November 20

Psalm 140 Early teen-aged-years are a very volatile time in life. In my experience it was a time filled with pride filled remarks, both giving and receiving. The insecurity of growing up and not really knowing who one is leads to some very proud comments on one’s own part and against others. Most early teens mask their insecurities with proud statements or statements of sarcasm toward others. I had one or two acquaintances who never grew out of that. I saw one at our 20th year high school reunion. His first comment at the reunion toward me was very negative. I hadn’t even had a chance to greet or offend him, before it was out of his mouth. He had become a pretty successful surgeon. I guess what Matthew Henry says about this Psalm aptly described him, “Proud men, when they prosper, are made prouder, grow more impudent against God and insolent against his people . . . ” Although I noted the sarcasm, I just ignored it. I figured that he just hadn’t grown up. My best friend from high school was standing there, heard the comment, and came to my rescue with a retort that made our acquaintance know that his comment was out of line. So how does the glory of God fit into this? The wicked advance themselves by tearing others down. For one who knows who he is in relation to the glory of God, the evaluation of others, no matter how successful they are, is of little importance. Even if that evaluation is able to bring harm to one’s life, it matters little because what really matters is the evaluation of the Almighty God. The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:3–4:

3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.

He is the Almighty God and will safely bring us into His presence. Not so with the wicked. They will have many challenges to face in the presence of the Holy God. I am confident that the Lord will handle it justly and well. So when others slander me out of their own insecurities, it is best for me to do as the Psalmist has done, and let the Lord take care of it. After all, He is the judge, and that is His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

November 19

Psalm 139 She looked kind of frumpy. At forty-seven-years-old, she certainly was not the kind of woman that you would expect to see on the cover of any beauty magazine. She was 50-75 pounds overweight. She wore no visible make-up and did not shape her eyebrows; they were rather thick. Her hair was kind of Medusa looking. Her dress was plain. Britain’s Got Talent host asked her what she hoped to accomplish by coming on the program. She replied, “I have hopes of becoming a professional singer." Immediately, snickers appeared on the face of each panelist. Her name was Susan Boyles and she sang I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables. After the first line, the camera angle switched to the panelists. The astonishment was clear upon their faces. Boyles gave a flawless performance, turned and began to march off the stage. The crowd and two of the panelists rose to their feet in a standing ovation. Clearly they had misjudged Ms. Boyles. We all long to have someone of significance know everything there is to know about us and still desire us and think that we are wonderful. Our great God and Savior is that person. He knows all there is about us. He has studied us completely. Nothing is hidden from His sight. He is knows our thoughts and our words before we know them. His Spirit is ever with us, and like Jonah we cannot get away from Him. He knows even the agony of the inhabitants of those in hell. He knows where dark things sleep in the depths of the sea and in the sordid depths of our minds and souls. He knit us together in our mother’s womb. In light of all this knowledge, David asks the Lord to search him and reveal any wicked way. Indeed God does have this kind of knowledge about our lives. For those of us who are born again, not only does He know everything that there is to know about us, but He also is delighted with us. Like the panelists with Susan Boyles He jumps to his feet in feeling His pleasure in us. There is a difference with us though. Ms. Boyles walked away from the stage still looking frumpy, nothing had changed about who she was before or after her encounter with Britain’s Got Talent. We step back from our encounter with the Creator forever changed for the better. We become new creatures when we meet Him. He purifies us of the things He doesn’t like and gives us the things He does like. He gives a flawless performance in changing us and then stands back and applauds us, His work. Such knowledge for us is difficult to attain, but it should motivate us to step back and return the applause to the One who changed us. That is His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

November 18

Psalm 138 I remember being in the second grade, sitting in my room and thinking, “What if everything around me isn’t really what it seems. What if I am actually on some sort of stage and everyone around me is some sort of actor? What if there are some kind of beings out there that are just enjoying me perform, and everyone else is an actor? What if everything that happens to me is to provide some kind of entertainment for those beings.” Well, I knew you thought I was kind of strange. Yes, I occasionally have some really weird thoughts. Maybe I watched too much Twilight Zone as a kid. Consider this first verse from Psalm 138, “I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You.” But I thought David believed in only one God! Certainly the word ‘gods’ here is translated from ‘elohim’, which is regularly used for God and is plural. The word can mean rulers, judges, divine ones, angels, or gods. When used of the One True God, it is a plural of majesty, an intensive singular. It allows for the Trinity, but doesn’t necessarily demand it. Elsewhere in the Psalms David teaches that all the other gods are mere idols, statues, the work of men’s hands, non-entities. So just what does David mean by this? In 1 Corinthians 8:4–6 Paul says:

4 Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.

Later in 1 Corinthians 10:19–20 Paul continues saying:

19 What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.

Now couple that with what Paul says in Ephesians 2:7 “That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” To whom is He showing those riches? Well, read a little further in Ephesians 3:10, “To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.” So, what does David mean by ‘the gods?’ He could mean the mighty rulers with whom he is constantly engaged in battle. He could mean the angels. He could mean the spiritual principalities and powers ruling in the heavenly places. Maybe he means all of them. I really don’t know. But I do know that when you fuse this Psalm with the theology revealed through Paul, there is a very real sense that we all have become actors on a stage. In this play in which we are unwittingly participants, God is seeking to reveal the various aspects of His wisdom, not just to us, but also to a spiritual audience. Perhaps David was well aware of the spiritual battle raging in the universe. Perhaps he was aware that he was a player on stage observed by more than this physical world. What is it that he wants to praise or magnify? Well, look at verse 2, “I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.” What does it mean that God has magnified His word above His name? Psalm 8:1 informs us, “O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!” The glory of our Lord is majestically proclaimed throughout the earth through His creative acts. Everywhere we look, His creative power is displayed in glory around us. It is a constant sermon of the greatness of His name, particularly the judgment aspects of His Name. The beauty of the creation constantly proclaims His mighty power. But, as beautiful as is His work of creation, the creation itself screams, “We have been cursed!” Hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, lightning, droughts, famines, floods, diseases etc. all constantly scream at us, “We have been cursed!” They tell us that something is wrong, and we have been damned! Who is this God who creates such beautiful things but slams us with judgment? Ahh! That is where the exaltation of His Word above His name comes into play. His Word is He Who came from eternity past; through Whom He made all things; without Whom nothing was made that has been made; without Whom there is not light or life; without Whom there is only judgment. His Word brought us grace and truth. Moses’ law explained the judgment of a righteous God upon His creation, but His Word triumphs over His judgment, for He has made His Word judge of all things. His Word has shown us that God has not just performed this great act of creation, judged us and left. His Word has entered His creation and become the atoning sacrifice for our sin. This Word He has exalted above every name that is named. This Word is Jesus! He will not leave us in the judgment of the sin of our past. He calls us out of that sin. He enables us to walk free of that sin. As 2 Peter 1:3–4 says:

3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

So David agrees with Peter when he says, “8 The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” I am on a stage acting out the marvels of His grace. I am playing to an audience around me upon this earth, in the heavenly places and even to God Himself! In order to give me a perfect performance, He is working in me to accomplish perfection. Praise the Lord! Mercy has triumphed over judgment! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

November 14

Psalm 134 We would walk through the hallways in the dark feeling our way to the sanctuary. All the fears of the dark would come to my mind. During my high school years, we fairly regularly made the trip to pray together. My college-aged brother was somehow able to gain a key to the church building, but it was to the educational building, not the sanctuary. Hence, the long trip through the darkened hallways. The mental practice of walking through the dark hallways was somehow a good preparation of time of prayer in the sanctuary. The sanctuary had an all wood roof and ceiling construction, so the cooling off of the wood at night time brought on a lot of creaking and cracking noises that increased the hallowed atmosphere of the building. We left the lights off for several reasons: 1) We did not want our presence to be an added expense to the church. 2) We really did not want to be interrupted by members of the church who were driving by wondering why the lights were still on. 3) We just liked the atmosphere of praying in the dark. On occasion the presence of the Lord was such that it made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Currently, we don’t have a night guard at our church building. Of course, we lock our building up at night. There isn’t any interest in people coming to the building after midnight. The Law made provision for the Levites to stand guard at the tabernacle/temple 24 hours per day. One might suppose that the reason would be to provide protection against vandalism or theft. However, with the presence of the glory of God dwelling in the holy of holies, I am not sure that would have been necessary. It was definitely to ensure that no outsider entered the courts of the Lord. It might have been to provide protection for people who might ignorantly wander into the sanctuary and be struck dead by a holy God who does not allow the unholy in His presence. The law also gives an answer. The Levites were to ensure that the fire of worship never went out. The Levites cared for the ‘things’ of worship. Our Lord is worthy of 24/7 worship. See 1 Chronicles 23:25–32 for David’s job description for the Levites. Interesting, other places in scripture indicate that the Lord is worshipped non-stop in heaven. Consider:

Revelation 4:8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” Revelation 7:15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. Revelation 21:24–26 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.

