Song of Songs 3
Disappointment with God I remember the title, although I never read the book. We often run into what we might term as disappointment with God. In reality He is never disappointing, although we might hit circumstances which mold us to feel that way. Our disappointment usually is the result of things not happening the way we planned rather than God having failed. The Shulamite is disappointed that her shepherd did not show up for that night to deliver her. On her bed she enters a dream sequence of her love. Franticly she searches in her dream to find him. Finally finding him she embraces him to never let him go. She desires to take him to her elderly mother to get her mother’s approval for their marriage. But alas the dream turns to a nightmare. Solomon appears on the scene with his retinue. Now she dream of the event when she was taken by Solomon into his harem. The crowd is enamored with His incense, fragrance and soldiers. His entourage and palanquin are next to none. The spectators cry out to the maidens to go out and meet him. Perhaps they will be chosen to be one of his maidens. Yes, it is disappointment. She doesn’t want to be one of a harem, even if it is Solomon. She wants her shepherd.
We often run into disappointment. The world constantly is calling to us. Just when we think we are breaking free, something happens and we feel like we get sucked deeper in. Our dreams turn into nightmares. Oh sure, to most the nightmare is all they dream of. But to those who really know the Shepherd of their souls, we can hardly wait to be free of the world and finally in His presence. Not even the worldly goods of Solomon will suffice when we have met Him. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Thursday, March 31, 2011
March 28, 2011
Song of Solomon 2
Do you ever feel constrained by this world to pursue its goals and desires, and yet at the same time do you feel unworthy yet drawn away by the Spirit of our Good Shepherd to let go of the things of this world to pursue Him? (1-3)The Shulamite laments that she is just one of the simple flowers on the Plain of Sharon which is famous for its spring flowers. But she remembers how her beloved shepherd spoke of her. She was a flower among thorns, not among other flowers. Thorns bring to mind the curse of Genesis 3:17, 18 where the ground is cursed because of the sin of Adam. Our Great Shepherd tells us that He has made us flowers among cursed of this earth. We are that valuable in His sight. When we learn to delight in Him as He does in us, He becomes to us sweet as a tree ripened apple as we sit in His shade in cool fall evening enjoying His presence.
(4-7)Her shepherd’s banqueting house was the simple outdoors in the shade of a tree. As she thinks of Solomon’s house with its ornate ceiling coverings, wall coverings and banners, she declares that her shepherd’s only banner was his love. Exhausted with the emotional tension of trying to avoid the advances of Solomon, she rallies her strength by calling for raisin cakes (known for their energizing effects on the body) and apples from her shepherd’s tree. She further strengthens herself by recalling His passionate embrace, and she adjures the court ladies to not encourage her to submit to Solomon’s advances. We are constantly wooed and seduced by the attractions of this world. It riches and pleasures are constantly beckoning us through our five senses and our pride. Our Shepherd simply tells us of His love for us. He promises and at times gives us His embrace. As our enemy seeks to seduce us through the entrapments of the world, we must constantly call to mind our commitment to Him and His promise that He will receive us to Himself.
(8-9)The temptation to despair and give into the approach of Solomon was great. The obstacles that were in the way of her shepherd ever being able to come and deliver her from the harem seemed like a mountain too steep and rugged to transverse. Yet she envisioned her simple shepherd as a mountain goat or stag that was surefooted upon the mountain. He could leap over the obstacles. He would come to her to rescue and receiver her to Himself. She could envision him looking in through the window lattice to call her to Himself. This world seeks us with false promises and entrapments of ease and pleasure. At times the obstacles that seem to separate us from our God seem to be insurmountable mountains. We may be tempted to despair and give into following the ways of the world. At such times we need to envision our great Shepherd as One who is able to leap all obstacles. He is indeed at the window and the door looking in upon us desiring fellowship with us.
(10-15)The Shulamite recalls a time when her shepherd lover called her out to enjoy the beauties of his field with him. Our Shepherd also is constantly calling us out to enjoy Him and delight in His creations with Him. He longs to see our face and hear our voice. Do we hide from Him strengthening the world’s grip upon our souls? Or, do we passionately turn to Him letting Him delight in us, and we delight in Him. But the world will not let us go. In the midst of his entreaty the Shulamite’s brothers call her back to work at the vineyard. There is work to be done. The little foxes are destroying the vines. She must catch them. There is not time to spend with the Shepherd. The cares and riches of this world are constantly dragging upon us. According to them there is no time to spend with our Shepherd. Yes, work needs to be done, but why does it always call at the same time that the Shepherd calls?
(16-17)The Shulamite declares her love for her beloved in the frustration of the demands of her brothers. The mountains of separation once again seem insurmountable. Her hearts cry is for Him to come and be with her until the morning when work again calls. She dreams of his presence. Do we dream of the presence of our Great Shepherd? In the midst of our spiritual night do we long for His embrace? In the valleys of the mountains of separation, do we long for Him to leap over the mountains and meet us here? Is his glory more important that the cares of this world? I am convinced He is. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Do you ever feel constrained by this world to pursue its goals and desires, and yet at the same time do you feel unworthy yet drawn away by the Spirit of our Good Shepherd to let go of the things of this world to pursue Him? (1-3)The Shulamite laments that she is just one of the simple flowers on the Plain of Sharon which is famous for its spring flowers. But she remembers how her beloved shepherd spoke of her. She was a flower among thorns, not among other flowers. Thorns bring to mind the curse of Genesis 3:17, 18 where the ground is cursed because of the sin of Adam. Our Great Shepherd tells us that He has made us flowers among cursed of this earth. We are that valuable in His sight. When we learn to delight in Him as He does in us, He becomes to us sweet as a tree ripened apple as we sit in His shade in cool fall evening enjoying His presence.
(4-7)Her shepherd’s banqueting house was the simple outdoors in the shade of a tree. As she thinks of Solomon’s house with its ornate ceiling coverings, wall coverings and banners, she declares that her shepherd’s only banner was his love. Exhausted with the emotional tension of trying to avoid the advances of Solomon, she rallies her strength by calling for raisin cakes (known for their energizing effects on the body) and apples from her shepherd’s tree. She further strengthens herself by recalling His passionate embrace, and she adjures the court ladies to not encourage her to submit to Solomon’s advances. We are constantly wooed and seduced by the attractions of this world. It riches and pleasures are constantly beckoning us through our five senses and our pride. Our Shepherd simply tells us of His love for us. He promises and at times gives us His embrace. As our enemy seeks to seduce us through the entrapments of the world, we must constantly call to mind our commitment to Him and His promise that He will receive us to Himself.
(8-9)The temptation to despair and give into the approach of Solomon was great. The obstacles that were in the way of her shepherd ever being able to come and deliver her from the harem seemed like a mountain too steep and rugged to transverse. Yet she envisioned her simple shepherd as a mountain goat or stag that was surefooted upon the mountain. He could leap over the obstacles. He would come to her to rescue and receiver her to Himself. She could envision him looking in through the window lattice to call her to Himself. This world seeks us with false promises and entrapments of ease and pleasure. At times the obstacles that seem to separate us from our God seem to be insurmountable mountains. We may be tempted to despair and give into following the ways of the world. At such times we need to envision our great Shepherd as One who is able to leap all obstacles. He is indeed at the window and the door looking in upon us desiring fellowship with us.
(10-15)The Shulamite recalls a time when her shepherd lover called her out to enjoy the beauties of his field with him. Our Shepherd also is constantly calling us out to enjoy Him and delight in His creations with Him. He longs to see our face and hear our voice. Do we hide from Him strengthening the world’s grip upon our souls? Or, do we passionately turn to Him letting Him delight in us, and we delight in Him. But the world will not let us go. In the midst of his entreaty the Shulamite’s brothers call her back to work at the vineyard. There is work to be done. The little foxes are destroying the vines. She must catch them. There is not time to spend with the Shepherd. The cares and riches of this world are constantly dragging upon us. According to them there is no time to spend with our Shepherd. Yes, work needs to be done, but why does it always call at the same time that the Shepherd calls?
(16-17)The Shulamite declares her love for her beloved in the frustration of the demands of her brothers. The mountains of separation once again seem insurmountable. Her hearts cry is for Him to come and be with her until the morning when work again calls. She dreams of his presence. Do we dream of the presence of our Great Shepherd? In the midst of our spiritual night do we long for His embrace? In the valleys of the mountains of separation, do we long for Him to leap over the mountains and meet us here? Is his glory more important that the cares of this world? I am convinced He is. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
March 27, 2011
Song of Songs 1
The Song of Songs has had four different approaches to its interpretation throughout the millennia.
1. Allegorical. Some approach it as a non-literal narrative that looks beyond the relationship between the lovers to a spiritual meaning of the relationship between Jehovah and Israel , and for the church between God and the church.
2. Typical. Some view the Song as a type of the love between Christ, the Bridegroom, and the church, His bride.
3. Literal. Some view the book as a portrayal of love songs or poems that are designed to extol human love.
4. Dramatic. Some view the book as a drama. The Shulamite, who has already given her heart to her shepherd, is taken by Solomon to be part of his harem. It concerns her resisting Solomon to remain pure to her true lover, the shepherd.
I tend toward a dramatic interpretation with a typical application. For the purposes of this Meditation on the Glory, this is the route I will take. I am not dogmatic upon this. Who knows, maybe next year I will take a different approach. But for right now, this is the one with which I am comfortable. Indeed, maybe when I am done with these eight chapters then I will say, “Nah, that just doesn’t fit.” On the other hand, I might be more convinced that it is the proper route to take. Besides if the literal approach is the proper one then I have little to say for eight chapters other than, “Love between married partners is good. Jesus invented it. For that, we should give him glory!!!
