Numbers 6
I recently went on a campout with the families of my 4-H Outdoor Adventure Club. One of our lessons was on campfires. Our campout provided the youth a time to apply what they learned in building a campfire. Our fuel for the fire was a little damp from recent rains, so we did not accomplish our goal of starting a fire with one match. However, each campsite was able to accomplish getting their fire going. We kept the fire burning until late at night. At my campsite, I was the first one out of the tent in the morning. I decided to start a fire using the coals from the fire from the last night. It was very easy. The coals, although they looked dead, were still very hot. No matches were needed. All I needed was some dry tender and smaller sticks and soon I had a roaring fire going again. If properly tended, a fire is very easy to keep going.
Here in the midst of the instruction on burnt offerings, the priests are commanded, “A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.” The context within the passage is concluding instruction concerning trespass offering. These are offerings for sins that were intentional. The continual fire was representative of our continual need for forgiveness of sin. The writer of Hebrews tells us that these sacrifices are a picture of Jesus who is our High Priest, Heb. 8:3-5, and our sacrifice, 10:5-12. He is a priest who ever lives to make intercession for us. He never lets the fire go out! But the question remains, “Do I avail myself of His ministry?” Do I regularly return to the fire that He ever keeps burning? It is to His glory that He keeps it burning. After all, He died and rose that He might accomplish just that. The coals of His fire never grow cold. I remember a line from The Man from Snow River, “A fire can be a hard to find in the mountains, but you’re welcome at my fire anytime.” A fire that provides for the forgiveness and removal of our sin can only be found one place. It is the glory of the Lord that He tends that fire and He welcomes us to come. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 20:27-47
The first funeral I presided over was for a lady, whom I had never met. I had no idea whether she was in heaven or hell. It was absolutely the worst situation in which I have ever preached a funeral. I was asked to preach it because our church had done a VBS that her grandchildren had come to. The next week she died. Neither the woman who died nor her son, the father of the children who came to VBS, had a church home. In talking with her son in preparation for the funeral, it was apparent that there was open hostility among extended family members. There was no grace in the home. It was a simple graveside ceremony. It was raining. The only ones who came were the dead woman's son, his wife and their daughters. I had asked the son what were some of the good memories he had of his mother. He had none. What do you say?
A colleague of mine gave me the best advice I've ever received in conducting funerals. I've followed it ever since. He said, "You want to accomplish three things: 1) To remember together the life of the departed and in remembering, to honor them for the way that they loved each of those left behind. 2) To try to reach out to each other to comfort one another. 3) To prepare ourselves to pass through the portal of death. I did my best to accomplish those things at that funeral. Obviously, I had to focus on the last goal. I preached the gospel.
Jesus is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob call (present tense) Him Lord. David calls Him Lord. David called Him Lord when he, David, was living upon the earth. Yet, Jesus, the Messiah, is the Son of David. David still calls Him Lord. The glory of Jesus is that He had great glory before He added flesh to His person! In Him is life! His life is the light of men. What brings Him even greater glory is that He shares His life with us! He takes our deadness, which comes from our refusal to exalt His name over our own, and He raises those who place their trust in Him to new life! He has made it so simple and so easy for us to share in that life. He Himself said, "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
Life is abundant in Jesus. You cannot dwell in His presence and not come alive Yourself. Remember those Star Trek movies where they have the Genesis project? Spock is killed and given a 'burial' in the Genesis project. What happens? He comes back to life in the next movie. Nice science fiction, yes? But it is fiction. Jesus is the real Genesis. He is not fiction. He is real life. He who clings to Him, though he were dead, yet shall he live. Nothing can abide in His presence and not come to life! Now, that is good news, which is what gospel means. Even in the depths of the despair of death, at the worst funeral situation possible, there is hope. There is hope because of His glory--He is the God of the living!
I wish I could tell you that the grieving family embraced the gospel. They did not. They continued in the bitterness death. They could have embraced joy of the life of Jesus. But their own pride was more important to them. So Jesus let them have their own pride. As far as I know, they are still embracing their pride and bitterness rather than the glory of Jesus and His ability to raise the dead. Don't be that way! Focus upon His glory, not your pride. If you do, it will make your funeral a time of rejoicing rather than bitterness. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Thursday, April 29, 2010
April 28, 2010
Luke 20:1-26
It was a question of authority. I was substitute teaching in a shop class. Because I was the Substitute and not trained in the safety procedures of operating the shop machines nor trained in supervising shop students, I was not allowed to operate the machines for a class. The teacher had left some book work for the students to do. That would have been fine, but during the 5th hour I could not even get the students to sit in their seats to take role to begin the class. I did not even know the names of the students who were giving me the problem. In everything I said, it was as though I was not even heard. They ignored me completely. Fortunately the class was equipped with an intercom system. I called the office. Eventually the principal arrived. Even he had a little difficulty getting them to take their seats. But they did. He had authority that I was unable to wield. I was supposed to have authority by virtue of my office. But that authority went unrecognized from the moment I stepped into the room. The students were only interested in their rights. They thought they had come to shop class to work at the machines not do books. I told the principle on my way home that day that I would not be substituting that class anymore.
Jesus has all authority in heaven and earth. The chief priests, the scribes and the elders did not recognize Jesus' authority. They had no interest in yielding to Him. Jesus told them a parable about servants who reject proper authority. Then He ended with a quote from Psalm 118:22.
The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone
I think it is interesting that when Jesus left the upper room after celebrating the last supper with the disciples, having finished the meal, they sang a hymn and left. The last hymn of the Seder is Psalm 118. Perhaps this was part of what they were singing as they exited to go to the Garden of Gethsemane.
So where is the glory in this? Jesus does have all authority in heaven and earth. That is great glory. Why do we not submit to his authority? Probably because we think we can get away with not submitting, or we do not think that He has authority. Jesus having been rejected by the builders has become the chief cornerstone. When He returns in His glory, His authority will be visible. We will be submissive to His role call. He will bring judgment. Those who did not submit to His authority in this life will receive their final judgment. It will be glorious. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
It was a question of authority. I was substitute teaching in a shop class. Because I was the Substitute and not trained in the safety procedures of operating the shop machines nor trained in supervising shop students, I was not allowed to operate the machines for a class. The teacher had left some book work for the students to do. That would have been fine, but during the 5th hour I could not even get the students to sit in their seats to take role to begin the class. I did not even know the names of the students who were giving me the problem. In everything I said, it was as though I was not even heard. They ignored me completely. Fortunately the class was equipped with an intercom system. I called the office. Eventually the principal arrived. Even he had a little difficulty getting them to take their seats. But they did. He had authority that I was unable to wield. I was supposed to have authority by virtue of my office. But that authority went unrecognized from the moment I stepped into the room. The students were only interested in their rights. They thought they had come to shop class to work at the machines not do books. I told the principle on my way home that day that I would not be substituting that class anymore.
Jesus has all authority in heaven and earth. The chief priests, the scribes and the elders did not recognize Jesus' authority. They had no interest in yielding to Him. Jesus told them a parable about servants who reject proper authority. Then He ended with a quote from Psalm 118:22.
The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone
I think it is interesting that when Jesus left the upper room after celebrating the last supper with the disciples, having finished the meal, they sang a hymn and left. The last hymn of the Seder is Psalm 118. Perhaps this was part of what they were singing as they exited to go to the Garden of Gethsemane.
So where is the glory in this? Jesus does have all authority in heaven and earth. That is great glory. Why do we not submit to his authority? Probably because we think we can get away with not submitting, or we do not think that He has authority. Jesus having been rejected by the builders has become the chief cornerstone. When He returns in His glory, His authority will be visible. We will be submissive to His role call. He will bring judgment. Those who did not submit to His authority in this life will receive their final judgment. It will be glorious. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
April 27, 2010
Numbers 4
A friend of mine used to be part of a small group of men who brought famous Christian entertainers into Wilmington, NC. He asked me on occasion to help serve in security. I was there for the Rebecca St. James concert and for one of my favorites, Robin Mark. It was interesting for me to watch the roadies come in and set up the stage and equipment. They performed their tasks day after day for months on end as they accomplished their tour. They knew exactly what to do. They had their order for doing things and did them well. Each had their task and did it.
The Lord assigns traveling responsibilities for the tribe of Levi. Each family had their responsibility. There was an exact order that had to be followed, so that the holiness of God was not transgressed. With forty years of traveling in the wilderness, I am sure they became very proficient at their individual jobs. Eventually it became like clockwork. By the time David came around, they had centuries and generations which had passed where the jobs were neither taught nor performed. It lead to David transgressing the holiness of God and the death of one of his men.
The church is somewhat like the Children of Israel in the wilderness. We are a people of God on the move. The glory of God is designed to be in our midst. We move from place to place throughout life, and in so doing we are to let the glory of Christ shine from our midst. J. Vernon McGee has this to say about our responsibility:
As each Levite had his assignment, just so, every Christian has a gift and a job God wants him to do. I believe God will reward you for doing what He wants you to do. We are not to do what we choose to do, but we are to exercise the gifts that He has given us.[1]
What would have happened if one of the Kohathites said, “I am tired of covering the ark. I don’t want to do it?” or if one of the Gershonites said, “I don’t want to carry the curtain?” or if one of the sons of Merari said, “I don’t want to carry this board?” Apparently something like that happened when David sought to transport the ark back to Jerusalem. The result was the holiness of God was transgressed, and a man died.
The Lord desires for His glory to shine in His church. What happens when we do not exercise the gift which He has assigned to us? His glory is seen in the discipline which He administers. It is not a pleasant thing. On the contrary, when we each submit to what He has assigned to us, the result is that His glory shines in a greater way. It is joy to see His glory unleashed. Let us make sure that we are doing the gift which He assigned to us. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
[1]McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. Nu 4:32
Luke 19:28-48
It was first grade, and my friend Jimmy had been sick for a while and had not been to school. I missed him and was hoping he would be there that day. The school bell rang signaling the start of class, and Jimmy hadn't shone up. A little while into class, the door opened, and Jimmy walked in. I was so surprised and excited that I blurted out very loudly, "Jimmy!" My teacher was not pleased to say the least. She rebuked me very sternly and asked why I did that. I didn't know how to answer, so I just shrugged my shoulders. Shrugging her shoulders, she sarcastically said, "What does that mean?" I was afraid to answer now, and I really did not understand why what I had done was so bad. She gave me a couple sentence lecture and then continued on with class.
I understand now that, when you are trying to mass educate children, there is a certain decorum that you must keep to control your class; otherwise, things can get out of control. What I had done was not bad. It was just that if everybody responded that way, there would be chaos in the classroom. The herd mentality would be shattered. There might even be a stampede. There is a time for joyful shouts and a time for solemn silence. The same is true in worship. There is a time for joyful shouts and a time for solemn silence.
Jesus was approaching Jerusalem on the Sunday before His crucifixion. He had carefully thought this through. He had prepared a colt to ride. Another Gospel tells us that He did this purposely in fulfillment of the 400-year-old prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. The people recognized the significance of it and were beginning to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. Here He is a man who has healed the sick, the blind, the dumb, the lame, set the demonized free, fed the multitudes and even raised the dead. He has taught with great authority and is now headed to Jerusalem on a donkey's colt, through the Eastern Gate! This is surely the promised deliverer! They began to sing part of the Hallel in praise of the Messiah. He is the Long-awaited One. The long separation is now coming to an end! It was a time for shouting and celebration!
But there are always those who are concerned about shattering the herd mentality. They felt this was inappropriate. "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" they called out. Oh no! They are out of control! They are expressing their great pleasure at the coming of the Messiah! But of course these Pharisees did not believe Jesus was the Messiah. So Jesus made a very wonderful statement, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."
The Creator of heaven and earth was in the flesh and in their midst! The sinfulness of human flesh hid that fact from human eyes but the rest of creation recognized it right away. Humans were created to praise and worship the Creator. We were created to cry out concerning the joy of His presence. The glory of our Creator is so great that if we should fail at our designed purpose, even the very non-sentient creation would take our place and fulfill our purpose because He is so worthy of honor and praise! A friend of mine used to have a rock under his communion table with a sign in front of it that said, "If you don't praise Him, I will!"
Yes, there is a time for silence before our Creator. But there is also a time of wild exuberant shouts of joy in praise of His name at His coming! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
A friend of mine used to be part of a small group of men who brought famous Christian entertainers into Wilmington, NC. He asked me on occasion to help serve in security. I was there for the Rebecca St. James concert and for one of my favorites, Robin Mark. It was interesting for me to watch the roadies come in and set up the stage and equipment. They performed their tasks day after day for months on end as they accomplished their tour. They knew exactly what to do. They had their order for doing things and did them well. Each had their task and did it.
The Lord assigns traveling responsibilities for the tribe of Levi. Each family had their responsibility. There was an exact order that had to be followed, so that the holiness of God was not transgressed. With forty years of traveling in the wilderness, I am sure they became very proficient at their individual jobs. Eventually it became like clockwork. By the time David came around, they had centuries and generations which had passed where the jobs were neither taught nor performed. It lead to David transgressing the holiness of God and the death of one of his men.
The church is somewhat like the Children of Israel in the wilderness. We are a people of God on the move. The glory of God is designed to be in our midst. We move from place to place throughout life, and in so doing we are to let the glory of Christ shine from our midst. J. Vernon McGee has this to say about our responsibility:
As each Levite had his assignment, just so, every Christian has a gift and a job God wants him to do. I believe God will reward you for doing what He wants you to do. We are not to do what we choose to do, but we are to exercise the gifts that He has given us.[1]
What would have happened if one of the Kohathites said, “I am tired of covering the ark. I don’t want to do it?” or if one of the Gershonites said, “I don’t want to carry the curtain?” or if one of the sons of Merari said, “I don’t want to carry this board?” Apparently something like that happened when David sought to transport the ark back to Jerusalem. The result was the holiness of God was transgressed, and a man died.
The Lord desires for His glory to shine in His church. What happens when we do not exercise the gift which He has assigned to us? His glory is seen in the discipline which He administers. It is not a pleasant thing. On the contrary, when we each submit to what He has assigned to us, the result is that His glory shines in a greater way. It is joy to see His glory unleashed. Let us make sure that we are doing the gift which He assigned to us. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
[1]McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. Nu 4:32
Luke 19:28-48
It was first grade, and my friend Jimmy had been sick for a while and had not been to school. I missed him and was hoping he would be there that day. The school bell rang signaling the start of class, and Jimmy hadn't shone up. A little while into class, the door opened, and Jimmy walked in. I was so surprised and excited that I blurted out very loudly, "Jimmy!" My teacher was not pleased to say the least. She rebuked me very sternly and asked why I did that. I didn't know how to answer, so I just shrugged my shoulders. Shrugging her shoulders, she sarcastically said, "What does that mean?" I was afraid to answer now, and I really did not understand why what I had done was so bad. She gave me a couple sentence lecture and then continued on with class.
I understand now that, when you are trying to mass educate children, there is a certain decorum that you must keep to control your class; otherwise, things can get out of control. What I had done was not bad. It was just that if everybody responded that way, there would be chaos in the classroom. The herd mentality would be shattered. There might even be a stampede. There is a time for joyful shouts and a time for solemn silence. The same is true in worship. There is a time for joyful shouts and a time for solemn silence.
Jesus was approaching Jerusalem on the Sunday before His crucifixion. He had carefully thought this through. He had prepared a colt to ride. Another Gospel tells us that He did this purposely in fulfillment of the 400-year-old prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. The people recognized the significance of it and were beginning to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. Here He is a man who has healed the sick, the blind, the dumb, the lame, set the demonized free, fed the multitudes and even raised the dead. He has taught with great authority and is now headed to Jerusalem on a donkey's colt, through the Eastern Gate! This is surely the promised deliverer! They began to sing part of the Hallel in praise of the Messiah. He is the Long-awaited One. The long separation is now coming to an end! It was a time for shouting and celebration!
But there are always those who are concerned about shattering the herd mentality. They felt this was inappropriate. "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" they called out. Oh no! They are out of control! They are expressing their great pleasure at the coming of the Messiah! But of course these Pharisees did not believe Jesus was the Messiah. So Jesus made a very wonderful statement, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."
The Creator of heaven and earth was in the flesh and in their midst! The sinfulness of human flesh hid that fact from human eyes but the rest of creation recognized it right away. Humans were created to praise and worship the Creator. We were created to cry out concerning the joy of His presence. The glory of our Creator is so great that if we should fail at our designed purpose, even the very non-sentient creation would take our place and fulfill our purpose because He is so worthy of honor and praise! A friend of mine used to have a rock under his communion table with a sign in front of it that said, "If you don't praise Him, I will!"
Yes, there is a time for silence before our Creator. But there is also a time of wild exuberant shouts of joy in praise of His name at His coming! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
April 26, 2010
Luke 19:11-27
Once, I misplaced my cell phone. I couldn't find it anywhere. I remembered having it when I bought my lunch at Wal*Mart. But when it came time to go home, I couldn't find it anywhere. I remembered having left it on. So, I called the number from my office phone. I couldn't hear it ringing anywhere. I thought it might be out in the van. I called the number again as I walked out to the van to hear it ringing. I couldn't hear it. I had that sinking feeling that I must have laid it down somewhere at Wal*Mart or the bank, which meant, there is a good possibility that it is gone for good. Traveling home, I reported my loss to Laura. She said, "Are you sure it’s not in the van?" I decided to check the van one more time. There it was. It apparently had fallen out of my pocket down into the step inside the door. I wonder why I couldn't hear it ring. I was delighted to find my lost phone.
Jesus delights in finding those who are lost. Walking underneath the tree of Zacchaeus, with great joy He looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house!" Zacchaeus became a new man because of that encounter. His life was filled with a new righteous lifestyle. Jesus delights in making our lives ring with righteousness. When others hear the ring in us, some of them are also drawn to Him, and He finds other lost ones. Zacchaeus was one of those that He found and made him to ring with righteousness. The ringing of the new righteousness of Zacchaeus brought others to the Lord.
Jesus delights in having gone to receive a kingdom. What are the basic elements of a kingdom? There are three, a king, a realm and subjects of the realm. Jesus is the King of kings. Jesus has the power to take the realm anytime that He wants to take it. Currently it is His glory to find those lost ones through us, causing us to ring with His righteousness. We are the way that He calls lost ones in order to find them. Are we letting Him ring through us so that He may call others? That is part of His glory. He makes His glory to ring through us in order to draw others. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Once, I misplaced my cell phone. I couldn't find it anywhere. I remembered having it when I bought my lunch at Wal*Mart. But when it came time to go home, I couldn't find it anywhere. I remembered having left it on. So, I called the number from my office phone. I couldn't hear it ringing anywhere. I thought it might be out in the van. I called the number again as I walked out to the van to hear it ringing. I couldn't hear it. I had that sinking feeling that I must have laid it down somewhere at Wal*Mart or the bank, which meant, there is a good possibility that it is gone for good. Traveling home, I reported my loss to Laura. She said, "Are you sure it’s not in the van?" I decided to check the van one more time. There it was. It apparently had fallen out of my pocket down into the step inside the door. I wonder why I couldn't hear it ring. I was delighted to find my lost phone.
Jesus delights in finding those who are lost. Walking underneath the tree of Zacchaeus, with great joy He looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house!" Zacchaeus became a new man because of that encounter. His life was filled with a new righteous lifestyle. Jesus delights in making our lives ring with righteousness. When others hear the ring in us, some of them are also drawn to Him, and He finds other lost ones. Zacchaeus was one of those that He found and made him to ring with righteousness. The ringing of the new righteousness of Zacchaeus brought others to the Lord.
Jesus delights in having gone to receive a kingdom. What are the basic elements of a kingdom? There are three, a king, a realm and subjects of the realm. Jesus is the King of kings. Jesus has the power to take the realm anytime that He wants to take it. Currently it is His glory to find those lost ones through us, causing us to ring with His righteousness. We are the way that He calls lost ones in order to find them. Are we letting Him ring through us so that He may call others? That is part of His glory. He makes His glory to ring through us in order to draw others. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
April 25, 2010
April 25 Luke 18:18-43
Playing football as a senior in High School had its privileges. The local radio station interviewed two seniors every week and then broadcast the interview right before the game. We did not have many seniors on our team. So toward the end of the season they were scraping the bottom of the barrel for new interviewees. I was picked. We must have been really hard up for guys to interview. I wasn't exactly a stellar player. Indeed, I had never even suited up for a game until my senior year. That last year I was in the starting line-up only three times. The radio announcer asked me, "If you had it to do over again, would you do it?" I don't remember exactly how I answered it, but he summarized it by saying, "So it's kind of like being in the Army. You are glad you had the experience but don't really want to do it again." That summed it up pretty well. I really enjoyed the camaraderie of playing the game. But actual play time on the field, it just wasn't there. I gave up a lot of free time and put myself through a lot of grueling exercise and physical punishment in order to play that game. If game time was the desired goal, then it didn't happen.
In this incident with the rich young ruler, Jesus responds to the twelve with that familiar saying, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." The disciples were aghast. If it is that hard, who can be saved? Jesus explained that with God all things are possible.
You can just see the wheels in Peter's mind turning here. The rich young ruler wouldn't sell everything. But, the disciples had left everything to follow Jesus. Peter lets Jesus know what they had sacrificed. Jesus gave that promise that those, who have left everything for Him, will receive many times more in the eternal life to come.
If I had it to do over again would I? Even without this promise, I would. Why? Because every once-in-a-while I catch a glimpse of His glory. That makes all the difference in the world. I'll endure anything for that--even without the promise of reward. His glory is too rich! Reward is only icing on the cake. Have you caught even a glimpse of His glory? If you have, you'll agree with me. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Playing football as a senior in High School had its privileges. The local radio station interviewed two seniors every week and then broadcast the interview right before the game. We did not have many seniors on our team. So toward the end of the season they were scraping the bottom of the barrel for new interviewees. I was picked. We must have been really hard up for guys to interview. I wasn't exactly a stellar player. Indeed, I had never even suited up for a game until my senior year. That last year I was in the starting line-up only three times. The radio announcer asked me, "If you had it to do over again, would you do it?" I don't remember exactly how I answered it, but he summarized it by saying, "So it's kind of like being in the Army. You are glad you had the experience but don't really want to do it again." That summed it up pretty well. I really enjoyed the camaraderie of playing the game. But actual play time on the field, it just wasn't there. I gave up a lot of free time and put myself through a lot of grueling exercise and physical punishment in order to play that game. If game time was the desired goal, then it didn't happen.
In this incident with the rich young ruler, Jesus responds to the twelve with that familiar saying, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." The disciples were aghast. If it is that hard, who can be saved? Jesus explained that with God all things are possible.
You can just see the wheels in Peter's mind turning here. The rich young ruler wouldn't sell everything. But, the disciples had left everything to follow Jesus. Peter lets Jesus know what they had sacrificed. Jesus gave that promise that those, who have left everything for Him, will receive many times more in the eternal life to come.
If I had it to do over again would I? Even without this promise, I would. Why? Because every once-in-a-while I catch a glimpse of His glory. That makes all the difference in the world. I'll endure anything for that--even without the promise of reward. His glory is too rich! Reward is only icing on the cake. Have you caught even a glimpse of His glory? If you have, you'll agree with me. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
April 24, 2010
April 24 Luke 18:1-17
It was a cold Sunday morning, probably the coldest of the year. I rolled, rubber-banded, and placed the newspapers one by one in my canvas bag slung over the front handle bars of my bike. Sunday papers were always at least three times as big as the weekly papers. I stuffed as many of the 180 papers as I could into the bag so that I would make as few trips as possible on my Sunday morning route. The papers themselves may have outweighed my 90 pound frame. Launching out into the 5:00 a.m. cold, it was difficult to gain speed with all the weight and without speed it was difficult to keep my balance. The cold stung my face as I pushed against the pedals. A few blocks from home, I had to slow down for a turn. Exhausted from peddling, the turn being a little tighter than I had anticipated, and the unexpected presence of some ice wrought the effect of loss of balance, and my bike went down. Try as I might I could not get my bike upright again. There was just too much weight on the handle bars. A passing policeman shone his spotlight on me and then drove on. He didn’t even stop to help. I was freezing and I couldn’t get my bike upright again. The papers were so heavy I couldn’t get the bag off of the handlebars. Frustrated I walked home. Walking into Dad’s bedroom, I awakened him, confessed my inability and asked for help. He graciously got up, dressed and helped me deliver my route. Man was I grateful.
Salvation is like that. Our sin has overwhelmed our ability to make our life upright and righteous. Try as we might we cannot restore it to the level of holiness required to enter into the presence of God. The sin is so wrapped around the handlebars of life and so heavy that we cannot remove it. There is nothing left but to walk home, to enter into the room of the Father and to say, “Lord, I am a sinner. Will you deliver me?” He is gracious. He is merciful. He delivers us. Like a child, unable, we ask. He delivers. That is the glory of our Lord. Like the tax-gatherer who recognizes the overwhelming greatness of His sin, we ask. He is gracious. He is merciful. He delivers us. That is His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
P.S. Thanks, Dad, for showing me in that simple act the love of the Father.
It was a cold Sunday morning, probably the coldest of the year. I rolled, rubber-banded, and placed the newspapers one by one in my canvas bag slung over the front handle bars of my bike. Sunday papers were always at least three times as big as the weekly papers. I stuffed as many of the 180 papers as I could into the bag so that I would make as few trips as possible on my Sunday morning route. The papers themselves may have outweighed my 90 pound frame. Launching out into the 5:00 a.m. cold, it was difficult to gain speed with all the weight and without speed it was difficult to keep my balance. The cold stung my face as I pushed against the pedals. A few blocks from home, I had to slow down for a turn. Exhausted from peddling, the turn being a little tighter than I had anticipated, and the unexpected presence of some ice wrought the effect of loss of balance, and my bike went down. Try as I might I could not get my bike upright again. There was just too much weight on the handle bars. A passing policeman shone his spotlight on me and then drove on. He didn’t even stop to help. I was freezing and I couldn’t get my bike upright again. The papers were so heavy I couldn’t get the bag off of the handlebars. Frustrated I walked home. Walking into Dad’s bedroom, I awakened him, confessed my inability and asked for help. He graciously got up, dressed and helped me deliver my route. Man was I grateful.
Salvation is like that. Our sin has overwhelmed our ability to make our life upright and righteous. Try as we might we cannot restore it to the level of holiness required to enter into the presence of God. The sin is so wrapped around the handlebars of life and so heavy that we cannot remove it. There is nothing left but to walk home, to enter into the room of the Father and to say, “Lord, I am a sinner. Will you deliver me?” He is gracious. He is merciful. He delivers us. Like a child, unable, we ask. He delivers. That is the glory of our Lord. Like the tax-gatherer who recognizes the overwhelming greatness of His sin, we ask. He is gracious. He is merciful. He delivers us. That is His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
P.S. Thanks, Dad, for showing me in that simple act the love of the Father.
Friday, April 23, 2010
April 23, 2010
Leviticus 27
It is the glory of the Lord to allow us to join in with what He is doing. This is seen in the valuations of Leviticus 27. The valuations are for persons, animals, lands and fields. Each of the items could be valued and then sold and the money given to speed the work of the Lord. When one sees the glory of the Lord at work, it is natural to be enamored with what He is doing and desire to join in with Him. But it may be that the person for one reason or another cannot join in. By giving something of himself, that person may join in. So these are voluntary gifts that could be given because one has so fallen in love with the glory of the L ord. Have you fallen in love with the glory of the Lord so much that you delight in giving to the advancement of His cause? Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 17:20-37
We are all watching closely the activity in Iraq, especially those of us who have loved ones there or will soon have loved ones there. We want the new government there to succeed. We want it to become a just and effective government, serving the Iraqi people well. If for no other reason at all, we want it to do well so that we can bring our soldiers home. So we watch and observe hoping the government will be supported by the people and will protect the people, hoping it will provide security for them. We want to do all that we can to get it to succeed. So we watch and observe.
The glory of our King is not like that. His is a glory that is built from within. It cannot be observed from the outside. We have no idea who His cabinet will be, or what kind of officers the cabinet will have, or even if He will need a cabinet. There will be no immediate need for drawing up a constitution, no electing a provisional government, no appointing of judges to sort out the war crimes. There will be no protests because of slowness to rebuild the infrastructure. Will electricity, running water and sewer to houses be an issue? Will distribution of food be a problem? Will medical facilities be required? Will clothing manufacturing and sale be a conundrum? Will the entertainment industry have to be rebuilt? Somehow those things might be a part of the Millennial Kingdom, but I don't think it will be anything like we can imagine.
Jesus says that His physical Kingdom will come without observation. It will be sudden and conclusive. In the mean time, His Kingdom is within us. In the mean time, His Kingdom is about building character in His people. In the mean time, His Kingdom is about building righteousness in His subjects. In the mean time, His Kingdom is about building love in His family. In the mean time, His Kingdom is about proclaiming the good news to non-citizens that they can receive citizenship if they will repent and believe in Jesus, receiving Him as their King. In the mean time, His Kingdom is about building a relationship with Him. In the mean time, His Kingdom is about rejecting the world's values and embracing His values. Those things cannot be observed. Oh sure, if we are building those things in our lives it will result in things that we can see around us. It will result in our serving others more than ourselves, and that will ultimately be visible. But there are those who do not know Him that serve others more than themselves.
So what glory is that? The glory will be revealed when He returns. It will be sudden and obvious. And we will all marvel at what He has done. His Kingdom doesn't come with physical observation. But it will bring greater security and peace than any army, constitution, legislature, judicial system or other ruler could ever supply! I want His glory to be advanced. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
It is the glory of the Lord to allow us to join in with what He is doing. This is seen in the valuations of Leviticus 27. The valuations are for persons, animals, lands and fields. Each of the items could be valued and then sold and the money given to speed the work of the Lord. When one sees the glory of the Lord at work, it is natural to be enamored with what He is doing and desire to join in with Him. But it may be that the person for one reason or another cannot join in. By giving something of himself, that person may join in. So these are voluntary gifts that could be given because one has so fallen in love with the glory of the L ord. Have you fallen in love with the glory of the Lord so much that you delight in giving to the advancement of His cause? Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 17:20-37
We are all watching closely the activity in Iraq, especially those of us who have loved ones there or will soon have loved ones there. We want the new government there to succeed. We want it to become a just and effective government, serving the Iraqi people well. If for no other reason at all, we want it to do well so that we can bring our soldiers home. So we watch and observe hoping the government will be supported by the people and will protect the people, hoping it will provide security for them. We want to do all that we can to get it to succeed. So we watch and observe.
The glory of our King is not like that. His is a glory that is built from within. It cannot be observed from the outside. We have no idea who His cabinet will be, or what kind of officers the cabinet will have, or even if He will need a cabinet. There will be no immediate need for drawing up a constitution, no electing a provisional government, no appointing of judges to sort out the war crimes. There will be no protests because of slowness to rebuild the infrastructure. Will electricity, running water and sewer to houses be an issue? Will distribution of food be a problem? Will medical facilities be required? Will clothing manufacturing and sale be a conundrum? Will the entertainment industry have to be rebuilt? Somehow those things might be a part of the Millennial Kingdom, but I don't think it will be anything like we can imagine.
Jesus says that His physical Kingdom will come without observation. It will be sudden and conclusive. In the mean time, His Kingdom is within us. In the mean time, His Kingdom is about building character in His people. In the mean time, His Kingdom is about building righteousness in His subjects. In the mean time, His Kingdom is about building love in His family. In the mean time, His Kingdom is about proclaiming the good news to non-citizens that they can receive citizenship if they will repent and believe in Jesus, receiving Him as their King. In the mean time, His Kingdom is about building a relationship with Him. In the mean time, His Kingdom is about rejecting the world's values and embracing His values. Those things cannot be observed. Oh sure, if we are building those things in our lives it will result in things that we can see around us. It will result in our serving others more than ourselves, and that will ultimately be visible. But there are those who do not know Him that serve others more than themselves.
So what glory is that? The glory will be revealed when He returns. It will be sudden and obvious. And we will all marvel at what He has done. His Kingdom doesn't come with physical observation. But it will bring greater security and peace than any army, constitution, legislature, judicial system or other ruler could ever supply! I want His glory to be advanced. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Thursday, April 22, 2010
April 22, 2010
Leviticus 26
It is the nature of children to test the limits of their parent’s parameters for obedience. Different kids approach it differently. But basically every child tests the limits. Knowing where the boundaries are is part of how they find security. It is also part of how they learn right and wrong. It is also part of how they gain their family identity. You might even say, “Their family glory.” I listened to a testimony of a friend of mine the other day. In their family upbringing, attending movies at a theater was a sin. While in college, he and some friends went to see Ben Hur at the theater. When he went home to visit, his mother said, “The Lord showed me that you went to the theater.” She was angry. He was convicted. Is there anything inherently sinful with attending the theater. Well, no, but it is a gray area. Within his family identity it was wrong all the time.
Have you ever considered that it is the glory of the Lord that He should bless us and curse us in obedience and disobedience? We like the idea of blessing. We don’t want to think about the idea of cursing. It is indeed something to think about. Perhaps it would motivate me more toward obedience if I thought more deeply about the principles of blessing and cursing as it relates to God’s people. How far will a holy God allow His people to walk in disobedience before their disobedience clouds His glory to the rest of the world, and He does something about it? How far will He go in discipline in order to protect the family glory? Pretty far, just read this passage. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 17:1-19
I admit it. I was a Home Improvement fan. Tim the tool man Taylor was so much fun to laugh at and with because he was such a good caricature of men in general. He was always endangering or hurting himself in his quest for the best. We want our tool to be bigger and better than the next man's tool. We are always striving to show that we are the best. We are very competitive at heart. It is especially true in the ministry. I was the janitor of a large church for a year. One Monday morning while getting a cup of hot chocolate in the office, the secretary hung up the phone. She was really put out. I asked her what was wrong. She said the phone call was another pastor in town. He had a habit of calling every week to find out how many people they had in worship on Sunday morning. There were several churches that he called frequently to find out. Often times when I tell people I meet that I am a pastor, one of the first questions that I am asked (particularly by men) is, "How many members do you have?"
The disciples were concerned about the size of their faith. Rightfully they come to the Lord to ask Him to increase their faith. For some reason they felt their faith was too small. Now, these are men who have cast out demons, healed the sick and preached the good news of the kingdom, all in the name of Jesus. They are requesting to have their faith increased. Jesus gives a response that does not seem to fit the request. First He tells them if their faith were the size of a mustard seed (an exceptionally small seed) that they could remove trees by speaking to them. Hhmmm. . . Then He launches into a discourse about duty. Jesus, did I miss something?
The comment about the mustard seed implies that the size of one's faith is unimportant. Perhaps Jesus is saying in a nice way, "That's a dumb request. The size of your faith doesn't matter. What matters is the object of your faith. What matters is where you place your faith." Then the next question would be, "What is the object of your faith? Is it your Lord or your goal?" People have a difficult time differentiating between the two. Since we can't see our Lord, we tend to think that if we are promoting what we think that He wants, then we have our faith in Him. In actuality our faith remains in ourselves or what we are trying to accomplish. When we have real faith, it is not that we can order the Lord around to do things for us. He is not a genie in a bottle. A Lord does not come home from a long journey in order to cook his servants a meal. The Lord did not go on a long journey to the earth and to the cross and back to heaven so that He could wait upon us hand and foot to see what we might request of Him. He accomplished that journey so that we might have our focus fixed upon His glory and when He makes a request, we jump into action. And when this life is over, we will be so overcome with the greatness of His glory that when we look back at the things which we did in faith, it will only be things which we should have done anyway in light of the glory of our Lord!