What would these who stand all night in the house of the Lord do? For starters, they made sure everything was ready for the early morning sacrifice. Second, they sang praise to our God. Third, they made known that the Lord was the maker of heaven and earth. Fourth, they lifted up holy hands in prayer. Wouldn’t it be awesome if every congregation had 24/7 praise ascending to our Lord? I know that with a congregation the size of mine, it would be a physical impossibility. There are not enough people to sustain it. However, in a small city of 50,000, (about the population of Jerusalem when this Psalm was written) we have enough professing Christians to sustain it. No one congregation could do it, but together we could. What a demonstration of unity behind our Great and Glorious King that would be. Hmmmm. . . There is at least one thing we could all agree on—the greatness of His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

November 11

Psalm 131 When our oldest was a couple of months old, Laura and I went to my grandfather’s farm for the afternoon. Plenty of aunts and grandmas were there so we took advantage of the time went for a walk in the woods with some of my cousins. I guess we were gone too long for the baby. He was throwing a fit, and he did not want the backup bottle. I never will forget the look on the face of one of my aunts as we walked up to the house. It was a look of simultaneous desperation and relief. His crying had caught everyone’s attention for the last 15 minutes because no one could quiet him. In a culture where baby bottles, formula and sippy cups did not exist, this Psalm probably made a lot more immediate sense. But anyone who has raised children from birth can relate to this. A new born has only two ways to communicate to his mother that he is hungry. He can root around with his mouth looking for a place to latch on, or he can cry until he gets fed. Weaning came a little later in Biblical times, often around three years of age. By that time a child had gained the ability to eat solid foods, and the ability to wait until the appropriate time to eat. Meals were more laborious to prepare than in our society. Snacks were not as common, and refrigerators non-existent. When an un-weaned child wanted food usually only one person could satisfy him. Woe be to those watching the child until she is available to satisfy him! The weaned child, however, has learned not to be so demanding. Physically he does not need to be fed on demand. He can quiet himself just by being held by his mother. He knows that food will come at the appropriate time. If he needs comforting, his mother’s embrace is enough. As you know, the New Testament likens our spiritual life to being born again (John 1:12; 3:1-18; 1 Cor. 3:1; Heb. 5:13; 1 Peter 2:2). When we receive Jesus, we need the milk of the Word to cause us to grow. Receiving the milk on a regular basis enables us to grow. When the growing pains of the hunger of life tie our spiritual stomachs in knots, it is the milk of the Word that comforts us. But it is sad when something happens to a child so that he never grows up. We need to be weaned. We need to learn to eat solid foods: For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Hebrews 5:13,14 Using the milk of the Word, application, enables us to eat the meat of the Word which is a discernment of good and evil in relation to Scripture because the Holy Spirit has empowered us to obey the Word. Consequently, when hunger pains of life assault our stomachs, we can come to the Lord and quiet our souls in Him knowing that the appropriate time is coming when those pains will be relieved. We have experienced His glory enough to know that only He will satisfy, and He will satisfy at the appropriate time. We need not be frantic when life does not roll as we think it ought. We learn to be comforted by just His presence. Nor should we be frantic when spiritual babes are crying their heads off for milk. We just take them to the milk of the word, and try to help them understand how to use it in their situation. That is His glory! He causes us to grow and to be quieted in the pains of life! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

