Esther 8
Sometimes the parallels between us and Bible characters are very real and cause us wonder when we think on Jesus’ glory revealed through them. Take Mordecai in this chapter. He was a second class citizen, doomed to die by the intent and decree of Haman. Yet through the intercession of Esther and the amazing providence of God, he is delivered from death, promoted to second in the kingdom and given the very signet ring of the king for the purpose of delivering the Jews from their enemies. You know, it is the glory of our Lord that He has done a parallel thing with us. He has delivered us from death through the blood of His own Son. He has raised us up together with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places. We are in Him second in command to the King of the universe! He has given us His signet ring for the purpose of delivering people from every tribe and tongue and nation out of the kingdom of darkness and into His kingdom of light! What is His signet ring? It is the seal and empowerment of His Holy Spirit. It is His mighty authority to tear down the powers of darkness for the purpose of spreading His rule and reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. Yes, in the typology of this chapter there is much to be seen of the glory of Christ. Am I sharing in that glory? Am I working toward the purpose for which He has called me into that glory? Am I laying down everything in my life in pursuit of His glory and the expansion of His Kingdom? Or am I simply living my life happy to only enjoy the benefits which he has given me? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
January 28, 2011
Esther 5
A segment of how God deals with men and women can be seen in the contrast between Esther and Haman. Haman made no attempt to remediate the behavior of Mordecai. He simply moved to crush it. Esther initially made a move to remediate. She made Haman part of the private banquet she sought with the King. Why did she do that? If it had been me, I would probably have sought only an audience with the king so that I could fully speak my mind and get rid of the scoundrel, Haman. She might have had this whole thing planned out in advance. However, I don’t think she could have predicted Haman’s road to perdition. I think she wanted to privately find out where Haman stood in all of this and see if there was any possible move toward remediation with Haman’s involvement. The first banquet revealed no possibility to her. Stalling for time to continue to consider her road for action, she asked for a second banquet. She looked for remediation.
Haman left the banquet feeling good about himself until he passed Mordecai at the gate. The powers of darkness can never stand the sight of a man who refuses to bow to anyone except the King of Kings. Rather than trying to find out why Mordecai will not bow, he becomes further entrenched in his desire to destroy Mordecai. He is totally focused on his riches, his family, his rank, and his honor. His wife advises the construction of a 75ft. tall gallows. What a monstrosity! And he had the power to have it built over night! It would certainly display Haman’s power in the country.
What a contrast! Esther is cautiously looking for possibilities of remediation. Haman is recklessly seeking the destruction of a people who will not give him what does not belong to Him. I see the same contrast with Jesus in how He deals with us. On the night that Jesus was betrayed, He knew what Judas was doing. He dipped the bread into the wine and offered it to Judas. It was a clear offer of friendship and remediation. Judas took it, but rather than repenting, he continued on in his recalcitrant track of betraying Jesus. Satan entered him. There was darkness as he had never known. But Jesus had loved him up to this point. Our Lord is that way. He is always looking for our remediation, our repentance. But there comes a point when He says, “No more.” Thank you, Lord for being patient with me! Help me to enter into your correction. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
A segment of how God deals with men and women can be seen in the contrast between Esther and Haman. Haman made no attempt to remediate the behavior of Mordecai. He simply moved to crush it. Esther initially made a move to remediate. She made Haman part of the private banquet she sought with the King. Why did she do that? If it had been me, I would probably have sought only an audience with the king so that I could fully speak my mind and get rid of the scoundrel, Haman. She might have had this whole thing planned out in advance. However, I don’t think she could have predicted Haman’s road to perdition. I think she wanted to privately find out where Haman stood in all of this and see if there was any possible move toward remediation with Haman’s involvement. The first banquet revealed no possibility to her. Stalling for time to continue to consider her road for action, she asked for a second banquet. She looked for remediation.
Haman left the banquet feeling good about himself until he passed Mordecai at the gate. The powers of darkness can never stand the sight of a man who refuses to bow to anyone except the King of Kings. Rather than trying to find out why Mordecai will not bow, he becomes further entrenched in his desire to destroy Mordecai. He is totally focused on his riches, his family, his rank, and his honor. His wife advises the construction of a 75ft. tall gallows. What a monstrosity! And he had the power to have it built over night! It would certainly display Haman’s power in the country.
What a contrast! Esther is cautiously looking for possibilities of remediation. Haman is recklessly seeking the destruction of a people who will not give him what does not belong to Him. I see the same contrast with Jesus in how He deals with us. On the night that Jesus was betrayed, He knew what Judas was doing. He dipped the bread into the wine and offered it to Judas. It was a clear offer of friendship and remediation. Judas took it, but rather than repenting, he continued on in his recalcitrant track of betraying Jesus. Satan entered him. There was darkness as he had never known. But Jesus had loved him up to this point. Our Lord is that way. He is always looking for our remediation, our repentance. But there comes a point when He says, “No more.” Thank you, Lord for being patient with me! Help me to enter into your correction. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Thursday, January 27, 2011
January 27, 2011
Esther 4
Who and what does God use to glorify His own name? In Esther 1 we saw that He uses even the immorality of man to accomplish His plan. In Esther 2 we saw that He uses our own helplessness—when we are in trouble. In Esther 3 we learned that He is working even in the midst of our own perplexities. What about Esther 4? He desires most to use obedient people. He designs and places us in positions where we must trust Him. In that position He asks that we put everything on the line. He asks that we obey. What would you be willing to do for Him? Oh it is easy to say that I would die physically for Him. Most of us will really never have to make that kind of choice. But he always asks us to die to our own desires.
It would have been easier for Esther to just stay in the Harem and never say anything to the king. After all, would anyone really try to kill the queen? To enter the king’s presence without being bid to come could result in her own execution. It would be easier to ignore the plight of her people and do nothing. But as Mordecai told her, “Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Her response was one of obedience and acceptance of whatever would be the outcome. She simply put it, “If I perish, I perish.” Hmm. . . Am I so enthralled with God displaying His glory in me that I can say in any situation, “I will obey God, no matter what the result. If I perish, I perish.” I think the glory of God is so great that if I really grasped it, I would emphatically obey! When I disobey, it only proves that I am not clearly seeing the glory of God. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Who and what does God use to glorify His own name? In Esther 1 we saw that He uses even the immorality of man to accomplish His plan. In Esther 2 we saw that He uses our own helplessness—when we are in trouble. In Esther 3 we learned that He is working even in the midst of our own perplexities. What about Esther 4? He desires most to use obedient people. He designs and places us in positions where we must trust Him. In that position He asks that we put everything on the line. He asks that we obey. What would you be willing to do for Him? Oh it is easy to say that I would die physically for Him. Most of us will really never have to make that kind of choice. But he always asks us to die to our own desires.
It would have been easier for Esther to just stay in the Harem and never say anything to the king. After all, would anyone really try to kill the queen? To enter the king’s presence without being bid to come could result in her own execution. It would be easier to ignore the plight of her people and do nothing. But as Mordecai told her, “Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Her response was one of obedience and acceptance of whatever would be the outcome. She simply put it, “If I perish, I perish.” Hmm. . . Am I so enthralled with God displaying His glory in me that I can say in any situation, “I will obey God, no matter what the result. If I perish, I perish.” I think the glory of God is so great that if I really grasped it, I would emphatically obey! When I disobey, it only proves that I am not clearly seeing the glory of God. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
January 26, 2011
Esther 3
There are times when we do not understand why other people do strange things. Mordecai refused to bow down and worship Haman as he walked by. He was raised a good Jew. A good Jew bows down to worship no one but the Lord. He was being faithful to the Lord. What was the result of his faithfulness? The result was not only was he endangered, but all the Jews of the whole kingdom were now targeted to be killed. It seems to be an odd reward for faithfulness from a sovereign God who controls the whole world. But the world would not know that He is worth laying down our lives unless some people laid down their lives. Still he was probably perplexed.
Not only was he perplexed, but the whole city of Sushan was perplexed. Why? Why was one of the top officials of the king calling for the death of all the Jews? It just did not make any sense. But then why did Satan rebel? Why did Adam and Eve rebel. Why did Hitler order the execution of 6 million Jews? Closer to home, why do I sin? In the midst of perplexing issues of the world and my own personality, there is one underpinning principle. God is occupying Himself by showing His glory through the world. Wait to the end. We will see the glory of it then. Right now we don’t see it, but we will see it then! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
There are times when we do not understand why other people do strange things. Mordecai refused to bow down and worship Haman as he walked by. He was raised a good Jew. A good Jew bows down to worship no one but the Lord. He was being faithful to the Lord. What was the result of his faithfulness? The result was not only was he endangered, but all the Jews of the whole kingdom were now targeted to be killed. It seems to be an odd reward for faithfulness from a sovereign God who controls the whole world. But the world would not know that He is worth laying down our lives unless some people laid down their lives. Still he was probably perplexed.
Not only was he perplexed, but the whole city of Sushan was perplexed. Why? Why was one of the top officials of the king calling for the death of all the Jews? It just did not make any sense. But then why did Satan rebel? Why did Adam and Eve rebel. Why did Hitler order the execution of 6 million Jews? Closer to home, why do I sin? In the midst of perplexing issues of the world and my own personality, there is one underpinning principle. God is occupying Himself by showing His glory through the world. Wait to the end. We will see the glory of it then. Right now we don’t see it, but we will see it then! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
January 25, 2011
Esther 2
I was having enough troubles of my own. My track record for handling conflict had not been all that great. I was fresh off of one problem. The principal of the school which met in our building walked into my office to explain a conflict problem that one of the teachers was having with one of the parents of the school. The parent had become so obsessive with the situation that he seemed to be stalking the teacher. All I needed was more trouble!