When the disciples asked for greater faith, whose glory were they seeking to increase? I don't know, but I know when they get to heaven and when you and I stand in the glory of the Lord Jesus, we will not be able to say anything but, "We have done what was our duty to do." Why? Only because of the greatness of the object of our faith, our Lord Jesus Christ, were we able to do it. Even if we have uprooted mulberry trees with verbal commands, in light of who He is, we only did what should have been done anyway. Now that is glory I don't fully grasp, and maybe never will. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
It is the nature of children to test the limits of their parent’s parameters for obedience. Different kids approach it differently. But basically every child tests the limits. Knowing where the boundaries are is part of how they find security. It is also part of how they learn right and wrong. It is also part of how they gain their family identity. You might even say, “Their family glory.” I listened to a testimony of a friend of mine the other day. In their family upbringing, attending movies at a theater was a sin. While in college, he and some friends went to see Ben Hur at the theater. When he went home to visit, his mother said, “The Lord showed me that you went to the theater.” She was angry. He was convicted. Is there anything inherently sinful with attending the theater. Well, no, but it is a gray area. Within his family identity it was wrong all the time.
Have you ever considered that it is the glory of the Lord that He should bless us and curse us in obedience and disobedience? We like the idea of blessing. We don’t want to think about the idea of cursing. It is indeed something to think about. Perhaps it would motivate me more toward obedience if I thought more deeply about the principles of blessing and cursing as it relates to God’s people. How far will a holy God allow His people to walk in disobedience before their disobedience clouds His glory to the rest of the world, and He does something about it? How far will He go in discipline in order to protect the family glory? Pretty far, just read this passage. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 17:1-19
I admit it. I was a Home Improvement fan. Tim the tool man Taylor was so much fun to laugh at and with because he was such a good caricature of men in general. He was always endangering or hurting himself in his quest for the best. We want our tool to be bigger and better than the next man's tool. We are always striving to show that we are the best. We are very competitive at heart. It is especially true in the ministry. I was the janitor of a large church for a year. One Monday morning while getting a cup of hot chocolate in the office, the secretary hung up the phone. She was really put out. I asked her what was wrong. She said the phone call was another pastor in town. He had a habit of calling every week to find out how many people they had in worship on Sunday morning. There were several churches that he called frequently to find out. Often times when I tell people I meet that I am a pastor, one of the first questions that I am asked (particularly by men) is, "How many members do you have?"
The disciples were concerned about the size of their faith. Rightfully they come to the Lord to ask Him to increase their faith. For some reason they felt their faith was too small. Now, these are men who have cast out demons, healed the sick and preached the good news of the kingdom, all in the name of Jesus. They are requesting to have their faith increased. Jesus gives a response that does not seem to fit the request. First He tells them if their faith were the size of a mustard seed (an exceptionally small seed) that they could remove trees by speaking to them. Hhmmm. . . Then He launches into a discourse about duty. Jesus, did I miss something?
The comment about the mustard seed implies that the size of one's faith is unimportant. Perhaps Jesus is saying in a nice way, "That's a dumb request. The size of your faith doesn't matter. What matters is the object of your faith. What matters is where you place your faith." Then the next question would be, "What is the object of your faith? Is it your Lord or your goal?" People have a difficult time differentiating between the two. Since we can't see our Lord, we tend to think that if we are promoting what we think that He wants, then we have our faith in Him. In actuality our faith remains in ourselves or what we are trying to accomplish. When we have real faith, it is not that we can order the Lord around to do things for us. He is not a genie in a bottle. A Lord does not come home from a long journey in order to cook his servants a meal. The Lord did not go on a long journey to the earth and to the cross and back to heaven so that He could wait upon us hand and foot to see what we might request of Him. He accomplished that journey so that we might have our focus fixed upon His glory and when He makes a request, we jump into action. And when this life is over, we will be so overcome with the greatness of His glory that when we look back at the things which we did in faith, it will only be things which we should have done anyway in light of the glory of our Lord!
When the disciples asked for greater faith, whose glory were they seeking to increase? I don't know, but I know when they get to heaven and when you and I stand in the glory of the Lord Jesus, we will not be able to say anything but, "We have done what was our duty to do." Why? Only because of the greatness of the object of our faith, our Lord Jesus Christ, were we able to do it. Even if we have uprooted mulberry trees with verbal commands, in light of who He is, we only did what should have been done anyway. Now that is glory I don't fully grasp, and maybe never will. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
April 21, 2010
Leviticus 25
You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt.
Saint Peter, don't you call me, 'cause I can't go;
I owe my soul to the company store.
According to Merle Travis, the line from the chorus "another day older and deeper in debt" was a phrase often used by his father, a coal miner himself. This and the line "I owe my soul to the company store" is a reference to the truck system and to debt bondage. Under this system workers were not paid cash; rather they were paid with unexchangeable credit vouchers for goods at the company store, usually referred to as scrip. This made it impossible for workers to store up cash savings. Workers also usually lived in company-owned dormitories or houses, the rent for which was automatically deducted from their pay. In the United States the truck system and associated debt bondage persisted until the strikes of the newly-formed United Mine Workers and affiliated unions forced an end to such practices. *
The word Sabbath means seven. We associate it with rest. God built into His calendar many different times and ways for us to obtain rest. He gave the seventh day as a rest from our work so that we may focus upon Him. He gave the completion of seven weeks from firstfruits as a festival to commemorate the beginning of the church. He gave the seventh month of the Jewish year for three different Sabbaths. He gave the seventh year as a year of rest for the land. He gave the year following the seventh Sabbatical year as a year of economic rest. This fiftieth year is called the year of jubilee.
Have you ever heard the old saying, “It takes money to make money?” Well there is a lot of truth to that statement. And when people run into rough financial times, whether through mismanagement or no fault of their own, it is the people who have equity that benefit. They gain the wealth of those with the problems. So how do you bring equity to the situation for the person with no fault? When there is fault, shouldn’t there be room for forgiveness? The principles involved in the year of Jubilee allowed for equity and forgiveness. It allowed for adjustments to be made within the society so that the gap between the super rich and the super poor could be closed.
Not only was it practical for the economy, but it also is a picture of our freedom and rest that we receive in Christ. It’s a picture of our forgiveness, which leads to release from bondage. Work as we might there remains a rest for the people of God.
We were in bondage to sin. Work as we might we could not earn enough to deliver us from bondage. Whether it is from what we inherited from our father Adam or whether we agreed with his sin by willingly committing it ourselves, we were in bondage. It is the glory of our Lord that He delivered us. He brought us rest. He is our year of Jubilee! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
*Wikipedia contributors. "Sixteen Tons." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 20 Apr. 2010. Web. 21 Apr. 2010.
Luke 16
Okay, I admit it. I enjoy listening to Hank the Cow Dog. When my kids were little (before personal DVD players), we learned that listening to stories made traveling in the car so much easier. If you have never heard a Hank the Cow Dog book, you ought to try one. But be careful, you might get hooked like me. Hank has a book called The Incredible Priceless Corn Cob. The whole basis for the book is Hank's inability to determine what is truly valuable. Pete the barn cat tricks Hank into believing that the corn cobs from the table scraps are more valuable than the meat scraps. Of course this sets the stage for much of the conflict of the episode. It also is a platform to humorously reveal Hank's pride. It is amusing to me because not only is it so much like dogs, but it is also so much like humans.
The Pharisees really loved money and the things it could buy. (It sounds just like Americans, doesn't it?) As a result, they made fun of Jesus' parable of the unjust steward and His statement that you cannot serve God and money. Jesus responds with, "What is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God." What we highly esteem is really an incredible priceless corn cob. And we are not just talking about money or the things it can buy. If that were the case, we would be satisfied with daily bread, shelter to be warm in the winter and out of the sun in the summer, safety from predators and with modest clothing to cover our bodies. But we are not satisfied with rudimentary provision. We always want more, something just a little nicer or bigger or better or newer.
WHY? We have bought the lie that our identity is derived from what we possess or accomplish. If I live in a certain type of house, I am someone. If I drive a certain type of car, I am somebody. If I dress in certain kinds of clothes people will notice me. If I have a beautiful woman (or women), then I am a real man. If I have power to influence people, then I am eternal. If I am used of God to build a big church, then I am something. If I don't have that house, I am nothing. If I cannot drive that car, I am nobody. If clothes don't look right, I am embarrassed. If cannot influence people, I am just a bump in the road. If my church fails, I am useless and of no value. So thought the rich man and so think we. It is an incredible priceless corn cob. I wonder, is God ever amused with our valuing corn cobs?
BUT, our identity is not derived from those things. We are created in His image. Our identity is derived from Him. That is why His glory is so important. As the moon cannot produce light from itself, we cannot primarily find our identity from each other but from Him. Yes, we are created in community to reflect His image, but our identity is found first in Him then in relation to each other. He must be exalted first. It is His glory that must first shine. Otherwise we are nothing but corn cobs--I've heard that they had a rather inglorious purpose before toilet paper. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt.
Saint Peter, don't you call me, 'cause I can't go;
I owe my soul to the company store.
According to Merle Travis, the line from the chorus "another day older and deeper in debt" was a phrase often used by his father, a coal miner himself. This and the line "I owe my soul to the company store" is a reference to the truck system and to debt bondage. Under this system workers were not paid cash; rather they were paid with unexchangeable credit vouchers for goods at the company store, usually referred to as scrip. This made it impossible for workers to store up cash savings. Workers also usually lived in company-owned dormitories or houses, the rent for which was automatically deducted from their pay. In the United States the truck system and associated debt bondage persisted until the strikes of the newly-formed United Mine Workers and affiliated unions forced an end to such practices. *
The word Sabbath means seven. We associate it with rest. God built into His calendar many different times and ways for us to obtain rest. He gave the seventh day as a rest from our work so that we may focus upon Him. He gave the completion of seven weeks from firstfruits as a festival to commemorate the beginning of the church. He gave the seventh month of the Jewish year for three different Sabbaths. He gave the seventh year as a year of rest for the land. He gave the year following the seventh Sabbatical year as a year of economic rest. This fiftieth year is called the year of jubilee.
Have you ever heard the old saying, “It takes money to make money?” Well there is a lot of truth to that statement. And when people run into rough financial times, whether through mismanagement or no fault of their own, it is the people who have equity that benefit. They gain the wealth of those with the problems. So how do you bring equity to the situation for the person with no fault? When there is fault, shouldn’t there be room for forgiveness? The principles involved in the year of Jubilee allowed for equity and forgiveness. It allowed for adjustments to be made within the society so that the gap between the super rich and the super poor could be closed.
Not only was it practical for the economy, but it also is a picture of our freedom and rest that we receive in Christ. It’s a picture of our forgiveness, which leads to release from bondage. Work as we might there remains a rest for the people of God.
We were in bondage to sin. Work as we might we could not earn enough to deliver us from bondage. Whether it is from what we inherited from our father Adam or whether we agreed with his sin by willingly committing it ourselves, we were in bondage. It is the glory of our Lord that He delivered us. He brought us rest. He is our year of Jubilee! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
*Wikipedia contributors. "Sixteen Tons." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 20 Apr. 2010. Web. 21 Apr. 2010.
Luke 16
Okay, I admit it. I enjoy listening to Hank the Cow Dog. When my kids were little (before personal DVD players), we learned that listening to stories made traveling in the car so much easier. If you have never heard a Hank the Cow Dog book, you ought to try one. But be careful, you might get hooked like me. Hank has a book called The Incredible Priceless Corn Cob. The whole basis for the book is Hank's inability to determine what is truly valuable. Pete the barn cat tricks Hank into believing that the corn cobs from the table scraps are more valuable than the meat scraps. Of course this sets the stage for much of the conflict of the episode. It also is a platform to humorously reveal Hank's pride. It is amusing to me because not only is it so much like dogs, but it is also so much like humans.
The Pharisees really loved money and the things it could buy. (It sounds just like Americans, doesn't it?) As a result, they made fun of Jesus' parable of the unjust steward and His statement that you cannot serve God and money. Jesus responds with, "What is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God." What we highly esteem is really an incredible priceless corn cob. And we are not just talking about money or the things it can buy. If that were the case, we would be satisfied with daily bread, shelter to be warm in the winter and out of the sun in the summer, safety from predators and with modest clothing to cover our bodies. But we are not satisfied with rudimentary provision. We always want more, something just a little nicer or bigger or better or newer.
WHY? We have bought the lie that our identity is derived from what we possess or accomplish. If I live in a certain type of house, I am someone. If I drive a certain type of car, I am somebody. If I dress in certain kinds of clothes people will notice me. If I have a beautiful woman (or women), then I am a real man. If I have power to influence people, then I am eternal. If I am used of God to build a big church, then I am something. If I don't have that house, I am nothing. If I cannot drive that car, I am nobody. If clothes don't look right, I am embarrassed. If cannot influence people, I am just a bump in the road. If my church fails, I am useless and of no value. So thought the rich man and so think we. It is an incredible priceless corn cob. I wonder, is God ever amused with our valuing corn cobs?
BUT, our identity is not derived from those things. We are created in His image. Our identity is derived from Him. That is why His glory is so important. As the moon cannot produce light from itself, we cannot primarily find our identity from each other but from Him. Yes, we are created in community to reflect His image, but our identity is found first in Him then in relation to each other. He must be exalted first. It is His glory that must first shine. Otherwise we are nothing but corn cobs--I've heard that they had a rather inglorious purpose before toilet paper. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
April 20, 2010
Leviticus 24
Light is that wave of energy which enables my eyes and brain to better understand the reality around me. Spiritual light is the wave of spiritual energy which enables me to better understand the reality of the spiritual world around me, and even myself. Jesus said at least two different things about light. He said, “I am the light of the world.” He also said to us, “You are the light of the world.” The passage today begins with the lampstand in the temple. Aaron was placed in charge of it. It was to burn continually. Just across the room from the lampstand was the table of the bread of presence. The Lord calls us into the light of His presence to dine with Him. There His light reveals our true spiritual nature. If we respond properly, His presence changes our own nature to be more like His.
As we sit in His presence, we gain a great appreciation for His name. Having an appreciation for His Name ought to change us. Here is a case study where the Lord is pointing out how things ought to change. A man who was half Hebrew, half Egyptian, blasphemed the name of the Lord. They brought Him to the Lord to see what ought to be done. Here in His presence, in His light, the Lord instructs them. He launches into a discourse on justice. But I thought the issue was blaspheming His name. Could it be that in His light that the Lord is pointing out something about them that is just as important as honoring His name? If the man had been all Hebrew and not half-Egyptian, would they still have brought him to Moses for discipline? Would they have just overlooked it if he were all Hebrew? Or, would there have been some who would have been more strict because he were all Hebrew? Perhaps in the light of the Lord their inconsistent justice was revealed. The justice of the Lord is severe, but it is equal for all. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 15:11-32
How do you illustrate an illustration--with another illustration? This is probably Jesus' best known parable. Its point is to reveal the awesome love of God for us. Can you imagine the impudence of the prodigal that he would demand his father's inheritance before his father had died and then move to a far country? He was communicating with out words that the relationship he had with his father was of little value to him. He wasted all that His father had to give him physically on momentary pleasures. He treated the relationship that his father wanted with him as though it were meaningless and valueless.
Eventually he came to his senses. He recognized that not only had he squandered the wealth given to him but he had rejected the only relationship that was of value. He falsely presumed that his father would not be interested in renewing the relationship. Broken financially, physically, emotionally and spiritually he returned home. He no longer desired the wealth his father could give him. He didn't even think his father would forgive him. He just wanted to be home.
God is indeed a holy God. He will not tolerate us exalting ourselves above Him. So he lets us run away from home with all the wealth of His name. He permits us to squander it on wasteful living. He even allows us to reject a relationship with Him. He does this until we are broken, until we realize that the only thing that is of value is to be in His house, until His name is more important than ours, until we desire a relationship with Him. Then we can return home. To our surprise, He runs to meet us and rejoices over us with singing. The fact that we squandered His wealth is forgiven. That fact that we rejected His name is forgiven. What an awesome love!
Is His name more important to you than your desires, your name? The Eternal God deserves and demands that it should be. And it is only right that He should. After all, He is the Creator and we are the creatures. That is why focusing upon His glory is so important, otherwise we are exalting our names. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
P.S. Thanks Bill for the thoughts on the importance of His name.
Light is that wave of energy which enables my eyes and brain to better understand the reality around me. Spiritual light is the wave of spiritual energy which enables me to better understand the reality of the spiritual world around me, and even myself. Jesus said at least two different things about light. He said, “I am the light of the world.” He also said to us, “You are the light of the world.” The passage today begins with the lampstand in the temple. Aaron was placed in charge of it. It was to burn continually. Just across the room from the lampstand was the table of the bread of presence. The Lord calls us into the light of His presence to dine with Him. There His light reveals our true spiritual nature. If we respond properly, His presence changes our own nature to be more like His.
As we sit in His presence, we gain a great appreciation for His name. Having an appreciation for His Name ought to change us. Here is a case study where the Lord is pointing out how things ought to change. A man who was half Hebrew, half Egyptian, blasphemed the name of the Lord. They brought Him to the Lord to see what ought to be done. Here in His presence, in His light, the Lord instructs them. He launches into a discourse on justice. But I thought the issue was blaspheming His name. Could it be that in His light that the Lord is pointing out something about them that is just as important as honoring His name? If the man had been all Hebrew and not half-Egyptian, would they still have brought him to Moses for discipline? Would they have just overlooked it if he were all Hebrew? Or, would there have been some who would have been more strict because he were all Hebrew? Perhaps in the light of the Lord their inconsistent justice was revealed. The justice of the Lord is severe, but it is equal for all. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 15:11-32
How do you illustrate an illustration--with another illustration? This is probably Jesus' best known parable. Its point is to reveal the awesome love of God for us. Can you imagine the impudence of the prodigal that he would demand his father's inheritance before his father had died and then move to a far country? He was communicating with out words that the relationship he had with his father was of little value to him. He wasted all that His father had to give him physically on momentary pleasures. He treated the relationship that his father wanted with him as though it were meaningless and valueless.