November 12

Psalm 132 Does God get tired? This Psalm implies it, but is that what it means? It would appear that this Psalm was written by Solomon near the time of the dedication of the temple. The core of the psalm can be found in 8-9 & 13-14 concerning the resting place of God upon the ark of the covenant: 8Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. 9 Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, And let Your saints shout for joy. . . 13For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: 14“This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.” How is it possible that the Eternal God needs a place to rest? It isn’t. The concept of resting comes from the wilderness wandering experience. In Numbers 10:35-36 find the explanation of how the Children of Israel knew when to break camp and to make camp. When the pillar of cloud/fire (the visible manifestation of God’s glory) rose off of the ark/tabernacle, the people would know that it was time to break camp. When the pillar came to a standstill, the people knew that it was time to make camp. The people knew that they could now rest. Soon Moses began the practice of poetically pronouncing what was happening: 35 So it was, whenever the ark set out, that Moses said: “Rise up, O LORD! Let Your enemies be scattered, And let those who hate You flee before You.” 36 And when it rested, he said: “Return, O LORD, To the many thousands of Israel.” With the building of the Temple, there was no longer a constant wandering of the ark, but rather there was a permanent home. God’s people no longer wandered around, but could build homes and rest from their journey. But there was more symbolism than that! The ark is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Hebrew word for ark translates as “ark” 195 times, “chest” six times, and “coffin” once. Consider that! The word could also be translated as “coffin!” The Ten Commandments were placed in the ark, the coffin. On top of the ark was placed the golden mercy seat. Once a year on the day of atonement, the blood of the sacrificial goat was sprinkled on the mercy seat. When the blood was sprinkled on the seat, His people received mercy. When Jesus went to the cross, our sin was placed upon Him. God’s wrath was poured out upon Him against our sin. His blood was shed on our behalf. When we trust in Him, His blood brings us mercy from God. It is in the presence of the living ark, the Lord Jesus Christ that we experience the presence of God. And He gives us rest. This is the way into true rest. This is the way into victory. This is the message of the Bible. Our great God became flesh to give us rest. Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Him. Now that is glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

December 11

Proverbs 11 It has been said that in a democratic society, the people get what they deserve in an elected government. Obama has been elected to a second term. What is he like in terms of Biblical values? Let’s see, he is for unqualified support for abortion no matter how late and for the government paying for it. The final straw that caused Israel to be kicked out of the land was when her kings began shedding much innocent blood by causing their children to pass through the fire (child sacrifice). It seems we have that again in a president. Do we deserve it? Since 1973 our people have murdered 50,000,000 babies in the abortion chambers of America. Looks like we deserve it. But murder is not the only Biblical value. "You shall not commit adultery,” is the negative statement of the positive command to protect the institution of marriage. Biblically marriage is one man, one woman for as long as they both shall live. Obama is on record for redefining marriage to include homosexual couples. Do we deserve that? Well since the early sixties the church has been letting sexual mores slide. We look the other direction when our people divorce and remarry, but hammer homosexuals for their ‘sin.’ Looks like we deserve Obama. “You shall not covet,” is the negative statement of “having food and clothing, with these be content.” One third of the world goes to bed hungry every night. America controls the majority of the world’s resources; we are the most giving nation in the world. Yet we could give so much more. Evangelical Christians alone could easily give double what they give to the Lord’s work, yet we do not give it. What we do give, we spend more than ninety percent of it in the USA, while billions enter a Christ-less eternity. Obama loves to hammer the rich that they should be paying their fair share, but the record shows that before he ran for president (2000-2004), Obama gave very little to charity. As a matter of fact, before he ran for president, I gave more to charity than he did. Considering my salary in 2004 and his salary in 2004, that is not saying very much for him. Sounds like we deserve him. How did we get in this position? Well verse 3 says, “The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.” Sounds like when we went to the polls our integrity guided us corporately. We got what we deserve. The Lord hates dishonest scales and perverse hearts. Oh Lord change me so that I am honest in all of my communications with others. Untwist my heart so that it might be pure in all of its dealings. Let the truth of Your being and the purity of Your life shine in me. Yes, the glory of the Lord shone in the elections. We got what we deserve. Oh Lord, we would have preferred mercy, but we received what we deserve. Have mercy upon us. We pray for the president whom we deserve. Change our hearts and his heart. Incline them toward true righteousness. Let us/him repent of shedding innocent blood. Let us/him repent of our attitudes toward your design for marriage. Let us/him repent of our lack of contentment toward this world’s goods and giving to those in true need. You are glorious in that You shed Your own blood, so that we would not have to die eternally. You are glorious in that You are eternally committed to Your own bride, the church. You are glorious in that You are content with simply who You are, and gave up your riches in heaven to humble Yourself as a servant in order that we might experience Your riches. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

