January 17

Genesis 18 One mid-July we were in the midst of trying to do Backyard Bible clubs in three different locations in our community of Southport, NC. Southport’s summer day temperature highs are between 95 and 100 with humidity registering between 95 and 100%. We were trying to do one in my neighborhood in the morning and in my son's neighborhood in the late afternoon. At my house we had a nice shady spot under the tree house picked out. But no one showed up. The afternoon club had four boys show up. It was fun but it was in the heat of the day. It was okay in the shade, but game time was out in the sun. By the time it was over, I was cooked, hot and tired. When I am hot and tired, I tend to be more susceptible to discouragement. Most non western cultures that have a "heat of the day" take some kind of a break or siesta during the heat of the day to keep from over exerting life. So too it was with Abraham, particularly when he was pushing 100 years old. I have been in plenty of tents in the heat of the day, and I can tell you that I'd rather be under a tree. So Abraham was sitting under a tree and Sarah in the tent (I wonder if they had had an argument?). These three men came to visit. In their culture to entertain a visitor was a high honor and responsibility. Abraham hurriedly prepared a feast for the visitors. As he visited with them, he began to realize that they were messengers from God. As the conversation continued, he realized they were God Himself (hmm. . . is the Trinity represented here?). This is now the 5th time that God has revealed Himself to Abraham. It was the heat of the day. Heat tends to make me think less objectively and more negatively. The LORD reiterated that Sarah would have a baby at the same time next year. Sarah laughed at the thought. When challenged by the LORD for her laughter, she denied it. When the baby was born, she named him Isaac, which means laughter. From then on whenever Sarah called Isaac's name she was reminded to believe God whenever He promised the impossible, even when it came in the heat of the day. But the LORD was not finished. He told Abraham of His coming plan of destruction upon Sodom (from which we get our word sodomy) and Gomorrah because of their "very grave" sin. Abraham's nephew lot was living in Sodom. So, Abraham bargained with God to stay the destruction, if God can find 10 righteous people in Sodom. Abraham let God go at that point because he knew there were at least ten members in Lot's family. In the heat of the day or battle, when things look bleak, He comes to visit us. Is your life right now like the heat of the day? Are you weary and discouraged? Are you thinking negatively? Is it difficult to think objectively? Does it seem like the promises of God seem long forgotten? Remember Sarah, remember Abraham, remember the glory and grace of our Lord. He often visits us in the heat of the day when we are too exhausted to do anything else. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor John * Nehemiah 7 The walls were finished. God met their need. Nehemiah found a scroll that recorded who had returned to Judah in the first return. A total of 42,360 people had come back to Judah. He also lists the number of animals that they brought with them. Why? There were 42,360 people who made the trek. There was a total of 8,136 beasts of burden that made the trip. That is about 1 beast of burden for every 5.2 people, or one beast for every family. It was at least a 750 mile trip from Persia to Jerusalem. Can you imagine moving your family 750 miles (on foot) with only one beast of burden to carry all of your worldly goods to a land where you would take up a new life. Indeed it must have been a hard existence. Their God indeed met their need. He met their need in the first return. He met their need in the second and third returns. He met their need as they finally finished building the walls. He meets our needs as well, if we seek Him first. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john * Psalm 17 Laura and I have a friend who has lived in poverty most of her life. She told Laura the other day that she is convinced that the Lord does not love her. She equates God’s love with adequate food and being able to pay the bills. She has given up on God. Hmmm. . . What if all in the space of one year you lost your job, your house, your spouse? That happened to my cousin. He is currently in a mental institution. Furthermore, what if you were listed as public enemy #1 so that all the law enforcement officials were looking for you? What if you were reduced to hunting and gathering (poaching) as your only means of eating? Would you feel that the loving kindness of God was upon you? What if your only companions were those disgruntled with government, the political and economic rejects of the country? What if many others spoke ill of you saying that you deserve the harsh circumstances that the Lord has placed you in? Would you feel that God was just? Would you need some kind of vindication? All of these things had happened to David. It is the context of this Psalm. David had lost his job as one of Saul’s top military leaders. He had lost Michal, his wife, Saul’s daughter. He was forced to flee for his life from his house. Saul had his army searching for him to kill him. The only companions David had were the unwanted of the land. His only means of eating was off of the land. He had no flocks, herds, lands or crops. All of this was simply because God had chosen David to be the next king. He lived in this fashion for probably a decade. Does this sound like loving kindness of God to you? How would you handle this adversity? David asks this, “Show me Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand. . . Keep me as the apple of Your eye. . . As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” Can we be satisfied with just that when everything is going wrong? David was. He had tasted and seen the glory of the Lord. For that reason he could be satisfied when He awoke in the likeness of the Lord. That loving kindness really cannot be described. It can only be experienced. It is better than any physical comfort. I am convinced that He lets those who wait upon Him experience it. We just cannot give up on waiting. He is worth the wait and the poverty. He is too rich! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor John * Matthew 12:1-21 I still remember the first time I entered a grocery store on a Sunday. I probably wouldn’t have done it, but I was with my pastor. He had invited me to lunch with him. He was short on a few items. So we drove to Stillwater (the nearest store) and bought them. Then, we drove back and had lunch. It used to be that the governments had laws closing stores on Sundays (supporting what was considered to be the fourth commandment) as well as the other 9 commandments. Jesus was with His disciples on the Sabbath. They were hungry. They picked the grain, rolled it in their hands to get the husks off and then ate them. This was by definition work. Work was by definition a clear violation of the fourth commandment. It outraged those who were serious about their religion. How could a holy man do such a thing? It once again demonstrates His glory. He is the Lord of the Sabbath. He made the Sabbath. He controls the rules for the Sabbath. He made the Sabbath for our benefit. We need a day when we focus upon His glory rather than focusing upon our needs and desires. The rules for the Sabbath were made to help us know how to focus upon Him rather than our needs and desires. They were not made to be rigid rules, the keeping of which made us holy. If we have a basic need on the Sabbath, He allows us to take care of it. But He desires our hearts to focus upon Him. The disciples were able to focus upon Him and pick the wheat, roll it and eat it at the same time. It is okay to buy a loaf of bread on Sunday. But we should seek to plan our Sundays such that we can spend the majority of it focusing upon Him. His glory is too great to miss! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor John