I was watching a detective/comedy show yesterday. Three detectives were keeping secrets from their wannabe friend. Over the friend’s protests the detectives responses were, “This information is on a need to know basis, and you do not need to know.” Does the Lord ever give you the information you need to know? David needed to know some information. The Lord gave it to him. But there were other things the Lord could have done. He could have intervened for David in such a way that many of David’s troubles would not even have emerged. Why did He not intervene? Why did He only give such limited and specific answers such that David had to pursue them? Why? Why? Why? I guess that I am starting to sound like a little child. It is the glory of the Lord to let us find His glory in our pursuit of Him. He is worth pursuing. The Lord could have stopped all the misery that David was going through. But David would not have pursued Him then. And David would never know that God answers questions on a need to know basis. Also, we wouldn’t have a number of the Psalms that we have now. We find His glory only in our pursuit of Him. Lord, don’t let me give up! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
To see pictures of Ein Gedi go to: http://genesistochroniclespictures.blogspot.com/ “Ein Gedi”
PSALM 60
We entered into Portland in the late afternoon. A rain storm was breaking up and a rainbow appeared to stretch out over the city. It was like a promise from God that He would be with us during our stay there. Later, the Lord gave Laura this promise from verse 12, “Through God we will do valiantly, For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.” Indeed, He was with us through unemployment, financial lack, sleep deprivation, personal injury, and even death. When I graduated from seminary (the very reason we had moved to Portland), Laura presented me with a framed water painting (which she had done) of a shepherd holding his hands up in praise to the Lord. The caption read, “Through God we will do valiantly.”
The fact that God really does that is not just a neat idea in His Holy book for me. It is an experience. I have been there. So has David. This Psalm instructs us to actively rejoice in the provision of God. It recognizes that we will lose some battles. (Lord you have cast us off!) But when we look at the whole, the victory is ours because ultimately He wins the war. That is our God! We are victorious because He cast off His own Son on the cross so that we might become victorious. To the disciples it looked as though they had lost the battle, but in that loss, they won the war. We must actively rejoice in the cross for only through the cross do we experience His victory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
EZEKIEL 29
“Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup,” so stated the bumper sticker on Christy’s car. In Scripture Egypt is often compared to a dragon or sea monster. The imagery comes from the Nile which also had crocodiles that lived in the river. Ancient advanced civilizations are usually found near great rivers that regularly flood their banks. The flooding provides needed water and nutrients for the soil. Thus Egypt, with the regular flooding of the Nile, was able to establish an advanced civilization because they could depend upon the established agrarian cycle of crops. This enabled others in the culture to specialize in other building activities. The result was an advanced civilization. Egypt knew that one of the sources of its strength was the Nile river. They established great confidence in their economy that the Nile provided for their country.
Rather than seeking the Lord, Israel sought help from Egypt against Babylon. It was wrong of Egypt to help, and it was wrong for Israel to seek Egypt’s help. Israel was meddling in the affairs of dragons. Ultimately, the source of provision and strength for any country is the Lord. How does the God of glory solve this problem? Not only does he discipline Israel, but he also disciplines the dragon. Ezekiel predicts the discipline of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar as the pay for Nebuchadnezzar’s work in disciplining Tyre. Listen to what the KJV commentary says about the fulfillment of this prophecy:
The date is March-April of 571 B.C. Though Nebuchadnezzar had laid siege to Tyre for thirteen years, the campaign was an economic loss. Since he had no booty with which to pay his soldiers, he invaded Egypt and got booty, the wages for his army. Thus, both Tyre and Egypt, proud because of their wealth, were humbled by God’s instrument, Nebuchadnezzar.
Persia defeated Babylon in 539. The Egyptian captives were eventually allowed to go home, but they would never again become the world power, true to Ezekiel’s prophecy.
God always performs His word. We do not need to appeal to the dragons of this world for our help. When we do, it is certain that we will get mixed with ketchup. That is not a good thing. God will perform His word. It is part of His glory. We need to wait upon Him. Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
1 CORINTHIANS 11:1-16
In most circles of our culture, if I were to say, “The head of woman is man,” then I would be scorned as some backward chauvinistic throw back of a previous generation. It would be as though I had said something very demeaning about women. Yet Christ does not object to us saying, “The head of Christ is God.” Is it demeaning to say that the head of Christ is God? I can hear some say, “But that is completely different. God is the Supreme being. It is not an equal rights issue here.” Oh really? Did God the Son not have the right to say, “No I do not desire to become flesh.” Did He not have the right to say, “No I will not die on a cross.” Is He not just as much God as is the Father? Indeed as we see elsewhere in Scripture, He is just as much deity as is God the Father. He could have called 10,000 angels to keep Him from dying. So it was not an issue of equal rights nor an issue of equal nature. It was something else.
Was it not an issue of love? Is it not that He loves the Father? When Jesus says to us, “If you love me, you will obey my commands,” is He not reflecting to us the very relationship He has with the Father. He loves the Father. So, He submits Himself to the Father, so that He might return us to the Father. Is it not also that He loves us? So, He submits Himself to the Father’s will so that He might rescue us from our sin and death. His submission to the Father does not demean Him or make Him any less in His deity. Rather, it increases His glory. Look what He has achieved because of His submission! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
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