November 4

Psalm 125 Last summer Jesse and I possessed the good fortune to stand in the midst of the city of David. It certainly is not the highest peak around. The Mount of Olives towers to the east. Mt. Moriah and Scopas tower to the north. Other peaks loom on the west. To the south reach peaks, which on the other side lays Bethlehem. I suppose that those mountains afforded some protection for the city of David. But I guess the issue is not how much protection the mountains provide, but that they surround the city. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people. He surrounds me. Because He surrounds me, the rule of the wicked cannot remain in my life. He will not allow it. The wicked may touch and rule elements of my life briefly, but it cannot rest there, for evil cannot remain in His presence. He will cause the wicked to leave in order keep me from falling into his snare. Sometimes it feels like evil surrounds me completely, but if I look out into the distance, I see His peaks towering in the distance. He still surrounds me. He still is working to remove the scepter of the unrighteous from my life. He won’t let iniquity rest in me. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

November 3

Psalm 124 We always wanted Steve on our side. When dividing up sides in grade school for football or baseball, it was always advantageous to have him on our side. He was strong, athletic and fast. Usually, whichever side had Steve was the side which won. What a contrast to myself. I remember clearly times in ninth grade basketball when we would divide up sides to scrimmage; a groan was usually let loose by the team when they found that I was to be appointed to their side. Anyway, it was always good to be on the side of the talented and able guys. Isn’t it good to know that we can be on the Lord’s side? I want the Creator of Heaven and earth to be on my side when I am in the midst of a Hurricane Sandy. Then I know that I will either come through it victoriously, or I will be heaven with Him. No flood or wave can defeat me. No emotional turmoil will overcome me. Yes, it will be hard, but He will save me. After all, His very name, Jesus, means Yahweh saves. I will hide in His name, because there I will find salvation! If He can make heaven and earth, He can save me. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

November 30

Psalm 120 Clint was a lot bigger than me. He was the biggest guy in our 5th grade class. Normally he was of great humor and fun to be around, usually pretty nice. One day during recess, he came to me saying, “John, I have a surprise for you that I want to show you, but you have to close your eyes and follow me.” “How can I close my eyes and follow you at the same time?” I responded. “Oh, just put your hands your head, and I will put my hand on your hands and guide you.” He was bigger than me and kind of insistent, so I complied. We walked out of sight of any teachers. He said, “Keep your eyes closed. Here is the surprise.” The next thing I felt was his fist striking me in the stomach. “Stay away from Genevie!” he commanded as he stomped off. I lay on the ground sucking for air as I wondered what that was all about. Apparently, he thought I had been flirting with her. Well, I enjoyed teasing girls in the fifth grade, but I had never considered it flirting. Some of the others in our class had told him that I was flirting with her. In fifth grade I still didn’t get the boy/girlfriend thing, so I was glad to oblige. I stayed away from Genevie. Later Clint came to me and apologized. He said that some others had told him that I was flirting with Genevie, and now he realized that they were lying. Nevertheless, I continued to stay away from Genevie, and I did not trust Clint again after that. Lying tongues, it’s the stuff soap operas are made of. The fact that the soaps make money off of it is an indicator that it is a common problem in the human race. It is what makes espionage difficult. It often fuels war. Hey, if Clint had just come and talked to me before hitting me, I would have stayed away. He was a lot bigger than me, and I really wasn’t interested in Genevie. But what if I had been interested, and what if I had been closer to his size? There might have been war between us. Lies are what fuel wars between countries. Lies are what elect politicians. During this current election time, how do we sort out lies from the truth? It is a difficult proposition. Lying lips in life often cause distress. Satan is the father of lies, and he tells them smoothly and often enough to keep us in distress. In our distress there is ultimately only one thing we can do. It is to call out to the Lord for deliverance. Only the author of truth can sort out the lies from the truth. That is why we must daily call out to Him. He is the only true beacon that can guide us through the fog of lies. But what if He cannot hear us? The infinite God can hear us, and if we are willing to do His will, He delivers us through the circumstance of the lying tongues. Now that is glory! Let us seek Him! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john