Mordecai did not need any more problems. He had taken into his home as his own daughter his cousin. Esther had been orphaned, and Mordecai had taken the responsibility to raise her. Esther was very beautiful. Every good father worries about the welfare of his daughter. Mordecai was no different with his cousin/adopted daughter. Now the king is looking for another beauty to add to his harem. If I were Mordecai, I think I would make my daughter go into hiding. But it was too late. Esther’s beauty was already well known. The beauty scouts found her. Mordecai strongly warned her, “Don’t let anyone know you are a Jew!” Why? First of all, they were a defeated people. They were brought to that area of the world by Nebuchadnezzar. They were second class citizens. If they knew her ethnicity, she would probably be abused rather than selected for the king.
What happened next? The text doesn’t say it, but it appears that God gave her favor with the eunuch in charge of the women who were selected. She was selected to be groomed as a possible replacement for Vashti. The 12 month course of preparation included 7 maidens to meet her needs and a room in the best part of the palace, not bad accommodations. God’s favor continued. She was eventually selected as queen.
But what about Mordecai? He daily walked as close to the king’s gate as he would be allowed, more trouble. While at the gate, he overhears a plot to kill the king. Mordecai reports it to the Esther. Certainly if the plot were successful, Esther would also be in danger of being killed. Unfortunately, his good deed was forgotten.
Where is God in the middle of trouble? Without the trouble we would never know of His great power. So where is the glory of God in all of this? He is seen in the midst of guiding us in trouble. When I encounter trouble in my life, it is opportunity for me to once again learn that He is the one who delivers us out of trouble. I began with my story of more trouble. God showed me once again that He delivers through trouble. I did not enjoy the rough time that we had. But I did learn that God delivers through trouble. God uses us even in times of trouble. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
I was having enough troubles of my own. My track record for handling conflict had not been all that great. I was fresh off of one problem. The principal of the school which met in our building walked into my office to explain a conflict problem that one of the teachers was having with one of the parents of the school. The parent had become so obsessive with the situation that he seemed to be stalking the teacher. All I needed was more trouble!
Mordecai did not need any more problems. He had taken into his home as his own daughter his cousin. Esther had been orphaned, and Mordecai had taken the responsibility to raise her. Esther was very beautiful. Every good father worries about the welfare of his daughter. Mordecai was no different with his cousin/adopted daughter. Now the king is looking for another beauty to add to his harem. If I were Mordecai, I think I would make my daughter go into hiding. But it was too late. Esther’s beauty was already well known. The beauty scouts found her. Mordecai strongly warned her, “Don’t let anyone know you are a Jew!” Why? First of all, they were a defeated people. They were brought to that area of the world by Nebuchadnezzar. They were second class citizens. If they knew her ethnicity, she would probably be abused rather than selected for the king.
What happened next? The text doesn’t say it, but it appears that God gave her favor with the eunuch in charge of the women who were selected. She was selected to be groomed as a possible replacement for Vashti. The 12 month course of preparation included 7 maidens to meet her needs and a room in the best part of the palace, not bad accommodations. God’s favor continued. She was eventually selected as queen.
But what about Mordecai? He daily walked as close to the king’s gate as he would be allowed, more trouble. While at the gate, he overhears a plot to kill the king. Mordecai reports it to the Esther. Certainly if the plot were successful, Esther would also be in danger of being killed. Unfortunately, his good deed was forgotten.
Where is God in the middle of trouble? Without the trouble we would never know of His great power. So where is the glory of God in all of this? He is seen in the midst of guiding us in trouble. When I encounter trouble in my life, it is opportunity for me to once again learn that He is the one who delivers us out of trouble. I began with my story of more trouble. God showed me once again that He delivers through trouble. I did not enjoy the rough time that we had. But I did learn that God delivers through trouble. God uses us even in times of trouble. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Monday, January 24, 2011
January 24, 2011
Esther 1
What do we do with this book in terms of the glory of God? The name of God or direct reference to God is never used in the Book. The Living Bible uses it once in 4:14, and that is because it is a paraphrase and not a translation. Yet, the hand of God is seen all through the book! I guess it proves that God will accomplish His purpose whether or not He directly receives the glory from humans.
Ahaseurus is another name for Xerxes. In Ezra 4:5-7 Ahasuerus is mentioned between Cyrus and Artaxerxes. So perhaps, some of the favor that Ezra and Nehemiah received from the kings of Persia may be attributed to the influence of Esther. If you have ever read the story of the 300 Spartans or seen the movie, he is Persian King against whom the Spartans fought. After defeating the Spartans, Xerxes advanced on Athens and took it. However, the Spartans valiant 3-day fight gave the Athenians time to evacuate and regroup elsewhere before Xerxes’ armies reached the city. Xerxes then committed some military blunders resulting in some Greek victories which cut off his supply lines and forced his army to return to Persia. I once read that Herodotus recorded that Xerxes retreated to find comfort in his harem. That may be a reference to the party referenced to the events here in Esther. There is no secular mention of either Esther or Vashti.
Certainly this party is probably part of a PR campaign to shore up support at home when his military campaign had gone awry. The wine was flowing freely implying that there was a great deal of debauchery going on. Vashti may not have been the only queen which Xerxes had. This may have led to Xerxes greater willingness to show off this wife’s beauty. Some have suggested that he was asking her to appear naked before his guests. That is a possibility; however, I find that a little difficult to believe. Whatever the case, his main intent was to display this wife’s beauty to all his guests. Given the context, it was a request that Vashti obviously found repugnant, given the context. She refused to obey. The king is now placed in a very precarious position. In the midst of trying to rebuild his domestic support through throwing this party, his own wife is now in public rebellion. His advisors warn him. It is no longer a family matter. It is also a matter of State. As beautiful as she is, Vashti is removed as queen in order to hold up the authority of all husbands in the Persian kingdom and to shore up support for Xerxes.
So, what do we see of the glory of God in this passage? God uses even the immorality of men to force events which will accomplish His plan. Within the book of Esther, he uses the king’s own immorality to put someone in his life who will cause him to want to protect the people of God. Outside of the book of Esther, Esther probably had a little influence over the life of Artaxerxes, the son of Xerxes, the king who gave the command to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. So, when the immoral lifestyle of others begins to affect the circumstances of my life, then I can start looking for how God wants to use those circumstances as part of His plan. He has a plan, but I must join Him in it! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
What do we do with this book in terms of the glory of God? The name of God or direct reference to God is never used in the Book. The Living Bible uses it once in 4:14, and that is because it is a paraphrase and not a translation. Yet, the hand of God is seen all through the book! I guess it proves that God will accomplish His purpose whether or not He directly receives the glory from humans.
Ahaseurus is another name for Xerxes. In Ezra 4:5-7 Ahasuerus is mentioned between Cyrus and Artaxerxes. So perhaps, some of the favor that Ezra and Nehemiah received from the kings of Persia may be attributed to the influence of Esther. If you have ever read the story of the 300 Spartans or seen the movie, he is Persian King against whom the Spartans fought. After defeating the Spartans, Xerxes advanced on Athens and took it. However, the Spartans valiant 3-day fight gave the Athenians time to evacuate and regroup elsewhere before Xerxes’ armies reached the city. Xerxes then committed some military blunders resulting in some Greek victories which cut off his supply lines and forced his army to return to Persia. I once read that Herodotus recorded that Xerxes retreated to find comfort in his harem. That may be a reference to the party referenced to the events here in Esther. There is no secular mention of either Esther or Vashti.
Certainly this party is probably part of a PR campaign to shore up support at home when his military campaign had gone awry. The wine was flowing freely implying that there was a great deal of debauchery going on. Vashti may not have been the only queen which Xerxes had. This may have led to Xerxes greater willingness to show off this wife’s beauty. Some have suggested that he was asking her to appear naked before his guests. That is a possibility; however, I find that a little difficult to believe. Whatever the case, his main intent was to display this wife’s beauty to all his guests. Given the context, it was a request that Vashti obviously found repugnant, given the context. She refused to obey. The king is now placed in a very precarious position. In the midst of trying to rebuild his domestic support through throwing this party, his own wife is now in public rebellion. His advisors warn him. It is no longer a family matter. It is also a matter of State. As beautiful as she is, Vashti is removed as queen in order to hold up the authority of all husbands in the Persian kingdom and to shore up support for Xerxes.
So, what do we see of the glory of God in this passage? God uses even the immorality of men to force events which will accomplish His plan. Within the book of Esther, he uses the king’s own immorality to put someone in his life who will cause him to want to protect the people of God. Outside of the book of Esther, Esther probably had a little influence over the life of Artaxerxes, the son of Xerxes, the king who gave the command to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. So, when the immoral lifestyle of others begins to affect the circumstances of my life, then I can start looking for how God wants to use those circumstances as part of His plan. He has a plan, but I must join Him in it! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
January 23, 2011
Nehemiah 13
Misplaced priorities will quickly lead me away from the glory of God. When the temple was built, it had store rooms on the side for all the things necessary for the continual carrying out of the sacrifices. The sacrifices were central to experiencing the glory of God. Grain offerings, frankincense, the articles used in the daily ministrations, the tithes of grain, the new wine and oil were all articles used by the priests and Levites to do the ministry and to support themselves while they did the daily sacrifices. The sacrifices all spoke of Jesus. They spoke of the cross and what Jesus would accomplish for us through the cross. Because of the cross we can have fellowship with God (grain, wine and oil). Because of the cross we can come boldly before the throne of God where our Great Intercessor dwells, and we can bring our prayers to Him (frankincense).
Eliashib, the priest, cleared the storeroom so that Tobiah could occupy it in some way. Now, Tobiah was one of the leaders of the enemies of the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem. Tobiah was an Ammonite. God had instructed Israel not to associate with the Ammonites. What is Eliashib doing? He replaces the materials for the daily sacrifice with the enemy of God! Because of the phrase, “Now before this,” in verse four, some have suggested that Eliashib had perhaps married a relative of Tobiah, and to preserve family unity was why he let Tobiah move in. Marrying people without listening to the instruction of God also demonstrates a lack of priorities.
So what is going on here? Clearly the sacrifice of Christ must be central in our lives, homes and churches. Paul wanted to know nothing among the Corinthians except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Do I make room in my life for things that should be reserved for Jesus? Do I bring movies (even wholesome ones) into my home when I have not first sought Him? Do I yield what should be reserved for Him to my spouse? Do I yield what should be reserved for him to my family? Do I yield what should be reserved for Jesus to my church? Do I yield what should be reserved to Jesus to His enemies? Those are hard and difficult questions, yet they are ones to which the cross-centered life demands an answer.
Jesus lovingly calls us to yield to Him. Nehemiah wasn’t as loving. He pulled out the offender’s beards. He demanded obedience. One solid reading of the book of Hebrews reveals that Jesus also demands obedience. Yes, He will never forsake us or leave us, but when we replace what should be reserved for Him, and we remain steadfast in that direction, then discipline is on the way. Hmm. . . I think I’d rather experience the loving side of Jesus. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Misplaced priorities will quickly lead me away from the glory of God. When the temple was built, it had store rooms on the side for all the things necessary for the continual carrying out of the sacrifices. The sacrifices were central to experiencing the glory of God. Grain offerings, frankincense, the articles used in the daily ministrations, the tithes of grain, the new wine and oil were all articles used by the priests and Levites to do the ministry and to support themselves while they did the daily sacrifices. The sacrifices all spoke of Jesus. They spoke of the cross and what Jesus would accomplish for us through the cross. Because of the cross we can have fellowship with God (grain, wine and oil). Because of the cross we can come boldly before the throne of God where our Great Intercessor dwells, and we can bring our prayers to Him (frankincense).
Eliashib, the priest, cleared the storeroom so that Tobiah could occupy it in some way. Now, Tobiah was one of the leaders of the enemies of the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem. Tobiah was an Ammonite. God had instructed Israel not to associate with the Ammonites. What is Eliashib doing? He replaces the materials for the daily sacrifice with the enemy of God! Because of the phrase, “Now before this,” in verse four, some have suggested that Eliashib had perhaps married a relative of Tobiah, and to preserve family unity was why he let Tobiah move in. Marrying people without listening to the instruction of God also demonstrates a lack of priorities.
So what is going on here? Clearly the sacrifice of Christ must be central in our lives, homes and churches. Paul wanted to know nothing among the Corinthians except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Do I make room in my life for things that should be reserved for Jesus? Do I bring movies (even wholesome ones) into my home when I have not first sought Him? Do I yield what should be reserved for Him to my spouse? Do I yield what should be reserved for him to my family? Do I yield what should be reserved for Jesus to my church? Do I yield what should be reserved to Jesus to His enemies? Those are hard and difficult questions, yet they are ones to which the cross-centered life demands an answer.
Jesus lovingly calls us to yield to Him. Nehemiah wasn’t as loving. He pulled out the offender’s beards. He demanded obedience. One solid reading of the book of Hebrews reveals that Jesus also demands obedience. Yes, He will never forsake us or leave us, but when we replace what should be reserved for Him, and we remain steadfast in that direction, then discipline is on the way. Hmm. . . I think I’d rather experience the loving side of Jesus. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Friday, January 21, 2011
January 21, 2011
Nehemiah 11
Am I insignificant? After all, I play such a small part in this community which is such a small part of this world. Am I insignificant? Our glorious God says, “No!” Where does He say that? This whole chapter shouts that God finds everyone significant. Why is this chapter here? I mean what does anybody care about the names of the priests, Levites, or the heads of the tribes who relocated to Jerusalem. God cares! He cares enough to record them in His book. WE are significant because we are a part of the work that God is doing to build His kingdom. If no one else takes notice, He does. That is part of the glory of our God. Even the smallest person is significant in His sight! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Am I insignificant? After all, I play such a small part in this community which is such a small part of this world. Am I insignificant? Our glorious God says, “No!” Where does He say that? This whole chapter shouts that God finds everyone significant. Why is this chapter here? I mean what does anybody care about the names of the priests, Levites, or the heads of the tribes who relocated to Jerusalem. God cares! He cares enough to record them in His book. WE are significant because we are a part of the work that God is doing to build His kingdom. If no one else takes notice, He does. That is part of the glory of our God. Even the smallest person is significant in His sight! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Thursday, January 20, 2011
January 20, 2011
Nehemiah 10
“These joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes.” An interesting concept, should we do this? We certainly need to consider Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:33-37. There is a sense in which many people already do this to some degree. I went to a MLK Jr. celebration a few nights ago. On the wall of sanctuary was a large copy of Church Covenant. It was large enough for everyone to read it while sitting in the pew. I have seen such covenants in many churches. They used to be more common than they are today. As I read it, I thought, “Wow! If everyone did this, this would indeed be one dynamic church!” Did posting the covenant on the wall help move the church toward being dynamic? Since this is the only occasion that I have ever attended a worship service at this location, I am not in the least qualified to answer the question whether it helped the congregation that met there to be more dynamic.
Does entering into curses, oaths, covenants etc. really help us to experience the glory of God? Certainly Jesus said, “Let your yes be yes and your no, no.” So as a follower of His, when I say, “Yes I will do this,“ or, “No, I will not do this,” there should not be any difference in my behavior than if I were to take a curse, or an oath, or a covenant. But if I never say, “Yes,” or, “No,” then I probably will never do. So, at times an agreement with someone else to do something is valuable in our lives, lest procrastination set in and we never do. Personally, I think I would steer clear of curses. But sometimes radical denunciation of sin and embracing a course of seeking God are necessary.
So how does today’s passage tell us about the glory of God? Sometimes we come to the realization that we have ceased seeking the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and muchness. At those times we need to recognize our sin, confessing it and claiming forgiveness. Then we need to renew our commitment placing ourselves in a position where God may reveal His glory to us. Sometimes when we do that, it means committing together with other brothers and sisters who can help us do that. They should have permission from us to point out in our lives when we strayed from the Lord’s revealed path. It takes a tremendous amount of trust on our part to allow someone else to be so bold with us, but what are the benefits? God normally reveals Himself to those who seek Him with all they are. That means when change or repentance is needed, we are willing. But the benefit is a fresh revelation of Himself. It is in those moments where we experience His glory in life changing ways. I know I need that. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
“These joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes.” An interesting concept, should we do this? We certainly need to consider Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:33-37. There is a sense in which many people already do this to some degree. I went to a MLK Jr. celebration a few nights ago. On the wall of sanctuary was a large copy of Church Covenant. It was large enough for everyone to read it while sitting in the pew. I have seen such covenants in many churches. They used to be more common than they are today. As I read it, I thought, “Wow! If everyone did this, this would indeed be one dynamic church!” Did posting the covenant on the wall help move the church toward being dynamic? Since this is the only occasion that I have ever attended a worship service at this location, I am not in the least qualified to answer the question whether it helped the congregation that met there to be more dynamic.
Does entering into curses, oaths, covenants etc. really help us to experience the glory of God? Certainly Jesus said, “Let your yes be yes and your no, no.” So as a follower of His, when I say, “Yes I will do this,“ or, “No, I will not do this,” there should not be any difference in my behavior than if I were to take a curse, or an oath, or a covenant. But if I never say, “Yes,” or, “No,” then I probably will never do. So, at times an agreement with someone else to do something is valuable in our lives, lest procrastination set in and we never do. Personally, I think I would steer clear of curses. But sometimes radical denunciation of sin and embracing a course of seeking God are necessary.
So how does today’s passage tell us about the glory of God? Sometimes we come to the realization that we have ceased seeking the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and muchness. At those times we need to recognize our sin, confessing it and claiming forgiveness. Then we need to renew our commitment placing ourselves in a position where God may reveal His glory to us. Sometimes when we do that, it means committing together with other brothers and sisters who can help us do that. They should have permission from us to point out in our lives when we strayed from the Lord’s revealed path. It takes a tremendous amount of trust on our part to allow someone else to be so bold with us, but what are the benefits? God normally reveals Himself to those who seek Him with all they are. That means when change or repentance is needed, we are willing. But the benefit is a fresh revelation of Himself. It is in those moments where we experience His glory in life changing ways. I know I need that. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
January 19, 2011
Nehemiah 9
Why did they do this? Why did they put on sackcloth and dust? Why did they do this as a corporate group? Wouldn’t it be appropriate to just handle it individually? Why did they stand and read from the book of the Law for one fourth of the day (at least 3 hours)? Why did they confess their sin for one fourth of the day (at least 3 hours)? Was this individual sin that they confessed, or was it corporate sin, or was it a combination of both? Why do the Levites in their ceremony recite the history of Abraham, the Exodus, the conquest, the judges, the time of the Assyrian kings (the exile)? After all, they were not even alive at any of those times. They were not the ones who sinned and brought on the exile. Why should they take responsibility for it? The Spirit of the Lord led them to do this.
This teaches us that the Lord holds us responsible not only as individuals but also as corporate entities. Don’t be misled by the terminology. I am not talking about business corporations. Corporate comes from the Latin corporātus a participle of corporāre. It means united or combined into one.[1] Does God still hold congregations accountable as a group? The letters of Jesus to the seven churches in the book of Revelation would indicate to me, “Yes, He still does hold churches accountable as a group.” As a matter of fact, He tells us in Revelation 2:5 “Look how far you have fallen from your first love! Turn back to me again and work as you did at first. If you don’t, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. [2] At least in this case, if we do not corporately repent, he takes the church out of existence.
The clear implication of this passage is that they considered their current trouble to be a result of their corporate sin, both sin of the current corporate generation and the sin of their previous generation. How is it fair that they should be held accountable for the sin of previous generations? I will leave it to those smarter than I to figure out the fairness issue. However, this I know; because Adam sinned, I have a sin nature. Because I have a sin nature, I have affirmed Adam’s sin. There is some sort corporate connection there. Because there was corporate sin, there needed to be corporate confession and repentance.
