2 Chronicles 36
Do you see the glory of God in us? Why or why not? Yesterday in my meditation on Revelation 21, I mentioned that we are naked. We were created to wear the glory of God. The Lord permitted Jerusalem and the temple to be built as a place for His glory to dwell. Many of the kings defiled the temple placing altars of pagan Gods there, burning incense there and even sacrificing children there. In a very real sense they defiled the glory of the Lord. These last four kings of Judah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah did evil in the sight of the Lord. They defiled the glory of the Lord. His glory could no longer be seen in them as a light to the nations. They were full of darkness.
But God was gracious! Verse 15 says, “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.” How gracious He is to warn us again and again. How stiffed necked we are to ignore the warnings. There comes a point when there is no more remedy. He destroys His dwelling place because it has become such an affront to His glory.
First Peter 2:5 says, “You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” We have become His dwelling place. Writing in 1 Corinthians 3:16 Paul says, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” We are the dwelling place of His glory both individually and corporately. Does the world see His glory dwelling in us? Why or why not? IF not, are we obscuring His glory? How? It is said that more churches are being closed each year in the USA than are being started. Could it be that in many cases it is because His glory is being obstructed, so He brings them to an end? Do we have a passion for His glory to shine in us both individually and corporately? What will it take to let His glory shine? We are incapable of making it shine, but we are capable of obstructing it. How do we permit His glory to shine? We have completed a year. Maybe this next year we need to focusing on removing the obstructions that we have place in the way of others seeing His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
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
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
December 30, 2010
2 Chronicles 35
How about this! Josiah has to tell the Levites to return the ark to the house that Solomon built. What was it doing out of the temple? Perhaps Josiah’s father, Amon, removed it to build his altars and poles. Perhaps the Levites were probably protecting it from destruction by Amon, and they did not return it until they were sure to which side Josiah would cling. Perhaps during the renovations of the temple, Josiah had the ark removed to protect both the workers and the ark. Now the renovations are complete, so it was time to return the ark. So what is the point? The symbolism of the ark of the Lord is really rich. It symbolizes the path down which we must walk in order to come into the presence of our holy God. The ark is the symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ. We can only come to God through Him. After 18 years, the Scripture was rediscovered; the temple was re-consecrated; the ark restored and finally, the Passover celebrated!
The Passover also speaks wonderfully of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. In his 18th year as king, at 26 years old, Josiah leads the nation in the celebration of Passover. One such as this had not been celebrated since the days of Samuel. It had been 400 years! Of course Passover had been celebrated but not with the focus and intensity that Josiah led the people in doing. It must have been a glorious time! What does it take for us to corporately celebrate the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ at a level of this intensity and corporate co-operation? Lord what must we do to see this happen corporately?
A mere 13 years later Josiah ignores the word of the Lord. The text says, “He did not heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God.” How could he go from leading this fantastic revival to not hearing the word of the Lord? Sure, Isaiah had warned Josiah’s grandfather and great grandfathers concerning alliances with Egypt, but not entering an alliance with Egypt is a totally different thing from actively opposing Egypt. Hmmm. . . Lord help me to hear You when you speak now and to not depend solely on my past encounters with Your glory. 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 Wal*Mart or 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
How about this! Josiah has to tell the Levites to return the ark to the house that Solomon built. What was it doing out of the temple? Perhaps Josiah’s father, Amon, removed it to build his altars and poles. Perhaps the Levites were probably protecting it from destruction by Amon, and they did not return it until they were sure to which side Josiah would cling. Perhaps during the renovations of the temple, Josiah had the ark removed to protect both the workers and the ark. Now the renovations are complete, so it was time to return the ark. So what is the point? The symbolism of the ark of the Lord is really rich. It symbolizes the path down which we must walk in order to come into the presence of our holy God. The ark is the symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ. We can only come to God through Him. After 18 years, the Scripture was rediscovered; the temple was re-consecrated; the ark restored and finally, the Passover celebrated!
The Passover also speaks wonderfully of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. In his 18th year as king, at 26 years old, Josiah leads the nation in the celebration of Passover. One such as this had not been celebrated since the days of Samuel. It had been 400 years! Of course Passover had been celebrated but not with the focus and intensity that Josiah led the people in doing. It must have been a glorious time! What does it take for us to corporately celebrate the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ at a level of this intensity and corporate co-operation? Lord what must we do to see this happen corporately?
A mere 13 years later Josiah ignores the word of the Lord. The text says, “He did not heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God.” How could he go from leading this fantastic revival to not hearing the word of the Lord? Sure, Isaiah had warned Josiah’s grandfather and great grandfathers concerning alliances with Egypt, but not entering an alliance with Egypt is a totally different thing from actively opposing Egypt. Hmmm. . . Lord help me to hear You when you speak now and to not depend solely on my past encounters with Your glory. 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 Wal*Mart or 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
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
December 29, 2010
2 Chronicles 34
I am the last of five siblings. My wife says that I was spoiled. She probably knows as well as anyone else. As the youngest, I learned how to provoke my siblings to wrath. I knew what buttons to push and what buttons to not push. When they were wrathful toward me, they had a right to be wrathful. I had provoked them too much. The Lord in His glory often has a right to be wrathful toward us. We have provoked Him too much. What is it that really provokes the Lord to wrath? He tells Josiah in this passage, “They have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath will be poured out on this place, and not be quenched.”
Have you or I ever provoked the Lord to wrath? If you are anything like me, and I think you are, the answer is, “Yes!” We could clamor, “But I have never burned incense to other gods!” O really? When I view my occupation as primarily gaining money to improve my financial status, am I not burning incense to the god of money? God calls us into our various occupations for various reasons. Not limited to but included in those reasons are:
To display His glory in the way we work. (Gen 2:15; 1 Cor 10:31; 1 Thess 4:11,12)
To make disciples among the people with whom we work. (Matt 28:19,20)
To provide for our own families (1Tim 5:8)
To be enabled to give to others (Eph 4:28)
When we fail to discern and follow the nature of our employment to give glory to God, then we are in a very real sense “burning incense to the God of mammon.” In so doing, are we not provoking the Lord to wrath?
The Old Testament is replete with references to those who had gone astray making Asherah poles. What is an Asherah pole? It was a pole that represented the goddess Asherah. She was the wife or consort of Baal. Among other things she was a fertility god. The pole may have been a phallus. Asherah was related to Anat. Anat was the goddess of sex and passion. No we do not literally burn incense to Asherah as did Mannaseh and Amon, but illicit sexual passions are constant adversaries that we battle. Whenever we give in to them, is it not as though we were worshipping those drives and burning incense before that god?
Even as a child, Josiah recognized the evil that his father had produced. For the glory of God, he destroyed the false images, poles and altars. He rebuilt the temple. He sought the Lord in the reading of His word. It was the glory of God to postpone the coming wrath until Josiah would die. The Lord is always gracious and forgiving to those who truly repent and believe. 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
I am the last of five siblings. My wife says that I was spoiled. She probably knows as well as anyone else. As the youngest, I learned how to provoke my siblings to wrath. I knew what buttons to push and what buttons to not push. When they were wrathful toward me, they had a right to be wrathful. I had provoked them too much. The Lord in His glory often has a right to be wrathful toward us. We have provoked Him too much. What is it that really provokes the Lord to wrath? He tells Josiah in this passage, “They have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath will be poured out on this place, and not be quenched.”
Have you or I ever provoked the Lord to wrath? If you are anything like me, and I think you are, the answer is, “Yes!” We could clamor, “But I have never burned incense to other gods!” O really? When I view my occupation as primarily gaining money to improve my financial status, am I not burning incense to the god of money? God calls us into our various occupations for various reasons. Not limited to but included in those reasons are:
To display His glory in the way we work. (Gen 2:15; 1 Cor 10:31; 1 Thess 4:11,12)
To make disciples among the people with whom we work. (Matt 28:19,20)
To provide for our own families (1Tim 5:8)
To be enabled to give to others (Eph 4:28)
When we fail to discern and follow the nature of our employment to give glory to God, then we are in a very real sense “burning incense to the God of mammon.” In so doing, are we not provoking the Lord to wrath?
The Old Testament is replete with references to those who had gone astray making Asherah poles. What is an Asherah pole? It was a pole that represented the goddess Asherah. She was the wife or consort of Baal. Among other things she was a fertility god. The pole may have been a phallus. Asherah was related to Anat. Anat was the goddess of sex and passion. No we do not literally burn incense to Asherah as did Mannaseh and Amon, but illicit sexual passions are constant adversaries that we battle. Whenever we give in to them, is it not as though we were worshipping those drives and burning incense before that god?
Even as a child, Josiah recognized the evil that his father had produced. For the glory of God, he destroyed the false images, poles and altars. He rebuilt the temple. He sought the Lord in the reading of His word. It was the glory of God to postpone the coming wrath until Josiah would die. The Lord is always gracious and forgiving to those who truly repent and believe. 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
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
December 28, 2010
2 Chronicles 33
John Wesley Hardin (1853-1895) was a Texas outlaw who was so mean that he once shot a man for snoring too loud. He claimed to have killed 42 men; although, he was accused of killing many more. How do I know this? I looked it up. While doing some genealogy research, I found out from ancestor.com that I am a distant cousin to him. It turns out that he was the son of a Methodist preacher, and is named after the founder of the Methodist movement. (Why is it that so many outlaws were preacher’s kids?) What happens that could take a man from being the son of a godly man to being a paragon of evil?
What happened so that Manasseh, the son of one of the godliest kings of Judah, turned out for a period to be one of the most ungodly kings of Judah? We are not told. But we are told of what the Lord did in order to force repentance out of Manasseh. The Lord brought the king of Assyria upon him, captured him, dragged him off to Babylon, and finally released him. It was done in such a way that Manasseh knew that the Lord had performed it. But it was too little too late. He had already seduced Judah to do more evil than even the surrounding nations. Yes, the Lord forgave Manasseh, but the nation continued in rebellion and Manasseh’s son led them in it.
What do we see of the glory of Jesus in this? We see His unfailing grace. He forgave Manasseh, who had sacrificed his own sons, built false altars in the temple, practiced the occult and many other gross deeds. Let us revel in His grace, but let us also take care to do all that is within us to pass the knowledge of His glory on to our sons and daughters. Help us Lord, for we are unable!
John Wesley Hardin spent 16 of his 42 years in jail. The last 11 years in jail he seemed to have repented. He became the jail Sunday school superintendent. He studied law. Upon his pardon from jail he passed the bar exam and became a lawyer. (from one life of crime to another :)) But the old ways still haunted him. He never seemed to get a grasp on his anger. He constantly was getting into fights. He finally died at the hands of an enemy. He was shot in the back of the while playing cards. Repentance? Only God knows. What was needed? I would say it was the same thing Manasseh needed, to get a true grasp of the glory of God. Where can we get that? Only by consistently being in His word and letting His Spirit reveal His glory to us. 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
John Wesley Hardin (1853-1895) was a Texas outlaw who was so mean that he once shot a man for snoring too loud. He claimed to have killed 42 men; although, he was accused of killing many more. How do I know this? I looked it up. While doing some genealogy research, I found out from ancestor.com that I am a distant cousin to him. It turns out that he was the son of a Methodist preacher, and is named after the founder of the Methodist movement. (Why is it that so many outlaws were preacher’s kids?) What happens that could take a man from being the son of a godly man to being a paragon of evil?
What happened so that Manasseh, the son of one of the godliest kings of Judah, turned out for a period to be one of the most ungodly kings of Judah? We are not told. But we are told of what the Lord did in order to force repentance out of Manasseh. The Lord brought the king of Assyria upon him, captured him, dragged him off to Babylon, and finally released him. It was done in such a way that Manasseh knew that the Lord had performed it. But it was too little too late. He had already seduced Judah to do more evil than even the surrounding nations. Yes, the Lord forgave Manasseh, but the nation continued in rebellion and Manasseh’s son led them in it.
What do we see of the glory of Jesus in this? We see His unfailing grace. He forgave Manasseh, who had sacrificed his own sons, built false altars in the temple, practiced the occult and many other gross deeds. Let us revel in His grace, but let us also take care to do all that is within us to pass the knowledge of His glory on to our sons and daughters. Help us Lord, for we are unable!
John Wesley Hardin spent 16 of his 42 years in jail. The last 11 years in jail he seemed to have repented. He became the jail Sunday school superintendent. He studied law. Upon his pardon from jail he passed the bar exam and became a lawyer. (from one life of crime to another :)) But the old ways still haunted him. He never seemed to get a grasp on his anger. He constantly was getting into fights. He finally died at the hands of an enemy. He was shot in the back of the while playing cards. Repentance? Only God knows. What was needed? I would say it was the same thing Manasseh needed, to get a true grasp of the glory of God. Where can we get that? Only by consistently being in His word and letting His Spirit reveal His glory to us. 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
Monday, December 27, 2010
December 27, 2010
2 Chronicles 32
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 YouTubes 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 Sennecharib.
The Lord had used him to discipline Israel and other countries. But he let it make him 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 Sennecharib 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 Sennecharib.
Sennecharib’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 Sennecharib.
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
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
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 YouTubes 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 Sennecharib.
The Lord had used him to discipline Israel and other countries. But he let it make him 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 Sennecharib 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 Sennecharib.
Sennecharib’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 Sennecharib.
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
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
December 26
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’.
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
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’.
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
December 25
December 25 Revelation 16
Are the judgments of the Lamb righteous? Of course they are righteous! One might respond that one is taking the word of God too literally to say that every judgment of the Lamb is taking the passage too literal. What is to keep me from saying that every passage that does not satisfy me emotionally is not to be taken literally?
I was talking with my father-in-law. He asked me, “You don’t believe that God really sends people to hell to burn forever?” I nodded my head indicating that I do believe that God sends people to hell to burn forever. He responded, “I think that you take the Bible too literally.” The implication of his comment is that such a judgment is unrighteous. Now I did not argue the point with him. I believe that if someone does not want to believe the word of God, then no logical argument, no matter how logical, will be useless. Believing God is mostly an act of the will not of the intellect. It is a spiritual thing not intellectual; although, the intellect does play into it. If one wants to believe, then the intellectual questions must be addressed, for God does not ask us to shelve our intellects. He expects us to love Him with all of our minds. So for those who choose to love God, the intellect must be addressed as much as possible. But for those who choose not to love God, it does not matter how logical your argument, the intellect is never satisfied.
I suppose that if the book of Revelation were the only place in the Bible that talked about eternal flames of hell, then my father-in-law would have a good point. Revelation is a book of imagery. Often times one wonders whether the images of the Revelation are be taken literally or whether to ask what does the image mean and then conclude that the meaning behind the image is literal. But the references to eternal judgment are not found only in the book of Revelation. Jesus, Himself, warns against doing something that would cause one to, “Go into hell into the fire that shall never be quenched—where, ‘Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’” (Mark 9:42-48; Matthew 5:29,30; 18:8,9) If this does not refer to an eternal punishment, then what does is mean?