Using the dramatic/typical approach, the Shulamite is a beautiful young maiden having older brothers and whose father is deceased. As such she has been keeping a vineyard as part of her household responsibilities (v.5). In the process she has met a shepherd to whom she has pledged her love. Her opening statement (v.2) is a statement of longing to be with him again, but she has been abducted by the king to be part of his harem (v.4). She dreams out loud to go and find her shepherd lover (v.7) The court ladies are tired of her complaint and would be glad for one less rival, so they bid her go (v.8). King Solomon seeks to have her stay by promising her jewels like those with which he adorns his horses (v. 9-11). (Can you imagine wasting riches upon decorating horses with jewels?) The Shulamite in the banqueting room makes reference to king Solomon’s sitting in the circle of his friends. While she waits she dreams of being with her Shepherd lover (13,14). Then she recalls a love dialogue (either of the past or one desired v. 15-17).
So what is the glory of Christ in this drama? If this is a type, then looking beyond the drama, we would see Solomon as a type of the world which constantly seeks to lure the Bride of Christ away from Him. The Shulamite is the church. The shepherd would be the Shepherd of our souls, our Lord Jesus Christ. In this drama, why should the Shulamite desire a simple shepherd as a husband over being one of king Solomon’s wives? There are at least two reasons. 1) With Solomon she will always be just one of a thousand. When he tires of her, he will move on to the next pretty face that strikes his fancy. O sure, she will still be well cared for in his harem, but she will always be missing that relationship for which she longs. 2) The shepherd has an intrinsic quality that is living and vibrant. His kisses are desirable. He has learned to fragrantly perfume his ointments. His name is pleasant. (Remember that in their culture, one’s name was a window to their soul, to their character, to their personality.) The bedroom for the shepherd is the pleasantness of green grass. His house is the shade of a large cedar. His rafters are fir trees. In the poetic, idyllic thought what could be more pleasant that than this setting during perfect weather in the springtime? This is the shepherd’s house.
So what is the glory of Christ? Unlike the world which constantly seeks to seduce us and lure us into its bedroom, Christ is faithful. The world flashes promises of pleasure and prosperity, but in the end, it will only cast us aside. Jesus promises the pleasure of the sweetness of affection, his aroma, the faithfulness of His name. His house is indeed pulsing with real life. It is not made with wood, stone and metal. It is living and vibrant. It is better than the garden of Eden, which was perfect, and Adam and Eve needed no house. Recently I have met many who feel that they have been cheated or picked on by this world’s system. For them I would say one thing, “Jesus will give us what we need for His glory.” In the midst of giving us that, we can expect shelter, clothing and food for each day. We can expect the joy of His affection and the faithfulness of His name. Those things may not come in the form which we expect, but they will be there. Unlike the world, He does not use us up then throw us away. He allows us to live for His glory, and then He brings us into the glory of His home. Let us resist the seduction of the world and pursue His pleasure! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
The Song of Songs has had four different approaches to its interpretation throughout the millennia.
1. Allegorical. Some approach it as a non-literal narrative that looks beyond the relationship between the lovers to a spiritual meaning of the relationship between Jehovah and Israel , and for the church between God and the church.
2. Typical. Some view the Song as a type of the love between Christ, the Bridegroom, and the church, His bride.
3. Literal. Some view the book as a portrayal of love songs or poems that are designed to extol human love.
4. Dramatic. Some view the book as a drama. The Shulamite, who has already given her heart to her shepherd, is taken by Solomon to be part of his harem. It concerns her resisting Solomon to remain pure to her true lover, the shepherd.
I tend toward a dramatic interpretation with a typical application. For the purposes of this Meditation on the Glory, this is the route I will take. I am not dogmatic upon this. Who knows, maybe next year I will take a different approach. But for right now, this is the one with which I am comfortable. Indeed, maybe when I am done with these eight chapters then I will say, “Nah, that just doesn’t fit.” On the other hand, I might be more convinced that it is the proper route to take. Besides if the literal approach is the proper one then I have little to say for eight chapters other than, “Love between married partners is good. Jesus invented it. For that, we should give him glory!!!
Using the dramatic/typical approach, the Shulamite is a beautiful young maiden having older brothers and whose father is deceased. As such she has been keeping a vineyard as part of her household responsibilities (v.5). In the process she has met a shepherd to whom she has pledged her love. Her opening statement (v.2) is a statement of longing to be with him again, but she has been abducted by the king to be part of his harem (v.4). She dreams out loud to go and find her shepherd lover (v.7) The court ladies are tired of her complaint and would be glad for one less rival, so they bid her go (v.8). King Solomon seeks to have her stay by promising her jewels like those with which he adorns his horses (v. 9-11). (Can you imagine wasting riches upon decorating horses with jewels?) The Shulamite in the banqueting room makes reference to king Solomon’s sitting in the circle of his friends. While she waits she dreams of being with her Shepherd lover (13,14). Then she recalls a love dialogue (either of the past or one desired v. 15-17).
So what is the glory of Christ in this drama? If this is a type, then looking beyond the drama, we would see Solomon as a type of the world which constantly seeks to lure the Bride of Christ away from Him. The Shulamite is the church. The shepherd would be the Shepherd of our souls, our Lord Jesus Christ. In this drama, why should the Shulamite desire a simple shepherd as a husband over being one of king Solomon’s wives? There are at least two reasons. 1) With Solomon she will always be just one of a thousand. When he tires of her, he will move on to the next pretty face that strikes his fancy. O sure, she will still be well cared for in his harem, but she will always be missing that relationship for which she longs. 2) The shepherd has an intrinsic quality that is living and vibrant. His kisses are desirable. He has learned to fragrantly perfume his ointments. His name is pleasant. (Remember that in their culture, one’s name was a window to their soul, to their character, to their personality.) The bedroom for the shepherd is the pleasantness of green grass. His house is the shade of a large cedar. His rafters are fir trees. In the poetic, idyllic thought what could be more pleasant that than this setting during perfect weather in the springtime? This is the shepherd’s house.
So what is the glory of Christ? Unlike the world which constantly seeks to seduce us and lure us into its bedroom, Christ is faithful. The world flashes promises of pleasure and prosperity, but in the end, it will only cast us aside. Jesus promises the pleasure of the sweetness of affection, his aroma, the faithfulness of His name. His house is indeed pulsing with real life. It is not made with wood, stone and metal. It is living and vibrant. It is better than the garden of Eden, which was perfect, and Adam and Eve needed no house. Recently I have met many who feel that they have been cheated or picked on by this world’s system. For them I would say one thing, “Jesus will give us what we need for His glory.” In the midst of giving us that, we can expect shelter, clothing and food for each day. We can expect the joy of His affection and the faithfulness of His name. Those things may not come in the form which we expect, but they will be there. Unlike the world, He does not use us up then throw us away. He allows us to live for His glory, and then He brings us into the glory of His home. Let us resist the seduction of the world and pursue His pleasure! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Friday, March 25, 2011
March 25, 2011
Ecc 11
"I'm twenty-one and strong as I can be. I know what freedom means to me. I can't give a reason why. I should ever wanna die,” so go lyrics to the song “Twenty-one” released on an Eagles album in 1973. If you are as old as I and are an Eagles fan, then I am sure you remember the song. It probably captured the rebellion and idealism of my generation better than any other pop song. The whole album was an idealistic comparison between being rock and roll stars and being outlaws. Our generation was on the edge of the moralistic protest concerning war, racism and ‘free love,’ and the completely ‘me’ focused generation that was to follow.
When I review my youth and my contemporaries, I cringe a little at the Preacher’s advice here: “Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes.” The NKJV commentary has a footnote to ‘ways’ and ‘in the sight’. It would seem that a good way to translate it would be, ‘impulses of your heart, And as you see to be best.’ I think of the impulses of my heart as a youth and of my generation when we were young, and I see a mixed bag. I see at times an unbridled immorality and at times a passion for what we thought was right. Youth had an optimism that time and experience has dimmed. That optimism should be applauded. However, youth also had an impulsiveness that led many down a path of unrighteousness under the sun and moon.
But the Preacher did not leave them there. He follows-up his advice with, “But know that for all these, God will bring you into judgment.” There is more than just life ‘under the sun’. As the Scripture says, “It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this comes judgment.” One day believers will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. We must give an account for all our deeds done on the earth. For those deeds done in the power of the Holy Spirit we will receive reward. Those deeds done in the power of the flesh will be burned away. One day unbelievers will stand before the great white throne of Jesus and they will be judged according to their works and cast in to the lake of fire. If in our youth we really believed those two judgments were going to happen, how would it change how we lived our lives?
Twenty-one passed me by almost 34 years ago. I still know what freedom means to me. It means knowing Jesus and sacrificing everything for Him. It is not being able to do what my impulses tell me. That is bondage under the sun. It is knowing what is right and doing it in the power of the Holy Spirit. I can give several reasons why I want to die and why I want to live. I want to live because in so doing, He gives me opportunity in the power of His Holy Spirit to glorify His magnificent name! I want to die because in so doing, I will be able to directly experience His glory. That is much better than living. But for Him, I pursue His glory here and now. If the impulse of my heart is truly to experience His glory, then, old or young, let me pursue it with all that I am! Lord, give me that mountain! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
"I'm twenty-one and strong as I can be. I know what freedom means to me. I can't give a reason why. I should ever wanna die,” so go lyrics to the song “Twenty-one” released on an Eagles album in 1973. If you are as old as I and are an Eagles fan, then I am sure you remember the song. It probably captured the rebellion and idealism of my generation better than any other pop song. The whole album was an idealistic comparison between being rock and roll stars and being outlaws. Our generation was on the edge of the moralistic protest concerning war, racism and ‘free love,’ and the completely ‘me’ focused generation that was to follow.
When I review my youth and my contemporaries, I cringe a little at the Preacher’s advice here: “Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes.” The NKJV commentary has a footnote to ‘ways’ and ‘in the sight’. It would seem that a good way to translate it would be, ‘impulses of your heart, And as you see to be best.’ I think of the impulses of my heart as a youth and of my generation when we were young, and I see a mixed bag. I see at times an unbridled immorality and at times a passion for what we thought was right. Youth had an optimism that time and experience has dimmed. That optimism should be applauded. However, youth also had an impulsiveness that led many down a path of unrighteousness under the sun and moon.
But the Preacher did not leave them there. He follows-up his advice with, “But know that for all these, God will bring you into judgment.” There is more than just life ‘under the sun’. As the Scripture says, “It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this comes judgment.” One day believers will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. We must give an account for all our deeds done on the earth. For those deeds done in the power of the Holy Spirit we will receive reward. Those deeds done in the power of the flesh will be burned away. One day unbelievers will stand before the great white throne of Jesus and they will be judged according to their works and cast in to the lake of fire. If in our youth we really believed those two judgments were going to happen, how would it change how we lived our lives?
Twenty-one passed me by almost 34 years ago. I still know what freedom means to me. It means knowing Jesus and sacrificing everything for Him. It is not being able to do what my impulses tell me. That is bondage under the sun. It is knowing what is right and doing it in the power of the Holy Spirit. I can give several reasons why I want to die and why I want to live. I want to live because in so doing, He gives me opportunity in the power of His Holy Spirit to glorify His magnificent name! I want to die because in so doing, I will be able to directly experience His glory. That is much better than living. But for Him, I pursue His glory here and now. If the impulse of my heart is truly to experience His glory, then, old or young, let me pursue it with all that I am! Lord, give me that mountain! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Thursday, March 24, 2011
March 24, 2011
2011 Ecc 10
16A country is in for trouble when its ruler is childish, and its leaders party all day long.
17 But a nation will prosper when its ruler is mature, and its leaders don’t party too much.
18 Some people are too lazy to fix a leaky roof—then the house falls in.
19 Eating and drinking make you feel happy, and bribes can buy everything you need. (CEV)
These short verses describe the majority of the governments of this world. The last clause of verse 19 is translated in the NKJV as, “But money answers everything.” Sounds like the current culture of the United States of America. Somehow we think that money and what makes us happy is the answer to everything. It is not. There is only one well from which we can draw that never runs dry. It is the well of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Church people in the USA are no different. People chase after churches which will make them happy. We run from church to church looking for the latest “move of the Spirit”. We are never satisfied because in most cases what is hailed as the “move of the Spirit” is really the dressed up carnality of very talented men. The ministry is in reality based on the ‘persuasive words of human wisdom’ rather than the demonstration of the power of God. When ministry is done in the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is glorified. When that happens we are digging a well that will never run dry. We can walk away from the well to try a well at somebody else’s party, but one day that party well will run dry. We will then have to find another well. What does it take to truly draw from the well of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ? It takes a long obedience in the same direction. What direction? It is the direction of daily, moment by moment looking for the glory of the Lord in His word, listening to the voice of His Spirit, doing what He says when He says it. The problem is I listen too quickly to my own voice or the voice of others around me. I settle for a Jesus who is less than what the Scripture declares of Him. I mold Him into the image of my choosing. It’s an image that makes me happy. But He is greater than happiness. He is after all, God! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
16A country is in for trouble when its ruler is childish, and its leaders party all day long.
17 But a nation will prosper when its ruler is mature, and its leaders don’t party too much.
18 Some people are too lazy to fix a leaky roof—then the house falls in.
19 Eating and drinking make you feel happy, and bribes can buy everything you need. (CEV)
These short verses describe the majority of the governments of this world. The last clause of verse 19 is translated in the NKJV as, “But money answers everything.” Sounds like the current culture of the United States of America. Somehow we think that money and what makes us happy is the answer to everything. It is not. There is only one well from which we can draw that never runs dry. It is the well of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Church people in the USA are no different. People chase after churches which will make them happy. We run from church to church looking for the latest “move of the Spirit”. We are never satisfied because in most cases what is hailed as the “move of the Spirit” is really the dressed up carnality of very talented men. The ministry is in reality based on the ‘persuasive words of human wisdom’ rather than the demonstration of the power of God. When ministry is done in the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is glorified. When that happens we are digging a well that will never run dry. We can walk away from the well to try a well at somebody else’s party, but one day that party well will run dry. We will then have to find another well. What does it take to truly draw from the well of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ? It takes a long obedience in the same direction. What direction? It is the direction of daily, moment by moment looking for the glory of the Lord in His word, listening to the voice of His Spirit, doing what He says when He says it. The problem is I listen too quickly to my own voice or the voice of others around me. I settle for a Jesus who is less than what the Scripture declares of Him. I mold Him into the image of my choosing. It’s an image that makes me happy. But He is greater than happiness. He is after all, God! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
March 23, 2011
Ecc 9
Comedians love to make jokes about their spouses. That is probably because most people can relate to their jokes. Living joyfully for a lifetime with one person for most people is a chore. It takes work that the selfish cannot endure. I think my wife is probably going to have a special reward at the Bema seat of Christ for the graceful way in which she has endured me for the 34 years we have traveled thus far. She is a real gem. I was greatly enriched when the Lord gave her to me as my wife. I remember the comedian/preacher Bob Harrington, pastor of Bourbon Street, used to make a lot of depreciating jokes in his sermons concerning his wife. Even as a young teen, I often wondered how she felt about those jokes. Obviously, I was not privy to his marital situation, but I was not all that surprised when the news announced that he was divorcing his wife and soon married another woman.
Is the Preacher being sarcastic when he says, “Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun?” I think he is being sarcastic. “Apart from God, Your spouse is the best thing you are going to get! Ain’t life grand?” Remember throughout the book of Ecclesiastes the phrase, ‘under the sun,’ seems to speak of life lived apart from God. Like the comedians of our day, he is offering up a truism that we have difficulty living with because we refuse to submit to the complete plan of God!
It is only by submitting to the complete plan of God that we will be able to make sense of the direction that life takes us. Because only by submitting completely to Him can we really see life in the proper perspective of His glory. When the NKJV translates, “Live joyfully,” it gives a footnote indicating that it should be literally translated, “See life joyfully.” The only way that life can be seen joyfully for a lifetime with a spouse is that we see it together through a perspective that is above this world. It must be seen through an eternal perspective. It must be seen through the glory of God. What is He doing in our lives to bring glory to Himself? Anytime I cease to see life joyfully with my spouse, it is because I have ceased seeing Him, and I focus on my spouse’s faults.
When I focus on Him what do I see? I see the mystery of the Trinity. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one God, yet They are three persons. Classically stated, “There are three persons in one essence.” Henry Thiessen explains the great practicality of the doctrine this way:
It allows for eternal love. a. Love was before creation, yet love needs an object. Love is always flowing among the persons of the trinity. b. Only God can reveal God. By God the Father Sending God the Son, God could be manifest. (and is still manifested today through the Holy Spirit) c. Only God can atone for sin. This is accomplished through the incarnation of God the Son. d. It is hard to conceive of personality existing without society. The persons of the Godhead relate one to another in perfect harmony, a perfect society. “If there were not trinity, there could be no incarnation, no objective redemption, and therefore no salvation; for there would be no one capable of acting as Mediator between God and man.”
There is eternal love and joy flowing within the Trinity. That is why marriage without Him is impossible. My marriage is to reflect Him/Them. It can only be mocked under the sun. Submitted fully to Him, it can be achieved. That is why we must focus upon Him. When we look at the Baptism, the Transfiguration and the Glorification of Jesus, we see that the Father truly loves the Son. When we look upon the Son on the cross, we see that the Son truly loved the Father. He went there because the Father sent Him there. His love for the Father is clearly demonstrated! Where would I go for my wife? Where would my wife go for me? Hmmm. . . Comedians make marriage jokes because it is at the same time desirable yet impossible apart from Him. The good news is that submitted to Him, He makes it possible because He has already done it! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Comedians love to make jokes about their spouses. That is probably because most people can relate to their jokes. Living joyfully for a lifetime with one person for most people is a chore. It takes work that the selfish cannot endure. I think my wife is probably going to have a special reward at the Bema seat of Christ for the graceful way in which she has endured me for the 34 years we have traveled thus far. She is a real gem. I was greatly enriched when the Lord gave her to me as my wife. I remember the comedian/preacher Bob Harrington, pastor of Bourbon Street, used to make a lot of depreciating jokes in his sermons concerning his wife. Even as a young teen, I often wondered how she felt about those jokes. Obviously, I was not privy to his marital situation, but I was not all that surprised when the news announced that he was divorcing his wife and soon married another woman.
Is the Preacher being sarcastic when he says, “Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun?” I think he is being sarcastic. “Apart from God, Your spouse is the best thing you are going to get! Ain’t life grand?” Remember throughout the book of Ecclesiastes the phrase, ‘under the sun,’ seems to speak of life lived apart from God. Like the comedians of our day, he is offering up a truism that we have difficulty living with because we refuse to submit to the complete plan of God!
It is only by submitting to the complete plan of God that we will be able to make sense of the direction that life takes us. Because only by submitting completely to Him can we really see life in the proper perspective of His glory. When the NKJV translates, “Live joyfully,” it gives a footnote indicating that it should be literally translated, “See life joyfully.” The only way that life can be seen joyfully for a lifetime with a spouse is that we see it together through a perspective that is above this world. It must be seen through an eternal perspective. It must be seen through the glory of God. What is He doing in our lives to bring glory to Himself? Anytime I cease to see life joyfully with my spouse, it is because I have ceased seeing Him, and I focus on my spouse’s faults.
When I focus on Him what do I see? I see the mystery of the Trinity. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one God, yet They are three persons. Classically stated, “There are three persons in one essence.” Henry Thiessen explains the great practicality of the doctrine this way:
It allows for eternal love. a. Love was before creation, yet love needs an object. Love is always flowing among the persons of the trinity. b. Only God can reveal God. By God the Father Sending God the Son, God could be manifest. (and is still manifested today through the Holy Spirit) c. Only God can atone for sin. This is accomplished through the incarnation of God the Son. d. It is hard to conceive of personality existing without society. The persons of the Godhead relate one to another in perfect harmony, a perfect society. “If there were not trinity, there could be no incarnation, no objective redemption, and therefore no salvation; for there would be no one capable of acting as Mediator between God and man.”
There is eternal love and joy flowing within the Trinity. That is why marriage without Him is impossible. My marriage is to reflect Him/Them. It can only be mocked under the sun. Submitted fully to Him, it can be achieved. That is why we must focus upon Him. When we look at the Baptism, the Transfiguration and the Glorification of Jesus, we see that the Father truly loves the Son. When we look upon the Son on the cross, we see that the Son truly loved the Father. He went there because the Father sent Him there. His love for the Father is clearly demonstrated! Where would I go for my wife? Where would my wife go for me? Hmmm. . . Comedians make marriage jokes because it is at the same time desirable yet impossible apart from Him. The good news is that submitted to Him, He makes it possible because He has already done it! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Friday, March 18, 2011
March 18, 2011
Ecclesiastes 4
“On the hand of their oppressors there is power.” We have seen it time and again in the news. Moanmar Gadhafi indiscriminately killing his own people. Egyptian general Mubarak stepped down only after 18 days of tremendous uprising. The world is full men who oppress their people in order to maintain their control over them. Shall we mention Chavez, Castro? The list could go on and on. Indeed, would not the miscarried or aborted child be better off to enter straight into the presence of God than to live in this world and experience the continual mistreatment of the hands of men under the sun? That is the problem. It is under the sun. God has been asked to leave. Amazing, the Almighty will leave when puny little man asks Him to leave. But what happens when He leaves? Our activities are filled with vainty and grasping the wind which leads to oppression and poverty of the spirit. Hmmm. . . maybe it is only then that we can see our need of a glorious King. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
“On the hand of their oppressors there is power.” We have seen it time and again in the news. Moanmar Gadhafi indiscriminately killing his own people. Egyptian general Mubarak stepped down only after 18 days of tremendous uprising. The world is full men who oppress their people in order to maintain their control over them. Shall we mention Chavez, Castro? The list could go on and on. Indeed, would not the miscarried or aborted child be better off to enter straight into the presence of God than to live in this world and experience the continual mistreatment of the hands of men under the sun? That is the problem. It is under the sun. God has been asked to leave. Amazing, the Almighty will leave when puny little man asks Him to leave. But what happens when He leaves? Our activities are filled with vainty and grasping the wind which leads to oppression and poverty of the spirit. Hmmm. . . maybe it is only then that we can see our need of a glorious King. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
March 15, 2011
Ecclesiastes 1
I sat and watched the sunrise over the Arbuckle Mountains in southern Oklahoma. It was summer at a youth encampment, and I was young. We had risen early to climb the mountain side to watch the sun come up and to contemplate the glory of God. It was indeed glorious. The newness of the morning was comparable to the freshness that I was experiencing in knowing God. There was something fresh and new of Him there.
Once again it was morning; I had walked to the beach to watch the sun come up. It was the end of the summer which I had spent on a CCC project in Ocean City, NJ. I reflected on the glory of God as the sun punched its red rays through the broken clouds on the horizon. God had shown himself mighty over the last few months, but what would he be doing over the next year? It would be my second collegiate year. I looked forward to the fresh power that I expected Him to display. I wondered what awaited; what would be new?
I sat in the jetliner over the Atlantic. Heading west we were traveling just a little slower than the rotation speed of the earth. The sunrise lasted over an hour. The red glow and rays were eerily reminding us of the glory of God. I reflected a bit on what God was doing in Senegal. He was one by one setting people free from a life of sin. I thought about the new life and new energy that He had pumped into tired believers and a tired church. His freshness was incredible.
At least 2,190,000 sunrises and sunsets have transpired since God sent this earth turning upon its axis at the creation. About mid-way through those days God moved upon Solomon to pen these words: “The sun also rises, and the sun goes down.” In this book of Ecclesiastes, the phrase, “Under the sun.” represents all of the activities of man done apart from God. They are wearisome. Nothing really new transpires. We are without meaning and hope. It is a burdensome exercise to try to figure it out under the sun. It cannot be done. It is a great affliction. Yet, day after day men and women try to make sense out of life apart from submission to the Creator. It is an affliction upon our souls from which we can find no relief! It cannot be done. It hasn’t happened in 2,190,000 sunrises. It will not happen in 2,190,000 more.
You may say, “Well now that is a pretty pessimistic attitude about life.” On the contrary, it is most optimistic! It should drive us to a different viewpoint. It should drive us to change our minds. It should drive us to the Creator for each sunrise gives us new opportunity to submit before His throne in the activities live and of the day. Every once-in-a-while I like to get up with the sun and wait upon Him. In communion with Him, I find my place. In communion with Him, I find fresh meaning and purpose for life. His mercies are new every morning. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
I sat and watched the sunrise over the Arbuckle Mountains in southern Oklahoma. It was summer at a youth encampment, and I was young. We had risen early to climb the mountain side to watch the sun come up and to contemplate the glory of God. It was indeed glorious. The newness of the morning was comparable to the freshness that I was experiencing in knowing God. There was something fresh and new of Him there.
Once again it was morning; I had walked to the beach to watch the sun come up. It was the end of the summer which I had spent on a CCC project in Ocean City, NJ. I reflected on the glory of God as the sun punched its red rays through the broken clouds on the horizon. God had shown himself mighty over the last few months, but what would he be doing over the next year? It would be my second collegiate year. I looked forward to the fresh power that I expected Him to display. I wondered what awaited; what would be new?
I sat in the jetliner over the Atlantic. Heading west we were traveling just a little slower than the rotation speed of the earth. The sunrise lasted over an hour. The red glow and rays were eerily reminding us of the glory of God. I reflected a bit on what God was doing in Senegal. He was one by one setting people free from a life of sin. I thought about the new life and new energy that He had pumped into tired believers and a tired church. His freshness was incredible.
At least 2,190,000 sunrises and sunsets have transpired since God sent this earth turning upon its axis at the creation. About mid-way through those days God moved upon Solomon to pen these words: “The sun also rises, and the sun goes down.” In this book of Ecclesiastes, the phrase, “Under the sun.” represents all of the activities of man done apart from God. They are wearisome. Nothing really new transpires. We are without meaning and hope. It is a burdensome exercise to try to figure it out under the sun. It cannot be done. It is a great affliction. Yet, day after day men and women try to make sense out of life apart from submission to the Creator. It is an affliction upon our souls from which we can find no relief! It cannot be done. It hasn’t happened in 2,190,000 sunrises. It will not happen in 2,190,000 more.
You may say, “Well now that is a pretty pessimistic attitude about life.” On the contrary, it is most optimistic! It should drive us to a different viewpoint. It should drive us to change our minds. It should drive us to the Creator for each sunrise gives us new opportunity to submit before His throne in the activities live and of the day. Every once-in-a-while I like to get up with the sun and wait upon Him. In communion with Him, I find my place. In communion with Him, I find fresh meaning and purpose for life. His mercies are new every morning. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
March 13, 2011
Job 42
“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You.
Therefore I abhor myself,
And repent in dust and ashes.
Who was Job? No one really knows. He lived another 140 years after God restored him. He had 9 grown children before Satan killed them. He was probably at least 60 when he lost everything. So he lived to be at least 200 years old. Moses lived longer than most in his generation, and he lived to be 120. That tells me that Job lived within 500 years after flood of Noah, perhaps in the days of Abraham or Jacob. So Job probably lived long before Moses. A strong Jewish tradition holds that Moses wrote the book of Job while waiting in Midian. The location of Uz is unknown while one of the likely locations is east of Edom. Which would indicate that Job lived in a time close to the flood before the area became the desert waste land it is today. The location would also be likely if Moses wrote the book of Job, for Moses would have had access the oral tradition.
So who was Job? If he was a man who lived before the time of Moses, he would have had no written Scripture to teach him anything about what God was like. All the he would have had would have been oral traditions passed on to him from the descendents of Noah. This man who had no written Scripture, no clear revelation of God, responded to the natural revelation given to him. He responded and clung to God with what little inaccurate information which he had. Now when he gets a fuller revelation of God, when he actually sees God, he repents of his whining about God not being fair. One look was all it took. After losing everything, after all the misery and pain he was in, after the rejection of his wife, after the abuse of his so called friends, all alone in the world, one look at the glory of God and he repented! What did he see? We don’t know, but it must have been absolutely awesome as it was absolutely life changing. Will I walk through the fire to see the glory of God? What a question! But the logical answer is that it is worth it all. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You.
Therefore I abhor myself,
And repent in dust and ashes.
Who was Job? No one really knows. He lived another 140 years after God restored him. He had 9 grown children before Satan killed them. He was probably at least 60 when he lost everything. So he lived to be at least 200 years old. Moses lived longer than most in his generation, and he lived to be 120. That tells me that Job lived within 500 years after flood of Noah, perhaps in the days of Abraham or Jacob. So Job probably lived long before Moses. A strong Jewish tradition holds that Moses wrote the book of Job while waiting in Midian. The location of Uz is unknown while one of the likely locations is east of Edom. Which would indicate that Job lived in a time close to the flood before the area became the desert waste land it is today. The location would also be likely if Moses wrote the book of Job, for Moses would have had access the oral tradition.