Eventually he came to his senses. He recognized that not only had he squandered the wealth given to him but he had rejected the only relationship that was of value. He falsely presumed that his father would not be interested in renewing the relationship. Broken financially, physically, emotionally and spiritually he returned home. He no longer desired the wealth his father could give him. He didn't even think his father would forgive him. He just wanted to be home.
God is indeed a holy God. He will not tolerate us exalting ourselves above Him. So he lets us run away from home with all the wealth of His name. He permits us to squander it on wasteful living. He even allows us to reject a relationship with Him. He does this until we are broken, until we realize that the only thing that is of value is to be in His house, until His name is more important than ours, until we desire a relationship with Him. Then we can return home. To our surprise, He runs to meet us and rejoices over us with singing. The fact that we squandered His wealth is forgiven. That fact that we rejected His name is forgiven. What an awesome love!
Is His name more important to you than your desires, your name? The Eternal God deserves and demands that it should be. And it is only right that He should. After all, He is the Creator and we are the creatures. That is why focusing upon His glory is so important, otherwise we are exalting our names. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
P.S. Thanks Bill for the thoughts on the importance of His name.
Monday, April 19, 2010
April 19, 2010
Leviticus 23
This chapter briefly describes each of the seven Holy festivals given to Israel. They reflect the Glory of our Lord in that they demonstrate how He prophetically works in history with the feast days of Israel. Each feast speaks of the Messiah. Below is a simplification of the feast days and how they reflect God’s plan in the Messiah
Passover—the crucifixion and death of Messiah
Unleavened Bread—the fellowship we have with Messiah because of His death
Firstfruits—the resurrection of Messiah
Pentecost—the beginning of the church (two loaves)
Trumpets—Israel brought back into the land (future)
Great Day of Atonement—the work of Messiah upon the Cross for us
Tabernacles—the time when Israel is in the land (future)
The Firstfruits can be kind of confusing. Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary rather cryptically identifies this feast with Pentecost. Yet, that does not really capture it. Here is what The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia has this to say:
The phrase “the first of the first-fruits” (Ex23:19; 34:26; Ezk 44:30), . . . is not quite clear. . . . It may mean the first-ripe or the choicest of the first-fruits. . . . The priest waved a re’shith of corn before the Lord on the morrow after the Sabbath in the week of unleavened bread (Lev. 23: 9-11). . . . At the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) seven weeks after the offering of the sheaf, bikkurim of corn in the ear, parched with fire and bruised, were brought to the House of the Lord as a meal offering (Ex 34:22-26; Lev. 2:14-16).
So then, it was kind of a divided holiday. It began on the first Sunday following the Sabbath that fell during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. On this day new sheaves recently sprouted in the field were cut and brought to be offered as a wave offering before the Lord. This was the day that Jesus rose from the grave. Paul, as a good Pharisee recognized this. In 1 Cor 15:20-23 he is indicating more than that Jesus is the first to rise and stay risen from the dead. He is the fulfillment of the Feast of Firstfruits.
Fifty days later when grain had produced ripe heads, they were harvested and brought to the Lord. The Feast of Pentecost was to be celebrated. It was two be celebrated with two loaves of bread made with leaven. This day is the creation of the church. The Mystery is now revealed. Jew and Gentile are blended together into one body. The two loaves become one. But wait a minute! These loaves are made with leaven. Leaven is a symbol of sin. As in the parable of the tares, the Church through the centuries has had to wrestle with sin and evil in its midst. Hmmmm. . . .
The last three festivals fall in the seventh month. Seven is the number of completion. The Feasts of Trumpets and Tabernacles look to the second coming. In the mean time we have the privilege of spreading the good news of His kingdom, of His glory. Is it not amazing how He has it all planned from the foundation of the world? Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 15:1-10
The isles stacked with goods were tall, and they were like a maze. I was less than 5 years old, and I had lost my family. We had gone shopping in the big Sears store in Ft. Wayne. When it looked hopeless, I started crying. A man saw me and asked why I was crying. Not giving him an answer he asked, "Did you lose your parents?" Nodding my head yes, he then took me over to the counter, picked up a microphone, flipped a switch and then said, "Will the parents of the little boy wearing . . . please come to the . . . counter." Within seconds my oldest brother came around the end of the isle. He was laughing. Man it was good to see him!
Jesus rejoices over us when we who were lost find Him again. The illustration I just gave really doesn't fit because in it I was the one who was lost. It describes my joy. Jesus is emphasizing the joy of heaven when we repent. The glory of Jesus is His joy when we repent. It is greater than even our own joy when we have finally accomplished repentance. Think of the joy you felt when you first found Jesus or perhaps you felt when you came back to Him after having gone astray for a while. Remember this, "His joy was even greater!" He loves you that much! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
This chapter briefly describes each of the seven Holy festivals given to Israel. They reflect the Glory of our Lord in that they demonstrate how He prophetically works in history with the feast days of Israel. Each feast speaks of the Messiah. Below is a simplification of the feast days and how they reflect God’s plan in the Messiah
Passover—the crucifixion and death of Messiah
Unleavened Bread—the fellowship we have with Messiah because of His death
Firstfruits—the resurrection of Messiah
Pentecost—the beginning of the church (two loaves)
Trumpets—Israel brought back into the land (future)
Great Day of Atonement—the work of Messiah upon the Cross for us
Tabernacles—the time when Israel is in the land (future)
The Firstfruits can be kind of confusing. Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary rather cryptically identifies this feast with Pentecost. Yet, that does not really capture it. Here is what The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia has this to say:
The phrase “the first of the first-fruits” (Ex23:19; 34:26; Ezk 44:30), . . . is not quite clear. . . . It may mean the first-ripe or the choicest of the first-fruits. . . . The priest waved a re’shith of corn before the Lord on the morrow after the Sabbath in the week of unleavened bread (Lev. 23: 9-11). . . . At the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) seven weeks after the offering of the sheaf, bikkurim of corn in the ear, parched with fire and bruised, were brought to the House of the Lord as a meal offering (Ex 34:22-26; Lev. 2:14-16).
So then, it was kind of a divided holiday. It began on the first Sunday following the Sabbath that fell during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. On this day new sheaves recently sprouted in the field were cut and brought to be offered as a wave offering before the Lord. This was the day that Jesus rose from the grave. Paul, as a good Pharisee recognized this. In 1 Cor 15:20-23 he is indicating more than that Jesus is the first to rise and stay risen from the dead. He is the fulfillment of the Feast of Firstfruits.
Fifty days later when grain had produced ripe heads, they were harvested and brought to the Lord. The Feast of Pentecost was to be celebrated. It was two be celebrated with two loaves of bread made with leaven. This day is the creation of the church. The Mystery is now revealed. Jew and Gentile are blended together into one body. The two loaves become one. But wait a minute! These loaves are made with leaven. Leaven is a symbol of sin. As in the parable of the tares, the Church through the centuries has had to wrestle with sin and evil in its midst. Hmmmm. . . .
The last three festivals fall in the seventh month. Seven is the number of completion. The Feasts of Trumpets and Tabernacles look to the second coming. In the mean time we have the privilege of spreading the good news of His kingdom, of His glory. Is it not amazing how He has it all planned from the foundation of the world? Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 15:1-10
The isles stacked with goods were tall, and they were like a maze. I was less than 5 years old, and I had lost my family. We had gone shopping in the big Sears store in Ft. Wayne. When it looked hopeless, I started crying. A man saw me and asked why I was crying. Not giving him an answer he asked, "Did you lose your parents?" Nodding my head yes, he then took me over to the counter, picked up a microphone, flipped a switch and then said, "Will the parents of the little boy wearing . . . please come to the . . . counter." Within seconds my oldest brother came around the end of the isle. He was laughing. Man it was good to see him!
Jesus rejoices over us when we who were lost find Him again. The illustration I just gave really doesn't fit because in it I was the one who was lost. It describes my joy. Jesus is emphasizing the joy of heaven when we repent. The glory of Jesus is His joy when we repent. It is greater than even our own joy when we have finally accomplished repentance. Think of the joy you felt when you first found Jesus or perhaps you felt when you came back to Him after having gone astray for a while. Remember this, "His joy was even greater!" He loves you that much! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
April 18, 2010
Luke 14:25-35
It Takes a Thief, Maverick, Mission Impossible, Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve etc. for some reason we love to watch TV shows & movies about ingenious ways of gaining something that really does not belong to us (better known as stealing). Okay, Okay, I used the plural we. Maybe I should have said, "I." Well even if you won't admit it, there must be others other than me, because these all made money from people watching them. Okay I admit it. I enjoy watching them because I want things that cost more than what I have.
Jesus offers us something that costs more than what we have. He offers us a relationship with Himself. In one sense it is free. In another sense it is not. He says, "Come, take up your cross and follow Me." Now there is only one reason to pick up a cross. It is so you can take it to the place of execution and be nailed to it. There you will hang until dead. Yeah that's right, Jesus wants to leave us hanging-until dead. It is a living death. Doesn't sound too pleasant, does it?
But what do we get in exchange? We get life. We get a moment by moment experience of His beautiful presence. Is it worth it? What little I have experienced of His precious presence in the midst of suffering, I would say, "I will do it all over again for His presence." Of course, I would say, "Lord, can't we do this without the pain?" But for some reason He says, "Not now." By faith I reckon that His life is worth more than this life. In the process of dying, He shows me more of His beauty. It is worth the cost. Have you counted the cost? He calls us to abundant life. But the path to abundant life is found through living death to self. Why would I want to do that? Because His glory is worth it! Danny Ocean might steal and connive his way into millions of dollars, but he loses it all when he dies. I might die to the things I wanted out of this life, but when this death is complete, I will have walked with the King of Glory along the way, and I will have riches that cannot be taken away. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
It Takes a Thief, Maverick, Mission Impossible, Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve etc. for some reason we love to watch TV shows & movies about ingenious ways of gaining something that really does not belong to us (better known as stealing). Okay, Okay, I used the plural we. Maybe I should have said, "I." Well even if you won't admit it, there must be others other than me, because these all made money from people watching them. Okay I admit it. I enjoy watching them because I want things that cost more than what I have.
Jesus offers us something that costs more than what we have. He offers us a relationship with Himself. In one sense it is free. In another sense it is not. He says, "Come, take up your cross and follow Me." Now there is only one reason to pick up a cross. It is so you can take it to the place of execution and be nailed to it. There you will hang until dead. Yeah that's right, Jesus wants to leave us hanging-until dead. It is a living death. Doesn't sound too pleasant, does it?
But what do we get in exchange? We get life. We get a moment by moment experience of His beautiful presence. Is it worth it? What little I have experienced of His precious presence in the midst of suffering, I would say, "I will do it all over again for His presence." Of course, I would say, "Lord, can't we do this without the pain?" But for some reason He says, "Not now." By faith I reckon that His life is worth more than this life. In the process of dying, He shows me more of His beauty. It is worth the cost. Have you counted the cost? He calls us to abundant life. But the path to abundant life is found through living death to self. Why would I want to do that? Because His glory is worth it! Danny Ocean might steal and connive his way into millions of dollars, but he loses it all when he dies. I might die to the things I wanted out of this life, but when this death is complete, I will have walked with the King of Glory along the way, and I will have riches that cannot be taken away. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Saturday, April 17, 2010
April 17, 2010
April 17 Luke 14:1-24
If you were given an invitation to attend a banquet with the President of the United States, and it was at a time at which you could attend and cost you nothing, would you go? If there were not assigned seating but people were seated on a first-come-first-served basis, where would you sit? If the truth were known, I think most of us would go, even if you didn't like the President's politics. After all, he is the President of the U.S.A. Also, most of us would do our best to be seated nearest the President as possible.
Someone infinitely greater than the President of the U,S.A. is giving a banquet, and all are invited. God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth and His Son Jesus, the Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords have issued and invitation to come and dine with them. It is an invitation that works on a couple of levels. The first and obvious level in this parable is at the end of time we are invited to enter into eternal fellowship with Him. It is at a time at which are able to attend, and in one sense it will cost you nothing. Is it something most are willing to do? Unfortunately many are so focused upon the things of this world that they fail to see the tremendous privilege to which they have been invited. Consequently, they choose things that pale in comparison to the privilege of coming to the banquet. Those things include, marriage, buying real estate, getting your business secure etc. One day they will wake up and find that they chose activities that have come to an end rather than entering into an eternal relationship with their Creator. Theirs will be eternal loss.
This invitation works on another level as well. Jesus bids us daily, indeed moment by moment to enter into a continual feast with Him, a relationship where we constantly are aware and act upon His presence. Unfortunately many are so focused upon the things of this world that we fail to see the tremendous privilege to which we have been invited. Consequently, we choose things that pale in comparison to the privilege of coming to the banquet. Those things include, marriage, buying real estate, getting our employment or retirement secure etc. One day we will wake up to find that we have wasted so much time in a pursuit that was cheap in comparison to what we could have had with Him. Like the final banquet in one sense this banquet is free. In another sense (as we will see tomorrow), it will cost you everything. The question is, "What is His glory worth to us?" Is it worth to us the sacrifice required to see it and to practice it on a daily, yes moment by moment basis? Lord, help us to see your glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
If you were given an invitation to attend a banquet with the President of the United States, and it was at a time at which you could attend and cost you nothing, would you go? If there were not assigned seating but people were seated on a first-come-first-served basis, where would you sit? If the truth were known, I think most of us would go, even if you didn't like the President's politics. After all, he is the President of the U.S.A. Also, most of us would do our best to be seated nearest the President as possible.
Someone infinitely greater than the President of the U,S.A. is giving a banquet, and all are invited. God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth and His Son Jesus, the Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords have issued and invitation to come and dine with them. It is an invitation that works on a couple of levels. The first and obvious level in this parable is at the end of time we are invited to enter into eternal fellowship with Him. It is at a time at which are able to attend, and in one sense it will cost you nothing. Is it something most are willing to do? Unfortunately many are so focused upon the things of this world that they fail to see the tremendous privilege to which they have been invited. Consequently, they choose things that pale in comparison to the privilege of coming to the banquet. Those things include, marriage, buying real estate, getting your business secure etc. One day they will wake up and find that they chose activities that have come to an end rather than entering into an eternal relationship with their Creator. Theirs will be eternal loss.
This invitation works on another level as well. Jesus bids us daily, indeed moment by moment to enter into a continual feast with Him, a relationship where we constantly are aware and act upon His presence. Unfortunately many are so focused upon the things of this world that we fail to see the tremendous privilege to which we have been invited. Consequently, we choose things that pale in comparison to the privilege of coming to the banquet. Those things include, marriage, buying real estate, getting our employment or retirement secure etc. One day we will wake up to find that we have wasted so much time in a pursuit that was cheap in comparison to what we could have had with Him. Like the final banquet in one sense this banquet is free. In another sense (as we will see tomorrow), it will cost you everything. The question is, "What is His glory worth to us?" Is it worth to us the sacrifice required to see it and to practice it on a daily, yes moment by moment basis? Lord, help us to see your glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Friday, April 16, 2010
April 16, 2010
Leviticus 20
Yesterday we looked at reflecting the glory of God in our own lives by being holy because He is holy. That vein of thought continues on in today’s passage. There are a number of associations mentioned here in which God would not allow His people to participate because they would reflect upon His holiness. Included here are: sacrificing children to Molech, turning to mediums and familiar spirits, cursing a parent, adultery, various forms of incest, bestiality and homosexuality. The people of God are not to participate in these activities because they defile His holiness.
Recently I read a book by an accomplished theologian defending the practice of monogamous homosexuality. Certainly he had to explain away passages like this one and a few others found in the Scripture. The gist of his argument in this passage was that the context was reacting to Canaanite worship. These were all practices that the Canaanites had in their worship of their gods. Since God is holy, he argued that the Israelites should not use the heathen practices in their worship of the Lord. He then surmised that unless the practice was forbidden elsewhere in Scripture, then the practices were okay as long as they were not used in worship.
Hmmm. . . I guess that would mean that as long as it was not an act of worship I could sacrifice my children. My children had better look out! I can visit mediums and seek familiar spirits as long as it is not an act of worship. I can curse my parents as long as it is not in a religious ritual. I can go commit adultery as long as it is not a religious ceremony. Incest is fair game, just not in church. Approval of bestiality might open up a whole new market for a dog business. Now in all fairness, I guess I should not have addressed cursing parents and committing adultery for they are forbidden in the ten commandments. Maybe I should put up a palm reading sign on my front door. After all, I wouldn’t use it in a worship service. No! These are not activities that reflect the glory of the Lord in any situation. Is it not better just to say that these are sin? Is it not better to repent if I fall into this sin?
In another light, yesterday we saw the greatest command was to love your neighbor as yourself. What if I have a neighbor who sacrifices his children? The loving thing to do would be to tell the authorities for he must be restrained from sacrificing his children. What if the authorities will not intervene? The loving thing to do would be to love that neighbor and tell him that God does approve of the sacrifice of their child. Would it not be better to help and support that neighbor to make a decision for life? (Do we not have neighbors that practice child sacrifice, abortion?) If we have neighbors who are practicing the dark arts, do we seek to pray for them, love them and share the truth with them? If we have neighbors who are adulterers do we love them and share the truth with them? If we have neighbors who practice incest, should we not tell the authorities? Should we not let them know that this practice is wrong? Would not PETA speak up if I bred dogs for people who practice bestiality? If my neighbor is practicing homosexuality, is it not incumbent upon me to love them and to share with them that this practice is wrong?
