can I say? My goodness why is the computer
screen so blury?

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever
tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest
hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to
win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his
sin.

Refrain

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How
measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and
angels’ song.

When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and
kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and
mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless
and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’
song.

Refrain

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of
parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe
by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean
dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to
sky

-Frederick M. Lehman;

This Sunday as we gather around the communion
table and as we partake of his totured body and His shed blood let us be vividly
mindful of Christ's love for us.

RAMBLING: The Cup

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