So who was Job? If he was a man who lived before the time of Moses, he would have had no written Scripture to teach him anything about what God was like. All the he would have had would have been oral traditions passed on to him from the descendents of Noah. This man who had no written Scripture, no clear revelation of God, responded to the natural revelation given to him. He responded and clung to God with what little inaccurate information which he had. Now when he gets a fuller revelation of God, when he actually sees God, he repents of his whining about God not being fair. One look was all it took. After losing everything, after all the misery and pain he was in, after the rejection of his wife, after the abuse of his so called friends, all alone in the world, one look at the glory of God and he repented! What did he see? We don’t know, but it must have been absolutely awesome as it was absolutely life changing. Will I walk through the fire to see the glory of God? What a question! But the logical answer is that it is worth it all. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Saturday, March 12, 2011
March 12, 2011
Job 41
Leviathan, we are not sure exactly what it is. The animal is now extinct. We could compare it to several living things, giant serpents, lizards, whales, insects and/or lizards that can shoot fire. Whatever it was, it was an awfully fearsome creature. What is the point? Man cannot control it much less create it. But God can control it and did create it. How can we ever question Him? When we don’t understand, He calls us to trust. What is going on in my life today that I do not understand, but I need to trust? I choose to trust. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Leviathan, we are not sure exactly what it is. The animal is now extinct. We could compare it to several living things, giant serpents, lizards, whales, insects and/or lizards that can shoot fire. Whatever it was, it was an awfully fearsome creature. What is the point? Man cannot control it much less create it. But God can control it and did create it. How can we ever question Him? When we don’t understand, He calls us to trust. What is going on in my life today that I do not understand, but I need to trust? I choose to trust. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Friday, March 11, 2011
March 11, 2011
Job 40
Look at what God is able to do. He clothes Himself with majesty and splendor. He arrays Himself with glory and beauty. He can humble the proud with just a look. He can stop the wicked dead in their tracks. He does not manipulate; He simply performs. He does what He pleases. It matters not how strong the foe.
Can man do that? Take a behemoth for instance. What is that? Well its tail moves like a cedar tree. Its ribs are like beams of bronze. It relaxes in marshy areas under lotus trees. Sounds like a dinosaur to me. How would you like to try to harness a dinosaur? I don’t think so! God can. Multitudes of things happen in our lives which we would like to harness. But like harnessing a dinosaur, it just isn’t going to happen. But God can do it! He is after all, God! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Look at what God is able to do. He clothes Himself with majesty and splendor. He arrays Himself with glory and beauty. He can humble the proud with just a look. He can stop the wicked dead in their tracks. He does not manipulate; He simply performs. He does what He pleases. It matters not how strong the foe.
Can man do that? Take a behemoth for instance. What is that? Well its tail moves like a cedar tree. Its ribs are like beams of bronze. It relaxes in marshy areas under lotus trees. Sounds like a dinosaur to me. How would you like to try to harness a dinosaur? I don’t think so! God can. Multitudes of things happen in our lives which we would like to harness. But like harnessing a dinosaur, it just isn’t going to happen. But God can do it! He is after all, God! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Thursday, March 10, 2011
March 10, 2011
Job 39
I feel like I’ve just watched an episode of Wild Kingdom. Mountain goats, wild donkeys, wild oxen, ostriches, horses and hawks are all awesome creatures. I remember the regular opening scene of one nature show that always showed the two rams who ran together and butted heads. Who could ever withstand that kind of shock? It culturally probably paved the way for Dodge motor company to develop the slogan for Dodge trucks, “Ram tough.” I remember being told by grandpa to stay out of the pasture that a certain bull was in. I did not need to be told more than once. The bull was huge, and I had no desire to face him down. I wonder what a wild ox is like. I have not met any wild donkeys, other than a few democrats that I know. I remember taking Brice to the zoo when he was little. I had him on my back. I turned him to the fence to see the ostrich. The ostrich struck at Brice hitting the fence. I was glad the fence was there. There seemed to be a lot of force in its neck. It made me a little nervous in the game park in Senegal when the ostriches came right up to the truck. We were sitting in the open air in the back of the truck. The ostriches did not seem to have any fear of us. I remember going to the county fair as a child and walking through the barn where the draft horses were kept. Some were large enough that I could have walked underneath its girth. Their size and power overwhelmed me. I remember feeding my neighbor’s pet hawk while he was on vacation. I had to enter into the shed in which he kept it in order to change the water. The hawk jumped on to my leg and held on. It scared the life out of me. His talons were quite uncomfortable.
What does any of this have to do with the glory of God? He created each and every species. He thought through how to arrange the DNA so that they would become what they are. He thought through how to arrange their systems both biologically and ecologically so that they would act as they do. He even thought through how the sin of man would change their existence. He controls their unique characteristics. All we can do is study them and make TV shows out of them. Granted, we are learning more about genetics, but we will never be able to create life from the molecular level to the ecological level. It is too complex for us. But God did it by speaking it all into existence. Can we really question Him as we would a human? We can question, but we must always remember that He is God; we are not, and He will always be infinitely greater than we. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
I feel like I’ve just watched an episode of Wild Kingdom. Mountain goats, wild donkeys, wild oxen, ostriches, horses and hawks are all awesome creatures. I remember the regular opening scene of one nature show that always showed the two rams who ran together and butted heads. Who could ever withstand that kind of shock? It culturally probably paved the way for Dodge motor company to develop the slogan for Dodge trucks, “Ram tough.” I remember being told by grandpa to stay out of the pasture that a certain bull was in. I did not need to be told more than once. The bull was huge, and I had no desire to face him down. I wonder what a wild ox is like. I have not met any wild donkeys, other than a few democrats that I know. I remember taking Brice to the zoo when he was little. I had him on my back. I turned him to the fence to see the ostrich. The ostrich struck at Brice hitting the fence. I was glad the fence was there. There seemed to be a lot of force in its neck. It made me a little nervous in the game park in Senegal when the ostriches came right up to the truck. We were sitting in the open air in the back of the truck. The ostriches did not seem to have any fear of us. I remember going to the county fair as a child and walking through the barn where the draft horses were kept. Some were large enough that I could have walked underneath its girth. Their size and power overwhelmed me. I remember feeding my neighbor’s pet hawk while he was on vacation. I had to enter into the shed in which he kept it in order to change the water. The hawk jumped on to my leg and held on. It scared the life out of me. His talons were quite uncomfortable.
What does any of this have to do with the glory of God? He created each and every species. He thought through how to arrange the DNA so that they would become what they are. He thought through how to arrange their systems both biologically and ecologically so that they would act as they do. He even thought through how the sin of man would change their existence. He controls their unique characteristics. All we can do is study them and make TV shows out of them. Granted, we are learning more about genetics, but we will never be able to create life from the molecular level to the ecological level. It is too complex for us. But God did it by speaking it all into existence. Can we really question Him as we would a human? We can question, but we must always remember that He is God; we are not, and He will always be infinitely greater than we. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
March 9, 2011
Job 38
I have a brother, who is now with the Lord, who is 9 years older than I. When he was 18, he joined the National Guard. After returning from basic training and AIT, he was at the peak of his physical condition. We (my siblings and neighbor kids) were out in the yard playing some kind of game. For some reason I became infuriated with him. I launched all of my anger against him. He grabbed me by both arms and held me out from himself at a right angle where I couldn’t hurt him, and then, he just laughed.
Do you ever wonder what tone of voice the Lord used when He addressed Job? What emotion was behind these words? What was His tone? Was He angry? Disturbed? Angry sarcasm? Sparring? Semi-joking? Tender? Indifferent sarcasm? Did the questions come out in rapid fire like an automatic weapon, or did He give Job time to think and ponder on each one? Did each question pound its point home like a the mighty thunderbolt of the accompanying storm, or were they like scattered lightning bolts all across the sky bringing a general sense of fear that the atmosphere was no longer safe? The unanswerable questions eject out of God’s mouth as guided missiles to destroy the strongholds of Job’s haughty thoughts.
Indeed, could you answer God’s questions? We did not exist when He created the world. Although we can measure the earth, we are not the ones who determined its size. The theories as to how the earth was created are numerous indeed. As we look at the different theories we find little things within them that conflict with others that indicate that we really don’t know how the earth was created. The accepted theories change yearly. Even if we could determine exactly how God created the earth, we could never match it with our own power. We could never duplicate it. God has already done it.
We cannot control the level of the seas. It is quite possible that global warming is causing our polar ice caps to disappear. If they disappear, it probably will raise the sea level drowning many coastal cities and towns. But how do we know that our activity is what is causing global warming? Could it not be part of the natural flow of nature as the earth has been changing constantly since the flood of Noah? God can control these; we cannot.
Can we really change the rotation of the earth to affect the length of days or change the weather? We cannot figure out how to travel out of our own solar system, much less to other star systems or even outside of our own galaxy. How could we ever change the position of the constellations? We cannot, but God can.
We can barely remove the snow from our own streets and highways, much less control when, where and how much of it will come. But He controls it. Our Oklahoma weathermen love to chase thunderstorms and tornadoes in bravado in an attempt to warn people of the coming dangers, but God can stop it instantly.
We are angry with God. Like spoiled little 9 year old boys we yell and kick at God. We blame Him for the pain we experience. At times I think he just picks us up by both arms and holds us out where we can’t hurt ourselves, and He laughs. He laughs at our puny attempts at trying to beat Him. He laughs that we could actually think so highly of ourselves. He laughs so that we might consider who He really is. He laughs giving us time to repent, lest wrath come. He laughs teaching us to laugh also. He laughs because His glory is so much greater than ours. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
I have a brother, who is now with the Lord, who is 9 years older than I. When he was 18, he joined the National Guard. After returning from basic training and AIT, he was at the peak of his physical condition. We (my siblings and neighbor kids) were out in the yard playing some kind of game. For some reason I became infuriated with him. I launched all of my anger against him. He grabbed me by both arms and held me out from himself at a right angle where I couldn’t hurt him, and then, he just laughed.