Here is the marvelous glory of God. On the one hand, He hates and detests sin. On the other hand, He loves people. He tells us what sin is. He loved us so much that He gave His Only Begotten Son to die for the penalty of our sin. He gives us opportunity to repent and receive forgiveness of sin. How can we do any less? We are to reflect His glory, His holiness. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 13:22-35
I used to live in a relatively small community that experienced horrendous traffic jams. There was one intersection that controlled access between Oak Island, Southport, travel west toward Charlotte and northeast toward Wilmington. If you were on one side of the intersection and needed to get to the other side, there was only one route, through that intersection. DOT had been trying to rebuild the intersection in order to produce better traffic flow. The Construction caused tremendous traffic problems for us. I heard stories of people taking over an hour to get through that one intersection. When I know that a certain direction is going to produce problems, I avoid it. Don’t you?
Jesus was headed for an intersection under construction. Verse 22 says that He was journeying toward Jerusalem. He was going there for one supreme purpose, and He was painfully aware of it. He spoke of it to His disciples as He journeyed. One day some friendly Pharisees came to warn Him of Herod’s intent to kill Him. Their intent was to get Him to take a detour, avoid the intersection. But it was Jesus’ glory that He already knew of the problem and was actually controlling the traffic. He would go there. He would die. He would then defeat death. Purposely He headed there, not because He couldn’t avoid it but because He loved us. In order to bring us into His kingdom, there was only one route, through that intersection. He controlled the construction. He controlled the traffic. He controlled the way.
Along the way He instructed us that if we want to enter the kingdom, its entrance in a narrow gate. He is the gate. Identification often times means heading to a painful intersection. The only route through is death to self. We choose to die with Him that we might be raised with Him. Some seek to enter the kingdom. They see the cost of the entrance at the gate and avoid it. They go a different direction. That is His glory! He chose death and resurrection for us. We have the privilege of identifying with Him. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Yesterday we looked at reflecting the glory of God in our own lives by being holy because He is holy. That vein of thought continues on in today’s passage. There are a number of associations mentioned here in which God would not allow His people to participate because they would reflect upon His holiness. Included here are: sacrificing children to Molech, turning to mediums and familiar spirits, cursing a parent, adultery, various forms of incest, bestiality and homosexuality. The people of God are not to participate in these activities because they defile His holiness.
Recently I read a book by an accomplished theologian defending the practice of monogamous homosexuality. Certainly he had to explain away passages like this one and a few others found in the Scripture. The gist of his argument in this passage was that the context was reacting to Canaanite worship. These were all practices that the Canaanites had in their worship of their gods. Since God is holy, he argued that the Israelites should not use the heathen practices in their worship of the Lord. He then surmised that unless the practice was forbidden elsewhere in Scripture, then the practices were okay as long as they were not used in worship.
Hmmm. . . I guess that would mean that as long as it was not an act of worship I could sacrifice my children. My children had better look out! I can visit mediums and seek familiar spirits as long as it is not an act of worship. I can curse my parents as long as it is not in a religious ritual. I can go commit adultery as long as it is not a religious ceremony. Incest is fair game, just not in church. Approval of bestiality might open up a whole new market for a dog business. Now in all fairness, I guess I should not have addressed cursing parents and committing adultery for they are forbidden in the ten commandments. Maybe I should put up a palm reading sign on my front door. After all, I wouldn’t use it in a worship service. No! These are not activities that reflect the glory of the Lord in any situation. Is it not better just to say that these are sin? Is it not better to repent if I fall into this sin?
In another light, yesterday we saw the greatest command was to love your neighbor as yourself. What if I have a neighbor who sacrifices his children? The loving thing to do would be to tell the authorities for he must be restrained from sacrificing his children. What if the authorities will not intervene? The loving thing to do would be to love that neighbor and tell him that God does approve of the sacrifice of their child. Would it not be better to help and support that neighbor to make a decision for life? (Do we not have neighbors that practice child sacrifice, abortion?) If we have neighbors who are practicing the dark arts, do we seek to pray for them, love them and share the truth with them? If we have neighbors who are adulterers do we love them and share the truth with them? If we have neighbors who practice incest, should we not tell the authorities? Should we not let them know that this practice is wrong? Would not PETA speak up if I bred dogs for people who practice bestiality? If my neighbor is practicing homosexuality, is it not incumbent upon me to love them and to share with them that this practice is wrong?
Here is the marvelous glory of God. On the one hand, He hates and detests sin. On the other hand, He loves people. He tells us what sin is. He loved us so much that He gave His Only Begotten Son to die for the penalty of our sin. He gives us opportunity to repent and receive forgiveness of sin. How can we do any less? We are to reflect His glory, His holiness. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 13:22-35
I used to live in a relatively small community that experienced horrendous traffic jams. There was one intersection that controlled access between Oak Island, Southport, travel west toward Charlotte and northeast toward Wilmington. If you were on one side of the intersection and needed to get to the other side, there was only one route, through that intersection. DOT had been trying to rebuild the intersection in order to produce better traffic flow. The Construction caused tremendous traffic problems for us. I heard stories of people taking over an hour to get through that one intersection. When I know that a certain direction is going to produce problems, I avoid it. Don’t you?
Jesus was headed for an intersection under construction. Verse 22 says that He was journeying toward Jerusalem. He was going there for one supreme purpose, and He was painfully aware of it. He spoke of it to His disciples as He journeyed. One day some friendly Pharisees came to warn Him of Herod’s intent to kill Him. Their intent was to get Him to take a detour, avoid the intersection. But it was Jesus’ glory that He already knew of the problem and was actually controlling the traffic. He would go there. He would die. He would then defeat death. Purposely He headed there, not because He couldn’t avoid it but because He loved us. In order to bring us into His kingdom, there was only one route, through that intersection. He controlled the construction. He controlled the traffic. He controlled the way.
Along the way He instructed us that if we want to enter the kingdom, its entrance in a narrow gate. He is the gate. Identification often times means heading to a painful intersection. The only route through is death to self. We choose to die with Him that we might be raised with Him. Some seek to enter the kingdom. They see the cost of the entrance at the gate and avoid it. They go a different direction. That is His glory! He chose death and resurrection for us. We have the privilege of identifying with Him. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Thursday, April 15, 2010
April 15, 2010
Leviticus 19
Years ago a friend of mine and his twenty-something son were helping me install the plumbing in a house which I was building. It was the end of the day, and we were grubby from crawling under the house all day installing pipes. We were ready to sweat in the copper pipes to the water heater, but we had no matches to light the torch. The man’s son and I went around the block to the nearest neighbor to beg for some matches. A young lady was home. She seemed fearful of us, but nevertheless she gave us a handful of books of matches. We returned to my house and finished the installation of the pipes.
The next day I needed to get a permit to burn a pile of construction debris that I had accumulated. While at the police station filling out the application for the permit, a woman walked up to talk to the officer. She identified herself as living at the house where my friend and I had begged the matches. She said, “Yesterday my daughter was home alone when these two unsavory characters knocked on the door and asked for some matches. I just wanted to know if there is some kind of scam going on in our neighborhood.” You should have seen the look on her face when I identified myself as one of those unsavory characters and announced that I was going to be her new neighbor—priceless.
Is it not interesting how people associate the moral character of a person with the clothes they wear? We instinctively try to determine what someone is like by association. In some ways those associations are accurate. That is why the Lord says, “You shall be holy for I am holy.” But what associations are there that indicate holiness? Is it clothing?
The Lord lays out several associations in this chapter. But there is one here that Jesus and the apostles quote in the New Testament, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Everything in this chapter would be fulfilled if we fulfilled that one commandment. It is a very demanding command. By the time Jesus arrived, 1400 years later, the rabbis had reinterpreted it to make it possible to keep. So when a lawyer asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied with the story of the Good Samaritan. The story is scathing in its implications. The Samaritans were enemies of the Jews. They were unsavory characters. Yet a Samaritan is the hero in this story which defines a neighbor. But is this not what the Lord has done for us? While were yet sinners, Christ died for us. While we were enemies of God, alienated from Him, He took the initiative to come down and deliver us. He is Holy. In His holiness He associates with us in His love. The “holy” people of His day associated Him with sinners. He was an unsavory character. Yet He was without sin.
I hope that when I stand before the judgment seat of Christ that He can say of me, “You associated with sinners yet remained unspotted by the world.” Why? Because then I will have reflected His glory. He will receive honor for what He has done. I want to be part of that kind of unsavory character’s club—not one of man’s associations. I want to be holy as He is holy, loving people into the presence of God, remaining unspotted by the world. When that happens, only He can truly receive glory because only He could change me in that way. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 13:1-21
Why do bad things happen to good people? Why does it seem, when you are doing your best to follow after the Lord, is when you get attacked the hardest? Why did God even allow sin anyway? Each of these questions has buried under it somewhere deep in its supporting premises that I don't deserve to be treated the way I am being treated. Let's go have a pity party. Let's rail against God for permitting it. So when those who heard about the Galileans reported it to Jesus, He gave what seems at first a very harsh and cryptic answer, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."
Ouch, Lord, I was just trying to get a little comfort here in what seemed to be a terrible tragedy. And you tell me that I am a terrible sinner? And He answers, "Yep."
But don't stop there. He goes on to warn that unless one's repentance begins to bear fruit that one will be cut down. Ouch! Add a little salt to the wound and rub it in! But don't stop there. He goes on to loose a woman who had been bound over with an infirmity for eighteen years. Immediately she was made straight and what? She glorified God! Somehow I think her whole life was changed from that moment on. It was not just a glorifying God for the moment, but it became a lifestyle. This was in direct opposition to the synagogue ruler who thought he was pretty good because he observed the Sabbath. Deep inside he thought he had not experienced any bad things because he was good. But he was wrong.
The glory of Jesus is that He has come to set us free from the power and bondage of sin. Ultimately, we deserve any bad thing that happens to us. We are sinners. We deserve death. We are in rebellion against the Holy God. It is only by His mercy that we continue to live. It is by His grace that we are delivered and set free! Where is the glory of Jesus? When we repent and believe in Jesus, He plants the seed of the Kingdom of God in us. Slowly it begins to grow and germinate and change us. It produces real fruit. We are changed from one bound in sin to one growing in righteousness. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Years ago a friend of mine and his twenty-something son were helping me install the plumbing in a house which I was building. It was the end of the day, and we were grubby from crawling under the house all day installing pipes. We were ready to sweat in the copper pipes to the water heater, but we had no matches to light the torch. The man’s son and I went around the block to the nearest neighbor to beg for some matches. A young lady was home. She seemed fearful of us, but nevertheless she gave us a handful of books of matches. We returned to my house and finished the installation of the pipes.
The next day I needed to get a permit to burn a pile of construction debris that I had accumulated. While at the police station filling out the application for the permit, a woman walked up to talk to the officer. She identified herself as living at the house where my friend and I had begged the matches. She said, “Yesterday my daughter was home alone when these two unsavory characters knocked on the door and asked for some matches. I just wanted to know if there is some kind of scam going on in our neighborhood.” You should have seen the look on her face when I identified myself as one of those unsavory characters and announced that I was going to be her new neighbor—priceless.
Is it not interesting how people associate the moral character of a person with the clothes they wear? We instinctively try to determine what someone is like by association. In some ways those associations are accurate. That is why the Lord says, “You shall be holy for I am holy.” But what associations are there that indicate holiness? Is it clothing?
The Lord lays out several associations in this chapter. But there is one here that Jesus and the apostles quote in the New Testament, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Everything in this chapter would be fulfilled if we fulfilled that one commandment. It is a very demanding command. By the time Jesus arrived, 1400 years later, the rabbis had reinterpreted it to make it possible to keep. So when a lawyer asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied with the story of the Good Samaritan. The story is scathing in its implications. The Samaritans were enemies of the Jews. They were unsavory characters. Yet a Samaritan is the hero in this story which defines a neighbor. But is this not what the Lord has done for us? While were yet sinners, Christ died for us. While we were enemies of God, alienated from Him, He took the initiative to come down and deliver us. He is Holy. In His holiness He associates with us in His love. The “holy” people of His day associated Him with sinners. He was an unsavory character. Yet He was without sin.
I hope that when I stand before the judgment seat of Christ that He can say of me, “You associated with sinners yet remained unspotted by the world.” Why? Because then I will have reflected His glory. He will receive honor for what He has done. I want to be part of that kind of unsavory character’s club—not one of man’s associations. I want to be holy as He is holy, loving people into the presence of God, remaining unspotted by the world. When that happens, only He can truly receive glory because only He could change me in that way. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 13:1-21
Why do bad things happen to good people? Why does it seem, when you are doing your best to follow after the Lord, is when you get attacked the hardest? Why did God even allow sin anyway? Each of these questions has buried under it somewhere deep in its supporting premises that I don't deserve to be treated the way I am being treated. Let's go have a pity party. Let's rail against God for permitting it. So when those who heard about the Galileans reported it to Jesus, He gave what seems at first a very harsh and cryptic answer, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."
Ouch, Lord, I was just trying to get a little comfort here in what seemed to be a terrible tragedy. And you tell me that I am a terrible sinner? And He answers, "Yep."
But don't stop there. He goes on to warn that unless one's repentance begins to bear fruit that one will be cut down. Ouch! Add a little salt to the wound and rub it in! But don't stop there. He goes on to loose a woman who had been bound over with an infirmity for eighteen years. Immediately she was made straight and what? She glorified God! Somehow I think her whole life was changed from that moment on. It was not just a glorifying God for the moment, but it became a lifestyle. This was in direct opposition to the synagogue ruler who thought he was pretty good because he observed the Sabbath. Deep inside he thought he had not experienced any bad things because he was good. But he was wrong.
The glory of Jesus is that He has come to set us free from the power and bondage of sin. Ultimately, we deserve any bad thing that happens to us. We are sinners. We deserve death. We are in rebellion against the Holy God. It is only by His mercy that we continue to live. It is by His grace that we are delivered and set free! Where is the glory of Jesus? When we repent and believe in Jesus, He plants the seed of the Kingdom of God in us. Slowly it begins to grow and germinate and change us. It produces real fruit. We are changed from one bound in sin to one growing in righteousness. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
April 14, 2010
Leviticus 18
Various sexual perversions and sins are addressed here. God’s people are to reflect His glory. If we are caught up in sexual perversion, we mar the image of His glory. The practices that are mentioned here are things that were practiced in Egypt and in the countries in which God was removing the people to give the land to Israel. Notice that verses 24 & 25 specifically state that it was because of these practices that God was removing them from the land. In general the practices included: various forms of incest, sexual impurity, child sacrifice, homosexuality, and bestiality. His glory is not found in these practices. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 12:32-59
Wal*Mart once had a bunch of shopping baskets lined up in the isle near the cash registers. They were full of clearance items. One basket had a bunch of toys marked $3.00. My first thought was, "I'd bet Liam might like something in there." My eyes landed on a Fantastic Four toy. My thought was, "Surely that toy is not $3.00!" I picked it up and took it over to the scanner. Sure enough, if it was $3.00, it hadn't made it into the computer yet. The computer price was more than I was willing to pay out of my budget. I was born with a sin nature, yet I desire to give things to my children. I enjoy making them happy. But I also am constrained by wise use of the money that God has given me over which He has made me a steward and by what is good for them. I put the toy back.
Jesus says that the Father desires to give us the Kingdom. He takes pleasure in it! He is absolutely good. Then why don't we have the entire kingdom right now? He is constrained only by His own goodness and by what is good for us. After Jesus says that the Father takes pleasure in giving to us the kingdom, He launches into a variety of things in which we are given responsibility. Do you suppose there is a connection between the Father's good pleasure to give us the kingdom, what is good for us and the responsibilities He lays upon us?
My three oldest children are in their twenties. I never gave any of them a car when they were living at home. Part of the reason was that I simply could not afford it. But then, my parents never gave me a car either. I remember buying my first car. It cost me something. I didn't take it lightly. I learned responsibility for taking care of it. I had it three months, and then it died. I sold it to a junk yard. I had acquaintances in high school whose parents gave them everything. One of them had a parent who gave him a brand new Z-28 for high school graduation. He wrecked in a high speed race within a year. I guess that he didn't know how to use it wisely. It really didn't mean anything to Him. It didn't cost him anything. If I had been able, I probably would never have given my children a car, when they were in their teens. They needed to learn some responsibility first. I am constrained not only by my lack of ability but also by my goodness and by what is good for them.
It is the pleasure of the Father and Jesus to give us the kingdom. They are constrained only by their goodness and what is good for us. What are the responsibilities that we have? First, we are to learn the inestimable value of the eternal kingdom by investing what we cannot keep of this earthly kingdom for the eternal kingdom. You will learn the value of the eternal kingdom and receive of that kingdom in direct proportion to what you are willing to invest right now. So many people make such an issue out of tithing. It is like they are tied to some magical percentage of 10%. It is like they have the mindset, "How much of this earthly kingdom can I keep for myself?" If we really understand this principle, our mindset is, "How much of this earthly kingdom, which I am going to lose anyway, can I invest in the eternal kingdom, which I will never lose? How much can I give away?"
Second, we are to be looking for the second coming of Jesus. If I really believe He is returning, I will be working to hasten His return. I will be seeking to build His kingdom now as opposed to just enjoying the kingdom of this earth.
Third, I will understand that building His kingdom will bring opposition from those who desire to build an earthly kingdom, perhaps even within your own family unit. We should always strive to be at peace with people but never at the cost of turning from Jesus.
This is the glory of Jesus. It is His pleasure and the Father's pleasure to give us the kingdom. But our ability to receive the eternal kingdom is in direct proportion to our focus upon Him. How much of His glory can we really see? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Various sexual perversions and sins are addressed here. God’s people are to reflect His glory. If we are caught up in sexual perversion, we mar the image of His glory. The practices that are mentioned here are things that were practiced in Egypt and in the countries in which God was removing the people to give the land to Israel. Notice that verses 24 & 25 specifically state that it was because of these practices that God was removing them from the land. In general the practices included: various forms of incest, sexual impurity, child sacrifice, homosexuality, and bestiality. His glory is not found in these practices. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 12:32-59
Wal*Mart once had a bunch of shopping baskets lined up in the isle near the cash registers. They were full of clearance items. One basket had a bunch of toys marked $3.00. My first thought was, "I'd bet Liam might like something in there." My eyes landed on a Fantastic Four toy. My thought was, "Surely that toy is not $3.00!" I picked it up and took it over to the scanner. Sure enough, if it was $3.00, it hadn't made it into the computer yet. The computer price was more than I was willing to pay out of my budget. I was born with a sin nature, yet I desire to give things to my children. I enjoy making them happy. But I also am constrained by wise use of the money that God has given me over which He has made me a steward and by what is good for them. I put the toy back.
