-pastor john
Saturday, January 2, 2016
How Can I Use This Blog in 2016?
-pastor john
Thursday, December 31, 2015
December 31
When I was 8 or 9 we lived one block from the elementary school. One month the PTA had a meeting where all the kids put on skits for the parents. After the skits were over, we kids were all outside having a great time playing on the playground. My mother was tired so she let me stay and play with the other kids while she went home. After a while she sent my older brother to tell me it was time to come home. There were still a couple of kids there, so I told him no. Being the obedient older brother, he tried to make me come home, but since it was my playground, I knew how to evade being captured by him. He decided that I wasn’t worth the effort and that he had performed the assigned task, so he went home. After waiting in hiding and being sure that he wasn’t around, I decided to go find my friends again. To my dismay, in the amount of time that I had spent eluding my mother’s command through my brother, I found that my friends had gone home with their parents. There was no longer anyone to play with. There was no desire to stay there, but now I had to face my disobedience to my mother’s command.
We find in the last days of Judah:
All the leaders of the priests and the people transgressed more and more, according to all the abominations of the nations, and defiled the house of the LORD which He had consecrated in Jerusalem. 15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. 16 But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy.
When the people of God will not rise up and fulfill the command of the Lord, He will raise up the ungodly to do it! He is the sovereign God. Note that He used both Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus to do this. As such, He does not sit around waiting and biting his nails to see if we will do what He commands in order to accomplish His plan. His plan will be accomplished. The only question is, “Will I cooperate with Him in accomplishing His plan, or will He establish it in spite of me?” He has issued His commands. It is His glory to accomplish them. Will we enjoy continued fellowship with Him by joining with Him in His work, or will we suffer His discipline because we refuse to obey because we want to choose our own desires which will soon dissipate anyway? Why am I such a disobedient child? It is His glory to accomplish His plan with or without me. I might as well enjoy the benefits of obedience. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
PROVERBS 31
Laura has told me on a number of occasions that this is one her ‘unfavorite’ chapters of the Bible. (I hope I am not in trouble for revealing that, but then I suppose that this an ‘unfavorite’ chapter for a lot of women. It holds an incredibly high standard for the virtuous wife. Certainly, if I were a woman, I would not be able to meet the standard.) But let us look beyond the literal meaning of this chapter to a different level. Since the theme of the Bible is the restoration of the Kingdom of God, what does that look like as we illustrate it? One of those illustrations is marriage. Our marriages are to reflect the marriage of God and humanity. When the kingdom was train wrecked with Adam and Eve’s sin, the marriage of God and humanity experienced a postponement, a divorce; Jesus became a widower. The theme of Scripture is not only the restoration of the Kingdom of God; it is also the marriage of Christ and His resurrected bride.
As Lemuel’s mother gives him instruction for being a king, she tells him to not give himself to ways that destroy kings, particularly giving his strength to women. There are many other things that he should do as king, avoid intoxication, uphold and pursue justice, plead the cause of the poor and needy. All of these things Jesus has done and does. But Lemuel’s mother’s greatest instruction is to find a virtuous wife. Could it be that one of Jesus’ chief goals in His interaction with humanity is to find a virtuous wife? Certainly that would be the indication of Ephesians 5:22-33 and Revelation 19:1-10. When the whore who sought to supplant the bride, is judged, and the preparation of that virtuous wife is complete, we see the coming forth of the Bridegroom to destroy those who resisted Him by resisting His bride (Revelation 19:11-21). So we see that it is the intention of the Lord to raise up for Himself one great bride. He will not give Himself or waste His strength of the whore of this world.