Do you ever wonder what tone of voice the Lord used when He addressed Job? What emotion was behind these words? What was His tone? Was He angry? Disturbed? Angry sarcasm? Sparring? Semi-joking? Tender? Indifferent sarcasm? Did the questions come out in rapid fire like an automatic weapon, or did He give Job time to think and ponder on each one? Did each question pound its point home like a the mighty thunderbolt of the accompanying storm, or were they like scattered lightning bolts all across the sky bringing a general sense of fear that the atmosphere was no longer safe? The unanswerable questions eject out of God’s mouth as guided missiles to destroy the strongholds of Job’s haughty thoughts.
Indeed, could you answer God’s questions? We did not exist when He created the world. Although we can measure the earth, we are not the ones who determined its size. The theories as to how the earth was created are numerous indeed. As we look at the different theories we find little things within them that conflict with others that indicate that we really don’t know how the earth was created. The accepted theories change yearly. Even if we could determine exactly how God created the earth, we could never match it with our own power. We could never duplicate it. God has already done it.
We cannot control the level of the seas. It is quite possible that global warming is causing our polar ice caps to disappear. If they disappear, it probably will raise the sea level drowning many coastal cities and towns. But how do we know that our activity is what is causing global warming? Could it not be part of the natural flow of nature as the earth has been changing constantly since the flood of Noah? God can control these; we cannot.
Can we really change the rotation of the earth to affect the length of days or change the weather? We cannot figure out how to travel out of our own solar system, much less to other star systems or even outside of our own galaxy. How could we ever change the position of the constellations? We cannot, but God can.
We can barely remove the snow from our own streets and highways, much less control when, where and how much of it will come. But He controls it. Our Oklahoma weathermen love to chase thunderstorms and tornadoes in bravado in an attempt to warn people of the coming dangers, but God can stop it instantly.
We are angry with God. Like spoiled little 9 year old boys we yell and kick at God. We blame Him for the pain we experience. At times I think he just picks us up by both arms and holds us out where we can’t hurt ourselves, and He laughs. He laughs at our puny attempts at trying to beat Him. He laughs that we could actually think so highly of ourselves. He laughs so that we might consider who He really is. He laughs giving us time to repent, lest wrath come. He laughs teaching us to laugh also. He laughs because His glory is so much greater than ours. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
March 8, 2011
Job 37
I love violent thunderstorms! There is something exciting about them that just stirs me up! One of my favorite memories is of a brief time when we lived on 8.5 acres in East Norman. We came home from down town Norman one night right in front of a thunderstorm that was building behind us in the west. It seemed to move behind us at the same rate at which we traveled home. Lightning was constantly flashing in the sky as we drove. We arrived just in time to dash to the front porch before the rain began. For a solid thirty minutes the sky was filled with lightning and thunder from east to west and north to south. It wasn’t just now and then, but it was everywhere constantly. As we sat on the front porch and watched, the power display was simply exhilarating! We dared not step off the porch for fear of being targeted by a lightning bolt. What a gorgeous display! The God of glory thunders!
Recently we saw the awesome display of God in snow, ice and cold! We plummeted to a negative 22 degrees! Most people went nowhere. We were shut up in our houses. Animals hid in their holes. It was a wonderful day off—if you had warm shelter to stay in. From time to time I think God works these wonders just to remind us of His great and mighty power. Otherwise, we forget His power. Listen to Elihu’s words:
22 From the North the splendor comes,
surrounding God’s awesome majesty!
23 The Almighty! we cannot discover him,
pre-eminent in power and judgment;
his great justice owes no one an accounting.
24 Therefore men revere him,
though none can see him, however wise their hearts.
Sometimes we need to just sit and enjoy the power of nature in order to enjoy Him! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
I love violent thunderstorms! There is something exciting about them that just stirs me up! One of my favorite memories is of a brief time when we lived on 8.5 acres in East Norman. We came home from down town Norman one night right in front of a thunderstorm that was building behind us in the west. It seemed to move behind us at the same rate at which we traveled home. Lightning was constantly flashing in the sky as we drove. We arrived just in time to dash to the front porch before the rain began. For a solid thirty minutes the sky was filled with lightning and thunder from east to west and north to south. It wasn’t just now and then, but it was everywhere constantly. As we sat on the front porch and watched, the power display was simply exhilarating! We dared not step off the porch for fear of being targeted by a lightning bolt. What a gorgeous display! The God of glory thunders!
Recently we saw the awesome display of God in snow, ice and cold! We plummeted to a negative 22 degrees! Most people went nowhere. We were shut up in our houses. Animals hid in their holes. It was a wonderful day off—if you had warm shelter to stay in. From time to time I think God works these wonders just to remind us of His great and mighty power. Otherwise, we forget His power. Listen to Elihu’s words:
22 From the North the splendor comes,
surrounding God’s awesome majesty!
23 The Almighty! we cannot discover him,
pre-eminent in power and judgment;
his great justice owes no one an accounting.
24 Therefore men revere him,
though none can see him, however wise their hearts.
Sometimes we need to just sit and enjoy the power of nature in order to enjoy Him! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Monday, March 7, 2011
March 7, 2011
Job 36
What do I learn about God’s glory from Elihu’s speech in this chapter? I learn that God is righteous (v.3). I learn that He does not take his eyes off of me (v.7). I learn that wrath is stored up for the hypocrite (v.13). Storing implies a release for a future date. I do not know that release date. It could be soon; it could be after death. I learn that God is exalted by His power (v.22). I learn that I should magnify God’s work (v. 24).
Like Job at times we are tempted to believe that God is not righteous. If God is righteous, then how can He allow. . . But then, we know that He is righteous, so does that mean He has not seen what I think is unrighteous? As the omniscient One, His eyes must always be upon me. If He is always righteous, and His eyes are always upon me, then does that mean that He is somehow powerless? Maybe then His wrath against unrighteousness is just being stored for a future date, perhaps a date after my death. With these things in mind, I must focus on the greatness of His power, lest I lose hope while not seeing it in action now. But Jesus has died because of the wrath of God against sin. His mighty power has released me from having to suffer the penalty of His wrath; although, He would be justified in releasing His wrath against me had He not poured it out upon Jesus upon the cross. And now He actually enables me to not sin, an ability I did not have before I received Him! Indeed His power is great! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
What do I learn about God’s glory from Elihu’s speech in this chapter? I learn that God is righteous (v.3). I learn that He does not take his eyes off of me (v.7). I learn that wrath is stored up for the hypocrite (v.13). Storing implies a release for a future date. I do not know that release date. It could be soon; it could be after death. I learn that God is exalted by His power (v.22). I learn that I should magnify God’s work (v. 24).
Like Job at times we are tempted to believe that God is not righteous. If God is righteous, then how can He allow. . . But then, we know that He is righteous, so does that mean He has not seen what I think is unrighteous? As the omniscient One, His eyes must always be upon me. If He is always righteous, and His eyes are always upon me, then does that mean that He is somehow powerless? Maybe then His wrath against unrighteousness is just being stored for a future date, perhaps a date after my death. With these things in mind, I must focus on the greatness of His power, lest I lose hope while not seeing it in action now. But Jesus has died because of the wrath of God against sin. His mighty power has released me from having to suffer the penalty of His wrath; although, He would be justified in releasing His wrath against me had He not poured it out upon Jesus upon the cross. And now He actually enables me to not sin, an ability I did not have before I received Him! Indeed His power is great! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Friday, March 4, 2011
March 4, 2011
Job 33
As a 9th grader I gave in to my older brothers’ pressure and went out for the 9th grade basketball team. It was one of the most embarrassing experiences of my life. I was so bad that I was the only guy who went out that never even got to suit up for a game. I didn’t even get to warm the bench. Nobody at my school identified me as a jock, especially when I was in the 9th grade. I have a cousin two years older than me that went to OSU on basketball scholarship. When I was a senior, my FCA club invited my cousin to come to an FCA event to give his testimony. I was unaware that he was scheduled to speak that night. Our mothers are sisters, so we have different last names. No one had any idea that we were related. We were kind of surprised to see each other that night. I was because I did not know he was on the agenda. He was because I had not earned any athletic recognition. Of course as cousins we enjoyed good conversation when we saw each other that night. All of my acquaintances wanted to know how I knew this OSU basketball player. “Oh, he’s my cousin.” Few could believe my declaration. Not much family resemblance in athletic ability.
Elihu sees a few things as being wrong with Job’s defense: 1) Job claims to be pure and innocent. 2) Job claims that God views him as His enemy. 3) Job’s argument implies that God must give an account of Himself to man. As for Elihu, he is right. Job was claiming to be completely innocent. As we have seen before, Job was right and he was wrong. Job was a sinner, but he repented and clung to God. We know from elsewhere in Scripture that as such, God had removed his sin from him. In that sense He had been declared by God to be righteous—not that he had never sinned, but that his sin was removed. God did not claim Job as His enemy; on the contrary, He viewed Job as a great ally. After all it is through Job’s suffering that God is revealing something to all successive generations of the role of suffering in relation to the glory of God. He is a co-laborer with Him. Finally, God is never bound to give an account of Himself to mere men. What a tragic reality this would be if the infinite God had to give an account of Himself to finite man!