What does it mean that God is eternal? Part of the meaning is that time is part of His creation, which necessarily means that He exists outside of time. He sees and knows all things at once. For Him, everything could be considered one eternal now. If sin is committed, then it is committed against an eternal God. That sin is eternally before Him. If He is just, then His justice must eternally judge a sin that is eternally before Him. This He did in the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ. If one refuses to receive the Lamb’s eternal payment for one’s sin, then that refusal is eternally before God. The payment that the Lamb made is applied only to those persons who receive Him. It would be unjust of God to not eternally punish those persons who refuse to receive Him. That is why Jesus says, “He who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
His judgments are indeed righteous and true. It is emotionally painful for us to think of any one being tortured for eternity. Perhaps that is because we really do not understand righteousness and justice and why the unrighteous cling to their decisions when pardon is offered. He is righteous in all of His judgments. Eternal sin demands eternal justice. The Lamb gives both eternal mercy and eternal justice. That is part of His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Are the judgments of the Lamb righteous? Of course they are righteous! One might respond that one is taking the word of God too literally to say that every judgment of the Lamb is taking the passage too literal. What is to keep me from saying that every passage that does not satisfy me emotionally is not to be taken literally?
I was talking with my father-in-law. He asked me, “You don’t believe that God really sends people to hell to burn forever?” I nodded my head indicating that I do believe that God sends people to hell to burn forever. He responded, “I think that you take the Bible too literally.” The implication of his comment is that such a judgment is unrighteous. Now I did not argue the point with him. I believe that if someone does not want to believe the word of God, then no logical argument, no matter how logical, will be useless. Believing God is mostly an act of the will not of the intellect. It is a spiritual thing not intellectual; although, the intellect does play into it. If one wants to believe, then the intellectual questions must be addressed, for God does not ask us to shelve our intellects. He expects us to love Him with all of our minds. So for those who choose to love God, the intellect must be addressed as much as possible. But for those who choose not to love God, it does not matter how logical your argument, the intellect is never satisfied.
I suppose that if the book of Revelation were the only place in the Bible that talked about eternal flames of hell, then my father-in-law would have a good point. Revelation is a book of imagery. Often times one wonders whether the images of the Revelation are be taken literally or whether to ask what does the image mean and then conclude that the meaning behind the image is literal. But the references to eternal judgment are not found only in the book of Revelation. Jesus, Himself, warns against doing something that would cause one to, “Go into hell into the fire that shall never be quenched—where, ‘Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’” (Mark 9:42-48; Matthew 5:29,30; 18:8,9) If this does not refer to an eternal punishment, then what does is mean?
What does it mean that God is eternal? Part of the meaning is that time is part of His creation, which necessarily means that He exists outside of time. He sees and knows all things at once. For Him, everything could be considered one eternal now. If sin is committed, then it is committed against an eternal God. That sin is eternally before Him. If He is just, then His justice must eternally judge a sin that is eternally before Him. This He did in the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ. If one refuses to receive the Lamb’s eternal payment for one’s sin, then that refusal is eternally before God. The payment that the Lamb made is applied only to those persons who receive Him. It would be unjust of God to not eternally punish those persons who refuse to receive Him. That is why Jesus says, “He who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
His judgments are indeed righteous and true. It is emotionally painful for us to think of any one being tortured for eternity. Perhaps that is because we really do not understand righteousness and justice and why the unrighteous cling to their decisions when pardon is offered. He is righteous in all of His judgments. Eternal sin demands eternal justice. The Lamb gives both eternal mercy and eternal justice. That is part of His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Friday, December 24, 2010
December 24, 2010
2 Chronicles 29
What a celebration! It is the glory of our Lord that He desires for us to return to Him as did Hezekiah. Ahaz had left a horrid legacy for Hezekiah. Under Ahaz’s authority, “They. . .shut up the doors of the vestibule, put out the lamps, and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel.” It is a sad day when we quit seeking the glory of the Lord. But equally so, it is a joyful day when we return to seeking Him. Notice the order that the Levites took to seeking the Lord. First they cleansed the temple then they offered themselves and sacrificed. Remember sacrifices speak of the Lord Jesus. Finally there was great unity and rejoicing together.
One day we will all sit down at the marriage supper of the Lamb. Our cleansing will be complete. The sacrifices will be done. We will enjoy His glory. We will enjoy each other. It is the glory of the Lord that He desires such unity. O Lord speed that day! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--john
Revelation 15
Fire in the Scripture is frequently a symbol of the judgment of God. Fire burns away the impurities leaving only the pure metals. Fire kills bacteria leaving clean vessels. Here the saints who have victory are seen standing on a sea of glass mingled with fire. We presume that the fire does not burn or harm them because that which is dross has already been burned away. Even in the midst of God’s holiness they stand victorious because the Lamb has removed their sin and given them His righteousness.
They sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. Presumably The Song of Moses is the one recorded in Exodus 15. It is the song that he and the children of Israel sang after God’s mighty deliverance from the Egyptians through the Red Sea. The song of the Lamb for the saints would be the song we sing because He has delivered us. He brings us safe through His judgments. He took the judgment for us on our behalf. It is a great and marvelous work! It truly demonstrates once again that He is the Almighty. His deliverance is just. He cannot be accused in any way of injustice. His deliverance is true. It is completely consistent with all of what He is like. He indeed is holy in all that He has done!
After His judgment is done, He opens His tabernacle and temple. The saints cannot enter at first, because it is filled with His wrath. His wrath is still hot against those who refuse to trust in the Lamb. Once the wrath is removed, the saints, we, are invited into His presence. For this we are destined, to enjoy forever the presence of the Almighty God without interference from any sin or unholiness. It will be pure ecstasy. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
What a celebration! It is the glory of our Lord that He desires for us to return to Him as did Hezekiah. Ahaz had left a horrid legacy for Hezekiah. Under Ahaz’s authority, “They. . .shut up the doors of the vestibule, put out the lamps, and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel.” It is a sad day when we quit seeking the glory of the Lord. But equally so, it is a joyful day when we return to seeking Him. Notice the order that the Levites took to seeking the Lord. First they cleansed the temple then they offered themselves and sacrificed. Remember sacrifices speak of the Lord Jesus. Finally there was great unity and rejoicing together.
One day we will all sit down at the marriage supper of the Lamb. Our cleansing will be complete. The sacrifices will be done. We will enjoy His glory. We will enjoy each other. It is the glory of the Lord that He desires such unity. O Lord speed that day! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--john
Revelation 15
Fire in the Scripture is frequently a symbol of the judgment of God. Fire burns away the impurities leaving only the pure metals. Fire kills bacteria leaving clean vessels. Here the saints who have victory are seen standing on a sea of glass mingled with fire. We presume that the fire does not burn or harm them because that which is dross has already been burned away. Even in the midst of God’s holiness they stand victorious because the Lamb has removed their sin and given them His righteousness.
They sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. Presumably The Song of Moses is the one recorded in Exodus 15. It is the song that he and the children of Israel sang after God’s mighty deliverance from the Egyptians through the Red Sea. The song of the Lamb for the saints would be the song we sing because He has delivered us. He brings us safe through His judgments. He took the judgment for us on our behalf. It is a great and marvelous work! It truly demonstrates once again that He is the Almighty. His deliverance is just. He cannot be accused in any way of injustice. His deliverance is true. It is completely consistent with all of what He is like. He indeed is holy in all that He has done!
After His judgment is done, He opens His tabernacle and temple. The saints cannot enter at first, because it is filled with His wrath. His wrath is still hot against those who refuse to trust in the Lamb. Once the wrath is removed, the saints, we, are invited into His presence. For this we are destined, to enjoy forever the presence of the Almighty God without interference from any sin or unholiness. It will be pure ecstasy. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Thursday, December 23, 2010
December 23, 2010
2 Chronicles 27-28
My first summer church camp experience before my 8th grade year resulted in repentance on my part for the way I had been living. Repentance resulted immediately in a willingness to help clean up around the cabin before we left for home. I did not have to be told to help. I wanted to help. So I pitched in without being told. That Sunday as the youth leader gave the report to the church, she presented me with an award for willingly helping to clean the campsite. I was given an award for something I should have been doing anyway. Imagine that! It is the glory of our Lord that He should bless us when we do what we should be doing anyway. Jotham is an illustration of this principle.
It is the glory of the Lord that He disciplines those who are disobedient. Yet it is also His glory to temper His discipline with mercy. What a contrast between Jotham and Ahaz! Ahaz deserved to be removed as King. The Lord used the wicked Israel and Syria to discipline Ahaz. He granted to Ahaz’s enemies the ability to defeat his army. The enemies went beyond what the Lord intended for them to do. The Lord tempered his discipline of Ahaz by forcing the return of the captives. This is mercy.
It is also the glory of the Lord to motivate His servants to do insanely courageous things. Oded is an example of that. It was common practice in ancient days for conquering armies to enslave the subjugated armies. Any resistance would be met with death or enslavement, take your pick. Oded went to the leaders of Israel and Syria—not followers of the Lord—and rebuked them for enslaving the subjugated army of Judah. Wow! That is insanely courageous! May his tribe ever increase. Why would he do that? I can only think that it was because he knew the glory of the Lord. He would rather have a clear vision of the glory of the Lord than live free! Sorry Braveheart, but there is something better than freedom! It is experiencing the glory of the Lord. Lord, may Your glory be my only vision! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 14
Somehow, somewhere, I picked up this feeling that all anger is sin, that all wrath is sin. But that is not true. There is a holy anger. There is a righteous anger. There is a holy wrath. If I observed an adult savagely beating a two year old, and I did not become angry, there would be something wrong with me. I think that example establishes that there is such a thing as holy wrath. There must be wrath against gross injustice, or there is no justice.
One spring I was at a men's retreat. One of the other men who was there was just back from a tour of duty with the Army in Iraq. He had a couple of jobs while he was there. One was clearing houses and buildings, searching for weapons stashes. Another job was that on a few occasions he had to open some mass graves that Sadam's men had created. He felt that even if we never found any weapons of mass destruction, we were justified in removing Sadam. To see all the relatives of these dead people come to the mass graves looking and hoping to find something of a lost loved one, and then thank the soldiers for their service, demonstrated to him that Sadam needed to be removed. Why? Because a gross injustice was being committed, it had to be stopped. Now lest you get caught up in the validity of the soldier's evaluation in the illustration, don't miss the point. The point is that at some point wrath against injustice is valid, or there is no justice at all.
Hitler had to be taken out. The murder of 16,000,000 people cried out for holy wrath to avenge their murders! The question becomes, "At what point is holy wrath no longer valid?" Is it at 8,000,000? Is it at 8,000? Is it at 8? Is it at one? Is murder the only sin that deserves holy wrath? How about sexual immorality? Well how bad does the sexual immorality have to be? How about lying? Well how bad does the lie have to be? How about stealing? Well how bad does the stealing have to be? How about coveting? Well how bad does the coveting have to be?
In Rev. 14 we again see the wrath of the Lamb. I love the way this is balanced. Once again notice that before the wrath of God falls, the Lamb is emphasized. Remember John the Baptist's saying of Jesus, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world?" The Lamb was slain as our substitute because of the wrath of God against all sin and breaking of God's law. This Lamb is the one executing the wrath of God. Again note that it is against those who will not follow the Lamb. For those who trust the Lamb, the wrath of God is satisfied in the Lamb's sacrifice. Note also that before the wrath falls, an angel is sent with the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. They are given every opportunity to repent and they will not. (It is interesting to note that God's normal method of preaching the gospel is through people, not angels.) God's wrath is just. Sinners, who refuse to repent and believe in Jesus, deserve exactly what they have asked for, eternal separation from God. It is the glory of the Lamb that He became their substitute, that He defeated death, that He freely offers life to those who will believe, that those who refuse His free offer should be forever tormented in the presence of that Lamb.
Some hate to talk about the wrath of God. Some even deny the wrath of God. But for God to be just there must be wrath. For God to be glorious, He must be just. If God is just, at some point there must be wrath against injustice. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
My first summer church camp experience before my 8th grade year resulted in repentance on my part for the way I had been living. Repentance resulted immediately in a willingness to help clean up around the cabin before we left for home. I did not have to be told to help. I wanted to help. So I pitched in without being told. That Sunday as the youth leader gave the report to the church, she presented me with an award for willingly helping to clean the campsite. I was given an award for something I should have been doing anyway. Imagine that! It is the glory of our Lord that He should bless us when we do what we should be doing anyway. Jotham is an illustration of this principle.
It is the glory of the Lord that He disciplines those who are disobedient. Yet it is also His glory to temper His discipline with mercy. What a contrast between Jotham and Ahaz! Ahaz deserved to be removed as King. The Lord used the wicked Israel and Syria to discipline Ahaz. He granted to Ahaz’s enemies the ability to defeat his army. The enemies went beyond what the Lord intended for them to do. The Lord tempered his discipline of Ahaz by forcing the return of the captives. This is mercy.
It is also the glory of the Lord to motivate His servants to do insanely courageous things. Oded is an example of that. It was common practice in ancient days for conquering armies to enslave the subjugated armies. Any resistance would be met with death or enslavement, take your pick. Oded went to the leaders of Israel and Syria—not followers of the Lord—and rebuked them for enslaving the subjugated army of Judah. Wow! That is insanely courageous! May his tribe ever increase. Why would he do that? I can only think that it was because he knew the glory of the Lord. He would rather have a clear vision of the glory of the Lord than live free! Sorry Braveheart, but there is something better than freedom! It is experiencing the glory of the Lord. Lord, may Your glory be my only vision! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 14
Somehow, somewhere, I picked up this feeling that all anger is sin, that all wrath is sin. But that is not true. There is a holy anger. There is a righteous anger. There is a holy wrath. If I observed an adult savagely beating a two year old, and I did not become angry, there would be something wrong with me. I think that example establishes that there is such a thing as holy wrath. There must be wrath against gross injustice, or there is no justice.
One spring I was at a men's retreat. One of the other men who was there was just back from a tour of duty with the Army in Iraq. He had a couple of jobs while he was there. One was clearing houses and buildings, searching for weapons stashes. Another job was that on a few occasions he had to open some mass graves that Sadam's men had created. He felt that even if we never found any weapons of mass destruction, we were justified in removing Sadam. To see all the relatives of these dead people come to the mass graves looking and hoping to find something of a lost loved one, and then thank the soldiers for their service, demonstrated to him that Sadam needed to be removed. Why? Because a gross injustice was being committed, it had to be stopped. Now lest you get caught up in the validity of the soldier's evaluation in the illustration, don't miss the point. The point is that at some point wrath against injustice is valid, or there is no justice at all.
Hitler had to be taken out. The murder of 16,000,000 people cried out for holy wrath to avenge their murders! The question becomes, "At what point is holy wrath no longer valid?" Is it at 8,000,000? Is it at 8,000? Is it at 8? Is it at one? Is murder the only sin that deserves holy wrath? How about sexual immorality? Well how bad does the sexual immorality have to be? How about lying? Well how bad does the lie have to be? How about stealing? Well how bad does the stealing have to be? How about coveting? Well how bad does the coveting have to be?
In Rev. 14 we again see the wrath of the Lamb. I love the way this is balanced. Once again notice that before the wrath of God falls, the Lamb is emphasized. Remember John the Baptist's saying of Jesus, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world?" The Lamb was slain as our substitute because of the wrath of God against all sin and breaking of God's law. This Lamb is the one executing the wrath of God. Again note that it is against those who will not follow the Lamb. For those who trust the Lamb, the wrath of God is satisfied in the Lamb's sacrifice. Note also that before the wrath falls, an angel is sent with the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. They are given every opportunity to repent and they will not. (It is interesting to note that God's normal method of preaching the gospel is through people, not angels.) God's wrath is just. Sinners, who refuse to repent and believe in Jesus, deserve exactly what they have asked for, eternal separation from God. It is the glory of the Lamb that He became their substitute, that He defeated death, that He freely offers life to those who will believe, that those who refuse His free offer should be forever tormented in the presence of that Lamb.
Some hate to talk about the wrath of God. Some even deny the wrath of God. But for God to be just there must be wrath. For God to be glorious, He must be just. If God is just, at some point there must be wrath against injustice. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
December 22, 2010
2 Chronicles 26
Uzziah’s fame spread far and wide, till he became strong. But when he was strong, he transgressed against the LORD his God by entering the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. It was only for the priests to burn incense. I am so tempted to want to receive praise for the things I do. Whenever I seek the praise of man, whenever the praise of others is my motivation for action, I am infringing on the glory of the Lord. Uzziah had been abundantly blessed by the Lord. In that blessing he became deceived thinking that God had elevated him to a place to which he had not been elevated. How could he possibly have thought that? That is the subtle temptation of pride. If we could see it coming, it would not overtake us. How could Satan have thought that He could elevate himself to God’s level? How could he ever have thought, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High?” Yet he did, and Uzziah followed in his steps. If we have an elevated view of ourselves and devalued view of His glory, we too will follow in his steps. Lord, let me constantly know who I am and who You are! Break down the pride in me! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 13
It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to over come them. And authority was given him over every tribe tongue, and nation. . . . Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. Satan is incapable of beating the Lamb and he knows it. Yet he continues in his rebellion. The only way that he can diminish the glory of the Lamb is by coercing those who have chosen to receive the Lamb to despair and give up. The Lamb could respond in one of two ways. He could put a hedge around those who receive Him and not allow the temptation. Or He could allow Satan to attack and see if His followers will remain steadfast in the midst of the attack. Which will bring the Lamb more glory? It would seem to me that to stand steadfast in the midst of a horrible ordeal because one has found the Lamb's glory more valuable than comfort, speaks more loudly of the Lamb's glory than to be coddled in comfort, never having been aware that you have been protected from a fierce enemy.
In our time of serving the Lord, Laura and I have experienced-at no direct fault of our own-financial deprivation, rejection, death of loved ones, false accusations, illnesses etc. While I don't necessarily want to go through any of those experiences again, I am well within the mark when I say that in each and every situation, when it seemed the darkest, the Lord met us and walked us, if not carried us, through the situation. And some of those times His presence was so strong that I would have been willing to continue on in those situations for the sheer joy of experiencing His presence. Satan can not do anything to us without it being granted to him by the Lamb. What blessed opportunities to show the glory of the Lamb! He suffered and died for me. I am willing to live, suffer and die for Him. In so doing I have the privilege of increasing His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Uzziah’s fame spread far and wide, till he became strong. But when he was strong, he transgressed against the LORD his God by entering the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. It was only for the priests to burn incense. I am so tempted to want to receive praise for the things I do. Whenever I seek the praise of man, whenever the praise of others is my motivation for action, I am infringing on the glory of the Lord. Uzziah had been abundantly blessed by the Lord. In that blessing he became deceived thinking that God had elevated him to a place to which he had not been elevated. How could he possibly have thought that? That is the subtle temptation of pride. If we could see it coming, it would not overtake us. How could Satan have thought that He could elevate himself to God’s level? How could he ever have thought, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High?” Yet he did, and Uzziah followed in his steps. If we have an elevated view of ourselves and devalued view of His glory, we too will follow in his steps. Lord, let me constantly know who I am and who You are! Break down the pride in me! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 13
It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to over come them. And authority was given him over every tribe tongue, and nation. . . . Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. Satan is incapable of beating the Lamb and he knows it. Yet he continues in his rebellion. The only way that he can diminish the glory of the Lamb is by coercing those who have chosen to receive the Lamb to despair and give up. The Lamb could respond in one of two ways. He could put a hedge around those who receive Him and not allow the temptation. Or He could allow Satan to attack and see if His followers will remain steadfast in the midst of the attack. Which will bring the Lamb more glory? It would seem to me that to stand steadfast in the midst of a horrible ordeal because one has found the Lamb's glory more valuable than comfort, speaks more loudly of the Lamb's glory than to be coddled in comfort, never having been aware that you have been protected from a fierce enemy.
In our time of serving the Lord, Laura and I have experienced-at no direct fault of our own-financial deprivation, rejection, death of loved ones, false accusations, illnesses etc. While I don't necessarily want to go through any of those experiences again, I am well within the mark when I say that in each and every situation, when it seemed the darkest, the Lord met us and walked us, if not carried us, through the situation. And some of those times His presence was so strong that I would have been willing to continue on in those situations for the sheer joy of experiencing His presence. Satan can not do anything to us without it being granted to him by the Lamb. What blessed opportunities to show the glory of the Lamb! He suffered and died for me. I am willing to live, suffer and die for Him. In so doing I have the privilege of increasing His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
December 21, 2010
2 Chronicles 25
Amaziah began his reign by properly executing his father’s murderers. However, he quickly went downhill from there. He first disobeyed the Lord by numbering the men of Israel in order to determine the strength of the army. Then based upon the census, he hired soldiers from Ephraim to fight for him. Both acts were forbidden by the Lord. As a result, the Lord rebuked him through the prophet. But he had already spent 100 talents hiring the Ephraimites. The Lord told him to let it go; He could provide much more. Amaziah reluctantly obeyed. The Lord forgave Amaziah. However, Amaziah had to live with the consequences of his sin. He lost the 100 talents, and the Ephraimites attacked his territory while he was fighting the Edomites. God had already been abundantly merciful to Amaziah, but Amaziah presumed on the mercy of the Lord. Amaziah then spiraled into even greater sin.
What do I see about he glory of the Lord? He is merciful. He gave Amaziah much opportunity to repent, but eventually Amaziah’s refusal to repent led to Amaziah’s discipline and eventual death. The justice of the Lord is thus played out in the acts of men. How is his glory seen here? He is shown as both merciful and just. That is my Jesus. He is ever compassionate and merciful. However, one day an end comes where He ceases to wait for our obedience. He is just. I also see that I can freely let go of what I thing is a great sum of money. He is able give it all back to me if He desires. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 12
In the fall of my sophomore year in high school I weighed all of 135 pounds and that was stretching it a bit. I went out for football. We had 6 strings on the team. I was on the sixth. The coach used to have the sixth string run against the first string. We would run the plays that the next team that we were playing would probably be running. Our first string had a guy on it who was about 235 pounds and made all-state tackle. He was pure muscle. One particular practice I had the opportunity to be on defense against him and to be the one he got to block. They were practicing a screen pass, which meant not only was he blocking me but he had would be hitting me at a full run. My demise was sudden, airborne and painful. As I collected my self from various parts of the field, I remember the head coach, who couldn't even call my name without looking on the name tag on my helmet, say, "Now protect yourself, Chaffin." My thought was, "Give me a Smith & Wesson, and I will protect myself." I was a nameless player in an inglorious effort against an impossible foe.
Sometimes in this world it seems as though we are nameless players in an inglorious effort against impossible foes. Satan has always opposed the work of God. He sought to destroy Jesus. He thought he had destroyed Jesus when he had Him nailed to the cross. Ah but God raised Him up on the third day, and then He ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven. But Satan remains in opposition to us. He seeks to make us feel like we are nameless players in an inglorious effort against an impossible foe. But our Lamb is an attack Lamb. Our Lamb has overcome on our behalf! We enter into that victory as we trust in the effectiveness of His blood, speak His glory and remain faithful to the death.
We are not nameless players. Jesus knows our names-even shedding His blood for us. It is not an inglorious effort. No one else may know our effort, but He knows, and He's the only one who counts. The foe is doomed. His time is short. He is not impossible. One day Satan's demise will be eternally sudden, airborne and painful. Death may come for us, but that is only the beginning of our victory. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the testimony of our mouths. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Amaziah began his reign by properly executing his father’s murderers. However, he quickly went downhill from there. He first disobeyed the Lord by numbering the men of Israel in order to determine the strength of the army. Then based upon the census, he hired soldiers from Ephraim to fight for him. Both acts were forbidden by the Lord. As a result, the Lord rebuked him through the prophet. But he had already spent 100 talents hiring the Ephraimites. The Lord told him to let it go; He could provide much more. Amaziah reluctantly obeyed. The Lord forgave Amaziah. However, Amaziah had to live with the consequences of his sin. He lost the 100 talents, and the Ephraimites attacked his territory while he was fighting the Edomites. God had already been abundantly merciful to Amaziah, but Amaziah presumed on the mercy of the Lord. Amaziah then spiraled into even greater sin.
What do I see about he glory of the Lord? He is merciful. He gave Amaziah much opportunity to repent, but eventually Amaziah’s refusal to repent led to Amaziah’s discipline and eventual death. The justice of the Lord is thus played out in the acts of men. How is his glory seen here? He is shown as both merciful and just. That is my Jesus. He is ever compassionate and merciful. However, one day an end comes where He ceases to wait for our obedience. He is just. I also see that I can freely let go of what I thing is a great sum of money. He is able give it all back to me if He desires. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 12
In the fall of my sophomore year in high school I weighed all of 135 pounds and that was stretching it a bit. I went out for football. We had 6 strings on the team. I was on the sixth. The coach used to have the sixth string run against the first string. We would run the plays that the next team that we were playing would probably be running. Our first string had a guy on it who was about 235 pounds and made all-state tackle. He was pure muscle. One particular practice I had the opportunity to be on defense against him and to be the one he got to block. They were practicing a screen pass, which meant not only was he blocking me but he had would be hitting me at a full run. My demise was sudden, airborne and painful. As I collected my self from various parts of the field, I remember the head coach, who couldn't even call my name without looking on the name tag on my helmet, say, "Now protect yourself, Chaffin." My thought was, "Give me a Smith & Wesson, and I will protect myself." I was a nameless player in an inglorious effort against an impossible foe.
Sometimes in this world it seems as though we are nameless players in an inglorious effort against impossible foes. Satan has always opposed the work of God. He sought to destroy Jesus. He thought he had destroyed Jesus when he had Him nailed to the cross. Ah but God raised Him up on the third day, and then He ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven. But Satan remains in opposition to us. He seeks to make us feel like we are nameless players in an inglorious effort against an impossible foe. But our Lamb is an attack Lamb. Our Lamb has overcome on our behalf! We enter into that victory as we trust in the effectiveness of His blood, speak His glory and remain faithful to the death.
We are not nameless players. Jesus knows our names-even shedding His blood for us. It is not an inglorious effort. No one else may know our effort, but He knows, and He's the only one who counts. The foe is doomed. His time is short. He is not impossible. One day Satan's demise will be eternally sudden, airborne and painful. Death may come for us, but that is only the beginning of our victory. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the testimony of our mouths. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
December 20, 2010
2 Chronicles 24
Thank God for godly mothers. I have one. My faith in the Lord is partly what it is because of her faith. Joash’s momma was from the South. She was from Beersheba. There is a general principle in Geographic theology found in the Bible that the southern Bible lands are associated with desert living. Yet it seems often that is in the desert that God reveals Himself. The northern Bible lands are green and lush. Yet it seems often in the abundance of the greenery and goods that God is lost. Joash’s momma was from Beersheba, about as far south as one would want to live in Israel. Farther south is habitable, but not desirable. Athaliah was from the north. It was more desirable to live there, but it was idol worship was more common. The godly influence of his mother Zibiah and the high priest Jehoiadah combined to fashion Joash as a king who sought the Lord until Jehoiadah died.
That was Joash’s problem. His faith was Jehoiadah’s faith, not his own faith. He had never come to learn for Himself the great glory of the Lord! So when Jehoiadah was gone, he listened to the people and became concerned for his own glory rather than the glory of the Lord. He was so enamored with his own glory that he could not handle the rebuke brought to him by Zechariah, his old mentor’s son. He killed Zechariah in defense of his own glory. Lord, help me keep my eyes on Your glory and not my own! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 11
The Mighty Angel of God sends his two witnesses to the earth to prophesy and call people to repentance. Armed with miracles, signs and wonders the witnesses preach but are opposed and then murdered by the beast. The beast, seeking to emphasize his triumph, leaves their dead bodies in the street for 3.5 days. For followers of the Lamb, it is a dark time. It looks like the beast has triumphed. Then God resurrects the witnesses in the presence of their enemies. All the world sees their new life, and then they are called to heaven. In heaven it is declared that the second woe is past, and the seventh angel sounds his trumpet. I cannot read this passage without Handel's Hallelujah Chorus coming to mind.
Loud voices begin to say, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” That's fine for those in heaven who can hear the exultation and know the truth. But what about those people left on earth who want to follow the Lamb? All they have seen is His two witnesses destroyed, resurrected and then called back to heaven. They still have to live in the junk floating around them. Do they realize what is going on? This revelation is given to all who are in midst of hard times. Indeed His kingdom will one day rule over all others. To this revelation we must cling when times are rough and impossible.
The Lord God Almighty is described as the One who is and who was and who is to come. Five times a phrase similar to this is used in Revelation to describe God. John uses it in1:4 to describe God. Jesus uses it in 1:8 to describe Himself. The four living creatures use it to describe the One seated upon the throne in 4:8. The twenty-four elders use it here to describe the Lord God Almighty. The angel of the waters uses it to describe the Lord God Almighty in 16:5. Each time it is used in a slightly different manner, but the phrase has the same basic meaning. He has great power. He was. He used the power to become flesh and deliver us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. His grace is ever flowing over us. He is. He is the one who rules in heaven right now while this junk is going on in our lives and on this earth. His mercy is constantly revealed giving people opportunity to repent. He is to come. His wrath will One day be revealed against those who will not repent. He will return, and then everything will be set straight.
Are you having a hard time hanging on? Focus on Him who was and is and is to come. We cannot lose that focus! He is our life! He is glorious! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Thank God for godly mothers. I have one. My faith in the Lord is partly what it is because of her faith. Joash’s momma was from the South. She was from Beersheba. There is a general principle in Geographic theology found in the Bible that the southern Bible lands are associated with desert living. Yet it seems often that is in the desert that God reveals Himself. The northern Bible lands are green and lush. Yet it seems often in the abundance of the greenery and goods that God is lost. Joash’s momma was from Beersheba, about as far south as one would want to live in Israel. Farther south is habitable, but not desirable. Athaliah was from the north. It was more desirable to live there, but it was idol worship was more common. The godly influence of his mother Zibiah and the high priest Jehoiadah combined to fashion Joash as a king who sought the Lord until Jehoiadah died.
That was Joash’s problem. His faith was Jehoiadah’s faith, not his own faith. He had never come to learn for Himself the great glory of the Lord! So when Jehoiadah was gone, he listened to the people and became concerned for his own glory rather than the glory of the Lord. He was so enamored with his own glory that he could not handle the rebuke brought to him by Zechariah, his old mentor’s son. He killed Zechariah in defense of his own glory. Lord, help me keep my eyes on Your glory and not my own! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 11
The Mighty Angel of God sends his two witnesses to the earth to prophesy and call people to repentance. Armed with miracles, signs and wonders the witnesses preach but are opposed and then murdered by the beast. The beast, seeking to emphasize his triumph, leaves their dead bodies in the street for 3.5 days. For followers of the Lamb, it is a dark time. It looks like the beast has triumphed. Then God resurrects the witnesses in the presence of their enemies. All the world sees their new life, and then they are called to heaven. In heaven it is declared that the second woe is past, and the seventh angel sounds his trumpet. I cannot read this passage without Handel's Hallelujah Chorus coming to mind.
Loud voices begin to say, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” That's fine for those in heaven who can hear the exultation and know the truth. But what about those people left on earth who want to follow the Lamb? All they have seen is His two witnesses destroyed, resurrected and then called back to heaven. They still have to live in the junk floating around them. Do they realize what is going on? This revelation is given to all who are in midst of hard times. Indeed His kingdom will one day rule over all others. To this revelation we must cling when times are rough and impossible.
The Lord God Almighty is described as the One who is and who was and who is to come. Five times a phrase similar to this is used in Revelation to describe God. John uses it in1:4 to describe God. Jesus uses it in 1:8 to describe Himself. The four living creatures use it to describe the One seated upon the throne in 4:8. The twenty-four elders use it here to describe the Lord God Almighty. The angel of the waters uses it to describe the Lord God Almighty in 16:5. Each time it is used in a slightly different manner, but the phrase has the same basic meaning. He has great power. He was. He used the power to become flesh and deliver us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. His grace is ever flowing over us. He is. He is the one who rules in heaven right now while this junk is going on in our lives and on this earth. His mercy is constantly revealed giving people opportunity to repent. He is to come. His wrath will One day be revealed against those who will not repent. He will return, and then everything will be set straight.
Are you having a hard time hanging on? Focus on Him who was and is and is to come. We cannot lose that focus! He is our life! He is glorious! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
December 19, 2010
2 Chronicles 22-23
Almost every month we read of a country where there is civil unrest. Regimes are constantly being challenged and often over thrown. The single greatest contributor to poverty worldwide is the greed of men which leads to civil unrest, which leads to the destruction of economic systems. The struggle is to become the most comfortable. Even the Crusades with their religious verbage were really more a result of greed than truly acting upon spiritual principle. But these coups first led by Athaliah and then against her by Jehoiadah were not merely civil coups. They were also a struggle of religion, a struggle of gods.
Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, had strong connections with Baal worship. She had seen her mother’s prophets defeated by Elijah. She had seen how Elijah had commanded the execution of the 450. She had been pushed into an arranged marriage with Jehoshaphat, a Yahweh worshipper. Now with the lineage of her brothers destroyed and her husband destroyed, she had opportunity to lay claim to the throne of the kingdom of Israel and reunite it with the throne of Judah. But while any Judean Yahweh descendants of Jehoshaphat remained, her claim would not be valid in Judah, and she would be held suspect in Israel. Jehoshaphat had other wives and she may not have issued any children yet. The solution? Kill the offspring of Jehoshaphat claim the throne of Judah and eventually marry back into Israel to re-unite the countries into one strong country under her Baal god.
There was a catch. She was not just manipulating people. She was in a real sense trying to manipulate Yahweh. He will not permit such bold manipulation. By divine providence one child escaped. He came under the watch care of Jehoiadah, the high priest. Jehoiadah planned his coup carefully and well. It was successful. The boy king began to reign. Athaliah was executed. The temple of Baal was torn down by the people. Yahweh prevailed! Ultimately, He will prevail in every coup! It may be generations before the coup is put down, but He will prevail. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 10
Have you ever eaten anything that was sweet in your mouth but bitter in your stomach? I have. It seems that as I get older, my digestive system does not work as well as it used to work. I love homemade bread. I love things made with cheese (pizza, lasagna, etc.). I am finding that if I eat those things till I am full that I always get bad indigestion. It seems also that the combination of bread and cheese is particularly effective at producing indigestion. The things of this earth are sweet in our mouths. But they eventually sour. The bitterness is a result of the sin of mankind.
Jesus is the One who created all the beauty that we see. He is the author of the things we enjoy. Our sin has polluted it. It causes His once good creation to bring bitterness to our lives. BUT He is the one who will bring it to an end. It is a mystery how He created it good, we ruined it, but He will restore it. He will bring it to an end. He will finish it. That is His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Almost every month we read of a country where there is civil unrest. Regimes are constantly being challenged and often over thrown. The single greatest contributor to poverty worldwide is the greed of men which leads to civil unrest, which leads to the destruction of economic systems. The struggle is to become the most comfortable. Even the Crusades with their religious verbage were really more a result of greed than truly acting upon spiritual principle. But these coups first led by Athaliah and then against her by Jehoiadah were not merely civil coups. They were also a struggle of religion, a struggle of gods.
Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, had strong connections with Baal worship. She had seen her mother’s prophets defeated by Elijah. She had seen how Elijah had commanded the execution of the 450. She had been pushed into an arranged marriage with Jehoshaphat, a Yahweh worshipper. Now with the lineage of her brothers destroyed and her husband destroyed, she had opportunity to lay claim to the throne of the kingdom of Israel and reunite it with the throne of Judah. But while any Judean Yahweh descendants of Jehoshaphat remained, her claim would not be valid in Judah, and she would be held suspect in Israel. Jehoshaphat had other wives and she may not have issued any children yet. The solution? Kill the offspring of Jehoshaphat claim the throne of Judah and eventually marry back into Israel to re-unite the countries into one strong country under her Baal god.
There was a catch. She was not just manipulating people. She was in a real sense trying to manipulate Yahweh. He will not permit such bold manipulation. By divine providence one child escaped. He came under the watch care of Jehoiadah, the high priest. Jehoiadah planned his coup carefully and well. It was successful. The boy king began to reign. Athaliah was executed. The temple of Baal was torn down by the people. Yahweh prevailed! Ultimately, He will prevail in every coup! It may be generations before the coup is put down, but He will prevail. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 10
Have you ever eaten anything that was sweet in your mouth but bitter in your stomach? I have. It seems that as I get older, my digestive system does not work as well as it used to work. I love homemade bread. I love things made with cheese (pizza, lasagna, etc.). I am finding that if I eat those things till I am full that I always get bad indigestion. It seems also that the combination of bread and cheese is particularly effective at producing indigestion. The things of this earth are sweet in our mouths. But they eventually sour. The bitterness is a result of the sin of mankind.
Jesus is the One who created all the beauty that we see. He is the author of the things we enjoy. Our sin has polluted it. It causes His once good creation to bring bitterness to our lives. BUT He is the one who will bring it to an end. It is a mystery how He created it good, we ruined it, but He will restore it. He will bring it to an end. He will finish it. That is His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Saturday, December 18, 2010
December 18, 2010
2 Chronicles 21
One of the saddest experiences of my life was the first funeral that I was asked to perform. It was the funeral of the mother of a man whose little girls had attended our VBS. They had no church home. So when his mother passed away, he had no one to turn to but me. I had never met the woman before and had only met him on a couple of occasions. Before the funeral I met with him to try to learn about the life of his mother. He could not come up with one good memory concerning his mother. The best that I could ascertain, she did not know the Lord. The man had siblings but they refused to come to the funeral. It was a graveside funeral. It rained. He, his wife and two daughters and myself were the only ones that showed up. No tears were shed. What happens when we radically reject the glory of the Lord? Ask Jehoram. He died from his intestines gradually falling out day-by-day. When he died, it was to, “no one’s sorrow.” He wasn’t even buried with the other kings of Jerusalem. How does this show the glory of the Lord? It only shows the ultimate result of not pursuing Him. His glory is that which changes us from a life like Jehoram’s to one that is worth living. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 9
Somehow the justice and judgment of the Lamb is intermingled with the prayers of the saints. It is when the censer, which was used to bring the prayers of the saints to God, is thrown to the earth that the trumpets of judgment begin to blow. When the sixth trumpet sounds, a voice speaks from the golden altar which is before God. It is upon the golden altar that the prayers of the saints are offered and rise up before God. The voice from the golden altar commands the release of the 4 angels. The people of the Lamb are participating with Him in His judgment of those who will not repent. It is the glory of the Lamb that they should work with Him from heaven to bring just retribution to those who will not repent. It is not our place to gain vengeance now. Now is the time to pray and intercede. The time that we participate with Him in judgment will be after we have died. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
One of the saddest experiences of my life was the first funeral that I was asked to perform. It was the funeral of the mother of a man whose little girls had attended our VBS. They had no church home. So when his mother passed away, he had no one to turn to but me. I had never met the woman before and had only met him on a couple of occasions. Before the funeral I met with him to try to learn about the life of his mother. He could not come up with one good memory concerning his mother. The best that I could ascertain, she did not know the Lord. The man had siblings but they refused to come to the funeral. It was a graveside funeral. It rained. He, his wife and two daughters and myself were the only ones that showed up. No tears were shed. What happens when we radically reject the glory of the Lord? Ask Jehoram. He died from his intestines gradually falling out day-by-day. When he died, it was to, “no one’s sorrow.” He wasn’t even buried with the other kings of Jerusalem. How does this show the glory of the Lord? It only shows the ultimate result of not pursuing Him. His glory is that which changes us from a life like Jehoram’s to one that is worth living. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 9
Somehow the justice and judgment of the Lamb is intermingled with the prayers of the saints. It is when the censer, which was used to bring the prayers of the saints to God, is thrown to the earth that the trumpets of judgment begin to blow. When the sixth trumpet sounds, a voice speaks from the golden altar which is before God. It is upon the golden altar that the prayers of the saints are offered and rise up before God. The voice from the golden altar commands the release of the 4 angels. The people of the Lamb are participating with Him in His judgment of those who will not repent. It is the glory of the Lamb that they should work with Him from heaven to bring just retribution to those who will not repent. It is not our place to gain vengeance now. Now is the time to pray and intercede. The time that we participate with Him in judgment will be after we have died. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Friday, December 17, 2010
December 17, 2010
2 Chronicles 19-20
Sometime after my grandma Chaffin turned 90, she sent me a little note. Jokingly she wrote, “The pastor came by the other day. He said that at my age I should be thinking about the hereafter. I told him, “I think about the hereafter all the time. I walk into a room and ask myself, ‘Now what am I hereafter?’” I am only 55 and already I am doing that. But on a grander scale do not we all do that with life? Don’t we all seem to have times when we are really clicking with God, and then all of a sudden it is like, “What am I doing here?”
WE are not alone. Jehoshaphat is a great example of both of those extremes. Coming off of the humiliating defeat in battle (I wonder how many of his 1.16 million man army did he lose?) when he allied with Ahab, the seer corrected him. To his credit, Jehoshaphat takes it to heart. He personally forms a party and travels from the far south of the kingdom to the far north. As he goes from city to city, he exhorts the people to seek the Lord and appoints judges to judge according to the character of the Lord. A tremendous revival breaks out.
After every victory there always comes an attack of the enemy. Probably his loss with Ahab against Syria not only weakened his army but also weakened how the surrounding nations viewed his military strength. The years that he spent focusing upon the Lord rather than his military strength gave the nations to the east time to gather their armies together. They were able to ford the Dead Sea and establish a beachhead on the western shore near En Gedi. By the time Jehoshaphat heard about it, the beachhead was already established and the armies were poised to advance toward Jerusalem.
I wonder if Jehoshaphat thought, “If only I had spent more time focusing on the military.” The text does say that he feared. So, he called a fast and commanded everyone to seek the Lord. The Lord spoke clearly to them. They bowed in worship. Jehoshaphat greatly exhorted the people to believe in the Lord. The result was one of the most amazing battles recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures. They appointed singers to sing praise to the Lord. As they sang the high praise of the Lord, the Lord confused their enemies, and they began to attack themselves. By the time the army of Judah arrived at the battlefield, it was all over. The enemies of Judah had destroyed themselves and lay dead upon the ground. Wow! What an illustration to the people about the need to trust the Lord!
But after every victory there always comes an attack of the enemy. This time he did not use a foreign army. He used commerce. Jehoshaphat now had clear control of the lands of Edom and Moab all the way to Ezion Geber on the northern most point of the Reed Sea, near the city of Aqaba of modern Jordan. Solomon had built a navy there that brought riches to him from around the world. They would set sail on a three year cycle. If Tarshish is to be identified with the assumed location near Gibraltar, it would take their ships on a mighty trading voyage around the Cape of Good Hope and then up the coast to Spain. It certainly could take three years to make the voyage as they stopped and traded at different ports along the way trading with the African kings (Yes, Africa did have kingdoms. We just don’t hear about them in our European-centric history courses.) Tarshish was also a term that referred to mighty ships used for commerce. In either case, it would be an expensive task to build and man a fleet of ships that could make the three year journey together and return unharmed by pirates or weather. Falling back on family to share the expense, Jehoshaphat formed an alliance with Israel.
What was he thinking? Did he go to Ezion Geber and say, “What am I here after?” Well, this wasn’t a battle. He was forming an alliance for trade. Trade is a significant thing. It is necessary for a healthy world economy. It is necessary for a healthy national economy. But to do it, he allied with his brother-in-law Ahaziah, a very wicked man, a follower of Baal, the son of Jezebel. But the Lord is merciful. He sank their fleet, and He sent a prophet to rebuke Jehoshaphat. Walking with the Lord is more important than a successful national economy. His glory is greater than armies. His glory is greater than riches. Whenever I stop to think, “What am I here after?” May I always answer, “For the glory of the the Lord!” Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 8
There are times in life when silence is the only appropriate response. Not far from Portland, Oregon is a viewing point called Larch Mountain. Laura and I went there many times when I was in seminary. Your could drive very close to the top, park in a lot and the walk to the summit. On the summit was a viewing platform that afforded a 360 degree view. On a clear day from the top, one can see far to the south Three Sisters (mountains), to the east-southeast Mt Hood, to the east-northeast Mt. Adams (I think that was its name-it might have been Jefferson), to the north what’s left of Mt. St. Helens and further north on an exceptionally clear day Mt. Rainier up by Seattle. It was a sight that inspired awe. I truly enjoyed standing there in silence and slowly turning and looking at all the sights around me.
The Lamb opens the seventh seal and silence prevails in heaven for about half and hour. The Lamb has brought the history of the Earth to an end. In awe of what He has done and what He is about to do all of heaven remains quiet. Seven angels are given seven trumpets of judgment. An eighth angel is given a censer to offer up the prayers of all the saints before God. Here are two aspects of the Lamb which demand occasional silence before Him. He is the just judge. He is also the One through whom our prayer arises before God and becomes effective. Through Him both justice and mercy are dispensed. To the believer mercy is poured out. To the resistant justice is ladled. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Sometime after my grandma Chaffin turned 90, she sent me a little note. Jokingly she wrote, “The pastor came by the other day. He said that at my age I should be thinking about the hereafter. I told him, “I think about the hereafter all the time. I walk into a room and ask myself, ‘Now what am I hereafter?’” I am only 55 and already I am doing that. But on a grander scale do not we all do that with life? Don’t we all seem to have times when we are really clicking with God, and then all of a sudden it is like, “What am I doing here?”
WE are not alone. Jehoshaphat is a great example of both of those extremes. Coming off of the humiliating defeat in battle (I wonder how many of his 1.16 million man army did he lose?) when he allied with Ahab, the seer corrected him. To his credit, Jehoshaphat takes it to heart. He personally forms a party and travels from the far south of the kingdom to the far north. As he goes from city to city, he exhorts the people to seek the Lord and appoints judges to judge according to the character of the Lord. A tremendous revival breaks out.
After every victory there always comes an attack of the enemy. Probably his loss with Ahab against Syria not only weakened his army but also weakened how the surrounding nations viewed his military strength. The years that he spent focusing upon the Lord rather than his military strength gave the nations to the east time to gather their armies together. They were able to ford the Dead Sea and establish a beachhead on the western shore near En Gedi. By the time Jehoshaphat heard about it, the beachhead was already established and the armies were poised to advance toward Jerusalem.
I wonder if Jehoshaphat thought, “If only I had spent more time focusing on the military.” The text does say that he feared. So, he called a fast and commanded everyone to seek the Lord. The Lord spoke clearly to them. They bowed in worship. Jehoshaphat greatly exhorted the people to believe in the Lord. The result was one of the most amazing battles recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures. They appointed singers to sing praise to the Lord. As they sang the high praise of the Lord, the Lord confused their enemies, and they began to attack themselves. By the time the army of Judah arrived at the battlefield, it was all over. The enemies of Judah had destroyed themselves and lay dead upon the ground. Wow! What an illustration to the people about the need to trust the Lord!
But after every victory there always comes an attack of the enemy. This time he did not use a foreign army. He used commerce. Jehoshaphat now had clear control of the lands of Edom and Moab all the way to Ezion Geber on the northern most point of the Reed Sea, near the city of Aqaba of modern Jordan. Solomon had built a navy there that brought riches to him from around the world. They would set sail on a three year cycle. If Tarshish is to be identified with the assumed location near Gibraltar, it would take their ships on a mighty trading voyage around the Cape of Good Hope and then up the coast to Spain. It certainly could take three years to make the voyage as they stopped and traded at different ports along the way trading with the African kings (Yes, Africa did have kingdoms. We just don’t hear about them in our European-centric history courses.) Tarshish was also a term that referred to mighty ships used for commerce. In either case, it would be an expensive task to build and man a fleet of ships that could make the three year journey together and return unharmed by pirates or weather. Falling back on family to share the expense, Jehoshaphat formed an alliance with Israel.
What was he thinking? Did he go to Ezion Geber and say, “What am I here after?” Well, this wasn’t a battle. He was forming an alliance for trade. Trade is a significant thing. It is necessary for a healthy world economy. It is necessary for a healthy national economy. But to do it, he allied with his brother-in-law Ahaziah, a very wicked man, a follower of Baal, the son of Jezebel. But the Lord is merciful. He sank their fleet, and He sent a prophet to rebuke Jehoshaphat. Walking with the Lord is more important than a successful national economy. His glory is greater than armies. His glory is greater than riches. Whenever I stop to think, “What am I here after?” May I always answer, “For the glory of the the Lord!” Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 8
There are times in life when silence is the only appropriate response. Not far from Portland, Oregon is a viewing point called Larch Mountain. Laura and I went there many times when I was in seminary. Your could drive very close to the top, park in a lot and the walk to the summit. On the summit was a viewing platform that afforded a 360 degree view. On a clear day from the top, one can see far to the south Three Sisters (mountains), to the east-southeast Mt Hood, to the east-northeast Mt. Adams (I think that was its name-it might have been Jefferson), to the north what’s left of Mt. St. Helens and further north on an exceptionally clear day Mt. Rainier up by Seattle. It was a sight that inspired awe. I truly enjoyed standing there in silence and slowly turning and looking at all the sights around me.
The Lamb opens the seventh seal and silence prevails in heaven for about half and hour. The Lamb has brought the history of the Earth to an end. In awe of what He has done and what He is about to do all of heaven remains quiet. Seven angels are given seven trumpets of judgment. An eighth angel is given a censer to offer up the prayers of all the saints before God. Here are two aspects of the Lamb which demand occasional silence before Him. He is the just judge. He is also the One through whom our prayer arises before God and becomes effective. Through Him both justice and mercy are dispensed. To the believer mercy is poured out. To the resistant justice is ladled. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Thursday, December 16, 2010
December 16, 2010
2 Chronicles 18
Riches, honor and rest from war settled down upon Jehoshaphat as the Lord was with him. His army increased to 1.16 million men. That was more than Zerah the Ethiopian had brought against his father thirty or forty years earlier. The surrounding nations feared him. After some years he allied himself with Ahab. Bad move. Why would he do that? He was strong and did not need Ahab. After three solid generations of fighting Israel, he felt a need to secure the peace. Marriage alliances were about as secure an alliance as one could arrange in those days. Yet the Lord has always seemed to have a problem with the people of God marrying non-people of God. Bad move.
Jehoshaphat went down to see his father-in-law. He went north, but the direction was down in physical elevation as well as moral elevation. Ahab wanted Jehoshaphat to help him fight Syria. Now Asa, Jehoshaphat’s father had paid Syria some ten years earlier to attack Israel. Asa was rebuked for buying help. He never repented. Jehoshaphat had some lingering misgivings about the wisdom of fighting this war. He requested a prophet of the Lord to speak to them for God. Obviously Ahab had plenty of false prophets around. There were at least 400 of them. They gladly spoke what Ahab wanted to hear. Yet Jehoshaphat remembered the problem that his dad had. He insisted on hearing the prophet of the Lord. Too bad he didn’t insist on not going in the battle. But what are you going to do when your father-in-law insists, particularly when it is a father-in-law of a marriage alliance.
Poor Micaiah, he was the only courageous person in the bunch. He spoke the truth. He was jailed for it. Do you suppose he was ever released, or did he die there? He could have probably avoided jail if he had just gone with the flow. Micaiah had seen too much of the glory of the Lord. Micaiah could only speak the truth. His Glory has that effect upon us. After we have seen Him, how could we speak otherwise?
This chapter ends in the wrong spot. Read into the next chapter the second verse. The seer Jehu the son of Hanani went to visit Jehoshaphat. He rebuked him for aiding Ahab. The wrath of the Lord was upon him for that. Why should we aid those who seek to hide the glory of the Lord? But again according the character of the Lord, He extended mercy and grace to Jehoshaphat because he sought God. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 7
This is indeed an amazing way in which our Lord chooses to reveal Himself, the Lamb. Yesterday we found that He was a fierce lamb, toward those who will not yield. Today we find the Lamb is the shepherd of people. What a strange metaphor! Usually people shepherd lambs. But here it is the Lamb who has shepherded His people. The scene is that He has brought them out of the great tribulation. Is this a technical term for a specific end-time period or is it just great tribulation in general that believers of all ages have encountered? Or both? I'll leave that for another time. But consider this: John was under great tribulation for the testimony of Jesus. Many have endured unbelievable cruelty at the hands of others for the cause of knowing the Lamb. Ask the women in Sudan, who have been raped and/or mutilated because they are believers. Or ask the orphans, who are literally enslaved after their parents are killed because they were believers. Ask believers in parts of India, who are live under constant threat of Hindu retaliation. Ask believers in many Islamic countries where it is illegal to speak to others about your faith unless they first invite you to speak with them. In many of those countries, it is illegal to meet together as believers. In some it is illegal to convert to another religion. If you were born a Muslim, you must stay Muslim. Ask the believers in China, who are regularly arrested and imprisoned for trusting in the Lamb or telling others about His glory. I think that they would say, “We experienced great tribulation.”
Yet I have heard testimony of a few who would say they would do it all over again if their Lord asked them to do it and if He would meet them in the midst of it as He did previously. You see our Lamb is a Shepherd. He meets us in our tribulation. He takes the stains upon us, which are caused by our sin and the sins of others, and He washes them clean. He does this with His own blood not with some other agent. He endured great pain to earn the right to take our pain. Our Lamb is a shepherd, who is able to wipe away every tear. I can hold my child when he or she hurts. I can wipe away the tears. But more tears usually come right after that. I cannot stop the reason they cry. The Lamb can and one day will. That is why He is worthy of blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Riches, honor and rest from war settled down upon Jehoshaphat as the Lord was with him. His army increased to 1.16 million men. That was more than Zerah the Ethiopian had brought against his father thirty or forty years earlier. The surrounding nations feared him. After some years he allied himself with Ahab. Bad move. Why would he do that? He was strong and did not need Ahab. After three solid generations of fighting Israel, he felt a need to secure the peace. Marriage alliances were about as secure an alliance as one could arrange in those days. Yet the Lord has always seemed to have a problem with the people of God marrying non-people of God. Bad move.
Jehoshaphat went down to see his father-in-law. He went north, but the direction was down in physical elevation as well as moral elevation. Ahab wanted Jehoshaphat to help him fight Syria. Now Asa, Jehoshaphat’s father had paid Syria some ten years earlier to attack Israel. Asa was rebuked for buying help. He never repented. Jehoshaphat had some lingering misgivings about the wisdom of fighting this war. He requested a prophet of the Lord to speak to them for God. Obviously Ahab had plenty of false prophets around. There were at least 400 of them. They gladly spoke what Ahab wanted to hear. Yet Jehoshaphat remembered the problem that his dad had. He insisted on hearing the prophet of the Lord. Too bad he didn’t insist on not going in the battle. But what are you going to do when your father-in-law insists, particularly when it is a father-in-law of a marriage alliance.
Poor Micaiah, he was the only courageous person in the bunch. He spoke the truth. He was jailed for it. Do you suppose he was ever released, or did he die there? He could have probably avoided jail if he had just gone with the flow. Micaiah had seen too much of the glory of the Lord. Micaiah could only speak the truth. His Glory has that effect upon us. After we have seen Him, how could we speak otherwise?
This chapter ends in the wrong spot. Read into the next chapter the second verse. The seer Jehu the son of Hanani went to visit Jehoshaphat. He rebuked him for aiding Ahab. The wrath of the Lord was upon him for that. Why should we aid those who seek to hide the glory of the Lord? But again according the character of the Lord, He extended mercy and grace to Jehoshaphat because he sought God. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 7
This is indeed an amazing way in which our Lord chooses to reveal Himself, the Lamb. Yesterday we found that He was a fierce lamb, toward those who will not yield. Today we find the Lamb is the shepherd of people. What a strange metaphor! Usually people shepherd lambs. But here it is the Lamb who has shepherded His people. The scene is that He has brought them out of the great tribulation. Is this a technical term for a specific end-time period or is it just great tribulation in general that believers of all ages have encountered? Or both? I'll leave that for another time. But consider this: John was under great tribulation for the testimony of Jesus. Many have endured unbelievable cruelty at the hands of others for the cause of knowing the Lamb. Ask the women in Sudan, who have been raped and/or mutilated because they are believers. Or ask the orphans, who are literally enslaved after their parents are killed because they were believers. Ask believers in parts of India, who are live under constant threat of Hindu retaliation. Ask believers in many Islamic countries where it is illegal to speak to others about your faith unless they first invite you to speak with them. In many of those countries, it is illegal to meet together as believers. In some it is illegal to convert to another religion. If you were born a Muslim, you must stay Muslim. Ask the believers in China, who are regularly arrested and imprisoned for trusting in the Lamb or telling others about His glory. I think that they would say, “We experienced great tribulation.”
Yet I have heard testimony of a few who would say they would do it all over again if their Lord asked them to do it and if He would meet them in the midst of it as He did previously. You see our Lamb is a Shepherd. He meets us in our tribulation. He takes the stains upon us, which are caused by our sin and the sins of others, and He washes them clean. He does this with His own blood not with some other agent. He endured great pain to earn the right to take our pain. Our Lamb is a shepherd, who is able to wipe away every tear. I can hold my child when he or she hurts. I can wipe away the tears. But more tears usually come right after that. I cannot stop the reason they cry. The Lamb can and one day will. That is why He is worthy of blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
December 15, 2010
2 Chronicles 17
Yesterday I met the younger brother of a guy with whom I went to high school. I really was not a friend of the older brother. We were acquaintances, but I did not seek to be around him. To be honest, I was afraid of him. He seemed to always have a chip on his shoulder. In the ninth grade he used to call me smiley. I think it was because I made a concentrated effort that year to experience the joy of the Lord. Yesterday, as I talked with his younger brother, he said that his brother liked to fight. I thought to myself, “That’s exactly how I remember him.” It is why I didn’t seek to be around him. The younger brother became a Christian about 15-20 years ago. He suggested that I give his older brother a call and invite him to my church. I think I will. Maybe you could pray for him that the Lord would draw him to Himself. Pray that the glory of the Lord would shine through me.
It is an amazing thing that happens when the glory of the Lord settles on someone. It often gives them joy. After all, the joy of the Lord is our strength. Jehoshaphat (Yahweh is my judge) took delight in the ways of the Lord. I think there was joy there. He also removed all the idols in the land. Wow! Can you imagine any ruler doing that in our country today? What a backlash he/she would receive! Anyway the glory of the Lord settled down upon him. As a result, “The fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat.” The difference between this and my high school acquaintance is that the fear of the Lord is clean. We fear Him because of how awesome He is. I feared my acquaintance because his anger was unpredictable. Conversely, the Lord always acts according to His character. His character does not change. The nations surrounding Judah knew better than to mess with God’s beloved. I stayed away from my acquaintance because I never knew what might erupt.
Yes I fear the Lord, but I also come boldly into His presence. Why? Because I know to what great extent He has gone to accomplish His wrath against my sin. The price is paid in His Son. I can trust Him. He is not capricious. He always acts according to His character, and He has a trustworthy character! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 6
Now, if I were God and were to describe myself in relation to the breaking of the seals, and if I had previously described myself as a Lion and as a Lamb, I don't think I would have picked the imagery of a Lamb for this chapter. Rather I would have picked the Lion. But then I guess I've just shown why I am not God. The Lamb is the One who has permitted Himself to be sacrificed for the ransom of the sins of mankind about which these seals demonstrate the pinnacle of their heinousness.
The seals depict the horrible acts of man to man. There is the conqueror. History is mostly the telling of the story of powerful men trying to conqueror others. Then there is warfare. The number of years on the face of the earth where there has not been some kind of violent conflict is indeed small. I am not sure, but I doubt that within the last thousand years that there has been any singular year where there has not been some sort of armed conflict between one nation and another. Then there is scarcity of food resulting in a driving up of food prices. Scarcity of food on planet earth has always been a distribution problem. We have the ability to feed the world's population several times over. The problem is our willingness to distribute it equitably. Then there is the problem of death. One fourth of the world dies by sword, hunger or beasts. Again it seems to me that each of these sources of premature death are rooted in the depraved nature of man. Even death itself is rooted in Adam's sin and the just curse upon creation as a result. Then the fifth seal reveals those who have been killed by those who rejected the Lord, the Lamb. They were killed because of their testimony of the Lamb. The sixth seal reveals cosmic disturbances that occur because of the wrath of the Lamb.
Pardon me, but did it say, "The wrath of the Lamb?" I could picture a million things that would evoke terror, but the wrath of a lamb is not one that necessarily grabs my imagination. A lion yes but a lamb? Come on! The thought doesn't exactly strike terror to my bones. "Oh help! This lamb is going to nuzzle me to death!"
Why a lamb? He is both the Lion and the Lamb. Like a lamb He permitted Himself to be abused and murdered, taking upon Himself the sins of all mankind of all time. He allowed the penalty of sin from the just and holy God to fall upon Himself in order to purchase our ransom from sin and death. But like a lion He is powerful and fierce. And these who are fearful recognize His sacrifice and reject it! They would rather attempt to hide themselves from Him rather than acknowledge their sin and plead for mercy. Such arrogance in the face of His glory is incomprehensible and unjustifiable. They willingly and justly will receive His wrath. It is right that they receive wrath from the One who gave Himself completely for them and whom they rejected! It is the glory of the Lamb that He punish those who will not receive His rich offer of Himself. It is interesting that He forces His glory on no one. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Yesterday I met the younger brother of a guy with whom I went to high school. I really was not a friend of the older brother. We were acquaintances, but I did not seek to be around him. To be honest, I was afraid of him. He seemed to always have a chip on his shoulder. In the ninth grade he used to call me smiley. I think it was because I made a concentrated effort that year to experience the joy of the Lord. Yesterday, as I talked with his younger brother, he said that his brother liked to fight. I thought to myself, “That’s exactly how I remember him.” It is why I didn’t seek to be around him. The younger brother became a Christian about 15-20 years ago. He suggested that I give his older brother a call and invite him to my church. I think I will. Maybe you could pray for him that the Lord would draw him to Himself. Pray that the glory of the Lord would shine through me.
It is an amazing thing that happens when the glory of the Lord settles on someone. It often gives them joy. After all, the joy of the Lord is our strength. Jehoshaphat (Yahweh is my judge) took delight in the ways of the Lord. I think there was joy there. He also removed all the idols in the land. Wow! Can you imagine any ruler doing that in our country today? What a backlash he/she would receive! Anyway the glory of the Lord settled down upon him. As a result, “The fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat.” The difference between this and my high school acquaintance is that the fear of the Lord is clean. We fear Him because of how awesome He is. I feared my acquaintance because his anger was unpredictable. Conversely, the Lord always acts according to His character. His character does not change. The nations surrounding Judah knew better than to mess with God’s beloved. I stayed away from my acquaintance because I never knew what might erupt.
Yes I fear the Lord, but I also come boldly into His presence. Why? Because I know to what great extent He has gone to accomplish His wrath against my sin. The price is paid in His Son. I can trust Him. He is not capricious. He always acts according to His character, and He has a trustworthy character! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 6
Now, if I were God and were to describe myself in relation to the breaking of the seals, and if I had previously described myself as a Lion and as a Lamb, I don't think I would have picked the imagery of a Lamb for this chapter. Rather I would have picked the Lion. But then I guess I've just shown why I am not God. The Lamb is the One who has permitted Himself to be sacrificed for the ransom of the sins of mankind about which these seals demonstrate the pinnacle of their heinousness.
The seals depict the horrible acts of man to man. There is the conqueror. History is mostly the telling of the story of powerful men trying to conqueror others. Then there is warfare. The number of years on the face of the earth where there has not been some kind of violent conflict is indeed small. I am not sure, but I doubt that within the last thousand years that there has been any singular year where there has not been some sort of armed conflict between one nation and another. Then there is scarcity of food resulting in a driving up of food prices. Scarcity of food on planet earth has always been a distribution problem. We have the ability to feed the world's population several times over. The problem is our willingness to distribute it equitably. Then there is the problem of death. One fourth of the world dies by sword, hunger or beasts. Again it seems to me that each of these sources of premature death are rooted in the depraved nature of man. Even death itself is rooted in Adam's sin and the just curse upon creation as a result. Then the fifth seal reveals those who have been killed by those who rejected the Lord, the Lamb. They were killed because of their testimony of the Lamb. The sixth seal reveals cosmic disturbances that occur because of the wrath of the Lamb.
Pardon me, but did it say, "The wrath of the Lamb?" I could picture a million things that would evoke terror, but the wrath of a lamb is not one that necessarily grabs my imagination. A lion yes but a lamb? Come on! The thought doesn't exactly strike terror to my bones. "Oh help! This lamb is going to nuzzle me to death!"
Why a lamb? He is both the Lion and the Lamb. Like a lamb He permitted Himself to be abused and murdered, taking upon Himself the sins of all mankind of all time. He allowed the penalty of sin from the just and holy God to fall upon Himself in order to purchase our ransom from sin and death. But like a lion He is powerful and fierce. And these who are fearful recognize His sacrifice and reject it! They would rather attempt to hide themselves from Him rather than acknowledge their sin and plead for mercy. Such arrogance in the face of His glory is incomprehensible and unjustifiable. They willingly and justly will receive His wrath. It is right that they receive wrath from the One who gave Himself completely for them and whom they rejected! It is the glory of the Lamb that He punish those who will not receive His rich offer of Himself. It is interesting that He forces His glory on no one. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
December 14, 2010
2 Chronicles 16
Yesterday we saw some good aspects of Asa. He entered that training program of seeking the Lord with all of his heart, mind, soul and body. We saw that it is a difficult yet simple regimen. We saw that it is a training that lasts all of our lives. It never ends. Asa has now come along a few decades. He has reigned for 36 years. Israel has recovered from the blow Asa gave them in their youth. If seeking God is a life long training process, then Asa has slacked off in his training. Baasha, king of Israel, advanced a little on the border and took Ramah and fortified it. If Asa had been sharp in his training as he had been when he was young, then things may have turned out differently. When he was young, he stood strong in the face of the one-million-man Ethiopian army. He trusted the Lord. He led a revival in seeking the Lord. Now he relies on bribing Israel’s enemies to help him. The ploy worked, but at what cost? He aroused the displeasure of the Lord.
The Lord sent Hanani to speak the truth to him. Asa had Hanani thrown into prison. Asa had forsaken his regimen of repentance in his old age. I can almost hear the reasoning of Asa’s mind, “I have earned what I have. I’ve spent 36 years building this country. I have made wise decisions that have resulted in the welfare of this state. This seer surely has not heard from God but is an imposter. He deserves prison for speaking against the King. Lack of repentance usually results in more discipline. Asa received it. He developed some foot disease. What was it? We don’t know. But he lasted 5 more years and died. Was it from the foot disease? Perhaps, perhaps not. But this we know, “Yet, in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians.” He started so well. Yet he exchanged the glory of the Lord for security in his old age. Sounds like a horrible deal to me. Lord, keep me in training, even into my old age and dying breath. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 5
I remember once as a child falling asleep in the living room and having a dream. I really don't remember what was happening in the dream but only remember awaking with a sense of irreplaceable loss. It was a sense of hopelessness. Actually it was my mother who awoke me. I remember her asking me, "John what's wrong?" You see I was crying in my sleep. As I awoke, I knew only the sense of which I have already spoken. I told her, "I don't know. I was just dreaming, and it was sad."
The Apostle John in his vision sees this scroll sealed with seven seals. Some have suggested that it is the scroll to the title deed of the earth or of human history. And no one is found worthy enough to break the seals and open it. Having come out of a time of great persecution, John knows that the earth is under terrible irreplaceable loss of the sin of man and the oppression of the Evil One. And no one is found worthy to bring it to an end. That is irreplaceable loss. John wept.
But The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals. He took the scroll. When He took the scroll, the elders proclaimed His worthiness because He was slain and redeemed them to God by His own blood. He is the worthy Lamb. Lion and Lamb at the same time. As a lion, He is the King of creation, ferocious and demanding and claiming His own. As a lamb, He is submissive and became the perfect sacrifice to pay the ransom for our sin. As a lion, He has the power to take the scroll. As a lamb, He has the right to take the scroll. Surely He is worthy!
Are you trapped in despair and sadness wrought by your sin and rebellion? There is One worthy of taking it and claiming it for His own and redeeming you from it. It is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lion and the Lamb. Are you persecuted by those still trapped in despair and sadness of sin and rebellion? He is the One worthy of coming and rescuing you out of the pain of this world and into the glory of His kingdom. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Yesterday we saw some good aspects of Asa. He entered that training program of seeking the Lord with all of his heart, mind, soul and body. We saw that it is a difficult yet simple regimen. We saw that it is a training that lasts all of our lives. It never ends. Asa has now come along a few decades. He has reigned for 36 years. Israel has recovered from the blow Asa gave them in their youth. If seeking God is a life long training process, then Asa has slacked off in his training. Baasha, king of Israel, advanced a little on the border and took Ramah and fortified it. If Asa had been sharp in his training as he had been when he was young, then things may have turned out differently. When he was young, he stood strong in the face of the one-million-man Ethiopian army. He trusted the Lord. He led a revival in seeking the Lord. Now he relies on bribing Israel’s enemies to help him. The ploy worked, but at what cost? He aroused the displeasure of the Lord.
The Lord sent Hanani to speak the truth to him. Asa had Hanani thrown into prison. Asa had forsaken his regimen of repentance in his old age. I can almost hear the reasoning of Asa’s mind, “I have earned what I have. I’ve spent 36 years building this country. I have made wise decisions that have resulted in the welfare of this state. This seer surely has not heard from God but is an imposter. He deserves prison for speaking against the King. Lack of repentance usually results in more discipline. Asa received it. He developed some foot disease. What was it? We don’t know. But he lasted 5 more years and died. Was it from the foot disease? Perhaps, perhaps not. But this we know, “Yet, in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians.” He started so well. Yet he exchanged the glory of the Lord for security in his old age. Sounds like a horrible deal to me. Lord, keep me in training, even into my old age and dying breath. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 5
I remember once as a child falling asleep in the living room and having a dream. I really don't remember what was happening in the dream but only remember awaking with a sense of irreplaceable loss. It was a sense of hopelessness. Actually it was my mother who awoke me. I remember her asking me, "John what's wrong?" You see I was crying in my sleep. As I awoke, I knew only the sense of which I have already spoken. I told her, "I don't know. I was just dreaming, and it was sad."
The Apostle John in his vision sees this scroll sealed with seven seals. Some have suggested that it is the scroll to the title deed of the earth or of human history. And no one is found worthy enough to break the seals and open it. Having come out of a time of great persecution, John knows that the earth is under terrible irreplaceable loss of the sin of man and the oppression of the Evil One. And no one is found worthy to bring it to an end. That is irreplaceable loss. John wept.
But The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals. He took the scroll. When He took the scroll, the elders proclaimed His worthiness because He was slain and redeemed them to God by His own blood. He is the worthy Lamb. Lion and Lamb at the same time. As a lion, He is the King of creation, ferocious and demanding and claiming His own. As a lamb, He is submissive and became the perfect sacrifice to pay the ransom for our sin. As a lion, He has the power to take the scroll. As a lamb, He has the right to take the scroll. Surely He is worthy!
Are you trapped in despair and sadness wrought by your sin and rebellion? There is One worthy of taking it and claiming it for His own and redeeming you from it. It is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lion and the Lamb. Are you persecuted by those still trapped in despair and sadness of sin and rebellion? He is the One worthy of coming and rescuing you out of the pain of this world and into the glory of His kingdom. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Monday, December 13, 2010
December 13, 2010
2 Chronicles 14-15
How do you do it? How do you seek the Lord with all your soul and strength? I remember doing weight training in off-season football. It is a very simple concept to know how to exert all of your strength in weight training. You mentally think about it. You determine to give it all. You lay down on the bench and grasp the weights and push with all of your might. The repetitions continue until the coach blows the whistle, or you reach your set number, or you reach muscle fatigue. After an hour work out, your strength is gone. You know that you have given it your all. But the weight training does not end in the weight room. It followed us into the dining room. Our coaches were giving us all kinds of advice about eating healthy. They wanted us to buy this protein powder and consume it daily, to eat high protein meals and to avoid starches. I could not afford the protein powder, so they suggested drinking Knox Gelatin. We should take a packet, mix it with water and drink it. Oh! It was like drinking water with fine sand mixed in. I went from 145 to 170 that year. I was still skinny as a bean pole, but at least the number of pounds that I could bench skyrocketed. I gave it may all.
But how do you do that with God? How do you give it your all? How do you know when you have achieved your goal? Hard questions! How do you search for God? The answers come easy off of the lips but are more difficult to put into practice. Jesus said in John 5:39, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. The first thing to do is the search the Scripture. But remember that when Jesus said this, He was speaking to a group of people who did not really seek Him. It is possible to be constantly in the Scripture, to be an expert concerning the Scripture, and to still not find Him. So even spending hours a day in the study of Scripture may not be seeking Him with all my strength?
What else is needed? Jesus said in John 14:21, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” To whom does Jesus show Himself? He shows Himself to those who keep His commandments. Hmmmm. . . . Obedience to what I find in Scripture is also an element to finding the manifest presence of God. Jesus also said in John 16:13-15:
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14“He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15“All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
So in addition to searching the Scriptures, there must be an obedience to what is found and also a proper relation to the Holy Spirit. It sounds to me like this is a commitment that cannot be relegated to a training room. It cannot be relegated to an hour or an hour and a half on Sunday morning. If follows us everywhere. It is a training that enters every area of our lives and becomes first in every area of our lives. It is to those who follow such training that He shows Himself. It is a training that never ends.
Asa did some hard things as he sought the Lord in His word. He stood courageous when out manned 2 to 1 and when the enemy had superior weapon technology (300 chariots). He removed abominable idols which his father and the people had placed throughout the land. He even removed his Mother from being queen mother because she made a horrid Asherah. Now that is commitment! He called the people to make a covenant to seek the Lord. Here was a training of seeking the Lord that followed him into every relationship that he had in life. But what does the writer say? “He was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around.” Wow! He was found by them! Don’t you want that? I do! Lord, let this training follow me into every relationship in life, and let me find You for Your glory is worth the sacrifice of all that I am! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
13 Revelation 4
"Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" the only other time in Scripture that this is recorded is in Isaiah 6. In John 12:41 the John says that Isaiah had seen the glory of Jesus when he described this event. I would presume once again that the One being seen here is Jesus. Everything was created by His will. He was. He existed before anything was created, including time. He is. He brought creation into existence, including time. I can't even think as to where to begin to try to illustrate such concepts. I think I understand the basic meaning of it. But describing infinite holiness is beyond me. The basic meaning of holy is separate. He is separate from us. Illustration and definitions require something to compare it to. But there is no other infinite holy being to give comparison or definition. We used to joke in seminary that our final exam would be to define God and give two examples.
Oh, I left one phrase out. He is to come. I can grasp that a little. After all He came once in the flesh to give us an idea of what the Father is like and to rescue us from our sin. That is what Christmas is all about. It is the mystery of the infinite God adding the nature of a perfect man to the person of the Son. We celebrate His first coming at the darkest time of the year. That Son will come again. In the midst of the darkness, despair, pain and suffering that surrounds us, He is to come. He will put an end to sin and death. Disease and corruption will have no more place among us. We will then understand a lot of what we don't understand now, because we will see Him in His glory. Those creatures who experience His unveiled presence now cannot help but worship Him. His glory will outshine all the darkness we currently experience. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
How do you do it? How do you seek the Lord with all your soul and strength? I remember doing weight training in off-season football. It is a very simple concept to know how to exert all of your strength in weight training. You mentally think about it. You determine to give it all. You lay down on the bench and grasp the weights and push with all of your might. The repetitions continue until the coach blows the whistle, or you reach your set number, or you reach muscle fatigue. After an hour work out, your strength is gone. You know that you have given it your all. But the weight training does not end in the weight room. It followed us into the dining room. Our coaches were giving us all kinds of advice about eating healthy. They wanted us to buy this protein powder and consume it daily, to eat high protein meals and to avoid starches. I could not afford the protein powder, so they suggested drinking Knox Gelatin. We should take a packet, mix it with water and drink it. Oh! It was like drinking water with fine sand mixed in. I went from 145 to 170 that year. I was still skinny as a bean pole, but at least the number of pounds that I could bench skyrocketed. I gave it may all.
But how do you do that with God? How do you give it your all? How do you know when you have achieved your goal? Hard questions! How do you search for God? The answers come easy off of the lips but are more difficult to put into practice. Jesus said in John 5:39, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. The first thing to do is the search the Scripture. But remember that when Jesus said this, He was speaking to a group of people who did not really seek Him. It is possible to be constantly in the Scripture, to be an expert concerning the Scripture, and to still not find Him. So even spending hours a day in the study of Scripture may not be seeking Him with all my strength?
What else is needed? Jesus said in John 14:21, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” To whom does Jesus show Himself? He shows Himself to those who keep His commandments. Hmmmm. . . . Obedience to what I find in Scripture is also an element to finding the manifest presence of God. Jesus also said in John 16:13-15:
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14“He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15“All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
So in addition to searching the Scriptures, there must be an obedience to what is found and also a proper relation to the Holy Spirit. It sounds to me like this is a commitment that cannot be relegated to a training room. It cannot be relegated to an hour or an hour and a half on Sunday morning. If follows us everywhere. It is a training that enters every area of our lives and becomes first in every area of our lives. It is to those who follow such training that He shows Himself. It is a training that never ends.
Asa did some hard things as he sought the Lord in His word. He stood courageous when out manned 2 to 1 and when the enemy had superior weapon technology (300 chariots). He removed abominable idols which his father and the people had placed throughout the land. He even removed his Mother from being queen mother because she made a horrid Asherah. Now that is commitment! He called the people to make a covenant to seek the Lord. Here was a training of seeking the Lord that followed him into every relationship that he had in life. But what does the writer say? “He was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around.” Wow! He was found by them! Don’t you want that? I do! Lord, let this training follow me into every relationship in life, and let me find You for Your glory is worth the sacrifice of all that I am! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
13 Revelation 4
"Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" the only other time in Scripture that this is recorded is in Isaiah 6. In John 12:41 the John says that Isaiah had seen the glory of Jesus when he described this event. I would presume once again that the One being seen here is Jesus. Everything was created by His will. He was. He existed before anything was created, including time. He is. He brought creation into existence, including time. I can't even think as to where to begin to try to illustrate such concepts. I think I understand the basic meaning of it. But describing infinite holiness is beyond me. The basic meaning of holy is separate. He is separate from us. Illustration and definitions require something to compare it to. But there is no other infinite holy being to give comparison or definition. We used to joke in seminary that our final exam would be to define God and give two examples.
Oh, I left one phrase out. He is to come. I can grasp that a little. After all He came once in the flesh to give us an idea of what the Father is like and to rescue us from our sin. That is what Christmas is all about. It is the mystery of the infinite God adding the nature of a perfect man to the person of the Son. We celebrate His first coming at the darkest time of the year. That Son will come again. In the midst of the darkness, despair, pain and suffering that surrounds us, He is to come. He will put an end to sin and death. Disease and corruption will have no more place among us. We will then understand a lot of what we don't understand now, because we will see Him in His glory. Those creatures who experience His unveiled presence now cannot help but worship Him. His glory will outshine all the darkness we currently experience. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Sunday, December 12, 2010
December 12, 2010
2 Chronicles 13
Sometimes we can pursue the glory of the Lord for the wrong reasons. Abijah is an example. The Chronicles, written under priestly influence, does not give us the insight into Abijah’s true character. He appears here to be a valiant warrior for the Lord. However, in comparison to 1 Kings 15, we find that Abijah was described by the Lord as having committed all the sins of his father and not being committed to that Lord as was David. He only reigns 3 years. The implication is that he was wicked, and God took him. Even his name belies him in the book of Kings. There he is called Abijam, which means, “My father is Yam.” Yam was a Canaanite sea god. So what is the point? I must be careful. I can appear to everyone (as Abijah does here) as though I am quite godly, and I can still be ungodly inside. I can say the right things and even be rescued by the Lord. And yet, my heart can be miles from wanting the glory of the Lord to shine through me. I guess it is the glory of the Lord to condescend and sometimes even aid those who speak the right words yet whose heart is miles from Him. Let me be careful. Lord, bind my wandering heart to Thee! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 3
One summer I spent on a project with Campus Crusade for Christ. Each week we did an evangelistic outreach together (all 60 of us). Toward the end of the summer it came my week to head up the project. Like a well oiled machine we swang into action. It was a big time disaster. Nothing went right. We came close to getting kicked out of the camp ground in which we were ministering. In evaluating what went wrong, one of the brothers said, “Jesus’ words, ‘Abide in Me and I in you for apart from me You can do nothing.’ Keep coming into my mind.” I think he was right. We had become accustomed to doing it a certain way. We were dependent on our tool not our Lord.
Like those in Sardis we are often powerless. Oh we may have all the right traditions. We may have a perfect past. But our trust is in programs or in the structures of past accomplishments not in the Spirit of God. Jesus reveals Himself as the One with the seven Spirits of God. The rest of the Scripture teaches that there is only One Spirit of God. What is going on here? Seven is the number of completion and perfection. I think the image being presented here is that He is the One with complete and perfect power. Those who would depend upon programs or past structures will eventually find them to be disasters. Only He has complete power.
To those who are faithful to keep their eyes upon His glory, like the church in Philadelphia, He opens doors that no man can shut and closes doors that no man can open. That doesn’t sound like dependence on fixed program to me. Those who are fixed upon Him who is the beginning of Creation can never be satisfied with routine. Lukewarmness just won’t cut it. They have to have the Creator and nothing less. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Sometimes we can pursue the glory of the Lord for the wrong reasons. Abijah is an example. The Chronicles, written under priestly influence, does not give us the insight into Abijah’s true character. He appears here to be a valiant warrior for the Lord. However, in comparison to 1 Kings 15, we find that Abijah was described by the Lord as having committed all the sins of his father and not being committed to that Lord as was David. He only reigns 3 years. The implication is that he was wicked, and God took him. Even his name belies him in the book of Kings. There he is called Abijam, which means, “My father is Yam.” Yam was a Canaanite sea god. So what is the point? I must be careful. I can appear to everyone (as Abijah does here) as though I am quite godly, and I can still be ungodly inside. I can say the right things and even be rescued by the Lord. And yet, my heart can be miles from wanting the glory of the Lord to shine through me. I guess it is the glory of the Lord to condescend and sometimes even aid those who speak the right words yet whose heart is miles from Him. Let me be careful. Lord, bind my wandering heart to Thee! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 3
One summer I spent on a project with Campus Crusade for Christ. Each week we did an evangelistic outreach together (all 60 of us). Toward the end of the summer it came my week to head up the project. Like a well oiled machine we swang into action. It was a big time disaster. Nothing went right. We came close to getting kicked out of the camp ground in which we were ministering. In evaluating what went wrong, one of the brothers said, “Jesus’ words, ‘Abide in Me and I in you for apart from me You can do nothing.’ Keep coming into my mind.” I think he was right. We had become accustomed to doing it a certain way. We were dependent on our tool not our Lord.
Like those in Sardis we are often powerless. Oh we may have all the right traditions. We may have a perfect past. But our trust is in programs or in the structures of past accomplishments not in the Spirit of God. Jesus reveals Himself as the One with the seven Spirits of God. The rest of the Scripture teaches that there is only One Spirit of God. What is going on here? Seven is the number of completion and perfection. I think the image being presented here is that He is the One with complete and perfect power. Those who would depend upon programs or past structures will eventually find them to be disasters. Only He has complete power.
To those who are faithful to keep their eyes upon His glory, like the church in Philadelphia, He opens doors that no man can shut and closes doors that no man can open. That doesn’t sound like dependence on fixed program to me. Those who are fixed upon Him who is the beginning of Creation can never be satisfied with routine. Lukewarmness just won’t cut it. They have to have the Creator and nothing less. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Saturday, December 11, 2010
December 11, 2010
2 Chronicles 11
When I was in the 7th grade, I found a dollar bill on the ground. In 1967 a dollar was worth a whole lot more than it is today. I thought that I was rich. I told my friend. My friend told everybody on the bus. There was a 9th grader on the bus who heard it. He was of a bullying type personality. He immediately claimed that the dollar bill was his. (In other words he was demanding that the dollar be restored to him.) He was nowhere near the area in which I had found it. He demanded that I give the dollar to him. I refused. The next day on the bus he had two friends. One of them had a knife in hand. They threatened me that I had one day to give them the dollar. Needless to say, I surrendered the dollar.
Why? There were several reasons. First and foremost, I did not want to get hurt. It wasn’t worth a dollar. Second, it was never really mine to begin with. It belonged to someone else. Why should I fight to keep what was never mine to begin with?
Rehoboam was ready to go to war to restore the kingdom to himself. But was it his to begin with? Certainly Solomon had installed him as king. According to normal protocol the Kingdom was his. But listen to what these verses say about the kingdom.
1 Chronicles 28:5 (KJV) 5And of all my sons, (for the LORD hath given me many sons,) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.
Psalm 22:28 (KJV) 28For the kingdom is the LORD’S: and he is the governor among the nations.
He had taken ownership of what belonged to the Lord. It was not his. Consequently, he was offended by the ripping of the kingdom; even though, it had been designed by the Lord. How often am I offended by what is ripped from me, even though it is designed by the Lord. Perhaps my claiming my rights obscures the glory of the Lord because the claiming of what I think is my right is actually God’s. Lord, help me to not obscure your glory by claiming my own. All that I have comes from you. It is Yours to do with as you please. You are indeed glorious. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 2
It happens frequently. We focus on the truth of the Lord. Eventually we digress so much that we are so enamored with the truth that that little portion of the truth becomes more important than our relationship with Jesus. Our shift in focus has ceased to be our love for Jesus and has become the defense of right doctrine! Well, there is a place for right doctrine, as we will see in a moment, but not at the expense of expressing our love for Jesus. In the midst of this Ephesian church, which Jesus has praised for not permitting evil and liars but has forgotten to express their love for Jesus, Jesus walks. That is part of His glory! He walks among us even when we have forgotten Him, waiting for us to turn back to Him. But He won’t wait forever. He calls us to remember our love for Him and express it to Him. It is kind of like a bride who goes to all of her neighbors proclaiming how wonderful her husband is, but she will not spend time alone with Him. Most earthly husbands would divorce her immediately. The glory of Jesus is that He waits for us. He won’t be patient forever. But He is waiting.
The largest number of people in the church of our world today are impoverished and/or persecuted. To these Smyrna type people, Jesus reveals Himself as the First and the Last, the One who was dead but now lives. His glory is such that, if you have Him, you have Life. If you have Him, you have riches. Persecution does not matter because ultimately we have Him as our riches. Should we be killed; we will be raised with him.
There are those who are Pergamos type people. They are faithful to the Lord even to death. But they have some doctrines that are just a little bit off. They lost right doctrine. As a result, they lead people into immorality in order to gain some financial reward. To them Jesus reveals Himself as the One with the sharp-two-edged sword coming from His mouth. He gives a warning first and if it is not heeded, the sword goes into action. He does not permit his Holiness or truth to be sullied nor the holiness of His bride. That’s part of His glory.
To the corrupted, like those in Thyatira Jesus reveals Himself as the One with eyes like a flame of fire—our corruption cannot be hidden. He will burn it out. He reveals Himself as the One who has feet like fine brass. He will stamp out the corruption and not be corrupted.
To all these problem filled people, He presents Himself as the solution. The solution is always Him. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
When I was in the 7th grade, I found a dollar bill on the ground. In 1967 a dollar was worth a whole lot more than it is today. I thought that I was rich. I told my friend. My friend told everybody on the bus. There was a 9th grader on the bus who heard it. He was of a bullying type personality. He immediately claimed that the dollar bill was his. (In other words he was demanding that the dollar be restored to him.) He was nowhere near the area in which I had found it. He demanded that I give the dollar to him. I refused. The next day on the bus he had two friends. One of them had a knife in hand. They threatened me that I had one day to give them the dollar. Needless to say, I surrendered the dollar.
Why? There were several reasons. First and foremost, I did not want to get hurt. It wasn’t worth a dollar. Second, it was never really mine to begin with. It belonged to someone else. Why should I fight to keep what was never mine to begin with?
Rehoboam was ready to go to war to restore the kingdom to himself. But was it his to begin with? Certainly Solomon had installed him as king. According to normal protocol the Kingdom was his. But listen to what these verses say about the kingdom.
1 Chronicles 28:5 (KJV) 5And of all my sons, (for the LORD hath given me many sons,) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.
Psalm 22:28 (KJV) 28For the kingdom is the LORD’S: and he is the governor among the nations.
He had taken ownership of what belonged to the Lord. It was not his. Consequently, he was offended by the ripping of the kingdom; even though, it had been designed by the Lord. How often am I offended by what is ripped from me, even though it is designed by the Lord. Perhaps my claiming my rights obscures the glory of the Lord because the claiming of what I think is my right is actually God’s. Lord, help me to not obscure your glory by claiming my own. All that I have comes from you. It is Yours to do with as you please. You are indeed glorious. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 2
It happens frequently. We focus on the truth of the Lord. Eventually we digress so much that we are so enamored with the truth that that little portion of the truth becomes more important than our relationship with Jesus. Our shift in focus has ceased to be our love for Jesus and has become the defense of right doctrine! Well, there is a place for right doctrine, as we will see in a moment, but not at the expense of expressing our love for Jesus. In the midst of this Ephesian church, which Jesus has praised for not permitting evil and liars but has forgotten to express their love for Jesus, Jesus walks. That is part of His glory! He walks among us even when we have forgotten Him, waiting for us to turn back to Him. But He won’t wait forever. He calls us to remember our love for Him and express it to Him. It is kind of like a bride who goes to all of her neighbors proclaiming how wonderful her husband is, but she will not spend time alone with Him. Most earthly husbands would divorce her immediately. The glory of Jesus is that He waits for us. He won’t be patient forever. But He is waiting.
The largest number of people in the church of our world today are impoverished and/or persecuted. To these Smyrna type people, Jesus reveals Himself as the First and the Last, the One who was dead but now lives. His glory is such that, if you have Him, you have Life. If you have Him, you have riches. Persecution does not matter because ultimately we have Him as our riches. Should we be killed; we will be raised with him.
There are those who are Pergamos type people. They are faithful to the Lord even to death. But they have some doctrines that are just a little bit off. They lost right doctrine. As a result, they lead people into immorality in order to gain some financial reward. To them Jesus reveals Himself as the One with the sharp-two-edged sword coming from His mouth. He gives a warning first and if it is not heeded, the sword goes into action. He does not permit his Holiness or truth to be sullied nor the holiness of His bride. That’s part of His glory.
To the corrupted, like those in Thyatira Jesus reveals Himself as the One with eyes like a flame of fire—our corruption cannot be hidden. He will burn it out. He reveals Himself as the One who has feet like fine brass. He will stamp out the corruption and not be corrupted.
To all these problem filled people, He presents Himself as the solution. The solution is always Him. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Friday, December 10, 2010
December 10, 2010
2 Chronicles 10
When sin encroaches upon our hearts, we lose sight of the glory of Jesus. We can usually rightfully blame the problem on someone else, but ultimately it is our problem. Rehoboam dealt harshly with his subjects. He was wrong to do that. The northern tribes took offense; they were harshly treated. They could have forgiven Rehoboam, but they did not. They were wrong to do that. Instead a cloud enveloped their vision. Listen to these words of theirs, “What share have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.” What inheritance? They had the promise of God through the vision of Nathan the prophet spoken to David that Messiah would come through David’s inheritance. What share did they have in David? Their complete hope rested in the Son of David, no not Rehoboam, or even of Rehoboam’s lineage. (Mary was the descendant of Nathan, the son of David.) They let the offense obscure their vision of the promised Messiah. They lost sight of the glory of Jesus.
O Lord, do not let the offense of others obscure my sight so that I let go of my inheritance in You. Let me always see Your glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 1
In most of our world today it is not easy to be a Christian. In some sections of India some Hindus are carrying out pretty intense persecution of believers while the government just goes through the motions of trying to stop it. In portions of China believers in house churches are regularly arrested and harassed by the police. In many Islamic countries believers who share their faith with others are often imprisoned and tortured. The Sudan has a horrendous record of slavery, torture and murder of Christians. More people have died for believing in Jesus in the last 100 years than in all the centuries combined. It is hard for us in the United States, where our persecution is not intense, to really relate to the brutality that our brothers and sisters elsewhere are experiencing today. Persecution in the U.S. is currently limited to things like the name Christmas being taken out of stores or prayer out of schools, or in some extreme cases, creationists losing their jobs for speaking what they believe to be true. These pale in comparison to our brothers and sisters in other countries.
It was to people enduring persecution that the Revelation of Jesus Christ was given. It is popular today to study Revelation to try to figure out what the end time events are going to be like. And it does give some clues to end time events. But for the first century Christian who received the Revelation, it was not so much a teaching on end time events as an encouragement in the midst of persecution that Jesus is indeed the Sovereign God. He is in control. No other book gives such great and fantastic images of the Lord Jesus because its purpose is to bring encouragement to believers who are in the midst of persecution. What better place to look for the glory of the Lord Jesus than the book of Revelation?
This first chapter begins with this larger than life image of Jesus. Are we to take the image literally? I mean, does Jesus really have a double edged sword coming out of His mouth? Seems like it would be unbelievably difficult to eat, speak or swallow. Obviously we are to take the meaning of the images literally, but the actual image is there to produce a feeling of the meaning, the power and majesty of the meaning. There is the rub. What is the meaning of the images that John sees on Patmos? It seems that for every commentary you pick up, there is a different meaning. I hope that in our sprint through Revelation that we will be able to see the glory of Jesus in a new and fresh way. It will certainly not be my intent to draw an outline of end time events. That is for a different setting.
It is interesting to me that of this initial description of Jesus, Jesus uses just a part of the initial description to address each individual church. The glory of our Lord is so multifaceted, so complex, that we cannot grasp it all at once. We must focus on different aspects of His glory a little bit at a time. If I am in deep persecution, would I not wonder why my Lord, who is all powerful, does not burst into my space time continuum and save me? Maybe that is why he makes reference to the patience of Jesus Christ (v.9). If I am in deep persecution or pain, would I not wonder where my Lord is in the midst of my pain? Maybe that is why He is revealed as the Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end. If I am in deep persecution or pain, would I not wonder where my Lord is in the midst of the impenetrable darkness that seems to surrounds me? Maybe that is why He is revealed as being in the midst of the lampstands. If I am in deep persecution or pain, would I not wonder if my Lord is able to see me and my pain? Or am I just hidden in the morass of what surrounds me. Maybe that is why He is revealed as the One who has eyes like a flame of fire. He burns away the camouflage and nothing is hidden from His sight, including me in my pain. If I am in deep persecution or pain, would I not wonder in the midst of the philosophical and judicial arguments that are being broadcast on TV, in the schools, in books, in magazines, in newspapers, on the radio, does anyone really hear the voice of truth? Maybe that is why He is revealed as the One whose voice is as the sound of many waters. If I am in deep persecution or pain, would I not wonder if the Word of God is really as effective as the Bible claims? After all, it looks like the bad guys are winning! Maybe that is why He is revealed as the One who has the sharp sword coming out of His mouth. Yes, indeed His word is sharp and effective, and it will accomplish the purpose for which it is sent forth. It slays those in opposition to Him and sets those free who submit to His surgical power. If I am in deep persecution or pain, would I not wonder where the glory of My Lord is? Maybe that is why He is revealed as having a countenance that is like the sun shining in its strength. To try to grasp it all at once is painful and impossible, but it will shine. A cloud may cover it for a time, but it is still shining in its strength, and the cloud will eventually dissipate. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
When sin encroaches upon our hearts, we lose sight of the glory of Jesus. We can usually rightfully blame the problem on someone else, but ultimately it is our problem. Rehoboam dealt harshly with his subjects. He was wrong to do that. The northern tribes took offense; they were harshly treated. They could have forgiven Rehoboam, but they did not. They were wrong to do that. Instead a cloud enveloped their vision. Listen to these words of theirs, “What share have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.” What inheritance? They had the promise of God through the vision of Nathan the prophet spoken to David that Messiah would come through David’s inheritance. What share did they have in David? Their complete hope rested in the Son of David, no not Rehoboam, or even of Rehoboam’s lineage. (Mary was the descendant of Nathan, the son of David.) They let the offense obscure their vision of the promised Messiah. They lost sight of the glory of Jesus.
O Lord, do not let the offense of others obscure my sight so that I let go of my inheritance in You. Let me always see Your glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 1
In most of our world today it is not easy to be a Christian. In some sections of India some Hindus are carrying out pretty intense persecution of believers while the government just goes through the motions of trying to stop it. In portions of China believers in house churches are regularly arrested and harassed by the police. In many Islamic countries believers who share their faith with others are often imprisoned and tortured. The Sudan has a horrendous record of slavery, torture and murder of Christians. More people have died for believing in Jesus in the last 100 years than in all the centuries combined. It is hard for us in the United States, where our persecution is not intense, to really relate to the brutality that our brothers and sisters elsewhere are experiencing today. Persecution in the U.S. is currently limited to things like the name Christmas being taken out of stores or prayer out of schools, or in some extreme cases, creationists losing their jobs for speaking what they believe to be true. These pale in comparison to our brothers and sisters in other countries.
It was to people enduring persecution that the Revelation of Jesus Christ was given. It is popular today to study Revelation to try to figure out what the end time events are going to be like. And it does give some clues to end time events. But for the first century Christian who received the Revelation, it was not so much a teaching on end time events as an encouragement in the midst of persecution that Jesus is indeed the Sovereign God. He is in control. No other book gives such great and fantastic images of the Lord Jesus because its purpose is to bring encouragement to believers who are in the midst of persecution. What better place to look for the glory of the Lord Jesus than the book of Revelation?
This first chapter begins with this larger than life image of Jesus. Are we to take the image literally? I mean, does Jesus really have a double edged sword coming out of His mouth? Seems like it would be unbelievably difficult to eat, speak or swallow. Obviously we are to take the meaning of the images literally, but the actual image is there to produce a feeling of the meaning, the power and majesty of the meaning. There is the rub. What is the meaning of the images that John sees on Patmos? It seems that for every commentary you pick up, there is a different meaning. I hope that in our sprint through Revelation that we will be able to see the glory of Jesus in a new and fresh way. It will certainly not be my intent to draw an outline of end time events. That is for a different setting.
It is interesting to me that of this initial description of Jesus, Jesus uses just a part of the initial description to address each individual church. The glory of our Lord is so multifaceted, so complex, that we cannot grasp it all at once. We must focus on different aspects of His glory a little bit at a time. If I am in deep persecution, would I not wonder why my Lord, who is all powerful, does not burst into my space time continuum and save me? Maybe that is why he makes reference to the patience of Jesus Christ (v.9). If I am in deep persecution or pain, would I not wonder where my Lord is in the midst of my pain? Maybe that is why He is revealed as the Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end. If I am in deep persecution or pain, would I not wonder where my Lord is in the midst of the impenetrable darkness that seems to surrounds me? Maybe that is why He is revealed as being in the midst of the lampstands. If I am in deep persecution or pain, would I not wonder if my Lord is able to see me and my pain? Or am I just hidden in the morass of what surrounds me. Maybe that is why He is revealed as the One who has eyes like a flame of fire. He burns away the camouflage and nothing is hidden from His sight, including me in my pain. If I am in deep persecution or pain, would I not wonder in the midst of the philosophical and judicial arguments that are being broadcast on TV, in the schools, in books, in magazines, in newspapers, on the radio, does anyone really hear the voice of truth? Maybe that is why He is revealed as the One whose voice is as the sound of many waters. If I am in deep persecution or pain, would I not wonder if the Word of God is really as effective as the Bible claims? After all, it looks like the bad guys are winning! Maybe that is why He is revealed as the One who has the sharp sword coming out of His mouth. Yes, indeed His word is sharp and effective, and it will accomplish the purpose for which it is sent forth. It slays those in opposition to Him and sets those free who submit to His surgical power. If I am in deep persecution or pain, would I not wonder where the glory of My Lord is? Maybe that is why He is revealed as having a countenance that is like the sun shining in its strength. To try to grasp it all at once is painful and impossible, but it will shine. A cloud may cover it for a time, but it is still shining in its strength, and the cloud will eventually dissipate. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Thursday, December 9, 2010
December 9, 2010
2 Chronicles 9
Where is the glory of God as we look at Solomon’s life? Certainly we see the fulfillment of the promises of God. The fact that God always fulfills His promises declares His glory. He promised Solomon wisdom. This passage shows that God fulfilled the promise. He promised Solomon riches. This passage shows that God fulfilled it. He promised Solomon a long life. This passage shows that God fulfilled that promise. But what do I do with this description of Solomon:
And when the queen of Sheba had seen:
1. the wisdom of Solomon,
2. the house that he had built,
3. the food on his table,
4. the seating of his servants,
5. the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers and their apparel,
6. and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the Lord,
there was no more spirit in her.
The description reads like an outline of an episode for Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. On the one hand this is the blessing of the Lord. On the other hand, it sounds like loving the world, concerning which we are told, “All that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” Yet we are to told that the wisdom and riches were gifts of God to Solomon. There is some tension building here. I think we must remember these were not things that Solomon asked for. Originally, he did not ask for the things of the world. He asked only for provision to fulfill the task for which God had set him on the throne—to rule wisely. God graciously went beyond the request. He granted Solomon wisdom, riches and long life, all things the world desires. Solomon should have stuck with the basics even in the midst of abundance. The result was that he was seduced by his own lusts and led away. Was it wrong for him to have abundance? No it was not. God gave it to Him. Was it wrong for Him to pursue wisdom? No, it was not. God gave him the abilities. Was it wrong for him to have servants. No, it was not. God gave him the wealth. It provided those servants with a job.
In contrast Jesus came. He did not have wealth. He did not have a house built. He ate the table of others not his own table. He did not have servants, but served others. His disciples had simple clothing and lifestyle. His clothing was humility. His entryway to the house of the Lord was upon a donkey, not necessarily a glorious beast. Jesus told the generation of His day that the Queen of Sheba would rise up and witness against them because He was greater than Solomon and was present among them, and they would not receive Him. They too were seduced by the gifts that God had given them. Jesus came among us to do justice and provide righteousness. We are the recipients of God’s great gifts. Let us not be seduced by them, but let us use them to establish justice and spread righteousness. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Jude
Growing up I loved peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I remember eating a lot of them as snacks. Even now about once month I get a hankering for one. Usually sometime in the summer we would pick some wild sand plums, and Mom would turn them in to preserves. We would have plenty of preserves for peanut butter sandwiches for months to come. Why is it that you can cook fruit and put it in a jar, and it will stay fresh and tasty for months, but set it on a counter, and immediately it draws fruit flies and soon becomes too nasty to even think about eating? It is the process we call preserving. Sometimes when we speak of someone who looks two decades younger than they are, we say, "They are well preserved."
The first thing spoken of by Jude about our Lord is that He preserves those whom the Father calls and sanctifies. Hope I don't get served up on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Oh, wait a minute; I guess he meant something different. Preserved from what? Becoming a Christian does not mean that you automatically cease to sin. Sure His grace removes the judicial accusations against us. But Jesus is still working in us to remove the experiential part of sin in our lives.
Some would take the grace of our Lord and teach that we now don't have to bother with living a righteous life style because of grace. If we really have been called and sanctified by Him, Jesus works in our experience to preserve us from sin. When we are born again, we are like fresh fruit that is picked. We are totally new creations. But alas, we still live in a sin corrupting world; the old nature still wants to resurrect itself; and Satan and his cohorts still want to devour us. But Jesus will do what it takes to preserve us, if we cooperate with Him. Cooperation may involve some cooking--ouch! But He will preserve us. When we don't cooperate, we become like the fruit left on the counter. After a while, we become slimy and nasty in our experience. When we cooperate, He keeps us from stumbling; He presents us to the Father faultless; and there is a lot of Joy in that presentation. He really is wise in the way He works with us, and He is so powerful in His work.
Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Where is the glory of God as we look at Solomon’s life? Certainly we see the fulfillment of the promises of God. The fact that God always fulfills His promises declares His glory. He promised Solomon wisdom. This passage shows that God fulfilled the promise. He promised Solomon riches. This passage shows that God fulfilled it. He promised Solomon a long life. This passage shows that God fulfilled that promise. But what do I do with this description of Solomon:
And when the queen of Sheba had seen:
1. the wisdom of Solomon,
2. the house that he had built,
3. the food on his table,
4. the seating of his servants,
5. the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers and their apparel,
6. and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the Lord,
there was no more spirit in her.
The description reads like an outline of an episode for Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. On the one hand this is the blessing of the Lord. On the other hand, it sounds like loving the world, concerning which we are told, “All that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” Yet we are to told that the wisdom and riches were gifts of God to Solomon. There is some tension building here. I think we must remember these were not things that Solomon asked for. Originally, he did not ask for the things of the world. He asked only for provision to fulfill the task for which God had set him on the throne—to rule wisely. God graciously went beyond the request. He granted Solomon wisdom, riches and long life, all things the world desires. Solomon should have stuck with the basics even in the midst of abundance. The result was that he was seduced by his own lusts and led away. Was it wrong for him to have abundance? No it was not. God gave it to Him. Was it wrong for Him to pursue wisdom? No, it was not. God gave him the abilities. Was it wrong for him to have servants. No, it was not. God gave him the wealth. It provided those servants with a job.
In contrast Jesus came. He did not have wealth. He did not have a house built. He ate the table of others not his own table. He did not have servants, but served others. His disciples had simple clothing and lifestyle. His clothing was humility. His entryway to the house of the Lord was upon a donkey, not necessarily a glorious beast. Jesus told the generation of His day that the Queen of Sheba would rise up and witness against them because He was greater than Solomon and was present among them, and they would not receive Him. They too were seduced by the gifts that God had given them. Jesus came among us to do justice and provide righteousness. We are the recipients of God’s great gifts. Let us not be seduced by them, but let us use them to establish justice and spread righteousness. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Jude
Growing up I loved peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I remember eating a lot of them as snacks. Even now about once month I get a hankering for one. Usually sometime in the summer we would pick some wild sand plums, and Mom would turn them in to preserves. We would have plenty of preserves for peanut butter sandwiches for months to come. Why is it that you can cook fruit and put it in a jar, and it will stay fresh and tasty for months, but set it on a counter, and immediately it draws fruit flies and soon becomes too nasty to even think about eating? It is the process we call preserving. Sometimes when we speak of someone who looks two decades younger than they are, we say, "They are well preserved."
The first thing spoken of by Jude about our Lord is that He preserves those whom the Father calls and sanctifies. Hope I don't get served up on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Oh, wait a minute; I guess he meant something different. Preserved from what? Becoming a Christian does not mean that you automatically cease to sin. Sure His grace removes the judicial accusations against us. But Jesus is still working in us to remove the experiential part of sin in our lives.
Some would take the grace of our Lord and teach that we now don't have to bother with living a righteous life style because of grace. If we really have been called and sanctified by Him, Jesus works in our experience to preserve us from sin. When we are born again, we are like fresh fruit that is picked. We are totally new creations. But alas, we still live in a sin corrupting world; the old nature still wants to resurrect itself; and Satan and his cohorts still want to devour us. But Jesus will do what it takes to preserve us, if we cooperate with Him. Cooperation may involve some cooking--ouch! But He will preserve us. When we don't cooperate, we become like the fruit left on the counter. After a while, we become slimy and nasty in our experience. When we cooperate, He keeps us from stumbling; He presents us to the Father faultless; and there is a lot of Joy in that presentation. He really is wise in the way He works with us, and He is so powerful in His work.
Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
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