Jesus says that the Father desires to give us the Kingdom. He takes pleasure in it! He is absolutely good. Then why don't we have the entire kingdom right now? He is constrained only by His own goodness and by what is good for us. After Jesus says that the Father takes pleasure in giving to us the kingdom, He launches into a variety of things in which we are given responsibility. Do you suppose there is a connection between the Father's good pleasure to give us the kingdom, what is good for us and the responsibilities He lays upon us?
My three oldest children are in their twenties. I never gave any of them a car when they were living at home. Part of the reason was that I simply could not afford it. But then, my parents never gave me a car either. I remember buying my first car. It cost me something. I didn't take it lightly. I learned responsibility for taking care of it. I had it three months, and then it died. I sold it to a junk yard. I had acquaintances in high school whose parents gave them everything. One of them had a parent who gave him a brand new Z-28 for high school graduation. He wrecked in a high speed race within a year. I guess that he didn't know how to use it wisely. It really didn't mean anything to Him. It didn't cost him anything. If I had been able, I probably would never have given my children a car, when they were in their teens. They needed to learn some responsibility first. I am constrained not only by my lack of ability but also by my goodness and by what is good for them.
It is the pleasure of the Father and Jesus to give us the kingdom. They are constrained only by their goodness and what is good for us. What are the responsibilities that we have? First, we are to learn the inestimable value of the eternal kingdom by investing what we cannot keep of this earthly kingdom for the eternal kingdom. You will learn the value of the eternal kingdom and receive of that kingdom in direct proportion to what you are willing to invest right now. So many people make such an issue out of tithing. It is like they are tied to some magical percentage of 10%. It is like they have the mindset, "How much of this earthly kingdom can I keep for myself?" If we really understand this principle, our mindset is, "How much of this earthly kingdom, which I am going to lose anyway, can I invest in the eternal kingdom, which I will never lose? How much can I give away?"
Second, we are to be looking for the second coming of Jesus. If I really believe He is returning, I will be working to hasten His return. I will be seeking to build His kingdom now as opposed to just enjoying the kingdom of this earth.
Third, I will understand that building His kingdom will bring opposition from those who desire to build an earthly kingdom, perhaps even within your own family unit. We should always strive to be at peace with people but never at the cost of turning from Jesus.
This is the glory of Jesus. It is His pleasure and the Father's pleasure to give us the kingdom. But our ability to receive the eternal kingdom is in direct proportion to our focus upon Him. How much of His glory can we really see? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
April 13, 2010
Leviticus 17
Humans have always tried to create God in our likeness. Our Lord is not created in our likeness. He is beyond us. He is separate from us. He is different. He is holy. It is easy for us in our own minds to put parameters upon God, to define what He is like, to make Him fit our own paradigms. This has always been true of humanity. It is as true today as it was in the days of the ancients. However, the ancients were often more blatant in expressing it. In the days of Moses and the Egyptians they included their gods in everything. Hence, if they were going to have meat at a meal they would offer the animal first to their idols as a way of sanctifying the meal. Here, the Lord is making sure that the Israelites break from their Egyptian idolatry.
He forbids them to eat sacrificial meat. The meat which they bring to the tabernacle is left there. Only the priests ate of it. If they ate meat at home, it was to be completely drained of the blood. Why? Because of God’s holiness. One constant for all ages is that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. That is why Cain’s sacrifice was not accepted. It was not a blood sacrifice. Life is in the blood. Sin requires death. Therefore, for the remission of sin, blood must be shed. Out of that death, our Lord brings life. Out of His death the Lord brings life. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 12:1-31
If I were to ask you, "What is the greatest and most common sins among Americans?" What would you say? Would it be sexual immorality? Certainly our television programming and movies are full of it. I don't watch much broadcast TV but when I do it seems to be filled with references to divorce, adultery, fornication and homosexuality. These are all different forms of breaking the seventh commandment. Or would your answer be violence and hatred. Again the media is filled with violence. We seem to go from war to war. Our video games highlight violence. Again these are all forms of breaking the sixth commandment. Maybe you would say, "Sabbath breaking," or, "dishonoring parents," the fourth and fifth commandments. Or, would you say, "Stealing and lying," the eighth and ninth commandments? Or perhaps you would say that taking the Lord's name in vain is the most pervasive sin, the third commandment?
Somebody once asked a very rich man (I have heard this attributed to J.P. Morgan and to Rockefeller), "How much is enough?" His answer was, "Just a little bit more." That is the heart of covetousness, the tenth commandment. You know our economy is somewhat based upon covetousness. We produce things people want. In order to get people to buy our brand, we come up with commercials and advertisements that incite the covetous nature in people. This product is better than that product--just a little bit more. For some people their self-concepts are formed by how well they meet the standards of Madison Avenue. Unless they have the latest clothes, electronic gadget, music or what have you, they think their life is unfulfilled. Somehow we let the advertising community tell us that our lives consist of the abundance of things we posses or the achievements we attain.
Many years ago, I heard (via CD) the testimony of Neil Jeffries. He was the quarterback for the Baylor Bears in the early-mid-seventies when they defeated the Texas Longhorns for the first time in 17 years. This was the height of his career. He said that with in just a few hours after the victory and emptiness settled in. It wasn't enough. It didn't satisfy. He wanted more. Somehow we begin to think that life consists of the things we possess or the accomplishments we achieve or the recognition we receive.
Of what then, does life consist? Well He is our Creator-not a watch maker who put us together and then left us to ourselves. He is intimately involved in all our affairs! He has Created us to enjoy Him forever. If that is true then, when we put our focus on the things He has created rather than upon Him, we are essentially turning our back on life itself. We are turning our back on that of which life consists! That is why focusing upon His glory is so important. If we are ashamed of His glory, it is only reasonable that He would be ashamed of us. It is time to quit focusing on creation and focus on the Creator. That is why I follow Jesus. He is my Creator. I rebelled against Him. He loved me in my rebellion. He died for me when I ignored Him. He sought me when I turned my back on that of which life consists! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Humans have always tried to create God in our likeness. Our Lord is not created in our likeness. He is beyond us. He is separate from us. He is different. He is holy. It is easy for us in our own minds to put parameters upon God, to define what He is like, to make Him fit our own paradigms. This has always been true of humanity. It is as true today as it was in the days of the ancients. However, the ancients were often more blatant in expressing it. In the days of Moses and the Egyptians they included their gods in everything. Hence, if they were going to have meat at a meal they would offer the animal first to their idols as a way of sanctifying the meal. Here, the Lord is making sure that the Israelites break from their Egyptian idolatry.
He forbids them to eat sacrificial meat. The meat which they bring to the tabernacle is left there. Only the priests ate of it. If they ate meat at home, it was to be completely drained of the blood. Why? Because of God’s holiness. One constant for all ages is that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. That is why Cain’s sacrifice was not accepted. It was not a blood sacrifice. Life is in the blood. Sin requires death. Therefore, for the remission of sin, blood must be shed. Out of that death, our Lord brings life. Out of His death the Lord brings life. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 12:1-31
If I were to ask you, "What is the greatest and most common sins among Americans?" What would you say? Would it be sexual immorality? Certainly our television programming and movies are full of it. I don't watch much broadcast TV but when I do it seems to be filled with references to divorce, adultery, fornication and homosexuality. These are all different forms of breaking the seventh commandment. Or would your answer be violence and hatred. Again the media is filled with violence. We seem to go from war to war. Our video games highlight violence. Again these are all forms of breaking the sixth commandment. Maybe you would say, "Sabbath breaking," or, "dishonoring parents," the fourth and fifth commandments. Or, would you say, "Stealing and lying," the eighth and ninth commandments? Or perhaps you would say that taking the Lord's name in vain is the most pervasive sin, the third commandment?
Somebody once asked a very rich man (I have heard this attributed to J.P. Morgan and to Rockefeller), "How much is enough?" His answer was, "Just a little bit more." That is the heart of covetousness, the tenth commandment. You know our economy is somewhat based upon covetousness. We produce things people want. In order to get people to buy our brand, we come up with commercials and advertisements that incite the covetous nature in people. This product is better than that product--just a little bit more. For some people their self-concepts are formed by how well they meet the standards of Madison Avenue. Unless they have the latest clothes, electronic gadget, music or what have you, they think their life is unfulfilled. Somehow we let the advertising community tell us that our lives consist of the abundance of things we posses or the achievements we attain.
Many years ago, I heard (via CD) the testimony of Neil Jeffries. He was the quarterback for the Baylor Bears in the early-mid-seventies when they defeated the Texas Longhorns for the first time in 17 years. This was the height of his career. He said that with in just a few hours after the victory and emptiness settled in. It wasn't enough. It didn't satisfy. He wanted more. Somehow we begin to think that life consists of the things we possess or the accomplishments we achieve or the recognition we receive.
Of what then, does life consist? Well He is our Creator-not a watch maker who put us together and then left us to ourselves. He is intimately involved in all our affairs! He has Created us to enjoy Him forever. If that is true then, when we put our focus on the things He has created rather than upon Him, we are essentially turning our back on life itself. We are turning our back on that of which life consists! That is why focusing upon His glory is so important. If we are ashamed of His glory, it is only reasonable that He would be ashamed of us. It is time to quit focusing on creation and focus on the Creator. That is why I follow Jesus. He is my Creator. I rebelled against Him. He loved me in my rebellion. He died for me when I ignored Him. He sought me when I turned my back on that of which life consists! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Monday, April 12, 2010
April 12, 2010
Leviticus 16
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement is a great picture of the atonement that Jesus has accomplished upon our behalf! The Passover & feast of unleavened bread are a great picture of the Jesus as the Lamb of God sacrificed and raised on our behalf. The Day of Atonement is a great picture of the Lord Jesus as our High Priest as He takes away our sin. At the beginning of the day the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies with the blood of a bullock to make atonement for Himself. Then he would go perform the ritual of the two goats. One He would slay and burn one goat representing the penalty of sin being carried out upon the sin of the people. He would enter the Holy of Holies a second time sprinkling the blood of the goat upon the mercy for a covering of sin for the people. He would take a second goat and lay his hands upon it. This represented the transference of the sins of the people to the goat. The goat would then be driven away into the wilderness. This indicated the carrying of the sins far away from the people.
This is what Jesus has done for us. He offered Himself on the cross paying the death penalty for us. He offered His own blood in the heavenly temple to gain mercy for us. Our sins were transferred to Him upon the cross. He died carrying our sins into the grave. He rose again divesting Himself of all our sins. He forever removed them from us by rising from the dead. He did this because He loved the Father and He loved us. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 11:29-54
"God show me a sign!" Have you ever said that? Sometimes I wish God would send me a certified letter about what He wants me to do. Come to think of it, He already has!! It's called the Bible and He sealed the letter in my life with His Holy Spirit. The generation in Jesus' day was seeking a sign. Hmmm, somehow healing the sick, the lame, the blind, the deaf, the mute, the leper, multiplying the loaves and fishes, delivering the demonized and raising the dead was not good enough. Hmmm, some people just are not reasonable. But before He laid into these unreasonable people, Jesus did condescend to give them one bit of information. He would give them one sign and one sign only, the sign of Jonah. What is that? Jonah died in the belly of the great fish and was resurrected in order to go preach repentance to the Ninevites. The Ninevites were the wickedest people on the face of the earth in Jonah's generation. They repented at his preaching.
What is the sign? It is first of all the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. This is the bedrock of the Christian faith. Jesus is not just a good teacher, although, He was that. Jesus is not just a great man with good ideas, although, He was that also. Jesus is not just a man who greatly influenced the history of the whole earth, although, He did that. Jesus is the only man who has been raised from the dead, never to die again! Now that is a sign! If we can know anything about facts at all from history, this we know: Jesus was crucified and within three days his tomb was empty and his disciples 50 days after the resurrection were declaring Him to be risen from the dead and the enemies of Jesus had absolutely no legitimate explanation for the empty tomb. The only reasonable explanation is that He was alive again. If Jesus did not rise physically from the dead, then there is absolutely no validity to the Christian faith.
His resurrection makes repentance possible. Refusal to believe in the resurrection precludes the possibility of repentance. Without belief one remains under the judgment of God. Jesus pronounces woe upon those who do not believe because He knows that they will be judged and will take others with them into that judgment.
Do you want to see the glory of Jesus? Look no further than the resurrection. He took a body that was totally decimated by the ravages of sin and death and raised it to perfection and holiness. The only imperfection in His body would be the scars in His hands, feet and side in order to forever remind us of the awful price that He paid to redeem our lives. His resurrection means that no matter how decimated our life might be by the ravages of sin, He can and will raise us to new life, if we will but repent and believe. What HOPE! What promise! What glory! But woe to those who will not trust! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement is a great picture of the atonement that Jesus has accomplished upon our behalf! The Passover & feast of unleavened bread are a great picture of the Jesus as the Lamb of God sacrificed and raised on our behalf. The Day of Atonement is a great picture of the Lord Jesus as our High Priest as He takes away our sin. At the beginning of the day the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies with the blood of a bullock to make atonement for Himself. Then he would go perform the ritual of the two goats. One He would slay and burn one goat representing the penalty of sin being carried out upon the sin of the people. He would enter the Holy of Holies a second time sprinkling the blood of the goat upon the mercy for a covering of sin for the people. He would take a second goat and lay his hands upon it. This represented the transference of the sins of the people to the goat. The goat would then be driven away into the wilderness. This indicated the carrying of the sins far away from the people.
This is what Jesus has done for us. He offered Himself on the cross paying the death penalty for us. He offered His own blood in the heavenly temple to gain mercy for us. Our sins were transferred to Him upon the cross. He died carrying our sins into the grave. He rose again divesting Himself of all our sins. He forever removed them from us by rising from the dead. He did this because He loved the Father and He loved us. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 11:29-54
"God show me a sign!" Have you ever said that? Sometimes I wish God would send me a certified letter about what He wants me to do. Come to think of it, He already has!! It's called the Bible and He sealed the letter in my life with His Holy Spirit. The generation in Jesus' day was seeking a sign. Hmmm, somehow healing the sick, the lame, the blind, the deaf, the mute, the leper, multiplying the loaves and fishes, delivering the demonized and raising the dead was not good enough. Hmmm, some people just are not reasonable. But before He laid into these unreasonable people, Jesus did condescend to give them one bit of information. He would give them one sign and one sign only, the sign of Jonah. What is that? Jonah died in the belly of the great fish and was resurrected in order to go preach repentance to the Ninevites. The Ninevites were the wickedest people on the face of the earth in Jonah's generation. They repented at his preaching.
What is the sign? It is first of all the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. This is the bedrock of the Christian faith. Jesus is not just a good teacher, although, He was that. Jesus is not just a great man with good ideas, although, He was that also. Jesus is not just a man who greatly influenced the history of the whole earth, although, He did that. Jesus is the only man who has been raised from the dead, never to die again! Now that is a sign! If we can know anything about facts at all from history, this we know: Jesus was crucified and within three days his tomb was empty and his disciples 50 days after the resurrection were declaring Him to be risen from the dead and the enemies of Jesus had absolutely no legitimate explanation for the empty tomb. The only reasonable explanation is that He was alive again. If Jesus did not rise physically from the dead, then there is absolutely no validity to the Christian faith.
His resurrection makes repentance possible. Refusal to believe in the resurrection precludes the possibility of repentance. Without belief one remains under the judgment of God. Jesus pronounces woe upon those who do not believe because He knows that they will be judged and will take others with them into that judgment.
Do you want to see the glory of Jesus? Look no further than the resurrection. He took a body that was totally decimated by the ravages of sin and death and raised it to perfection and holiness. The only imperfection in His body would be the scars in His hands, feet and side in order to forever remind us of the awful price that He paid to redeem our lives. His resurrection means that no matter how decimated our life might be by the ravages of sin, He can and will raise us to new life, if we will but repent and believe. What HOPE! What promise! What glory! But woe to those who will not trust! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
April 11, 2010
Leviticus 15
Luke 11:1-28
During off-season football in high school, we were put into weight training. In the early years I was quite weak and couldn't lift anything that would impress anyone. But with persistence late in my Junior year and at the beginning of my Senior year, I was capable of benching 240 lbs. Now compared to the average power lifter who competes, that isn't much. However, compared to the person who doesn't compete, its not too shabby. It was certainly far more than I ever thought I would be able to do. I probably couldn't do 130 now. But it took persistence.
Part of the glory of Jesus is that He accomplished mighty feats in His days. That which He accomplished He accomplished in the power of the Holy Spirit. With the finger of God, He cast out demons. By the Spirit of God, He entered Satan's house, bound him, took captive a host of captives, and set them free.
Jesus still accomplishes mighty feats through us. He said that greater things than He did, we would do because He was going to the Father. One reason that He was going to the Father was to send the Holy Spirit to live in us. Today's passage is that classic passage of "ask and it shall be given, seek and you will find, knock and it shall be opened unto you." He precedes it with the man who received help from his neighbor at midnight because he asked persistently. How does He end it? "How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"
This same Spirit who resided in Jesus, by Whom He did His works of power, now resides in us. We too with the finger of God can cast out demons. The Kingdom of God has come upon us--now but not yet! That is part of His glory! He has bound the strong man. We may spoil his goods--by the Spirit. But we must ask and at times-with persistence. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 11:1-28
During off-season football in high school, we were put into weight training. In the early years I was quite weak and couldn't lift anything that would impress anyone. But with persistence late in my Junior year and at the beginning of my Senior year, I was capable of benching 240 lbs. Now compared to the average power lifter who competes, that isn't much. However, compared to the person who doesn't compete, its not too shabby. It was certainly far more than I ever thought I would be able to do. I probably couldn't do 130 now. But it took persistence.
Part of the glory of Jesus is that He accomplished mighty feats in His days. That which He accomplished He accomplished in the power of the Holy Spirit. With the finger of God, He cast out demons. By the Spirit of God, He entered Satan's house, bound him, took captive a host of captives, and set them free.
Jesus still accomplishes mighty feats through us. He said that greater things than He did, we would do because He was going to the Father. One reason that He was going to the Father was to send the Holy Spirit to live in us. Today's passage is that classic passage of "ask and it shall be given, seek and you will find, knock and it shall be opened unto you." He precedes it with the man who received help from his neighbor at midnight because he asked persistently. How does He end it? "How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"
This same Spirit who resided in Jesus, by Whom He did His works of power, now resides in us. We too with the finger of God can cast out demons. The Kingdom of God has come upon us--now but not yet! That is part of His glory! He has bound the strong man. We may spoil his goods--by the Spirit. But we must ask and at times-with persistence. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
April 10, 2010
Leviticus 14
Luke 10:25-42
I’ve met people who have at one time been great servants of the Lord whose faith somewhere along the line found shipwreck. I’ve heard testimonies before of people who had loved ones murdered. The Lord showed His glory to those people in such a way that they were eventually able to go to the murderer in prison and take the gospel to them. Forgiveness fell like lightning. Now there is glory for you!
It is the glory of God to change us from a people who hated Him and murdered His Son to a people who love Him. It is the glory of God to change us from a people who have enemies to a people who love our enemies. Some how I think that change only comes from dwelling on the glory of God. What would cause a Samaritan, one deeply hated by the Jews to risk his life to save a Jew, one of those who hated him? What would cause him to take from his own income to provide healing for a man whom he had never met. Surely that can only come from spending time thinking upon the greatness of God and out of that mindset grew a compassion for people in need.
On the heels of that story comes the story of Mary & Martha. Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His word. This bothered Martha who was busy meeting the needs of the group. It was noble that she was concerned about meeting needs, but there is also a time when we need to sit and gaze upon the glory of Jesus. It is out of that understanding and experiencing His glory that comes the power to truly serve others. That is why it cannot be taken away. Deep inside there is always that shining of the glory of Christ that gives strength to keep on giving. It is His glory that motivates us in the hard times. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 10:25-42
I’ve met people who have at one time been great servants of the Lord whose faith somewhere along the line found shipwreck. I’ve heard testimonies before of people who had loved ones murdered. The Lord showed His glory to those people in such a way that they were eventually able to go to the murderer in prison and take the gospel to them. Forgiveness fell like lightning. Now there is glory for you!
It is the glory of God to change us from a people who hated Him and murdered His Son to a people who love Him. It is the glory of God to change us from a people who have enemies to a people who love our enemies. Some how I think that change only comes from dwelling on the glory of God. What would cause a Samaritan, one deeply hated by the Jews to risk his life to save a Jew, one of those who hated him? What would cause him to take from his own income to provide healing for a man whom he had never met. Surely that can only come from spending time thinking upon the greatness of God and out of that mindset grew a compassion for people in need.
On the heels of that story comes the story of Mary & Martha. Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His word. This bothered Martha who was busy meeting the needs of the group. It was noble that she was concerned about meeting needs, but there is also a time when we need to sit and gaze upon the glory of Jesus. It is out of that understanding and experiencing His glory that comes the power to truly serve others. That is why it cannot be taken away. Deep inside there is always that shining of the glory of Christ that gives strength to keep on giving. It is His glory that motivates us in the hard times. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
April 9, 2010
Leviticus 13
Luke 10:1-24
Growing up in Oklahoma, I experienced numerous electrical storms. I’ve lived in Oregon, North Carolina and three months in New Jersey. I’ve never lived anywhere that has such violent displays of electrical power such as in Ok. I love them. There is something about the atmosphere during those storms that is simply exhilarating! One night in the fall of ’94 my family and I sat on our porch in Norman and watched the lightning for almost half-an hour. The sky was constantly filled with streaks and sheets of lightning as it struck and shimmered throughout the whole sky. It was a beautiful display of power, a light show unequaled by any human-produced light show. The glory of Jesus is greater than lightning.
Jesus had chosen the 12 that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to deliver those in bondage, to heal the sick and to preach the presence of the Kingdom of God. Satan had ruled the world since the fall of Adam and Eve. Jesus came to reclaim His kingdom to destroy the works of the Evil One. Each of the 12 had ministered to others so that now they had 70 workers to accomplish another similar mission. (Now that’s multiplication in discipleship! Each of the 12 must have reached 4-5 others!) Jesus sent them out. Their mission was numerically, hugely successful. As they returned, they were overwhelmed with excitement as to what they had seen Jesus do through them. The demons had fled in Jesus’ name.
Jesus remarked on their return, “I saw Satan fall like lightning form heaven. Behold I give you authority. . .“ What an awesome thing that Jesus gives His authority to His servants to uproot the kingdom of darkness with power like that of lightning! It is a beautiful thing to see people set free from the bonds of the enemy of our souls. Jesus gives us the authority to do that! But then He gives a word of warning, “Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” I like seeing people set free. It is better than sitting on the porch in the evening and watching a violent electrical storm. It is like seeing lightning fall from heaven destroying the works of the enemy and creating new life in people. What an awesome display of power!
But Jesus’ warning implies that the greatest glory, the greatest power is displayed when we see Him work in our lives when He breaks the penalty and power of sin in our own lives enabling our names to be written in the book of Life in heaven. Thank you Lord for what You have done in me and enrolling me in the membership of the redeemed in heaven. Indeed Your glory is great! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 10:1-24
Growing up in Oklahoma, I experienced numerous electrical storms. I’ve lived in Oregon, North Carolina and three months in New Jersey. I’ve never lived anywhere that has such violent displays of electrical power such as in Ok. I love them. There is something about the atmosphere during those storms that is simply exhilarating! One night in the fall of ’94 my family and I sat on our porch in Norman and watched the lightning for almost half-an hour. The sky was constantly filled with streaks and sheets of lightning as it struck and shimmered throughout the whole sky. It was a beautiful display of power, a light show unequaled by any human-produced light show. The glory of Jesus is greater than lightning.
Jesus had chosen the 12 that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to deliver those in bondage, to heal the sick and to preach the presence of the Kingdom of God. Satan had ruled the world since the fall of Adam and Eve. Jesus came to reclaim His kingdom to destroy the works of the Evil One. Each of the 12 had ministered to others so that now they had 70 workers to accomplish another similar mission. (Now that’s multiplication in discipleship! Each of the 12 must have reached 4-5 others!) Jesus sent them out. Their mission was numerically, hugely successful. As they returned, they were overwhelmed with excitement as to what they had seen Jesus do through them. The demons had fled in Jesus’ name.
Jesus remarked on their return, “I saw Satan fall like lightning form heaven. Behold I give you authority. . .“ What an awesome thing that Jesus gives His authority to His servants to uproot the kingdom of darkness with power like that of lightning! It is a beautiful thing to see people set free from the bonds of the enemy of our souls. Jesus gives us the authority to do that! But then He gives a word of warning, “Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” I like seeing people set free. It is better than sitting on the porch in the evening and watching a violent electrical storm. It is like seeing lightning fall from heaven destroying the works of the enemy and creating new life in people. What an awesome display of power!
But Jesus’ warning implies that the greatest glory, the greatest power is displayed when we see Him work in our lives when He breaks the penalty and power of sin in our own lives enabling our names to be written in the book of Life in heaven. Thank you Lord for what You have done in me and enrolling me in the membership of the redeemed in heaven. Indeed Your glory is great! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Thursday, April 8, 2010
April 8, 2010
Leviticus 11,12
My father-in-law was a POW in Stalag 17b during WII. He said of their meals in the camp, “They gave us frozen rutabaga soup with maggots on top, and a little bread. One time they gave us German sausage, but I didn’t eat it because it had human teeth in it. Some guys would catch rats and eat them, but I didn’t.” The last few weeks of his POW experience involved a 281 mile forced march, with very little to eat. The last day as a prisoner they noticed a friendly tank. It dawned upon them that they were liberated. Soon, they were able to eat a nourishing meal.
Why is God concerned about what we eat, whether we touch dead animals, or the flow of blood from our bodies? Wouldn’t the Creator of the universe have more important things to worry about? We learn in the New Testament that the dietary laws have been lifted. If they were so important that the Creator of the Universe included them in the laws that He was giving to His people, then why did He revoke them? Does God really care that much about what we eat? Hmmmm. . . Jesus said that the Father knew the number of hairs on our heads. If He cares enough to know the number of hairs on our heads, then He probably cares about what we eat.
What is there about these dietary restrictions that is significant? Clearly He makes the point that our eating is to reflect His holiness. He wants His people to be different in health as well as in moral purity. It is interesting to note that in some of the areas of the world and different times in history that Jewish people have consistently outlived their Gentile neighbors because they ate a healthier diet. The marked difference at times was so great that it caused problems:
Was God’s concern more than just health? Yes, but it did include health. Was it more than being a separate people? Yes, but it did include being a separate people. Then why did He raise the restrictions? He raised them because there are ways of addressing health issues other than total abstinence of certain foods. He raised them because there are other ways of having His people be different than observing dietary restrictions. The bottom line is this: “45‘For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” We were prisoners of war. He liberated us and adopted us. He no longer wants us to eat like POWs. Or live like POWs. He wants us to be like Him. He wants us to be holy. He wants us to share in His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
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[1]McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. Le 11:1
Luke 9:37-62
How much would you pay for. . . When Laura and I first married, we operated our household budget on a cash only basis. There were a lot of things we wanted that we could not get because we didn't have enough money. "Someday, when we have money. . . " became a joke between us. One particularly brutally hot summer, we wanted an air conditioner (our house had no AC). We read in the classifieds that one of the fraternities was having a yard sale. Among the items for sale were all their air-conditioners. We arose bright and early to be among the first at the sale. It wasn't early enough. A man in front of us bought every one of the air conditioners (5-10 of them) for about $25.00 each. He had rental property and wanted them for his rent houses. I offered him $50.00 for just one of them. He refused, rather rudely, I might add. I searched all the stores for new air conditioners. They were all more than we could afford. We eventually found a used one for $100. It wasn't a great deal, but at least we had a little AC. It was all the extra money I had, but it was worth it. The new comfort was well worth the loss of the $100. How much would you pay for a little comfort?
How much would you pay to see the glory of Jesus, to be on a familiar basis with His glory? Is that your final answer? The cost of experiencing His glory will cost you everything. It will cost you your right to comfortable shelter, housing, safety etc. You may not know where you will lay your head at night. Is it worth it? It will cost you your right to have life long relationships with those you love the most. Is it worth it? It will cost you the dreams of all that you could have been, might have been or maybe even are. It may even cost it for your children. Is it worth it?
When I was a freshman in college, I took a fencing class in the spring. The president of the fencing club, an Argentine, came and watched everyone fencing in the class. He singled myself and one other person out and fenced with us briefly. After class he came to me and said, "Come out to the fencing club and in two months I will make you the state champion." Now I don't know if that says a lot about what he saw in my raw ability or whether it said more about the pitiful state of fencing in the state of Oklahoma. But it was quite an offer. I really did think on it for maybe a day. I was already working 20+ hrs. a week, taking a full load of classes, heavily involved in church and Campus Crusade for Christ. To add another activity such as fencing to my schedule would have required lessening my involvement elsewhere, which I was not willing to do. Was it worth not trying out for fencing club? Absolutely! I had experiences with CCC that showed me the glory of Jesus that I would not trade for anything.
What would you give to experience the glory of Jesus? It will cost you everything. Is it worth it? Do I really have to answer that? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
My father-in-law was a POW in Stalag 17b during WII. He said of their meals in the camp, “They gave us frozen rutabaga soup with maggots on top, and a little bread. One time they gave us German sausage, but I didn’t eat it because it had human teeth in it. Some guys would catch rats and eat them, but I didn’t.” The last few weeks of his POW experience involved a 281 mile forced march, with very little to eat. The last day as a prisoner they noticed a friendly tank. It dawned upon them that they were liberated. Soon, they were able to eat a nourishing meal.
Why is God concerned about what we eat, whether we touch dead animals, or the flow of blood from our bodies? Wouldn’t the Creator of the universe have more important things to worry about? We learn in the New Testament that the dietary laws have been lifted. If they were so important that the Creator of the Universe included them in the laws that He was giving to His people, then why did He revoke them? Does God really care that much about what we eat? Hmmmm. . . Jesus said that the Father knew the number of hairs on our heads. If He cares enough to know the number of hairs on our heads, then He probably cares about what we eat.
What is there about these dietary restrictions that is significant? Clearly He makes the point that our eating is to reflect His holiness. He wants His people to be different in health as well as in moral purity. It is interesting to note that in some of the areas of the world and different times in history that Jewish people have consistently outlived their Gentile neighbors because they ate a healthier diet. The marked difference at times was so great that it caused problems:
I quote Dr. Kellogg again. “Even so long ago as the days when the plague was desolating Europe, the Jews so universally escaped infection that, by this their exemption, the popular suspicion was excited into fury, and they were accused of causing the fearful mortality among their gentile neighbors by poisoning the wells and springs.”[1]
Was God’s concern more than just health? Yes, but it did include health. Was it more than being a separate people? Yes, but it did include being a separate people. Then why did He raise the restrictions? He raised them because there are ways of addressing health issues other than total abstinence of certain foods. He raised them because there are other ways of having His people be different than observing dietary restrictions. The bottom line is this: “45‘For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” We were prisoners of war. He liberated us and adopted us. He no longer wants us to eat like POWs. Or live like POWs. He wants us to be like Him. He wants us to be holy. He wants us to share in His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1]McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. Le 11:1
Luke 9:37-62
How much would you pay for. . . When Laura and I first married, we operated our household budget on a cash only basis. There were a lot of things we wanted that we could not get because we didn't have enough money. "Someday, when we have money. . . " became a joke between us. One particularly brutally hot summer, we wanted an air conditioner (our house had no AC). We read in the classifieds that one of the fraternities was having a yard sale. Among the items for sale were all their air-conditioners. We arose bright and early to be among the first at the sale. It wasn't early enough. A man in front of us bought every one of the air conditioners (5-10 of them) for about $25.00 each. He had rental property and wanted them for his rent houses. I offered him $50.00 for just one of them. He refused, rather rudely, I might add. I searched all the stores for new air conditioners. They were all more than we could afford. We eventually found a used one for $100. It wasn't a great deal, but at least we had a little AC. It was all the extra money I had, but it was worth it. The new comfort was well worth the loss of the $100. How much would you pay for a little comfort?
How much would you pay to see the glory of Jesus, to be on a familiar basis with His glory? Is that your final answer? The cost of experiencing His glory will cost you everything. It will cost you your right to comfortable shelter, housing, safety etc. You may not know where you will lay your head at night. Is it worth it? It will cost you your right to have life long relationships with those you love the most. Is it worth it? It will cost you the dreams of all that you could have been, might have been or maybe even are. It may even cost it for your children. Is it worth it?
When I was a freshman in college, I took a fencing class in the spring. The president of the fencing club, an Argentine, came and watched everyone fencing in the class. He singled myself and one other person out and fenced with us briefly. After class he came to me and said, "Come out to the fencing club and in two months I will make you the state champion." Now I don't know if that says a lot about what he saw in my raw ability or whether it said more about the pitiful state of fencing in the state of Oklahoma. But it was quite an offer. I really did think on it for maybe a day. I was already working 20+ hrs. a week, taking a full load of classes, heavily involved in church and Campus Crusade for Christ. To add another activity such as fencing to my schedule would have required lessening my involvement elsewhere, which I was not willing to do. Was it worth not trying out for fencing club? Absolutely! I had experiences with CCC that showed me the glory of Jesus that I would not trade for anything.
What would you give to experience the glory of Jesus? It will cost you everything. Is it worth it? Do I really have to answer that? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
April 7, 2010
Leviticus 10
The lure of the train whistle was just too much for us 2nd & 3rd graders. Four of us partners in crime began to leave school grounds; we all decided that it would be great to head down to the railroad tracks and watch the train go by. The highway overpass over the tracks was only 3 or 4 blocks from the school. We arrived just in time to slide down the embankment to see the train go by. Just as it arrived, we looked up to see our teacher’s car pulling off the highway on to the shoulder above. She was livid. “You boys have disobeyed the rule that you must go straight home from school!” Loading us all up in her car, she took us back to the classroom and began to administer the ‘board of education’. I think she had determined beforehand that she would spank us until we cried. She began with the youngest first. He was wailing before she even picked up the board. He received one swat. She saved me for last. To this day I am not sure why. But I was convinced that this was unjust. I didn’t know anything about going straight home. I was not going to cry! Not a wise decision. The board of education met me 13 times before she gave up. I was still convinced the penalty was unjust.
Kids usually never understand rules that are created for their benefit. When she happened to see us heading toward the railroad tracks instead of home, she probably had many images of news articles about boys who were killed or severely disabled because they were playing on the tracks. The penalty she administered had nothing to do with justice; it had everything to do with discipline to teach us to play safely. To this day she remains my favorite teacher. Why? Because I knew she loved us. As an adult, I see that love even more clearly now. Boy, she was strict, but it was strictness born out of love.
Boy, does God seem strict here. He struck Nadab an Abihu dead for offering ‘profane’ fire. Why is He so upset? Get the context. On the previous day, the glory of God had descended upon the tabernacle creating a wonderful experience for the people of Israel. I am convinced that they wanted to experience it again. What is ‘profane’ fire? God had given a specific recipe for incense for the priests to use only in the daily worship. No other recipe could be used. They used a different recipe for incense. Why? They probably thought that they could spice it up a little. They probably thought they had something to add. They probably had seen and smelled this particular incense used in worship in Egypt, and thought it was great. Essentially by offering profane fire, they were saying that they had something to improve the worship of the Most Holy God.