Don’t these three issues really reveal the great glory of God? I mean after all, isn’t it wonderful that by simply repenting and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ that even I can be declared not guilty? Get this! John Chaffin is declared to be perfect in righteousness in the sight of God because my sin has been washed away by the blood of His precious Son! Now that is Glory! Wow, not only am I now declared just, but I am also equipped to be a co-laborer with Him to declare His Glory to all of creation! Hey! Let me introduce you to my Co-worker. He is the God who created the Universe! Does the infinite God ever give an account of Himself to His creation upon our demand? I don’t think so! He is after all, God! Let me introduce you to my brother, the Creator of the Universe, the Perfect One. Not a whole lot of family resemblance to begin with. But He has declared it so, and it’s kind of growing on me! How could I ever hold Him to account for Himself? Wow, Isn’t He something? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
As a 9th grader I gave in to my older brothers’ pressure and went out for the 9th grade basketball team. It was one of the most embarrassing experiences of my life. I was so bad that I was the only guy who went out that never even got to suit up for a game. I didn’t even get to warm the bench. Nobody at my school identified me as a jock, especially when I was in the 9th grade. I have a cousin two years older than me that went to OSU on basketball scholarship. When I was a senior, my FCA club invited my cousin to come to an FCA event to give his testimony. I was unaware that he was scheduled to speak that night. Our mothers are sisters, so we have different last names. No one had any idea that we were related. We were kind of surprised to see each other that night. I was because I did not know he was on the agenda. He was because I had not earned any athletic recognition. Of course as cousins we enjoyed good conversation when we saw each other that night. All of my acquaintances wanted to know how I knew this OSU basketball player. “Oh, he’s my cousin.” Few could believe my declaration. Not much family resemblance in athletic ability.
Elihu sees a few things as being wrong with Job’s defense: 1) Job claims to be pure and innocent. 2) Job claims that God views him as His enemy. 3) Job’s argument implies that God must give an account of Himself to man. As for Elihu, he is right. Job was claiming to be completely innocent. As we have seen before, Job was right and he was wrong. Job was a sinner, but he repented and clung to God. We know from elsewhere in Scripture that as such, God had removed his sin from him. In that sense He had been declared by God to be righteous—not that he had never sinned, but that his sin was removed. God did not claim Job as His enemy; on the contrary, He viewed Job as a great ally. After all it is through Job’s suffering that God is revealing something to all successive generations of the role of suffering in relation to the glory of God. He is a co-laborer with Him. Finally, God is never bound to give an account of Himself to mere men. What a tragic reality this would be if the infinite God had to give an account of Himself to finite man!
Don’t these three issues really reveal the great glory of God? I mean after all, isn’t it wonderful that by simply repenting and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ that even I can be declared not guilty? Get this! John Chaffin is declared to be perfect in righteousness in the sight of God because my sin has been washed away by the blood of His precious Son! Now that is Glory! Wow, not only am I now declared just, but I am also equipped to be a co-laborer with Him to declare His Glory to all of creation! Hey! Let me introduce you to my Co-worker. He is the God who created the Universe! Does the infinite God ever give an account of Himself to His creation upon our demand? I don’t think so! He is after all, God! Let me introduce you to my brother, the Creator of the Universe, the Perfect One. Not a whole lot of family resemblance to begin with. But He has declared it so, and it’s kind of growing on me! How could I ever hold Him to account for Himself? Wow, Isn’t He something? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Thursday, March 3, 2011
March 3, 2011
Job 32
“After much deliberation we have withdrawn our invitation to you to be part of our staff.” While the conversation was much longer and not quite so blunt, that was in essence what we were told. We had sold just about everything we had. We had taken all of our last year’s savings (it wasn’t much. I was only making $500.00 a month) and raised some support and travelled to Colorado to begin the process of going on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ. At the end of the first 4-5 weeks in attending their Institute of Biblical Studies, we received their final answer. It was hard. We were relatively certain that the Lord had instructed us to apply and that were to attend the training that summer for the purpose of going on staff with Crusade. But it was a time for a 180 degree turn.
We packed up our luggage and went home. It was a hot July and my Pinto had no air conditioning. We hit a grasshopper plague as we crossed the Colorado and Kansas plains. We had to roll up our windows. It was hot. We had spent all our money on IBS and were broke. I did not even have the money for first month’s rent and deposit on an apartment. I couldn’t move to seminary, because I did not have the money. Frustrated, we moved in with my parents, who were both also temporarily out of jobs. I was able to get a job at Hardees (now Carl’s Jr.) while I waited to be hired at Mercury Marine. The next few years were very frustrating emotionally.
I really did not understand why God had done this to me. It just didn’t seem fair. I really questioned my ability to discern the will of God and to do anything of spiritual significance. I felt like I was being punished by God. Although I wanted to be, I was never a good athlete. Consequently I spent a lot of time on the bench. Now, I felt like I was being put on the bench spiritually. “God, I hate the bench.”
Elihu is upset with both Job and Job’s friends. He is upset with Job’s friends because they condemned Job and yet could not give evidence of specific sins that Job had committed in order to receive his punishments. He was upset with Job because Job claimed to be completely innocent and was therefore accusing God of being unjust for putting him in this situation. Job has been benched and no one knows why. There are times when we do not and cannot understand what God is doing. What happens to us feels like a punishment from Him. In the long run, all of our pain is a result of the fact that we are sinners. We are born in a fallen world. In the short run, not all of our pain is a result of sin, nor is it an indication that He has put us on the bench. So we cannot accuse God of injustice when we experience pain, nor do we always have to come up with some kind of sin for which God is punishing us when we experience pain. But we do need to seek Him.
Years down the road, I know why God took me through that experience. There are at least three reasons. 1) It was the road of training. Through it I have ended up serving in the Christian and Missionary Alliance. That has been a good road of training for me. 2) It was the road of helping. Through it, I encouraged my Dad to apply with me at Mercury Marine. He did. He was hired one week after me. After years of struggling with unemployment, he was once again employed. We had the joy of working briefly together at Mercury. 3) It was the road of learning. I am learning that I do not always need to know what is ahead, just the next step. He always gives the next step. Isn’t that faith? That is part of His glory. He simply says, “Trust me.” He says the same thing whether it is pleasurable, painful, joyful, or tearful. In the end He shows His glory. Job hasn’t seen His glory yet, but he is about to. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
“After much deliberation we have withdrawn our invitation to you to be part of our staff.” While the conversation was much longer and not quite so blunt, that was in essence what we were told. We had sold just about everything we had. We had taken all of our last year’s savings (it wasn’t much. I was only making $500.00 a month) and raised some support and travelled to Colorado to begin the process of going on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ. At the end of the first 4-5 weeks in attending their Institute of Biblical Studies, we received their final answer. It was hard. We were relatively certain that the Lord had instructed us to apply and that were to attend the training that summer for the purpose of going on staff with Crusade. But it was a time for a 180 degree turn.
We packed up our luggage and went home. It was a hot July and my Pinto had no air conditioning. We hit a grasshopper plague as we crossed the Colorado and Kansas plains. We had to roll up our windows. It was hot. We had spent all our money on IBS and were broke. I did not even have the money for first month’s rent and deposit on an apartment. I couldn’t move to seminary, because I did not have the money. Frustrated, we moved in with my parents, who were both also temporarily out of jobs. I was able to get a job at Hardees (now Carl’s Jr.) while I waited to be hired at Mercury Marine. The next few years were very frustrating emotionally.
I really did not understand why God had done this to me. It just didn’t seem fair. I really questioned my ability to discern the will of God and to do anything of spiritual significance. I felt like I was being punished by God. Although I wanted to be, I was never a good athlete. Consequently I spent a lot of time on the bench. Now, I felt like I was being put on the bench spiritually. “God, I hate the bench.”
Elihu is upset with both Job and Job’s friends. He is upset with Job’s friends because they condemned Job and yet could not give evidence of specific sins that Job had committed in order to receive his punishments. He was upset with Job because Job claimed to be completely innocent and was therefore accusing God of being unjust for putting him in this situation. Job has been benched and no one knows why. There are times when we do not and cannot understand what God is doing. What happens to us feels like a punishment from Him. In the long run, all of our pain is a result of the fact that we are sinners. We are born in a fallen world. In the short run, not all of our pain is a result of sin, nor is it an indication that He has put us on the bench. So we cannot accuse God of injustice when we experience pain, nor do we always have to come up with some kind of sin for which God is punishing us when we experience pain. But we do need to seek Him.
Years down the road, I know why God took me through that experience. There are at least three reasons. 1) It was the road of training. Through it I have ended up serving in the Christian and Missionary Alliance. That has been a good road of training for me. 2) It was the road of helping. Through it, I encouraged my Dad to apply with me at Mercury Marine. He did. He was hired one week after me. After years of struggling with unemployment, he was once again employed. We had the joy of working briefly together at Mercury. 3) It was the road of learning. I am learning that I do not always need to know what is ahead, just the next step. He always gives the next step. Isn’t that faith? That is part of His glory. He simply says, “Trust me.” He says the same thing whether it is pleasurable, painful, joyful, or tearful. In the end He shows His glory. Job hasn’t seen His glory yet, but he is about to. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
March 2, 2011
ob 31
Job understands the depth of iniquity in a man. He travels a lot of territory in this chapter concerning the nature of sin. He realizes that it is in the heart, in the inner part of man, that sin really lurks. He protests his innocence. He speaks first to that issue that controls most men, their sex drive. I am constantly coming across the statistic that states that 40% of men in America regularly view some form of pornography and that the statistic is not any less among men who claim to attend church regularly. Job says, “I have made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I look upon a young woman?” He knew that iniquity began in the inner thought life. How do I control my thought life? One way is to control what I gaze upon. The old saying applies here, “You cannot stop a bird from landing on your head, but you can keep him from building a nest.”
He explores the possibility of his own falsehood. For him the question was when he was a business man, did he give fair amounts for grain when he bought and sold. He claims that he dealt with integrity in his business dealings. Do you know where the word integrity comes from? It is the same word from which we get the word for integer. An integer is a whole number. Integrity is wholeness. In other words if you deal with integrity, you deal using the same principles in the totality or whole of your life. You don’t deal differently when you have opportunity to secretly gain advantage over another. There is a consistency that is there all of the time especially when no one but God sees.