What does this say about the congregation, of which I am a part? Maybe some of the trouble that we experience is a result of corporate sin. Because I am part of this body, I am responsible. Whether or not I was even around when it occurred, is irrelevant. The body will not progress properly until there is corporate repentance. Hmm. . . maybe if we are experiencing a lack of power as seen in the NT church, maybe we need to explore the possibility corporate sin that needs a corporate confession.
What does all this have to do with the glory of God? Look at what the Levites said in the corporate ceremony:
But You are God,
Ready to pardon,
Gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger,
Abundant in kindness,
And did not forsake them.
Yet in Your manifold mercies
You did not forsake them in the wilderness.
You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them,
Moreover You gave them kingdoms and nations,
Yet when they returned and cried out to You,
You heard from heaven;
And many times You delivered them according to Your mercies,
These are but a few of the ways that the Levites glorified God in their prayer! When we are willingly repentant as a corporate body, it releases a great testimony to the community in which we live of the magnificent grace and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Maybe we should investigate our need of corporate repentance. It could only magnify His grace! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] "corporate." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 19 Jan. 2011..
[2] Holy Bible : New Living Translation. electronic ed. Wheaton : Tyndale House, 1997, c1996
Why did they do this? Why did they put on sackcloth and dust? Why did they do this as a corporate group? Wouldn’t it be appropriate to just handle it individually? Why did they stand and read from the book of the Law for one fourth of the day (at least 3 hours)? Why did they confess their sin for one fourth of the day (at least 3 hours)? Was this individual sin that they confessed, or was it corporate sin, or was it a combination of both? Why do the Levites in their ceremony recite the history of Abraham, the Exodus, the conquest, the judges, the time of the Assyrian kings (the exile)? After all, they were not even alive at any of those times. They were not the ones who sinned and brought on the exile. Why should they take responsibility for it? The Spirit of the Lord led them to do this.
This teaches us that the Lord holds us responsible not only as individuals but also as corporate entities. Don’t be misled by the terminology. I am not talking about business corporations. Corporate comes from the Latin corporātus a participle of corporāre. It means united or combined into one.[1] Does God still hold congregations accountable as a group? The letters of Jesus to the seven churches in the book of Revelation would indicate to me, “Yes, He still does hold churches accountable as a group.” As a matter of fact, He tells us in Revelation 2:5 “Look how far you have fallen from your first love! Turn back to me again and work as you did at first. If you don’t, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. [2] At least in this case, if we do not corporately repent, he takes the church out of existence.
The clear implication of this passage is that they considered their current trouble to be a result of their corporate sin, both sin of the current corporate generation and the sin of their previous generation. How is it fair that they should be held accountable for the sin of previous generations? I will leave it to those smarter than I to figure out the fairness issue. However, this I know; because Adam sinned, I have a sin nature. Because I have a sin nature, I have affirmed Adam’s sin. There is some sort corporate connection there. Because there was corporate sin, there needed to be corporate confession and repentance.
What does this say about the congregation, of which I am a part? Maybe some of the trouble that we experience is a result of corporate sin. Because I am part of this body, I am responsible. Whether or not I was even around when it occurred, is irrelevant. The body will not progress properly until there is corporate repentance. Hmm. . . maybe if we are experiencing a lack of power as seen in the NT church, maybe we need to explore the possibility corporate sin that needs a corporate confession.
What does all this have to do with the glory of God? Look at what the Levites said in the corporate ceremony:
But You are God,
Ready to pardon,
Gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger,
Abundant in kindness,
And did not forsake them.
Yet in Your manifold mercies
You did not forsake them in the wilderness.
You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them,
Moreover You gave them kingdoms and nations,
Yet when they returned and cried out to You,
You heard from heaven;
And many times You delivered them according to Your mercies,
These are but a few of the ways that the Levites glorified God in their prayer! When we are willingly repentant as a corporate body, it releases a great testimony to the community in which we live of the magnificent grace and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Maybe we should investigate our need of corporate repentance. It could only magnify His grace! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] "corporate." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 19 Jan. 2011.
[2] Holy Bible : New Living Translation. electronic ed. Wheaton : Tyndale House, 1997, c1996
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
January 18, 2011
Nehemiah 8
Who is this God who makes us weep and then joyful? When the people heard the law read, they wept. Why? They wept because they understood the depravity and depth of their sin. They understood that they had offended the Holy God. For the first time they began to understand the magnitude of His holiness. They began to understand the purity of the law. They began to understand the depths of their sin. It brought godly sorrow to their hearts. What were they to do? In some cases the Law required death for their many transgressions. In some cases the Law required that they should be cut off from the people of God, yet they are the people of God. They had offended God in so many ways in their failure. When was the last time that I wept over my sin? Or is it that I defend my sin? They wept.
Who is this God who makes us weep and then joyful? What an amazing response by Ezra, Nehemiah and the leaders.
Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. 10Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our LORD. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” 11So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them.
Why were they instructed to not grieve? Because their weeping was clear evidence of repentance. Once repentance is achieved, it is time to walk in the lavish grace of God. This is the God we seek. He demands nothing less than perfection out of us. When we realize how far short we have fallen, if we truly are repentant, it produces great grief. He then ladles, pours, yes even floods us with His grace, which abounds in joy! But we cannot reverse the order! Without true repentance, there cannot be true joy. Lord, help me not to be defensive when my sin is pointed out, but let me repent for I need your joy.
Today’s people think it hatred to speak concerning sin. But if I don’t speak concerning sin, then repentance will not come. Until I/we repent, God does not fill us with His joy.
Who is this God who makes us weep and then joyful? He is the God who tells us the truth about the offensiveness of our sin for the purpose of leading us to repentance. After repentance, He floods us with Himself. He is joy! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Who is this God who makes us weep and then joyful? When the people heard the law read, they wept. Why? They wept because they understood the depravity and depth of their sin. They understood that they had offended the Holy God. For the first time they began to understand the magnitude of His holiness. They began to understand the purity of the law. They began to understand the depths of their sin. It brought godly sorrow to their hearts. What were they to do? In some cases the Law required death for their many transgressions. In some cases the Law required that they should be cut off from the people of God, yet they are the people of God. They had offended God in so many ways in their failure. When was the last time that I wept over my sin? Or is it that I defend my sin? They wept.
Who is this God who makes us weep and then joyful? What an amazing response by Ezra, Nehemiah and the leaders.
Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. 10Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our LORD. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” 11So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them.
Why were they instructed to not grieve? Because their weeping was clear evidence of repentance. Once repentance is achieved, it is time to walk in the lavish grace of God. This is the God we seek. He demands nothing less than perfection out of us. When we realize how far short we have fallen, if we truly are repentant, it produces great grief. He then ladles, pours, yes even floods us with His grace, which abounds in joy! But we cannot reverse the order! Without true repentance, there cannot be true joy. Lord, help me not to be defensive when my sin is pointed out, but let me repent for I need your joy.
Today’s people think it hatred to speak concerning sin. But if I don’t speak concerning sin, then repentance will not come. Until I/we repent, God does not fill us with His joy.
Who is this God who makes us weep and then joyful? He is the God who tells us the truth about the offensiveness of our sin for the purpose of leading us to repentance. After repentance, He floods us with Himself. He is joy! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Saturday, January 15, 2011
January 15, 2011
Nehemiah 5
The call was a collect call from the county jail. A man to whom I had been ministering had been taken back to jail because he was accused of parole violations. He explained the situation that precipitated it. If he was speaking honestly, then he probably should not be in jail. I doubt that I was hearing the whole story. He wanted me to co-sign his bail bond. I asked how much it was. I quickly calculated that it was more than I could afford to give away if he were to not show up in court. There is a Biblical principle involved in loaning money or co-signing loans. If you can’t afford to pay it yourself, don’t co-sign. Similarly, if you can’t afford to pay it back, don’t borrow. If you can’t afford to give, don’t.
The children of Israel had been forgiven a great debt by the Lord. They had been returned to the land and given a great opportunity to make a new life for themselves. Yet they were forced into a situation by their brothers in the Lord where they had to borrow money in order to feed their families. Were their brothers from whom they borrowed showing the glory of their Lord when they lent and charged exorbitant interest? Were those who borrowed showing faith in the Lord when they borrowed? I think not. So what should have happened. Those who were able to give, should have given in such a way that it enabled their brothers to become dependent upon only the Lord. That is when His glory shines the most.
What did I do with the man who wanted me to sign? I gave to him in other ways. But in this way, I let him trust the Lord. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
The call was a collect call from the county jail. A man to whom I had been ministering had been taken back to jail because he was accused of parole violations. He explained the situation that precipitated it. If he was speaking honestly, then he probably should not be in jail. I doubt that I was hearing the whole story. He wanted me to co-sign his bail bond. I asked how much it was. I quickly calculated that it was more than I could afford to give away if he were to not show up in court. There is a Biblical principle involved in loaning money or co-signing loans. If you can’t afford to pay it yourself, don’t co-sign. Similarly, if you can’t afford to pay it back, don’t borrow. If you can’t afford to give, don’t.
The children of Israel had been forgiven a great debt by the Lord. They had been returned to the land and given a great opportunity to make a new life for themselves. Yet they were forced into a situation by their brothers in the Lord where they had to borrow money in order to feed their families. Were their brothers from whom they borrowed showing the glory of their Lord when they lent and charged exorbitant interest? Were those who borrowed showing faith in the Lord when they borrowed? I think not. So what should have happened. Those who were able to give, should have given in such a way that it enabled their brothers to become dependent upon only the Lord. That is when His glory shines the most.