So what does this bride look like? I think that Proverbs 31: 10-31 could be a metaphor for what Jesus desires in His bride. As we fulfill that metaphor, we bring glory to Him, just as this virtuous wife brings glory to her husband. Jesus trusts in His wife because she is constantly seeking to do Him good and bring Him gain (v.11). She searches the world over to bring Him riches (missions v. 12-14). She works tirelessly to provide food for household (v.15). The glorious bride, the church, provides a rich diet of the word of God for her household. She girds herself with strength (v. 17). Where does our strength come from but from the Spirit of God? She helps the poor and needy when the needs of her own household have been met and because that is the work of her husband the King (v. 20-21). Her husband is made known in the gates because of her proclamation and work (v. 23). As the church proclaims the Gospel of the Kingdom, we are making the name of Jesus known in the world. She is dressed in fine linen (v.25), the righteous acts of the saints (Rev. 19:8). Her husband praises her (v. 28). We shall one day stand before the bema seat of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:9-17). Our works shall be judged by fire. The good works shall remain, and we shall receive the praise of our Lord and husband. He shall say, “Well done, you good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your master.” Great, attractive and entertaining programs of churches are deceitful and passing, but a congregation that fears God shall be praised by Him (v. 30).
You see, when we are this kind of wife, we bring glory to His name. When we are not, we bring shame to Him. It is all about His glory, not ours. Our marriages are to reflect this. Proverbs 31 is a goal for women to reflect what the church should be like. Men, we should reflect what Jesus is like. He “loved the church and gave Himself for her.”(Eph. 5:25). Proverbs 31 demands a great deal out of wives; Eph. 5:25 demands more. Men are we doing it? When we do, we bring glory to Him. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Be His glory in your marriage today!
--Pastor john
P.S. Laura, my darling, in my mind you fulfill Proverbs 31, even though you do not think you fulfill it. You are my virtuous wife! You are marvelous, and I am so proud that you are my wife!
REVELATION 22
Remember as a child when waiting for Christmas seemed like an eternity? Even though it was just a day away, it seemed as if it was taking forever to come? But the waiting seemed to make its coming better. We are awaiting the coming of our glorious King. He is the One who has the river of life which flows from His throne. He is the One who will cause a tree of life to grow in the streets. The fruit of the tree will bring healing to the nations. He is the One who will reverse the curse. He is the One who will change our seeming eternal nightmare into an eternal day dream—a pleasant one. He is faithful and true. Unlike the promises of a deceptive salesman, we can count upon His promises. He is the One who is righteous in all His ways. When He comes, He will bring righteousness with Him. It will no longer be an option among many. He is the Bright and Morning Star, in the midst of a dreary night, He is the promise that morning is coming, the light is dawning, the night is coming to an end. He is the Groom for whose resplendent glory we long to be united. And He is coming. In the parched desert of this life, He is the true water of life who will quench all our thirsts. Maybe this year will be the year that will set into motion all of the events that must take place before His coming. He is coming. He is coming quickly. If waiting for Christmas seemed like an eternity, then waiting for His return must surely seem longer. But His coming is all the sweeter because of the wait. Lord Jesus, it is Your glory we want to see. Come! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
December 30
It is the glory of God to let us hear his voice. Certainly if we saw His face we would die (Exodus 33:20). But He has condescended to allow us to hear His voice. As a matter of fact, one of the descriptions of being one of His sheep, His children, is that we hear His voice (John 10:27). If we do not hear His voice and follow, we are none of His. But what about Josiah? Here is a man who intently followed the Lord. There are few other kings who can compare to the revival that Josiah led in Judah! Yet in the end, he met an early demise because He did not listen. But what a strange place to hear the voice of the Lord, the mouth of Pharaoh! Verse 22 tells us that he did not heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God. The result was that he died fighting a battle that was not his to fight.
Certainly it appeared that he ought to oppose Necho. Isaiah, less than a hundred years before him, had continually spoken to the kings against allying with Egypt in order to fight the kings of the north. On the surface it might appear that to allow Pharaoh’s army safe passage would be tantamount to allying the nation with Egypt in its fight with Babylon. I think Josiah operated in the natural-that which appeared to be the right thing to do. God spoke to him through the unrighteous mouth of Necho, but Josiah was not in a place to listen. How often do we do the same. How many of our churches are running ‘successful’ programs that are really contrary to the voice of the Lord. O sure they attract people, sure they are to some degree popular, but are they really what the Lord wants? In the natural it may appear so, but have we stopped to truly hear the voice of the Lord? It may well be that we reach an early demise, or worse yet, live a life of ineffectiveness for the Kingdom, simply because we have not stopped to listen for the voice of the Lord and obeyed. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
This view looks out of the city gates of Megiddo across the valley. Josiah’s forces would have met Necho’s forces in battle in this valley. Here Josiah met an early death, because he did not discern the voice of the Lord.
