November 17, 2010

1 Chronicles 9-10
My backyard neighbor diagonally from me in 1976/77 was the organizer of the 1977 National Collegiate Power-lifting Championships hosted in Stillwater, Oklahoma. He talked me into trying to compete in the championships. So, he became my mentor as he taught me how to train for the novice division of the championship. I began the rigors of trying to develop my skinny body. Several times he took me to the local power-lifting club meetings. I have never felt so out of place in all of my life. These guys had muscles on their muscles. Men often make jokes about women being vain in their make up and clothing, but I have never met anyone so vain as the bodybuilders in this club. It was obvious when I walked in that I was not one of them. Their attitudes exuded exclusivity. I never fitted in. I never had the muscle definition or the strength that was needed. I was out of place.
What’s the point? I was out of place; I never fit in. In verse two of chapter nine, the Nethinim are mentioned. Who are the Nethinim? The word literally means ‘the givers’. They were the temple servants. For what were servants needed in the temple? If you can imagine all the sacrifices that were going on, someone needed to find and cut wood. With all the blood being shed, someone needed to haul water to the temple to clean it all up. With all the priests washing themselves in the great sea, someone needed to haul water to replenish it. The Nethinim did it. Who were they? They were Gentiles, who had become part of Israel. They were probably descendents of the Gibeonites. In the beginning they were forced servants. But eventually, they served out of choice. The Psalmist said, “I’d rather be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord than dwell in the tents of the wicked. They were out of place, but they found a place even if it was hauling wood and water. But they were near the glory!
I was out of place in my trespasses and sin. I was alien to the family of God. But my Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice in my place. Yes there are others who have more spiritual muscle than I, but who cares? Yes there are others with more talent and accolades than I, but who cares? I am privileged to just be a servant of His because now I can be near His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Hebrews 12
We have seen how there are so many people who have gone before us who have had faith in this glorious Lord of ours. He has enabled them to trust Him in the midst of insurmountable odds. He is the author of their faith. In other words He is the One who brought their faith into existence. He is the One who gave it direction. He is the One who brought it to a glorious conclusion. He is the Finisher of their faith! So also with us, we may think we are solely responsible for our faith in Him, but no beloved, He is the one who began that work of faith in us. He began it by being worthy of our trust! He will bring it to a glorious conclusion. He will finish it. It will not go undone.
So in the meantime, the time between when our faith began and when it is brought to a conclusion, it is so appropriate to fix our thoughts, our eyes, our everything upon Him. In doing so, we will be able to resist sin, even to the point of bloodshed. He will bring discipline into our lives to aid us in that process. Discipline is not fun, but it is necessary. When I played football in high school, there were many practices when we thought the coach was trying to kill us with the rigors of exercise that he made us go through. But it was those horrible rigors of exercise that made us better football players. Even so His discipline is for the purpose of making us more like Himself.
His discipline is to burn away all that is not beautiful in His sight. He is a consuming fire. His fire destroys the ugly but enhances the beautiful. Let Him shake our world. Let everything that cannot stand fall! When He is done, only the beautiful remains. I want to be part of what remains. That happens as I keep my eyes fixed upon Him in the midst of the fire and the quake. In the midst of all that, I receive glimpses of His glory. His beauty sustains us! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John