What did I do with the man who wanted me to sign? I gave to him in other ways. But in this way, I let him trust the Lord. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Friday, January 14, 2011
January 14, 2011
Nehemiah 4
Have you been following the case of the Chinese Human Rights Lawyer, Gao Zhisheng? A little more news about him surfaced today because President Obama will soon be meeting with Chinese officials. If you are interested, you can read the AP news story at
http://www.chinaaid.org/2011/01/ap-exclusive-missing-chinese-lawyer.html One on line comment to the AP article was by Housetop Shouter. That person commented:
Now in 2011 China has Most Favored Nation trade status with the US. In other words, USA's mammoth trade deficit plus the money borrowed from China has had the economic effect of putting China's boot onto USA's neck. Result is wasted effort for any grassroots boycott. I believe that prayer is still the best way to help brother Gao because God is greater than anything China can do to him. May the Lord set Gao free soon!
I believe that he or she is correct. Nehemiah demonstrates that principle. Look at:
v. 9 Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God,
v. 15 God had brought their plot to nothing
v. 20 Our God will fight for us.
It may be that Gao will never be released this side of heaven. We should pray for his release; however, God may use his martyrdom to advance His kingdom in China. Then again, He may use Gao’s release to advance His kingdom in China. We do not know. But we do know that we can pray as did Nehemiah. Somehow our prayers are interconnected with what God is accomplishing in this world. That is to God’s glory! It would be one thing for a Sovereign God to create a world and design for all the creatures to act in a certain way without any free will. It is a wholly different thing for a Sovereign God to create a world and design the creatures such that they can interact with free wills with him to accomplish His sovereign plan. They both exist. They both declare His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Have you been following the case of the Chinese Human Rights Lawyer, Gao Zhisheng? A little more news about him surfaced today because President Obama will soon be meeting with Chinese officials. If you are interested, you can read the AP news story at
http://www.chinaaid.org/2011/01/ap-exclusive-missing-chinese-lawyer.html One on line comment to the AP article was by Housetop Shouter. That person commented:
Now in 2011 China has Most Favored Nation trade status with the US. In other words, USA's mammoth trade deficit plus the money borrowed from China has had the economic effect of putting China's boot onto USA's neck. Result is wasted effort for any grassroots boycott. I believe that prayer is still the best way to help brother Gao because God is greater than anything China can do to him. May the Lord set Gao free soon!
I believe that he or she is correct. Nehemiah demonstrates that principle. Look at:
v. 9 Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God,
v. 15 God had brought their plot to nothing
v. 20 Our God will fight for us.
It may be that Gao will never be released this side of heaven. We should pray for his release; however, God may use his martyrdom to advance His kingdom in China. Then again, He may use Gao’s release to advance His kingdom in China. We do not know. But we do know that we can pray as did Nehemiah. Somehow our prayers are interconnected with what God is accomplishing in this world. That is to God’s glory! It would be one thing for a Sovereign God to create a world and design for all the creatures to act in a certain way without any free will. It is a wholly different thing for a Sovereign God to create a world and design the creatures such that they can interact with free wills with him to accomplish His sovereign plan. They both exist. They both declare His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Thursday, January 13, 2011
January 13, 2011
Nehemiah 3
“Your job will be to see that everyone in Kerr Hall has a chance to hear the gospel.” So spoke my CCC campus director at the beginning of my sophomore year in college. We were strategizing as to how we could take the gospel to every student at OSU. Other guys in the central action group had other responsibilities, but mine was Kerr Hall. I had three guys assigned to me who lived there. We started a Bible Study and began praying and thinking about ways to present the Gospel to every resident in the twelve-story dorm. I wish I could say that we accomplished that goal. We came close, but I don’t believe that we achieved it; although, we did saturate a couple of the floors especially the floors on which they lived.
There is a principle of leadership found here in this chapter of Nehemiah that is similar to the one we used then. Nehemiah assigned a section of the wall to those who lived next to the section. Why? Well, if your city was under attack, how strong would you want the wall next to you to be? I would want it to be the strongest in the city. I live there. I would be the most motivated to build it well and to finish it now. Nice principle of leadership, but what does it have to do with the glory of God?
Do I really desire to see the glory of God revealed in me? It is clear from the Scripture that He does. The only doubt here is, “Do I?” If I really desire that, then what am I doing to give Him permission to let His glory be revealed? It begins right where I live. I liken it to concentric spheres of my life. Concentric means, “Having a common center, as circles or spheres.” It begins at the center of my life. Is His glory the center of my private thoughts, goals, desires, and aspirations? The next sphere out is my closest family relations, spouse, children, parents, or the people with whom I live. The next sphere might be my employment. What am I praying and doing in order to enhance the glory of God in my employment? IF God has put me in a job, and for most of us He has, then I am not there just to make money. I am there to spread the glory of God by my actions in the quality of my work and by my words in how I interact with other people.
After I graduated, I and one of the guys, Marc, who lived in Kerr Hall and was in the Bible Study with me, both were hired at Mercury Marine and began attending Alliance Bible Church. We realized that we once again had common spheres of influence, our church and our employment. We covenanted together to try together make an appointment with someone from work with whom we could share the gospel. One week I would be responsible for trying to set up an appointment. The next week he would be responsible. To be honest, most of the weeks neither of us had an appointment, but some weeks we did! I remember on one occasion at work when I walked into the restroom. A fellow employee was picking himself up off of the floor. I asked him if he was all right. He said, “Yeah, I was just smoking a little too much.” (it wasn’t cigarettes) We talked shortly. I made an appointment with him. During the appointment at his apartment, Marc and I shared the gospel with him. He prayed to receive Christ with us. He began attending church with us. Within a couple of weeks, we had a layoff at the plant. He lost his job and moved out of town. I believe the glory of Jesus shone briefly in that sphere.
I think that is what the Lord wants to do. He wants His glory to shine beginning in the inner sphere of our lives, and then work its way out through the other spheres. There are other spheres than the ones which I have mentioned. They will be different for different people. But in each one the Lord wants His glory to shine. The only question that remains is, “Do I want His glory to shine there?” Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
“Your job will be to see that everyone in Kerr Hall has a chance to hear the gospel.” So spoke my CCC campus director at the beginning of my sophomore year in college. We were strategizing as to how we could take the gospel to every student at OSU. Other guys in the central action group had other responsibilities, but mine was Kerr Hall. I had three guys assigned to me who lived there. We started a Bible Study and began praying and thinking about ways to present the Gospel to every resident in the twelve-story dorm. I wish I could say that we accomplished that goal. We came close, but I don’t believe that we achieved it; although, we did saturate a couple of the floors especially the floors on which they lived.
There is a principle of leadership found here in this chapter of Nehemiah that is similar to the one we used then. Nehemiah assigned a section of the wall to those who lived next to the section. Why? Well, if your city was under attack, how strong would you want the wall next to you to be? I would want it to be the strongest in the city. I live there. I would be the most motivated to build it well and to finish it now. Nice principle of leadership, but what does it have to do with the glory of God?
Do I really desire to see the glory of God revealed in me? It is clear from the Scripture that He does. The only doubt here is, “Do I?” If I really desire that, then what am I doing to give Him permission to let His glory be revealed? It begins right where I live. I liken it to concentric spheres of my life. Concentric means, “Having a common center, as circles or spheres.” It begins at the center of my life. Is His glory the center of my private thoughts, goals, desires, and aspirations? The next sphere out is my closest family relations, spouse, children, parents, or the people with whom I live. The next sphere might be my employment. What am I praying and doing in order to enhance the glory of God in my employment? IF God has put me in a job, and for most of us He has, then I am not there just to make money. I am there to spread the glory of God by my actions in the quality of my work and by my words in how I interact with other people.
After I graduated, I and one of the guys, Marc, who lived in Kerr Hall and was in the Bible Study with me, both were hired at Mercury Marine and began attending Alliance Bible Church. We realized that we once again had common spheres of influence, our church and our employment. We covenanted together to try together make an appointment with someone from work with whom we could share the gospel. One week I would be responsible for trying to set up an appointment. The next week he would be responsible. To be honest, most of the weeks neither of us had an appointment, but some weeks we did! I remember on one occasion at work when I walked into the restroom. A fellow employee was picking himself up off of the floor. I asked him if he was all right. He said, “Yeah, I was just smoking a little too much.” (it wasn’t cigarettes) We talked shortly. I made an appointment with him. During the appointment at his apartment, Marc and I shared the gospel with him. He prayed to receive Christ with us. He began attending church with us. Within a couple of weeks, we had a layoff at the plant. He lost his job and moved out of town. I believe the glory of Jesus shone briefly in that sphere.
I think that is what the Lord wants to do. He wants His glory to shine beginning in the inner sphere of our lives, and then work its way out through the other spheres. There are other spheres than the ones which I have mentioned. They will be different for different people. But in each one the Lord wants His glory to shine. The only question that remains is, “Do I want His glory to shine there?” Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
January 12, 2011
Nehemiah 2
I remember watching an episode of MASH where Hawkeye was sitting on his bunk looking at his hand and then began discoursing on the marvels of the human hand. I remember very few things about MASH, but for some reason that little soliloquy has stuck in my mind. Have you ever thought about the wonders of the hand? As I type, I am arthritis free and injury free. My fingers fly over the keyboard without me really even thinking about where the fingers should go. I just think the words, and my fingers seem to go there. There is no hunting and pecking. They just go. It is natural for my hand upon the key board. How does that happen? Does it not make you marvel?
Is it natural for the “hand of God” to be upon us? Apparently it is not natural. Why? Even Nehemiah seems to think it important to twice say, “the good hand” of my God was upon me. Does God have a bad hand? Obviously this is a figure of speech. But none-the-less figuratively speaking, does God ever have a bad hand upon us? If a human hand is a thing to marvel about, and it is, then how much more should be the hand of God a thing about which we should marvel? And in light of our sin, how much more should we marvel at His good hand upon us.
One thing is clear from this passage, when we are in line with the purposes of God, we can expect “the good hand” of our God to be upon us. What does it look like? I don’t know, but for Nehemiah it looked like the favor of the king when he did something very dangerous. He allowed himself to look sad in the presence of the king. It meant that the king granted his request to give a decree to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem (a prophecy of Daniel 9). It meant a perilous journey to Jerusalem. It meant an undercover tour at dark of the walls of Jerusalem. It meant talking the residents of Jerusalem into a dangerous act. It meant opposition from the non-Jews in Judea. But God’s good hand upon Nehemiah made his fingers fly to the task. It started the building of the walls and the countdown to the cutting off of the Messiah, the cross. Isn’t God’s hand good? Because Jesus went to the cross, we live! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
I remember watching an episode of MASH where Hawkeye was sitting on his bunk looking at his hand and then began discoursing on the marvels of the human hand. I remember very few things about MASH, but for some reason that little soliloquy has stuck in my mind. Have you ever thought about the wonders of the hand? As I type, I am arthritis free and injury free. My fingers fly over the keyboard without me really even thinking about where the fingers should go. I just think the words, and my fingers seem to go there. There is no hunting and pecking. They just go. It is natural for my hand upon the key board. How does that happen? Does it not make you marvel?
Is it natural for the “hand of God” to be upon us? Apparently it is not natural. Why? Even Nehemiah seems to think it important to twice say, “the good hand” of my God was upon me. Does God have a bad hand? Obviously this is a figure of speech. But none-the-less figuratively speaking, does God ever have a bad hand upon us? If a human hand is a thing to marvel about, and it is, then how much more should be the hand of God a thing about which we should marvel? And in light of our sin, how much more should we marvel at His good hand upon us.
One thing is clear from this passage, when we are in line with the purposes of God, we can expect “the good hand” of our God to be upon us. What does it look like? I don’t know, but for Nehemiah it looked like the favor of the king when he did something very dangerous. He allowed himself to look sad in the presence of the king. It meant that the king granted his request to give a decree to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem (a prophecy of Daniel 9). It meant a perilous journey to Jerusalem. It meant an undercover tour at dark of the walls of Jerusalem. It meant talking the residents of Jerusalem into a dangerous act. It meant opposition from the non-Jews in Judea. But God’s good hand upon Nehemiah made his fingers fly to the task. It started the building of the walls and the countdown to the cutting off of the Messiah, the cross. Isn’t God’s hand good? Because Jesus went to the cross, we live! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
January 11, 2011
Nehemiah 1
When your team is being beaten, it is hard to claim your coach as #1. Oklahoma State University finished an almost fairytale football season this year. What was supposed to be a rebuilding season ended up being a record season for OSU. For a little while we even had a glimmer of hope of being #1. But then we lost to Nebraska and then to the University of Oklahoma. It was impossible to claim the #1 spot after those two losses. But we had the greatest year that OSU has ever had. Mike Gundy was named Big 12 coach of the year as a result. Wouldn’t the most natural thing be to proclaim the coach of the number one team as the coach of the year? Well that depends on what the coach had to work with. A coach who produces a dream team out of a bunch of unproven talent is quite possibly a better coach than a coach who produces a dream team out of a lot of greatly talented players.
Nehemiah’s team was being beaten. The gates and walls of Jerusalem were lying in ruins. Before the invention of gunpowder, if you did not have city walls and gates, you had no security. They were defenseless. How could they have a good coach when the coach did not provide the needed defense? But Nehemiah is still convinced of his coach’s great ability. He knew that his God was great, fearsome and faithful. So he acted upon that knowledge and asked his coach/God for a game plan to improve the defense. He held God to His promises and made sure that he performed what was necessary at his end of the promise. He was willing to take the risk and do what the Lord prompted him to do. It was a risky plan. He could be killed for doing what he planned to do. But he knew the strength and power of His God, and he was willing to risk it all to see that strength and power displayed.
Am I willing to risk it all to see God’s strength and power displayed in my weakness. Now that is a weird game plan. But it is the only one that works because it is the only one that displays His glory. Everything else honors my name, not His name. Lord, put me in places where only your power can deliver for only then will your glory be exalted. Glorify Your name! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
When your team is being beaten, it is hard to claim your coach as #1. Oklahoma State University finished an almost fairytale football season this year. What was supposed to be a rebuilding season ended up being a record season for OSU. For a little while we even had a glimmer of hope of being #1. But then we lost to Nebraska and then to the University of Oklahoma. It was impossible to claim the #1 spot after those two losses. But we had the greatest year that OSU has ever had. Mike Gundy was named Big 12 coach of the year as a result. Wouldn’t the most natural thing be to proclaim the coach of the number one team as the coach of the year? Well that depends on what the coach had to work with. A coach who produces a dream team out of a bunch of unproven talent is quite possibly a better coach than a coach who produces a dream team out of a lot of greatly talented players.
Nehemiah’s team was being beaten. The gates and walls of Jerusalem were lying in ruins. Before the invention of gunpowder, if you did not have city walls and gates, you had no security. They were defenseless. How could they have a good coach when the coach did not provide the needed defense? But Nehemiah is still convinced of his coach’s great ability. He knew that his God was great, fearsome and faithful. So he acted upon that knowledge and asked his coach/God for a game plan to improve the defense. He held God to His promises and made sure that he performed what was necessary at his end of the promise. He was willing to take the risk and do what the Lord prompted him to do. It was a risky plan. He could be killed for doing what he planned to do. But he knew the strength and power of His God, and he was willing to risk it all to see that strength and power displayed.
Am I willing to risk it all to see God’s strength and power displayed in my weakness. Now that is a weird game plan. But it is the only one that works because it is the only one that displays His glory. Everything else honors my name, not His name. Lord, put me in places where only your power can deliver for only then will your glory be exalted. Glorify Your name! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
January 10, 2011
Ezra 10
What is the glory of God worth to you? Would you give up your marriage if it was a choice between God and your spouse? Jesus said that unless we are willing to leave everything, we are unworthy of the Kingdom. So is the glory of God worth giving up your marriage? Certainly the Scripture teaches the sanctity of marriage. Certainly it teaches that our marriages are to reflect His unity. What if that marriage is a union between a pagan and a believer? From the reading of the instruction of the apostle Paul, we would learn that whatever marital state, which we were in when we found Christ , we should be content with that marital state. However, if the unbeliever wants to leave because of Christ, we should let them go.
How does that contrast with the situation with Ezra? The nation of Israel had been exiled because they had gone after the gods of the pagan nations. The kings had led the nation in this immorality. It was imperative with the return that the nation remains pure in their pursuit of Yahweh. Marrying pagan women threatened to undo the purity that they had achieved. It threatened their walk with the Lord. Would you give up your marriage for the glory of God. I am not suggesting that God desires divorce. He would have preferred that these men had never married the pagan women. For their time and their situation, this was a choice which they had to make. Was it worth the glory of God?
Yes it was! What does that tell us about the glory of God? He far exceeds the pleasure of any relationship, which we can ever have. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
What is the glory of God worth to you? Would you give up your marriage if it was a choice between God and your spouse? Jesus said that unless we are willing to leave everything, we are unworthy of the Kingdom. So is the glory of God worth giving up your marriage? Certainly the Scripture teaches the sanctity of marriage. Certainly it teaches that our marriages are to reflect His unity. What if that marriage is a union between a pagan and a believer? From the reading of the instruction of the apostle Paul, we would learn that whatever marital state, which we were in when we found Christ , we should be content with that marital state. However, if the unbeliever wants to leave because of Christ, we should let them go.
How does that contrast with the situation with Ezra? The nation of Israel had been exiled because they had gone after the gods of the pagan nations. The kings had led the nation in this immorality. It was imperative with the return that the nation remains pure in their pursuit of Yahweh. Marrying pagan women threatened to undo the purity that they had achieved. It threatened their walk with the Lord. Would you give up your marriage for the glory of God. I am not suggesting that God desires divorce. He would have preferred that these men had never married the pagan women. For their time and their situation, this was a choice which they had to make. Was it worth the glory of God?
Yes it was! What does that tell us about the glory of God? He far exceeds the pleasure of any relationship, which we can ever have. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Sunday, January 9, 2011
January 9, 2011
Ezra 9
15“O LORD God of Israel, You are righteous, for we are left as a remnant, as it is this day. Here we are before You, in our guilt, though no one can stand before You because of this!” What was their guilt? Ezra confesses things that he personally had not done. Why? He understood corporate guilt. There are times when we are corporately guilty. Ezra saw the need for corporate resistance. As their leader, he leads them in corporate repentance. What do we see about the glory of the Lord in this prayer of repentance? He is righteous. He punishes us less than we deserve. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
15“O LORD God of Israel, You are righteous, for we are left as a remnant, as it is this day. Here we are before You, in our guilt, though no one can stand before You because of this!” What was their guilt? Ezra confesses things that he personally had not done. Why? He understood corporate guilt. There are times when we are corporately guilty. Ezra saw the need for corporate resistance. As their leader, he leads them in corporate repentance. What do we see about the glory of the Lord in this prayer of repentance? He is righteous. He punishes us less than we deserve. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Saturday, January 8, 2011
January 8,2011
Ezra 8
When I moved from North Carolina to Oklahoma, I took my van to my mechanic and had it serviced. I told him that I was making a trip to Oklahoma. “Please flush and fill the radiator. Check for any potential problems.” Twelve hours into our journey, I was approaching a rest area on I-40. Suddenly, my hot engine light turned on. Just in the nick of time, I merged over into the exit lane and pulled into the rest stop. My radiator was dry. Apparently the mechanic who serviced my van failed to retighten the radiator hose appropriately. I tightened it the best I could, refilled the radiator with water from the rest stop and continued on my journey. No harm done. But what would have happened had it boiled dry a few miles later or a few miles earlier? I would have been on the side of the road perhaps without access to water. The good hand of my God was upon me. The timing could not have been better.
Ezra was making a journey of approximately the same distance. Only his vehicles were wagons. His powers were mules, oxen, camels. His dangers were not mechanical failure but pirates. Often caravans would have armed escorts to protect them. Apparently Ezra had been bragging about his God. He was ashamed to ask for an escort. He threw himself upon the mercy of God. And God provided all the protection he needed. That is the glory of our Lord. We can trust in His protection as long as we are doing His will. Even if we die, it is only to accomplish the best for His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
When I moved from North Carolina to Oklahoma, I took my van to my mechanic and had it serviced. I told him that I was making a trip to Oklahoma. “Please flush and fill the radiator. Check for any potential problems.” Twelve hours into our journey, I was approaching a rest area on I-40. Suddenly, my hot engine light turned on. Just in the nick of time, I merged over into the exit lane and pulled into the rest stop. My radiator was dry. Apparently the mechanic who serviced my van failed to retighten the radiator hose appropriately. I tightened it the best I could, refilled the radiator with water from the rest stop and continued on my journey. No harm done. But what would have happened had it boiled dry a few miles later or a few miles earlier? I would have been on the side of the road perhaps without access to water. The good hand of my God was upon me. The timing could not have been better.
Ezra was making a journey of approximately the same distance. Only his vehicles were wagons. His powers were mules, oxen, camels. His dangers were not mechanical failure but pirates. Often caravans would have armed escorts to protect them. Apparently Ezra had been bragging about his God. He was ashamed to ask for an escort. He threw himself upon the mercy of God. And God provided all the protection he needed. That is the glory of our Lord. We can trust in His protection as long as we are doing His will. Even if we die, it is only to accomplish the best for His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Friday, January 7, 2011
January 7, 2011
Ezra 7
I often long to see the hand of my LORD upon me or to see Him work in a really obvious way. Do you long for the same thing? It does not happen regularly in Scripture, but it does happen.
Josiah died about 609 BC. It was not long after that the first deportation to Babylon occurred. Cyrus rose to the throne around 539 BC. The Return to Zion was shortly after he rose to the throne. It was awesome for that generation to see the LORD move upon the heart of Cyrus to decree the return and rebuilding of the Temple. It was awesome once again to see Darius decree that the temple be completed about 20 years after Cyrus’ decree. Now Ezra comes along. This chapter begins about 457 BC. It is about 82 years after the decree of Cyrus. Once again the LORD moves upon the heart of the pagan king to work the LORD’S own will! Look how Ezra phrases it,
27Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem, 28and has extended mercy to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes.
Once again we see the Glory of the Lord in the pagan king.
But we also see the glory of the Lord working in Ezra.
10For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel. . . 28So I was encouraged, as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me; and I gathered leading men of Israel to go up with me.
Ezra prepared himself in three ways: 1)sought the Law, 2) did it, 3)taught it. If Ezra had not prepared himself, would God still have done what He did? Yes and no. Yes he would have still moved upon the heart of the king, no He would not have used Ezra. He would have raised up someone else to do the job. I long to see the hand of the LORD move upon me. I long for His glory to shine in me. I think there are some requirements though. I must seek Him to do what He says and share it with others. Do you desire the same? Let us pursue Him! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
I often long to see the hand of my LORD upon me or to see Him work in a really obvious way. Do you long for the same thing? It does not happen regularly in Scripture, but it does happen.
Josiah died about 609 BC. It was not long after that the first deportation to Babylon occurred. Cyrus rose to the throne around 539 BC. The Return to Zion was shortly after he rose to the throne. It was awesome for that generation to see the LORD move upon the heart of Cyrus to decree the return and rebuilding of the Temple. It was awesome once again to see Darius decree that the temple be completed about 20 years after Cyrus’ decree. Now Ezra comes along. This chapter begins about 457 BC. It is about 82 years after the decree of Cyrus. Once again the LORD moves upon the heart of the pagan king to work the LORD’S own will! Look how Ezra phrases it,
27Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem, 28and has extended mercy to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes.
Once again we see the Glory of the Lord in the pagan king.
But we also see the glory of the Lord working in Ezra.
10For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel. . . 28So I was encouraged, as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me; and I gathered leading men of Israel to go up with me.
Ezra prepared himself in three ways: 1)sought the Law, 2) did it, 3)taught it. If Ezra had not prepared himself, would God still have done what He did? Yes and no. Yes he would have still moved upon the heart of the king, no He would not have used Ezra. He would have raised up someone else to do the job. I long to see the hand of the LORD move upon me. I long for His glory to shine in me. I think there are some requirements though. I must seek Him to do what He says and share it with others. Do you desire the same? Let us pursue Him! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Thursday, January 6, 2011
January 6, 2011
Ezra 6
There are many times when I have experienced great joy, graduations, my wedding day, the birth of my children, the weddings of my sons. I could go on and on. But one expects joy on those days. One peculiar time stands out in my mind. It was a time where I had been through great disappointment. Yet in the midst of that disappointment, I chose to worship Him with all of my heart, soul and strength. When I did, He flooded me with His joy. The disappointment and pain were still present, yet His joy continued to flood my soul. What a paradox!
Wow, once again the Lord moves upon the heart of the pagan King to establish His temple and His people. Twenty years after their return, they finish the temple. They celebrate the Passover. Look at verse 22: “And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the LORD made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.“ The LORD made them joyful. That is the wonderful thing about knowing the LORD is that when we are obedient, He makes us joyful. It can be the worst of circumstances, yet when we are obedient, He makes us joyful. Thank you Lord for your joy! It is indeed part of your glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
There are many times when I have experienced great joy, graduations, my wedding day, the birth of my children, the weddings of my sons. I could go on and on. But one expects joy on those days. One peculiar time stands out in my mind. It was a time where I had been through great disappointment. Yet in the midst of that disappointment, I chose to worship Him with all of my heart, soul and strength. When I did, He flooded me with His joy. The disappointment and pain were still present, yet His joy continued to flood my soul. What a paradox!
Wow, once again the Lord moves upon the heart of the pagan King to establish His temple and His people. Twenty years after their return, they finish the temple. They celebrate the Passover. Look at verse 22: “And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the LORD made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.“ The LORD made them joyful. That is the wonderful thing about knowing the LORD is that when we are obedient, He makes us joyful. It can be the worst of circumstances, yet when we are obedient, He makes us joyful. Thank you Lord for your joy! It is indeed part of your glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
January 5, 2011
Ezra 5
The summer after I graduated from High School, I was impelled by the Spirit to go witnessing. It was just something that I could not resist. I got in my car and began driving looking for someone with whom I could share the gospel. I was driven. I was scared. My personality is such that I hate initiating conversations. Seeing some acquaintances from high school parked alongside the road, I stopped. I thought that I could talk with them until God showed me someone with whom I could share the gospel. I assumed that they would not be interested. Steve had always been very sarcastic toward me in the past, especially concerning Jesus.
As I stepped out of the car, Steve said, “Chaffin, I’m glad you are here. I need to be reformed.”
Thinking that he was once again being sarcastic, I said, “Right, Steve, you need to be reformed.”
He replied, “No, really, I need to be reformed.”
I replied sarcastically, “Uh, uh, you do need to be reformed.”
“I’m serious,” he replied, “I need to be reformed.”
Still thinking that he was being sarcastic, I rebutted, “Well, I don’t reform people; I just introduce them to Jesus.”
“Well, introduce me to Jesus.”
“Uh, huh, introduce you to Jesus.”
“I’m serious! Introduce me to Jesus!”
“You’re serious?”
“Yes, I am serious. Introduce me to Jesus!”
I pulled out my New Testament and began to share the gospel with him. A few minutes later, he was praying to ask Jesus to save him from his sin. It was one of those times when it was clear that this was a God-thing. It was nothing of me and all of Him. The eye of my God was upon him and there was nothing that could have stopped Steve from trusting Jesus, except if I had refused to follow the prompting of God. That is His glory!
The eye of their God was upon the returnees to rebuild the temple. Nothing could have stopped them. That is His glory! When asked who gave them the authority to build, they were not hesitant to make it known that they were the servants of the God of heaven and earth. Sure, they mentioned that Cyrus had given them the command, but of more importance to them, they were the servants of the Most High God. That was all that they needed.
Sometimes I have to remind myself that I am the servant of the Most High God. His glory is far more unimaginably great than I can ever dream. When His eye is upon me, I will accomplish that for which He has designed me. The only question is, “Will I listen to His direction, and will I obey?” When those two questions are affirmative, He will eventually display His glory in me. Granted, most of life is rather mundane and even toilsome. Just look at the lives of the great men of God, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David etc. The majority of their time was mundane and toilsome. But they had their moments that were full of the glory of God because they listened and obeyed. So it was with the ones rebuilding the temple. They knew that they were the servants of the Most High God. Consequently they listened and obeyed and didn’t give up. The glory of God was displayed in their work. Lord, display Your glory in us! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
The summer after I graduated from High School, I was impelled by the Spirit to go witnessing. It was just something that I could not resist. I got in my car and began driving looking for someone with whom I could share the gospel. I was driven. I was scared. My personality is such that I hate initiating conversations. Seeing some acquaintances from high school parked alongside the road, I stopped. I thought that I could talk with them until God showed me someone with whom I could share the gospel. I assumed that they would not be interested. Steve had always been very sarcastic toward me in the past, especially concerning Jesus.
As I stepped out of the car, Steve said, “Chaffin, I’m glad you are here. I need to be reformed.”
Thinking that he was once again being sarcastic, I said, “Right, Steve, you need to be reformed.”
He replied, “No, really, I need to be reformed.”
I replied sarcastically, “Uh, uh, you do need to be reformed.”
“I’m serious,” he replied, “I need to be reformed.”
Still thinking that he was being sarcastic, I rebutted, “Well, I don’t reform people; I just introduce them to Jesus.”