PROVERBS 30
Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Apart from Jesus, there are only two men in Scripture who ascended into heaven, Enoch and Elijah, but they never descended (unless you consider Elijah’s appearance at the Mount of Transfiguration as descending). There is One man who has both descended and ascended into heaven. Speaking to Nicodemus, Jesus makes the claim of descending in John 3:13. One thousand years before it happened, David prophesied of the ascension of Jesus in Psalm 68:18. The apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:9&10 recognizes that prophecy and explains it of Jesus.
Who has gathered the wind in His fists? How can one gather wind in His fists? Yet Jesus has done this on at least two occasions. In Exodus 14:21
Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.Once again in Joshua 3:16–17 we find:
That the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.He used the wind in His fists to part the Red Sea to provide the salvation of Israel (a type of our salvation). He used the wind in His fists to part the Jordan River to provide access to the Land of Canaan (a type of our rest). He will one day (in the Millennial Kingdom) use the wind of His fists to dry up the Nile River Isaiah 11:15.
The LORD will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt; With His mighty wind He will shake His fist over the River, And strike it in the seven streams, And make men cross over dryshod.Can you do that?
Who has bound the waters in a garment? The Lord appeared to Moses on Mt. Sinai clothed in dark clouds, I would say that that is having bound the waters in a garment. Exodus 19:9
And the LORD said to Moses, Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever." The Psalmist says in 104:1-3,
You are clothed with honor and majesty, Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind,In Matthew 26:64 Jesus said,
Hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.In Revelation 1:7 John says,
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.Jesus not only binds water in a garment but He also binds them into modes of fancy transportation. Can you do that?
Who has established all the ends of the earth? Well obviously, Jesus has established the ends of the earth! listen to John 1:1–5,
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 were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.In Acts 17:26 Paul says, A
nd He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings.Can you do that?
There is one who can do all of these things. What is His name? It is Yahweh. What is His Son’s name? It is Yahweh Saves, or better known in English as Jesus. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
REVELATION 21
We are naked. Much of our activity is effort to clothe ourselves, for we are naked. Ever noticed what a large percentage of advertising is devoted to clothing? Even then, good practical covering is not enough. It must look right and fit the occasion. The amount of floor space in a WalMart or a Target store devoted to clothing is considerable, for we are naked. We have whole stores devoted only to clothing. We have an inordinate emphasis on clothing, for we are naked. Ever notice how those, who try really hard to clothe themselves well, never have enough? We are naked. It didn’t begin that way. Originally we were designed to not wear clothes. We wore the glory of God. We reflected His image. Then sin came. We lost the glory of God. Then we realized that we were naked.
The Bible is the story from beginning to end of how we lost His glory and how He is restoring His glory to us. It is all about His glory. Until His glory is re-established, we seem to focus on our nakedness-our glory or lack thereof. Our deepest longings can only be clothed with His glory.
When Jesus makes things new, He will tabernacle with us. He will dwell with us. His glory will return upon us. His glory will surround us, shine upon us, shine out of us. Even the city will glow with His glory. The sun and the moon will no longer be needed for light, because the glory of the Lamb will illuminate everything. Physical clothing will lose its great importance. The glory of the Lamb will take precedence. Should it not be important now? After all, that is the direction in which history is moving. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
December 29
Manasseh set into motion the straw that broke the camel’s back. Although he later repented, the nation did not repent. His son, Amon, reaped the bitter rewards of Manasseh’s early life. Amon was evil also. He became king at the age of 22. He was so evil that he was assassinated after only 2 years of reigning. So Amon’s son, Josiah, became king as an 8-year-old. That means that he was born when Amon was probably around 16 years of age. It is possible that Josiah was 6 when Manasseh died. As an 8-year-old, Josiah began to do what was right in the sight of the LORD. Where did he learn that? The text does not say. Maybe Manasseh saw how he had ruined Amon. Maybe Manasseh communicated that to Josiah. Maybe Josiah saw the evil in his own dad and knew of the change in his grandfather. Maybe Josiah realized that he needed a different path than the path which his father took. Maybe his mother taught him. At any rate, Josiah never had a copy of the Scriptures until he was 26-years-old. So how did he know how to do what was right in the sight of the LORD?
