December 27, 2010

2 Chronicles 32

For the last year there have been some links to a YouTube floating around the internet that show President Obama mocking the Bible and by default, the Lord. One has to be careful with taking as fact what you see on YouTube. Videos are easily manipulated and edited. Context for statements are extremely important. However, if the YouTubes are accurate, then I fear for Mr. Obama. He is walking on extremely shaky ground. It is one thing to ignore the glory of God. It is another thing to actively disparage His glory. Ask Sennecharib.

The Lord had used him to discipline Israel and other countries. But he let it make him proud. He had his officers mock the glory of the Lord as they besieged Jerusalem. Note the timing of the event according to the writer of the Chronicles, “After these deeds of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah.” What deeds of faithfulness? Hezekiah had just finished leading a mighty revival in Judah. It was one of the greatest acts of faithfulness of all times. Yet, the Lord permitted Sennecharib to enter. What’s up with that? Sometimes the Lord permits what appear to be great setbacks in order to reveal a greater glory later. And so it is with Sennecharib.

Sennecharib’s officers proclaimed things that ought not to be proclaimed. To those on the wall of Jerusalem, it probably sounded like the truth. But the statements belittled the Lord. They maligned His glory. At the time, it looked like they would do it with impunity. But God eventually repays those who blatantly offend His glory. So too, with Sennecharib.

Then the Lord sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor, leader, and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned shamefaced to his own land. And when he had gone into the temple of his god, some of his own offspring struck him down with the sword there.

Hezekiah should have learned from the obvious lesson. Rather, he became proud. The Lord had to discipline even him. The passage is quite telling at this point, “God withdrew from him, in order to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.” I haven’t translated the original at this point, but it appears that the translators of the NKJV thought the “He” referred to God because they capitalized it. I disagree. God does not need to know what is in our heart. He knows everything. “He” refers to Hezekiah. God tests us to show us what is in our own heart. We all stray from seeking to see the glory of God. We all stray into seeking our own glory. Even in the midst of God’s very own blessing, we do it. That is why it is incumbent upon us to seek His glory daily. Too easily, I forget. Too easily I can fall into seeking my own glory, and supposedly like Barak Obama, I defame the glory of God. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor john

Revelation 18

It was the summer of ’72. Somewhere between eighty thousand and one hundred thousand of us had descended upon Dallas, TX for Explo ’72, a week-long world congress on evangelism and discipleship hosted by Campus Crusade for Christ International. Vendors of Christian books and goods were set up all over the place. I remember someone in charge of the congress announcing about 3/4ths of the way through the week that it had been reported to him that sales of books that would help in spiritual growth and discipleship had been quite sluggish while sales of Christian trinkets and t-shirts had been quite brisk. I remember a leader of the congress expressing his concern that we were perhaps getting caught up in the commercialization of Jesus rather than purchasing things that could really help us in our pursuit of Him, i.e. study books and discipleship books. The lure of merchandise surrounding the Lord has often been more alluring to us than an actual pursuit of His glory.

No doubt the world has always been that way. It is that problem that led to Jesus driving the money changers out of the temple. It is that problem that led to the Crusades. It is that problem that led to the church’s persecution of Martin Luther. I could list a host of other problems in the church to which this problem has led. It is that problem that leads to TV evangelists who rake in the money from viewers to spend the majority of it upon themselves. Doesn’t it seem like the Lord would do something about it? One day He will. The whore of Babylon is that movement of people who would exchange the glory of our Lord for the glory of this world. It always has the trappings of the real thing, but it is not really about the pursuit the glory of the Lamb. It is about the pursuit of one’s own glory. One day the Lamb will end it. He will destroy all the vestiges of those who would pursue their own glory. Only His glory will remain. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John