He forges into the area of sexual purity in remaining faithful to both his wife and his neighbor. We live in a culture that seems to have forgotten about the meaning of sexual purity and faithfulness.
Then he addresses how he has fairly treated his servants. I think the principle could transfer over into our culture by thinking of proper employer/employee treatment, wages and compensation. What would happen in a company where the owner of the company truly wanted the best for his employees as much as he wanted the success of the company? What would happen if employees truly wanted the best for their company rather than just wanting to get the most wages for the least amount of work? Would we have CEO’s who get paid millions while they bankrupt the company? Would we have employees who want to see what little work they can produce for the greatest compensation? Would labor unions still exist? Would a CEO still live in million dollar estates while common employees barely make ends meet? Would employees be required to continually work long hours to the detriment of their families? Job seems to think that he treated his servants fairly.
What about that most defenseless part of society, widows and orphans? The greatest contributor to poverty in Oklahoma is single family households. Now in very few cases is that because a woman has been widowed. Usually it is because of divorce or abandonment. Single women typically get paid far less than single men. Then take into consideration that if her child gets sick, then she must take off of work to meet the child’s needs. So, there comes the double whammy of less income and higher medical expense. In Job’s culture the widow and orphan were really dependent upon the support of the culture. Job claims that he never shrank back from aid. Do we shrink back?
How about these last two, making gold your hope and rejoicing at your enemy’s destruction? On the one hand the proverbs instruct us that there is wisdom in planning financially, but on the other hand in that planning we run a great risk at making gold our hope rather than trusting in the Lord. Job claims that to do this would be, “An iniquity deserving of judgment, for I would have denied God who is above.” It is indeed a tight rope to walk upon. Then he mentions rejoicing at an enemy’s destruction. How many of us have done that? I would guess that we all have done that at one time or another.
But what does this tell us about the glory of God? It tells me that His standard of righteousness is far higher than mine. It is too high. I cannot attain to it. But thanks be to God for His all surpassing gift of righteousness that is found in Christ Jesus! When I look at my sin and realize that only he can deliver me from it, I change my mind about what I can do to what only He can do! I choose to cling to Him, to let Him live His life in and through me! He enables me to live above sin, just as He did for Job! Isn’t He something? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Job understands the depth of iniquity in a man. He travels a lot of territory in this chapter concerning the nature of sin. He realizes that it is in the heart, in the inner part of man, that sin really lurks. He protests his innocence. He speaks first to that issue that controls most men, their sex drive. I am constantly coming across the statistic that states that 40% of men in America regularly view some form of pornography and that the statistic is not any less among men who claim to attend church regularly. Job says, “I have made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I look upon a young woman?” He knew that iniquity began in the inner thought life. How do I control my thought life? One way is to control what I gaze upon. The old saying applies here, “You cannot stop a bird from landing on your head, but you can keep him from building a nest.”
He explores the possibility of his own falsehood. For him the question was when he was a business man, did he give fair amounts for grain when he bought and sold. He claims that he dealt with integrity in his business dealings. Do you know where the word integrity comes from? It is the same word from which we get the word for integer. An integer is a whole number. Integrity is wholeness. In other words if you deal with integrity, you deal using the same principles in the totality or whole of your life. You don’t deal differently when you have opportunity to secretly gain advantage over another. There is a consistency that is there all of the time especially when no one but God sees.
He forges into the area of sexual purity in remaining faithful to both his wife and his neighbor. We live in a culture that seems to have forgotten about the meaning of sexual purity and faithfulness.
Then he addresses how he has fairly treated his servants. I think the principle could transfer over into our culture by thinking of proper employer/employee treatment, wages and compensation. What would happen in a company where the owner of the company truly wanted the best for his employees as much as he wanted the success of the company? What would happen if employees truly wanted the best for their company rather than just wanting to get the most wages for the least amount of work? Would we have CEO’s who get paid millions while they bankrupt the company? Would we have employees who want to see what little work they can produce for the greatest compensation? Would labor unions still exist? Would a CEO still live in million dollar estates while common employees barely make ends meet? Would employees be required to continually work long hours to the detriment of their families? Job seems to think that he treated his servants fairly.
What about that most defenseless part of society, widows and orphans? The greatest contributor to poverty in Oklahoma is single family households. Now in very few cases is that because a woman has been widowed. Usually it is because of divorce or abandonment. Single women typically get paid far less than single men. Then take into consideration that if her child gets sick, then she must take off of work to meet the child’s needs. So, there comes the double whammy of less income and higher medical expense. In Job’s culture the widow and orphan were really dependent upon the support of the culture. Job claims that he never shrank back from aid. Do we shrink back?
How about these last two, making gold your hope and rejoicing at your enemy’s destruction? On the one hand the proverbs instruct us that there is wisdom in planning financially, but on the other hand in that planning we run a great risk at making gold our hope rather than trusting in the Lord. Job claims that to do this would be, “An iniquity deserving of judgment, for I would have denied God who is above.” It is indeed a tight rope to walk upon. Then he mentions rejoicing at an enemy’s destruction. How many of us have done that? I would guess that we all have done that at one time or another.
But what does this tell us about the glory of God? It tells me that His standard of righteousness is far higher than mine. It is too high. I cannot attain to it. But thanks be to God for His all surpassing gift of righteousness that is found in Christ Jesus! When I look at my sin and realize that only he can deliver me from it, I change my mind about what I can do to what only He can do! I choose to cling to Him, to let Him live His life in and through me! He enables me to live above sin, just as He did for Job! Isn’t He something? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
March 1, 2011
Job 30
We watched him digging through the apartment complex trash. He was looking for plastic bottles. He was homeless. In America the homeless often look for aluminum cans to sell for a little bit of money. In Mongolia the homeless often look for plastic bottles. There are very few aluminum cans. They can get about one tenth of a penny for a plastic bottle. So if they collect one thousand bottles, they can get almost $1.00. We turned around and went upstairs to our apartment. We collected all of our plastic bottles, caught up with the man and gave him the bottles. At first we encountered only his disdain. He kept angrily jabbering something at us. He did repeat one word a lot that sounded like, “Ruski” We took it to mean that he thought that we were Russians. He apparently did not like Russians. We pointed at ourselves and said, “Americans!” Immediately his demeanor changed and he jabbered something in a more friendly tone.
Yesterday, we saw how Job remembered and longed for the days when the good pleasure of God was felt by Job in his family, friends and good things found in this world. We observed how that is a dangerous place to be because we can transfer our attention from His great glory to the things in His hands, which he gives to us. In contrast to yesterday’s passage in today’s passage, Job moves on to his present condition. Now his fortunes have reversed. The most despised of society despise him. He who thought that He was experiencing something of the glory of God is now being ridiculed by the lowest dregs of society. I have never had to experience that. The closest that I have come to it was when the homeless man was ranting against us because he thought we were Russians. I really did not feel the emotional impact of that because I am not a Russian.
So where is the glory of God in this for Job? Indeed, Job is reduced to crying out, “You have become cruel to me; with the strength of Your hand, You oppose me.” Job could not peek beyond the curtain into eternity. If he could, he would have realized that he was playing a pivotal role in a divine drama that was designed to shame Satan and exalt the Lord. We too are playing pivotal roles in a divine drama that is designed to shame those who will not bow to the Lord and exalt the matchless grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must remember this, “This world is temporary. We will one day walk behind the curtain into the eternal realm. When we do, the confusion of this world will disappear.” His glory will be all that is important. So to live successfully now, we must remember to fix our eyes on His glory, not the rancid accusations of the citizens of this temporal world. Their accusations matter not because we are not citizens of this world. We are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. Our appearance right now may not live up to that, but one day it will! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
We watched him digging through the apartment complex trash. He was looking for plastic bottles. He was homeless. In America the homeless often look for aluminum cans to sell for a little bit of money. In Mongolia the homeless often look for plastic bottles. There are very few aluminum cans. They can get about one tenth of a penny for a plastic bottle. So if they collect one thousand bottles, they can get almost $1.00. We turned around and went upstairs to our apartment. We collected all of our plastic bottles, caught up with the man and gave him the bottles. At first we encountered only his disdain. He kept angrily jabbering something at us. He did repeat one word a lot that sounded like, “Ruski” We took it to mean that he thought that we were Russians. He apparently did not like Russians. We pointed at ourselves and said, “Americans!” Immediately his demeanor changed and he jabbered something in a more friendly tone.
Yesterday, we saw how Job remembered and longed for the days when the good pleasure of God was felt by Job in his family, friends and good things found in this world. We observed how that is a dangerous place to be because we can transfer our attention from His great glory to the things in His hands, which he gives to us. In contrast to yesterday’s passage in today’s passage, Job moves on to his present condition. Now his fortunes have reversed. The most despised of society despise him. He who thought that He was experiencing something of the glory of God is now being ridiculed by the lowest dregs of society. I have never had to experience that. The closest that I have come to it was when the homeless man was ranting against us because he thought we were Russians. I really did not feel the emotional impact of that because I am not a Russian.
So where is the glory of God in this for Job? Indeed, Job is reduced to crying out, “You have become cruel to me; with the strength of Your hand, You oppose me.” Job could not peek beyond the curtain into eternity. If he could, he would have realized that he was playing a pivotal role in a divine drama that was designed to shame Satan and exalt the Lord. We too are playing pivotal roles in a divine drama that is designed to shame those who will not bow to the Lord and exalt the matchless grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must remember this, “This world is temporary. We will one day walk behind the curtain into the eternal realm. When we do, the confusion of this world will disappear.” His glory will be all that is important. So to live successfully now, we must remember to fix our eyes on His glory, not the rancid accusations of the citizens of this temporal world. Their accusations matter not because we are not citizens of this world. We are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. Our appearance right now may not live up to that, but one day it will! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)