We are told that it was in the eighth year of his reign that he began to seek the God of his father David. He was 16 years old. Amon was 16 when Josiah was born. Do you suppose that knowledge triggered something in himself to drive Him to seek the LORD? Do you suppose on his 16th birthday that his mother reminded him that Amon was 16 when Josiah was born? He had 10 years to go before he would get his own copy of the Law of Moses. How did he know to do what was right? When he was 20, he began to purge the country of false gods and images. When he was 26 he ordered the repair and remodeling of the temple of the LORD.
During the remodeling process, the priests found the Law of Moses and sent it to Josiah. The king had the Law read. Having heard it, he repented and sent to inquire of the prophetess to find out what should be done. Maybe that is how he knew what was right and how to seek the Lord. Maybe not. At any rate, now he had heard the Law; now there was not excuse. I cannot help but think that this is a marvelous example of how God is so gracious that He will move heaven and earth to bring a knowledge of Himself to someone who truly wants to know Him. The truth is that we really do not seek after Him as we ought to seek after Him, but for that rare person who does seek Him, He brings them to Himself, eventually bringing them His written word.
Manasseh brought the final judgment upon the nation. Josiah temporarily stayed the hand of judgment because he sought the LORD. Furthermore, the LORD said to him, “Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you Surely I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place and its inhabitants.” Wow what mercy!
Lord indeed you have extended such mercy toward me. Even when I did not seek you, you gave me Your word! You do not give me what I deserve, rather You give me Yourself! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
PROVERBS 29
Verse 7 says,
The righteous considers the cause of the poor, But the wicked does not understand such knowledge.Why would an outgrowth of righteousness be to consider the cause of the poor, and why would failing to understand such knowledge be an outgrowth of wickedness? Certainly righteousness finds its root in the very character of God. Does that mean that it is part of the character of God to consider the cause of the poor? Jesus himself said that we would always have the poor with us. Does this mean that as God considers the poor, He thinks that it is a good thing that poverty never ends? Obviously from all the Scriptural teaching about poverty, that cannot be true of God. What is the meaning of poverty? What is the source of poverty? What does a righteous God want to do about poverty as He considers it?
Poverty is more than just a lack of financial resources. I once co-facilitated a Getting Ahead Circle for a small group of people in poverty. The main thrust of the investigation of the circle is that poverty is a lack of resources in one of many different areas, not just financial. One can lack resources in many areas, financial, social, educational, familial, mental, emotional, spiritual, physical, etc. Usually, one in financial poverty is experiencing a lack of resources in many areas. The lack of financial resources is a multifaceted problem. Just throwing money at it will not alleviate the problem. It will give temporary relief but not long term relief.
So when God contemplates our poverty, what does He consider? Apparently, His primary concern is our spiritual poverty. When Jesus came, His primary thrust was not to reshape economic systems, although that has been a by-product in times past of His reshaping cultures. His primary thrust was to restore man to his rightful position. His primary thrust is to give us the revelation that He alone can restore us to that position, and that position is true riches. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
REVELATION 20
History is the study of the rise and fall of political regimes, machines, families and dynasties. Rarely does a nation last more than 400 years. A dynasty almost never lasts more than 500 years. A ruler never lives more than 100 years much less reign during that complete time. Fidel Castro was one of our longest ruling modern rulers having completed 49 years of rule in 2008. Yet our Lamb will reign for over 1,000 years! He will do so because He is the resurrection and the life. His rule will be completely just and equitable. His rule will be peaceful. There will be no corruption in His government. There will be no poverty in His Kingdom. Only those who have taken part in the first resurrection will be able to rule with Him in that Kingdom.
At the end of the 1,000 years he will allow Satan to be released for one more chance to try to deceive the nations. Satan will be able to gain some kind of following that will be able to lay siege to the beloved city. The Lord’s rule is so perfect that there will not even be a war. Fire will descend from heaven and consume all those who oppose Him. Then the Lord will judge all those who have died without having trusted Him. His rule is perfect. His administration is perfect. His warfare is perfect. His justice is perfect. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Monday, December 28, 2015
December 28
I am amazed at the mercy of our Lord! No one was ever as wicked as Manasseh. He even made his own son pass through the fire, i.e. sacrificed him on a pagan altar. Not only was he personally wicked, but he also seduced “Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.” How could a man who had such a great father go so far astray? But obviously he went astray. But God disciplined him greatly. The king of Assyria came and took Manasseh into captivity. There he was disciplined. As the passage says:
12 Now when he was in affliction, he implored the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, 13 and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.
Isn’t that amazing? God would forgive a man who was such a low life! Indeed our God is a marvelous king! He forgives Manasseh and He forgives me! Wow! But I should never forget that even though Manasseh repented, it was too late. The people had been seduced, and the people did not repent.
Oh Lord, You are so kind and merciful to forgive me of my sin. You are so gracious to enable me to turn from my sin. Let me never presume upon Your mercy and grace! Rather whenever your Holy Spirit convicts me of sin, let me repent immediately turning to You. Indeed You are a merciful God! . Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
This is a partial view of the Valley of Ben Hinnom. It is taken from atop the edge of the road that runs South of the Old City walls. The valley runs downhill to the left where it eventually joins the Tyropean and Kidron Valleys. Somewhere in this valley, Manasseh sacrificed some of his sons in the fire to a pagan God. This earned it the nick name of Topheth, a place to be spit upon or abhorred. The cliffs have numerous caves and tombs dating to the first century A.D. For a while, it was used as a garbage dump. As a result, it burned and smoldered constantly. During times of siege and warfare around Jerusalem, it is thought that the valley was also used to burn the corpses of the war casualties. Because it was a burial place, and because of the fires, it became known as Gehenna (a corruption of the pronunciation of Ben Hinnom). It is also thought that the potter’s field or Aceldama (the place where Judas hung himself) was also located at the lower end of this valley. What a geographical contrast between two places of judgment! The valley represents irreparable destruction where Manasseh and other kings sacrificed their sons, where massive numbers of corpses were burned after times of warfare, where Judas went and hung himself after betraying the Son of God, where numbers of people were buried upon their deaths. Just up the hill near the top of Mount Moriah, the Son of God laid down His life at the request of His Father. There He experienced the judgment and wrath of the Father against our sin. The Father sacrificed His Son in our place to pay the penalty of our sin. There He raised the Son back to life again. He now offers eternal life to all who will repent of their trust in their own sacrifice and way of life and trust in His eternal sacrifice. What a contrast of the two locations nestled against each other! Downhill is Gehenna—judgment leading to irreparable loss. Uphill is Moriah—judgment leading to eternal life. The choice is ours!
PROVERBS 28
In 2012 I sat at dinner with a longtime friend. He mentioned how he was torn concerning the upcoming election. We had three candidates and none were that great of a choice. Obama was an abomination because of his ardent support of abortion and gay marriage. He did not feel that Romney could be trusted any farther than he could throw him. Paul wanted to abandon Israel; that is indeed dangerous. Verse 28 says, “When the wicked gain pre-eminence, other men hide; but at their fall the just flourish.” Certainly the last three years have demonstrated Obama’s true colors in relations to abortion, gay marriage and support of Israel.
This chapter covers a number of proverbs that all deal with rulers, the law, the people and the relationships that exist between all of them. But how does this all relate to the glory of the Lord Jesus? The issue of history is, “How will humans respond to the rule and reign of God.” We have been in rebellion since Adam and Eve. The theme of the Bible is the restoration of the Kingdom of God. One day Jesus will return, and He will be the supreme ruler of all the earth. He will in practice and not just title be King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the one who will rule in righteousness. He will properly define the beginning of human life and destroy those who take it wrongfully. He will be trusted in all of his rulings. Providing good paying jobs won’t be a difficult task. As for the nation of Israel, Jerusalem will be His throne and the descendants of Israel will inhabit the land surrounding it. He will bring peace to the city of Jerusalem. How could He possibly bring peace to such a troubled area? He is the One full of all understanding. He will hate the covetousness that drives the instability of the land and this earth (verse 16). As the all-wise, all-powerful ruler, He will know how to eliminate it. He will have the power to eliminate it. Now that is glory that far exceeds an Obama, a Romney, or a Paul. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
REVELATION 19
When the whore is destroyed, the bride is revealed. Who is the bride? We are His bride. We, who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, are His bride. Finally, the bride in all her resplendent glory comes forth! And what is foremost on her mind when she comes forth? It is declaring the glory of her husband the Lamb! The declaration of her praise for Him is so magnificent that John can only describe it as the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! . . .”
Then in the midst of her praise, He, the Lamb, is revealed. His glory is indeed awesome. He rides into the world as the King of kings and Lord of lords, with a description that captures the imagination, slaying those who oppose Him with a sword coming from His mouth. No one and no thing can resist His advance. And we, His bride, ride with Him. Dressed in white linen, we ride unassailed by the foe. The foe are all destroyed and the Beast and False Prophet are captured. He does it all effortlessly and simply by coming in His presence. This is our hope. This is what we look forward to. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Sunday, December 27, 2015
December 27
For the last year there have been some links to a YouTube floating around the internet that show President Obama mocking the Bible and by default, the Lord. One has to be careful with taking as fact what you see on YouTube; videos are easily manipulated and edited. Context for statements are extremely important. However, if the You Tubes are accurate, then I fear for Mr. Obama. He is walking on extremely shaky ground. It is one thing to ignore the glory of God. It is another thing to actively disparage His glory. Ask Sennacharib.
The Lord had used him to discipline Israel and other countries. But Sennacherib made himself proud. He had his officers mock the glory of the Lord as they besieged Jerusalem. Note the timing of the event according to the writer of the Chronicles, “After these deeds of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah.” What deeds of faithfulness? Hezekiah had just finished leading a mighty revival in Judah. It was one of the greatest acts of faithfulness of all times. Yet, the Lord permitted Sennacharib to enter. What’s up with that? Sometimes the Lord permits what appear to be great setbacks in order to reveal a greater glory later. And so it is with Sennacharib.
Sennacharib’s officers proclaimed things that ought not to be proclaimed. To those on the wall of Jerusalem, it probably sounded like the truth. But the statements belittled the Lord. They maligned His glory. At the time, it looked like they would do it with impunity. But God eventually repays those who blatantly offend His glory. So too, with Sennacharib.
Then the LORD sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor, leader, and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned shamefaced to his own land. And when he had gone into the temple of his god, some of his own offspring struck him down with the sword there.
Hezekiah should have learned from the obvious lesson. Rather, he became proud. The Lord had to discipline even him. The passage is quite telling at this point, “God withdrew from him, in order to test him that He might know all that was in his heart.” I haven’t translated the original at this point, but it appears that the translators of the NKJV thought the “He” referred to God because they capitalized it. I disagree. God does not need to know what is in our heart. He knows everything. “He” refers to Hezekiah. God tests us to show us what is in our own heart. We all stray from seeking to see the glory of God. We all stray into seeking our own glory. Even in the midst of God’s very own blessing, we do it. That is why it is incumbent upon us to seek His glory daily. Too easily, I forget. Too easily I can fall into seeking my own glory, and supposedly like Barak Obama, I defame the glory of God. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
P.S. In this chapter, when Hezekiah stopped up the springs, He also had a tunnel dug, diverting the water inside the city walls. Here are pictures of the tunnel.