That is a very dangerous playground. You can go there and not get hurt, but it is unlikely. God’s penalty is a penalty born out of love. We need to learn how treat Him as Holy. It is imperative that we learn to treat Him as holy. But death? Well, He is also the author of life. He is able to resurrect them at any time. He probably will resurrect them. Death has no ultimate victory or sting. We needed to learn the lesson from their death about the priority of treating God as holy. I like J. Vernon McGee’s comments on this:
Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
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[1]McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. Le 10:20
Luke 9:18-36
We were quite a distance away, and the deer were standing stone still. From our car they looked like statues. We were on the grounds of Woolaroc Museum, the former estate of Frank Philips, founder of Philips 66. Others insisted that they were statues. I insisted they were alive. "How do you know they are alive?" they asked.
"The deer flick their tails every once in a while," was my reply.
"We are too far away to see its tail flick," they insisted.
"It is flicking its tail. There it just did it again," I said. I really could see it flicking its tail when no one else could see it.
"No, they are just statues. Let's drive on." As we started to drive away, the deer decided it was time to move on and they walked off.
Of course, "I told you so," slipped out of my mouth.
The glory of God is so immense that when we get far enough away to be able to see the whole, we cannot see the detail. In the awesome splendor of the whole, He looks like a statue. In today's passage we get a glimpse at the whole. Peter rightly has seen the revelation from heaven that Jesus is the Christ of God. Jesus immediately begins warning about the crucifixion and our responsibility to join Him on the cross. Then He gives the promise of seeing Him in His glory. Peter, James and John accompany Him to the mountain where He is transfigured before their eyes into the glory that He will have in the kingdom. What an awesome sight that must have been! We all long to see such a sight. Then the voice of the Father boomed out of Heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son. Hear Him!"
What we often miss when we view the glory of Jesus is that this is a living breathing process. It is not a statue captured in time at a museum for us to behold. Part of the glory is that we are called to share in His glory. Imagine that! We are called to share in His glory! But it is a living breathing process. As the glory of Jesus is unwrapped, if we look closely at the detail we see the flickering of His suffering as He marched toward the cross. Without a cross there is no glory for us. He had to go to the cross in order to redeem us. It was a living breathing process that was full of fun, enjoyment, pain and suffering but in the end, glory. If we are to share in His glory, then we will take up the same cross. It is a living breathing process that is full of fun, enjoyment, pain and suffering but in the end, glory. The suffering proves that we are alive and not statues on God's lawn. The suffering is a flicking of a tail. Are we willing to lay down our rights for others to follow Him on the cross. That is a hard question. He was willing. He did it for us. It is hard to see from a distance. But He did it. So also, can we. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
The lure of the train whistle was just too much for us 2nd & 3rd graders. Four of us partners in crime began to leave school grounds; we all decided that it would be great to head down to the railroad tracks and watch the train go by. The highway overpass over the tracks was only 3 or 4 blocks from the school. We arrived just in time to slide down the embankment to see the train go by. Just as it arrived, we looked up to see our teacher’s car pulling off the highway on to the shoulder above. She was livid. “You boys have disobeyed the rule that you must go straight home from school!” Loading us all up in her car, she took us back to the classroom and began to administer the ‘board of education’. I think she had determined beforehand that she would spank us until we cried. She began with the youngest first. He was wailing before she even picked up the board. He received one swat. She saved me for last. To this day I am not sure why. But I was convinced that this was unjust. I didn’t know anything about going straight home. I was not going to cry! Not a wise decision. The board of education met me 13 times before she gave up. I was still convinced the penalty was unjust.
Kids usually never understand rules that are created for their benefit. When she happened to see us heading toward the railroad tracks instead of home, she probably had many images of news articles about boys who were killed or severely disabled because they were playing on the tracks. The penalty she administered had nothing to do with justice; it had everything to do with discipline to teach us to play safely. To this day she remains my favorite teacher. Why? Because I knew she loved us. As an adult, I see that love even more clearly now. Boy, she was strict, but it was strictness born out of love.
Boy, does God seem strict here. He struck Nadab an Abihu dead for offering ‘profane’ fire. Why is He so upset? Get the context. On the previous day, the glory of God had descended upon the tabernacle creating a wonderful experience for the people of Israel. I am convinced that they wanted to experience it again. What is ‘profane’ fire? God had given a specific recipe for incense for the priests to use only in the daily worship. No other recipe could be used. They used a different recipe for incense. Why? They probably thought that they could spice it up a little. They probably thought they had something to add. They probably had seen and smelled this particular incense used in worship in Egypt, and thought it was great. Essentially by offering profane fire, they were saying that they had something to improve the worship of the Most Holy God.
That is a very dangerous playground. You can go there and not get hurt, but it is unlikely. God’s penalty is a penalty born out of love. We need to learn how treat Him as Holy. It is imperative that we learn to treat Him as holy. But death? Well, He is also the author of life. He is able to resurrect them at any time. He probably will resurrect them. Death has no ultimate victory or sting. We needed to learn the lesson from their death about the priority of treating God as holy. I like J. Vernon McGee’s comments on this:
If God struck today as He struck Nadab and Abihu, I think half the church members would be dead.The liberals would be struck for denying the deity of Christ and the forgiveness of His sacrifice for us. Many fundamental church members would be struck down like Ananias and Sapphira for their hypocrisy, their lying to the Holy Spirit. God is dealing in mercy today, giving time for repentance and for men to come to the knowledge of the truth. Otherwise many people would be struck dead.
There is a wonderful lesson for you and for me. When we come to God, we must come on His terms. This is not an arrangement which we can make. We are not making the rules. God is the One who saves and He is the One who says how we shall be saved. Jesus Christ says that no man comes to the Father but by Him.
Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
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[1]McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. Le 10:20
Luke 9:18-36
We were quite a distance away, and the deer were standing stone still. From our car they looked like statues. We were on the grounds of Woolaroc Museum, the former estate of Frank Philips, founder of Philips 66. Others insisted that they were statues. I insisted they were alive. "How do you know they are alive?" they asked.
"The deer flick their tails every once in a while," was my reply.
"We are too far away to see its tail flick," they insisted.
"It is flicking its tail. There it just did it again," I said. I really could see it flicking its tail when no one else could see it.
"No, they are just statues. Let's drive on." As we started to drive away, the deer decided it was time to move on and they walked off.
Of course, "I told you so," slipped out of my mouth.
The glory of God is so immense that when we get far enough away to be able to see the whole, we cannot see the detail. In the awesome splendor of the whole, He looks like a statue. In today's passage we get a glimpse at the whole. Peter rightly has seen the revelation from heaven that Jesus is the Christ of God. Jesus immediately begins warning about the crucifixion and our responsibility to join Him on the cross. Then He gives the promise of seeing Him in His glory. Peter, James and John accompany Him to the mountain where He is transfigured before their eyes into the glory that He will have in the kingdom. What an awesome sight that must have been! We all long to see such a sight. Then the voice of the Father boomed out of Heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son. Hear Him!"
What we often miss when we view the glory of Jesus is that this is a living breathing process. It is not a statue captured in time at a museum for us to behold. Part of the glory is that we are called to share in His glory. Imagine that! We are called to share in His glory! But it is a living breathing process. As the glory of Jesus is unwrapped, if we look closely at the detail we see the flickering of His suffering as He marched toward the cross. Without a cross there is no glory for us. He had to go to the cross in order to redeem us. It was a living breathing process that was full of fun, enjoyment, pain and suffering but in the end, glory. If we are to share in His glory, then we will take up the same cross. It is a living breathing process that is full of fun, enjoyment, pain and suffering but in the end, glory. The suffering proves that we are alive and not statues on God's lawn. The suffering is a flicking of a tail. Are we willing to lay down our rights for others to follow Him on the cross. That is a hard question. He was willing. He did it for us. It is hard to see from a distance. But He did it. So also, can we. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
April 6, 2010
Leviticus 9
The first seven days were for preparing Aaron to serve as High Priest. The eighth day he began to function as the High Priest. Notice the order of the sacrifices which the High Priest presents on behalf of the people. First there was the sin offering, a kid of the goats. We all come to Him as sinners and must have our sin taken care of first. Next was the burnt offering; the grain burned upon the altar. The nourishment for our life is laid down on the altar. He is the bread of life that has come down from heaven. Finally came the peace offering. With His sacrifice we have peace with God. The long war with God is over. Now we can enjoy His glory!
Then Moses and Aaron came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to the people. Then fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the sacrifice. Then the people shouted and fell on their faces. Lord, let Your glory appear and your fire fall! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 9:1-17
Remember in high school when you were learning the ropes? There was a definite pecking order in the classes, when it came to authority. As a freshman or sophomore, you had not yet attained to the glory of a 'Senior.' Were you ever told things like, "A freshman is so low that . . ." no I won't go there. Oh of course, every sophomore is told that the meaning of sophomore comes from two Greek words, sophia-wisdom and moros-fool. A sophomore is a wise fool. Freshmen and sophomores had absolutely no authority on campus. Of course as a freshman and sophomore I was also painfully smaller than most guys. If I remember right, as a freshman I weighed all of 125 pounds. I eked up to 135 as a sophomore and 145 as a junior. Being small did not help matters of authority any.
Ah but thanks to a weight lifting program to which my body finally began to respond, my senior year I finally, weighed in at 170 pounds with not an ounce of fat. On Friday of homecoming week (Western Week) everybody was supposed to dress western. If you didn't dress western, then you were liable to be thrown in jail during lunch break. Sitting in the hallway studying at lunch time with my moccasins on (It was the only thing western that I owned), a freshman, who was a brother in Christ, walked up to me. He had no western wear on. I said where is your western stuff?
He said, "I don't have any."
"You'd better be careful, you might get thrown in jail." I replied.
"That's why I'm in here. I'm trying to avoid being thrown in jail. Are you going to throw me in?"
I said, "No, I've got other things to do. Why don't you sit down here you'll be safe till I leave." He sat down. I continued studying. Soon a sophomore jock walked up. He was looking for people to throw in jail. He threatened to have me thrown in jail. I told him that I had moccasins on and that satisfied the requirement. Then he saw my friend. He started to grab him to take him to jail. I said, "Leave him alone!"
He replied, "He doesn't have anything western on. I'm taking him to jail."
Standing up off of the floor I said, "You and who else? Leave him alone." He surveyed my size and backed down. The authority of being a senior and having 20-30 pounds of size on him spoke volumes. He left. It felt good for once to be able use authority for good. At least in the eyes of this one freshman, my glory was enhanced.
In revealing His glory, Jesus gave power and authority to his disciples over all demons and to cure diseases. It was for the purpose of glorifying Him. He then sent them through the country to preach and to heal. Upon the heels of sending them out, He performed the miracle of feeding the 5,000. I believe Jesus still wants to reveal His glory in the similar ways. He desires today to glorify Himself by extending His authority to us to preach and to heal and to feed. It’s a trinitarian focus (to borrow a term from Christian Schwarz) for His body.
In preaching He desires us to use His authority to proclaim the Gospel, to do evangelism and discipleship. In preaching the Gospel He desires us to set the captive free with the truth. The demonic must flee when we claim the truth of His authority and yield to Him. His glory is enhanced in the eyes of men when we do that.
In healing there are different kinds and means of healing. There is medical healing, divine healing, emotional healing, spiritual healing. Where ever the church has gone through out the world, it has built hospitals and brought medicine to hurting people. This has brought much glory to Him. But I also believe that we are far too lax at asking Him for divine healing. I think sometimes we miss divine healing simply because we don't ask. That freshman would never have found safety had he not at least said, "Are you going to throw me in?" I believe that God still heals miraculously. He doesn't do it every time we ask or even the majority of times we ask. But He still heals. In all of these kinds of healing we must remember that any healing we see in this age is only temporary. The body is still going to die. The ultimate healing is in the resurrection of the dead at His return. But He occasionally brings a divine healing in order to remind us of where the glory comes from and that the greatest glory is yet to come.
He also wants to heal more than the individual physical body. He also wants to heal social injustice. He wants us to feed the hungry. It brings glory to Him when we stand up for the rights of the oppressed and the poor. It brings healing to a society. He desires that we bring an end to racial prejudice. He desires that we replenish the earth not destroy it. It brings glory to Him when we use wisdom in relating to the environment. He desires to reveal His glory as we take His authority and show concern for our environment. In the midst of our endeavors we must remember that they are temporary. The social healing will be lost. People will return to hating and dominating each other until He returns as King of kings and Lord of lords. The earth will continue to decay until He remakes the heavens and the earth. But in the meantime, He wants to glorify Himself through us as we take His authority to bring food to our neighborhoods and the nations.
Jesus is looking for people through whom He can extend His authority so that He can bring glory to Himself. It is to His glory that He lends us His authority to us. Will I take it and glorify Him or will I try to glorify myself or will I just ignore it? How about you? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
The first seven days were for preparing Aaron to serve as High Priest. The eighth day he began to function as the High Priest. Notice the order of the sacrifices which the High Priest presents on behalf of the people. First there was the sin offering, a kid of the goats. We all come to Him as sinners and must have our sin taken care of first. Next was the burnt offering; the grain burned upon the altar. The nourishment for our life is laid down on the altar. He is the bread of life that has come down from heaven. Finally came the peace offering. With His sacrifice we have peace with God. The long war with God is over. Now we can enjoy His glory!
Then Moses and Aaron came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to the people. Then fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the sacrifice. Then the people shouted and fell on their faces. Lord, let Your glory appear and your fire fall! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 9:1-17
Remember in high school when you were learning the ropes? There was a definite pecking order in the classes, when it came to authority. As a freshman or sophomore, you had not yet attained to the glory of a 'Senior.' Were you ever told things like, "A freshman is so low that . . ." no I won't go there. Oh of course, every sophomore is told that the meaning of sophomore comes from two Greek words, sophia-wisdom and moros-fool. A sophomore is a wise fool. Freshmen and sophomores had absolutely no authority on campus. Of course as a freshman and sophomore I was also painfully smaller than most guys. If I remember right, as a freshman I weighed all of 125 pounds. I eked up to 135 as a sophomore and 145 as a junior. Being small did not help matters of authority any.
Ah but thanks to a weight lifting program to which my body finally began to respond, my senior year I finally, weighed in at 170 pounds with not an ounce of fat. On Friday of homecoming week (Western Week) everybody was supposed to dress western. If you didn't dress western, then you were liable to be thrown in jail during lunch break. Sitting in the hallway studying at lunch time with my moccasins on (It was the only thing western that I owned), a freshman, who was a brother in Christ, walked up to me. He had no western wear on. I said where is your western stuff?
He said, "I don't have any."
"You'd better be careful, you might get thrown in jail." I replied.
"That's why I'm in here. I'm trying to avoid being thrown in jail. Are you going to throw me in?"
I said, "No, I've got other things to do. Why don't you sit down here you'll be safe till I leave." He sat down. I continued studying. Soon a sophomore jock walked up. He was looking for people to throw in jail. He threatened to have me thrown in jail. I told him that I had moccasins on and that satisfied the requirement. Then he saw my friend. He started to grab him to take him to jail. I said, "Leave him alone!"
He replied, "He doesn't have anything western on. I'm taking him to jail."
Standing up off of the floor I said, "You and who else? Leave him alone." He surveyed my size and backed down. The authority of being a senior and having 20-30 pounds of size on him spoke volumes. He left. It felt good for once to be able use authority for good. At least in the eyes of this one freshman, my glory was enhanced.
In revealing His glory, Jesus gave power and authority to his disciples over all demons and to cure diseases. It was for the purpose of glorifying Him. He then sent them through the country to preach and to heal. Upon the heels of sending them out, He performed the miracle of feeding the 5,000. I believe Jesus still wants to reveal His glory in the similar ways. He desires today to glorify Himself by extending His authority to us to preach and to heal and to feed. It’s a trinitarian focus (to borrow a term from Christian Schwarz) for His body.
In preaching He desires us to use His authority to proclaim the Gospel, to do evangelism and discipleship. In preaching the Gospel He desires us to set the captive free with the truth. The demonic must flee when we claim the truth of His authority and yield to Him. His glory is enhanced in the eyes of men when we do that.
In healing there are different kinds and means of healing. There is medical healing, divine healing, emotional healing, spiritual healing. Where ever the church has gone through out the world, it has built hospitals and brought medicine to hurting people. This has brought much glory to Him. But I also believe that we are far too lax at asking Him for divine healing. I think sometimes we miss divine healing simply because we don't ask. That freshman would never have found safety had he not at least said, "Are you going to throw me in?" I believe that God still heals miraculously. He doesn't do it every time we ask or even the majority of times we ask. But He still heals. In all of these kinds of healing we must remember that any healing we see in this age is only temporary. The body is still going to die. The ultimate healing is in the resurrection of the dead at His return. But He occasionally brings a divine healing in order to remind us of where the glory comes from and that the greatest glory is yet to come.
He also wants to heal more than the individual physical body. He also wants to heal social injustice. He wants us to feed the hungry. It brings glory to Him when we stand up for the rights of the oppressed and the poor. It brings healing to a society. He desires that we bring an end to racial prejudice. He desires that we replenish the earth not destroy it. It brings glory to Him when we use wisdom in relating to the environment. He desires to reveal His glory as we take His authority and show concern for our environment. In the midst of our endeavors we must remember that they are temporary. The social healing will be lost. People will return to hating and dominating each other until He returns as King of kings and Lord of lords. The earth will continue to decay until He remakes the heavens and the earth. But in the meantime, He wants to glorify Himself through us as we take His authority to bring food to our neighborhoods and the nations.
Jesus is looking for people through whom He can extend His authority so that He can bring glory to Himself. It is to His glory that He lends us His authority to us. Will I take it and glorify Him or will I try to glorify myself or will I just ignore it? How about you? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
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