“Well, introduce me to Jesus.”
“Uh, huh, introduce you to Jesus.”
“I’m serious! Introduce me to Jesus!”
“You’re serious?”
“Yes, I am serious. Introduce me to Jesus!”
I pulled out my New Testament and began to share the gospel with him. A few minutes later, he was praying to ask Jesus to save him from his sin. It was one of those times when it was clear that this was a God-thing. It was nothing of me and all of Him. The eye of my God was upon him and there was nothing that could have stopped Steve from trusting Jesus, except if I had refused to follow the prompting of God. That is His glory!
The eye of their God was upon the returnees to rebuild the temple. Nothing could have stopped them. That is His glory! When asked who gave them the authority to build, they were not hesitant to make it known that they were the servants of the God of heaven and earth. Sure, they mentioned that Cyrus had given them the command, but of more importance to them, they were the servants of the Most High God. That was all that they needed.
Sometimes I have to remind myself that I am the servant of the Most High God. His glory is far more unimaginably great than I can ever dream. When His eye is upon me, I will accomplish that for which He has designed me. The only question is, “Will I listen to His direction, and will I obey?” When those two questions are affirmative, He will eventually display His glory in me. Granted, most of life is rather mundane and even toilsome. Just look at the lives of the great men of God, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David etc. The majority of their time was mundane and toilsome. But they had their moments that were full of the glory of God because they listened and obeyed. So it was with the ones rebuilding the temple. They knew that they were the servants of the Most High God. Consequently they listened and obeyed and didn’t give up. The glory of God was displayed in their work. Lord, display Your glory in us! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
January 4, 2011
Ezra 4
If God can move the heart of Cyrus the Great, king of Persia to order and finance the rebuilding of the temple, surely he can also move upon the hearts of the people living in Jerusalem upon the return of the Jews. Why doesn’t he do that? Surely He is able. Therefore, this is something He has permitted. Why does He do things like that? Even in the midst of God accomplishing His grand scheme in history, He still seeks to do it in such a way that He causes us that we willingly bring our own hearts for the accomplishment of His plans. The time span from the death of Cyrus the Great to the ascension of Darius I is about 8 years. Therefore the minimum amount of time from Cyrus’ decree for the Jews to return to the incident recorded in today’s passage is a minimum of 8 years. In all likelihood it was at least 12 years. Motyer figures that it was 18 years from Cyrus’ decree to when Haggai proclaimed his prophecies exhorting the people to finish the temple.
Why after 8-12 years was only the foundation of the temple built? The answer is found in our own hearts that are easily dissuaded from following the Lord. The Lord is showing us how easily we can be discouraged and stop the work that He has called us to do. It can come in the form of direct opposition as it did from the people who discouraged the returnees when they wrote a letter to Darius. But the returnees had already been dragging their feet. I would think that 8-10 years was more than enough time to build more than just a foundation. Why doesn’t the Lord move the obstacles? He wants to show the people their hearts first. That is part of His glory. He desires to change our hearts with our cooperation. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
If God can move the heart of Cyrus the Great, king of Persia to order and finance the rebuilding of the temple, surely he can also move upon the hearts of the people living in Jerusalem upon the return of the Jews. Why doesn’t he do that? Surely He is able. Therefore, this is something He has permitted. Why does He do things like that? Even in the midst of God accomplishing His grand scheme in history, He still seeks to do it in such a way that He causes us that we willingly bring our own hearts for the accomplishment of His plans. The time span from the death of Cyrus the Great to the ascension of Darius I is about 8 years. Therefore the minimum amount of time from Cyrus’ decree for the Jews to return to the incident recorded in today’s passage is a minimum of 8 years. In all likelihood it was at least 12 years. Motyer figures that it was 18 years from Cyrus’ decree to when Haggai proclaimed his prophecies exhorting the people to finish the temple.
Why after 8-12 years was only the foundation of the temple built? The answer is found in our own hearts that are easily dissuaded from following the Lord. The Lord is showing us how easily we can be discouraged and stop the work that He has called us to do. It can come in the form of direct opposition as it did from the people who discouraged the returnees when they wrote a letter to Darius. But the returnees had already been dragging their feet. I would think that 8-10 years was more than enough time to build more than just a foundation. Why doesn’t the Lord move the obstacles? He wants to show the people their hearts first. That is part of His glory. He desires to change our hearts with our cooperation. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Monday, January 3, 2011
January 3, 2011
Ezra 3
Sitting in the backyard of my parents house on a fall Saturday afternoon can sometimes be a noisy experience. They are about 5 or 6 blocks from Boone Pickens Stadium. We can hear the roar of 60,000 people whenever something good or bad happens during the game. We know that OSU has scored whenever we hear the ROTC cannon fire and the band playing Oh, A&M. It is a noise of celebration that we like to hear. Do you celebrate the goodness and mercy of the Lord?
It had been 70 years since the first exile and about 54/55 years since the destruction of the temple. Hmm. . . as I write I am 55 years old. Had I been born when the temple was destroyed, I would have had no memory of the first temple. All my memories would have been only of the exile. I am sure my parents would probably have replayed again and again their memories of Jerusalem. To be able to return to live in Jerusalem as a free man would certainly have seemed like a dream. Yet God accomplished it in their lifetime. They were able to establish homes and return to Jerusalem for the feast of Tabernacles and then lay the foundation for the second temple. Surely this was a time for celebration! Indeed the Lord is good and his mercy is everlasting!
I was in exile from my Lord. My sin had alienated me from experiencing the pleasure of His presence. But He is good and His mercy is everlasting toward me. In His kindness He moved upon the heart of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to deliver me from exile. He has brought me back to Himself. What a joy and cause for celebration that is!
When the people laid the foundation for the temple, they rejoiced, and it was heard far away. Their 70 year old dreams were being realized. With 42,000+ people assembled on the top of Jerusalem’s rocky temple mount, the sound of their celebration could be heard far away. God had scored an amazing touchdown in their nation! Should I not also celebrate upon my return from exile? He has scored an amazing touchdown in my life! Let the celebration of his goodness and mercy begin. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Sitting in the backyard of my parents house on a fall Saturday afternoon can sometimes be a noisy experience. They are about 5 or 6 blocks from Boone Pickens Stadium. We can hear the roar of 60,000 people whenever something good or bad happens during the game. We know that OSU has scored whenever we hear the ROTC cannon fire and the band playing Oh, A&M. It is a noise of celebration that we like to hear. Do you celebrate the goodness and mercy of the Lord?
It had been 70 years since the first exile and about 54/55 years since the destruction of the temple. Hmm. . . as I write I am 55 years old. Had I been born when the temple was destroyed, I would have had no memory of the first temple. All my memories would have been only of the exile. I am sure my parents would probably have replayed again and again their memories of Jerusalem. To be able to return to live in Jerusalem as a free man would certainly have seemed like a dream. Yet God accomplished it in their lifetime. They were able to establish homes and return to Jerusalem for the feast of Tabernacles and then lay the foundation for the second temple. Surely this was a time for celebration! Indeed the Lord is good and his mercy is everlasting!
I was in exile from my Lord. My sin had alienated me from experiencing the pleasure of His presence. But He is good and His mercy is everlasting toward me. In His kindness He moved upon the heart of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to deliver me from exile. He has brought me back to Himself. What a joy and cause for celebration that is!
When the people laid the foundation for the temple, they rejoiced, and it was heard far away. Their 70 year old dreams were being realized. With 42,000+ people assembled on the top of Jerusalem’s rocky temple mount, the sound of their celebration could be heard far away. God had scored an amazing touchdown in their nation! Should I not also celebrate upon my return from exile? He has scored an amazing touchdown in my life! Let the celebration of his goodness and mercy begin. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Saturday, January 1, 2011
January 1, 2011
January 1, 2011 Ezra 1
“Obama Orders Rebuilding of Christian Cathedral in Washington D.C.” Can you ever imagine such a headline? I can’t. I could see this headline, “Obama Donates Funds to Building Mosque in Jerusalem.” Granted we are a different culture and context than was Cyrus, king of Persia. But nevertheless, this is pretty amazing stuff! The Lord moves upon the heart of Cyrus, not only to permit the rebuilding of the temple, but to also fund it from the government treasury and order it done! The way Ezra phrases it, it seems as though it was the direct prompting of the Lord without any requests from the priests, Levites or people of Israel. Wow! Truly as Proverbs 21:1says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.” Now that is glory!
Do you think the Lord would change Obama’s heart? Obviously it is possible, but would He do it? Hmmm. . . I suppose if it met God’s purposes for history, He would do it for certainly that is why He moved Cyrus. I also suppose that if God’s people, as a whole, really became serious about prayer and personal and corporate repentance, then it would also happen. But that doesn’t appear to be on the horizon. In the meantime, isn’t it great to bask in the knowledge that even the king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
“Obama Orders Rebuilding of Christian Cathedral in Washington D.C.” Can you ever imagine such a headline? I can’t. I could see this headline, “Obama Donates Funds to Building Mosque in Jerusalem.” Granted we are a different culture and context than was Cyrus, king of Persia. But nevertheless, this is pretty amazing stuff! The Lord moves upon the heart of Cyrus, not only to permit the rebuilding of the temple, but to also fund it from the government treasury and order it done! The way Ezra phrases it, it seems as though it was the direct prompting of the Lord without any requests from the priests, Levites or people of Israel. Wow! Truly as Proverbs 21:1says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.” Now that is glory!
Do you think the Lord would change Obama’s heart? Obviously it is possible, but would He do it? Hmmm. . . I suppose if it met God’s purposes for history, He would do it for certainly that is why He moved Cyrus. I also suppose that if God’s people, as a whole, really became serious about prayer and personal and corporate repentance, then it would also happen. But that doesn’t appear to be on the horizon. In the meantime, isn’t it great to bask in the knowledge that even the king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
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