PROVERBS 27:23-27
Two days ago I was walking my dogs in my son’s neighborhood. As we walked by a former neighbor’s house, we stopped to talk to him. As we were talking his cat came. The cat was obviously furious concerning the two dogs which we had on our leashes in the street. The cat crept closer and closer with his ears back and growling at the dogs. My standard golden doodle was quietly straining at the leash desiring to get the cat. I said to my neighbor, “That is a really brave cat.”
He responded, “Oh he loves to attack dogs. If he attacks, he would probably get the better of the dog.”
“Wow, an attack cat, interesting!” I replied. Hmm. . . I am reminded that Jesus said to the disciples in Matthew 10:16, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”
Lord, You are the great Shepherd. It is to Your glory that you tend Your flocks and take care of Your sheep. You have appointed me and the elders as under-shepherds to this flock called Christian Missionary Alliance Church. You instruct in a general sense the shepherds to know the condition of their flocks. Enable us to know the spiritual, emotional, mental, social and physical condition of our flock. Enable us to know our condition especially in relation to our purpose and our core values. Enable us to know how to teach, guide, protect and direct and equip each sheep so that it might fulfill its purpose within the development of Your flock and this congregation, not only in Stillwater but also in our state, district, nation and world. Make us all that You want us to become in being warrior, builder and valiant sheep in Your Kingdom. In relation to the enemy, make us attack sheep raiding the gates of hell to bring out new lambs in your flock. Keep us from attacking each other. Expand Your glory in us. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
REVELATION 18
It was the summer of ’72. Somewhere between eighty thousand and one hundred thousand of us had descended upon Dallas, TX for Explo ’72, a week-long world congress on evangelism and discipleship hosted by Campus Crusade for Christ International. Vendors of Christian books and goods were set up all over the place. I remember someone in charge of the congress announcing about 3/4ths of the way through the week that it had been reported to him that sales of books that would help in spiritual growth and discipleship had been quite sluggish while sales of Christian trinkets and t-shirts had been quite brisk. I remember a leader of the congress expressing his concern that we were perhaps getting caught up in the commercialization of Jesus rather than purchasing things that could really help us in our pursuit of Him, i.e. study books and discipleship books. The lure of merchandise surrounding the Lord has often been more alluring to us than an actual pursuit of His glory.
No doubt the world has always been that way. It is that problem that led to Jesus driving the money changers out of the temple. It is that problem that led to the Crusades. It is that problem that led to the church’s persecution of Martin Luther. I could list a host of other problems in the church to which this problem has led. It is that problem that leads to TV evangelists who rake in the money from viewers to spend the majority of it upon themselves. Doesn’t it seem like the Lord would do something about it? One day He will. The whore of Babylon is that movement of people who would exchange the glory of our Lord for the glory of this world. It always has the trappings of the real thing, but it is not really about the pursuit the glory of the Lamb. It is about the pursuit of one’s own glory. One day the Lamb will end it. He will destroy all the vestiges of those who would pursue their own glory. Only His glory will remain. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Saturday, December 26, 2015
December 26
Why do I give to the United States Treasury? I give for one overriding reason. If I do not, I will be charged penalties and interest. If I ignore the penalties and interest long enough, the U.S. Government will confiscate all my belongings to pay what I owe, or throw me in jail, or both. Why do I give to the State of Oklahoma, or the county of Payne? I give for the same reason that I give to the U.S. Government. If it were not forced, would I do it? Probably not. Yet, the federal, state, county and city governments provide services that greatly enhance my quality of life. Because of their work, I have good running water, sewer, electricity, natural gas, police protection, ambulance coverage, decent roads to drive upon, safety in travel from state to state, protection from foreign invaders, quality higher education for my children, etc. If the governments did not require it, would I still pay for the benefits? Hmmmm. . . I am pretty short sighted. I would pay if I saw the direct benefit. I would probably not pay if I did not see the direct benefit.
In the late 1800’s when the men at the Oklahoma A&M campus planted trees, did they do it for their benefit? No they did it for generations to come. Today I enjoy the shade and beauty of large oak and cypress trees on the OSU campus because of their foresight. They paid for others as well as themselves.
Hezekiah’s revival brought a renewed vision for the glory of the Lord. That glory required the service of many priests and Levites that had previously not been supported by the people. Hezekiah required the people to tithe. That requirement came at the height of the revival when the vision of the glory of the Lord had been renewed. Having seen the glory of the Lord and having the king’s requirement, the people brought in their tithes. Being an agrarian society, they stacked their tithes in three gigantic piles. They took 4 months to heap it all up. The leaders saw it and blessed the people. It could have been smaller heaps. The people could probably have cheated a little and succeeded, but they saw the glory of the Lord. It was worth it to them to give to the Lord.
It was an issue of value received for a gift given. They valued the glory of the Lord. He was worth their gift. Do I view Him that way? Jesus put it this way, “What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Am I so short sighted that I cling to the things of this world?” Is my focus on the value of the world or the value of His glory? When it is His glory, I will let go of the things of the world because they will pale in value compared to the things of the Lord. When it is the things of this world, I have to be commanded to give to His kingdom, and if I give, it is grudgingly. When my focus is His glory, His command is not burdensome. I am excited to participate in His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
PROVERBS 26
There is a vine in North Carolina and Oklahoma that is popularly called, ‘cat’s claw’. It has kind of a heart shaped leaf. The vine itself is very strong and hearty. It likes to grown in bushes and will eventually take over a bush. The only way to get rid of it is to dig up its roots. It is hard to disentangle from a bush because of its multitude of thorns, hence the nick name ‘cat’s claw’. I have received more than one prick while trying to disentangle a bush from the clutches of a cat’s claw. It is easier to get rid of it when it is first beginning to climb the bush. I suppose one could use it as a weapon to cut and tear the skin of an enemy. But only a fool would use it.
Verse 10 says,
The great God who formed everything gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages.This chapter is full of contrasts of fools and wise people, but this is the only verse that deals with the glory of God. As one scans the chapter for the folly of the fool it is easy to see many examples of fools in real life. At times in the past, I have been that fool. I pray that it is no longer so. Although, while I have been on vacation, I have to admit that I have been a little slow to turn on my bed. I like the companion (verse 9) comparison of the fool until I read some of the other translations. Wow, what a difference in meaning! Anyway a fool attempts to use his foolishness to satisfy himself, never understanding that God will eventually bring his foolishness back upon Himself.
Lord, You are the Great God who formed everything. Keep me from foolishness and foolish living. Let my wages be the wages of wisdom. I need Your empowerment in this. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
REVELATION 17
When my children were little, we would sometimes wrestle or pillow fight. Sometimes I would pretend that they were beating me. I would let them do their very best to do the very worst to me. Then I would overcome them. It would reveal how much stronger that I, as an adult, was than they as children. The Beast will do his best to overcome the Lamb. The Lamb will let them do their best to do their worst. It will reveal to us how great He is. It will add new meaning to us to His titles of ‘King of kings’ and ‘Lord of lords’.
But how does this beast and harlot attack the Lamb? They do it by attacking the followers of the Lamb throughout the world. Who is this Harlot? She is “Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth.” Babylon has always represented not only powerful military interests but also economic interests. It is these interests that invade the good earth of our lives (parable of the sower) and choke out the good seed. Even John, standing in heaven, when he saw her, marveled at her beauty. The Lord quickly brings him back and essentially says, “Wake up, John! What are you marveling at?” She is the religious/economic spirit that throughout the ages has tempted the followers of the Lamb to lie with her. Her beauty is most seductive and difficult to overcome. Without a constant gaze upon the beauty and riches of our Lord, we will be drawn into committing spiritual adultery with her. In this way she attacks the Lamb!
Perhaps the enemy at this very moment is attacking you. He is doing his very best to do his worst to you. He attacks you because in attacking you, He attacks the King of kings and Lord of lords. The King lets him do his best to do his worst. But it is only for a season and only to show how mighty He is through you. You and He will after all, overcome. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
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