It was my job to block him, and I couldn’t do it. He was first string and I was second string. The second string quarterback was understandably getting perturbed with me. The quarterback was occasionally getting creamed by him. In my defense he was at least 40 lbs. bigger than I, and it was all muscle, not fat. We came in from football practice, and in the shower he scowled, “I beat your . . .” What could I say? He had! But that did not stop the anger. I’m a slow burner. I don’t explode unless I’ve been burning a long time. I burned all night long. I was going to have to do the same thing the next day. The more I thought, the angrier I became. He had some other comment the next day before practice. “Let not him who puts his pads on boast like him who takes it off.” I was boiling now. When it came time, coach was chewing on me again, “Chaffin you’ve got to get under him.” But the lower I got, the lower he went. The physics of that extra 40 lbs. was still working against me. I despaired. If I couldn’t get under him, I’d at least make him hurt. I have always had a hard head. I quit trying to get under him. He was low enough; I went straight for his helmet. Play after play it was my helmet on his helmet as hard as I could hit him. I don’t think I ever properly blocked him, but I did notice that he was no longer penetrating like before. He wasn’t quite on edge like he had been. In the locker room someone asked him a question. He couldn’t remember the answer. They started asking other simple questions. He couldn’t answer them. He had a slight concussion. “Let not the one who puts on his armor boast like the one who takes it off.” To my shame now, I felt only a tiny bit of shame then.
Ahab was a dirty rotten sinner, so was Ben Hadad. Ben Hadad’s country was bigger and stronger than Israel. Is God obligated to protect us when we are in rebellion? Was God under any obligation to protect Ahab? Absolutely not! Ben Hadad was not simply controlling Ahab, he was humiliating him. The Lord treated this as an opportunity to show His rebellious king that He is indeed the Lord and there is no other. He intervened on Israel’s behalf and Israel defeated Syria. It was also time for Syria to learn that Yahweh is the only wise God, and there is no other. But Ben Hadad was insolent, and rather than seeing that his loss was due to the intervention of the Almighty, he attributed it to, “Their gods are gods of the hills. Therefore they were stronger than we; but if we fight against them in the plain, surely we will be stronger than they.” He was impugning the glory of God. God would not permit that. Did Ahab deserve to be protected? Absolutely not! But for defense of His own glory God destroyed Ben Hadad. Ben Hadad should not have boasted like he was taking his armor off.
Is God obligated to protect me? Absolutely not! But he will defend his own glory. Let no one who has not finished the course boast like one who has finished the course. Like Yogi Berra says, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” We might despair now, but it’s not over yet. When it is over, we will look back and see that God will have glorified Himself. No, I may not understand right now, but I will then. Therefore, I should choose a course of action which will please Him. Getting angry and beating people on the helmet won’t satisfy. But letting God be the judge will because it is all about His glory, not mine. If I make it about my glory, I will make it more than a tiny bit of shame. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
PSALM 108
There were only 6 teams in the league. We played 10 games each season. We had a spring season and a fall season. In this soccer club, I was my son’s coach. That was kind of a laugh. At the beginning of the first game, I had never observed a soccer game in its entirety. The club had sent me to a coaching clinic to teach me how to coach youth soccer. It was a good clinic. It emphasized making soccer fun for the kids while teaching them the basic techniques for developing good soccer skills. There was a marked difference between what I was taught in the clinic and what I had experienced as youth baseball player. Yet there is still that competitive spirit in me that desires to win. While the years progressed, I progressed as a coach. I certainly wanted to make the experience fun for the kids and to help them increase their skills in soccer, but part of the game being fun is that you win on occasion. It’s no fun to be constantly beaten. In terms of win loss, the first season was a disaster. But I think we did win the recognition of the most improved team.
As the years progressed, the core kids on the team progressed along as a team. The kids improved in their soccer skills, and we began to win a little more. Most of the teams remained intact as we aged. There was one coach whose team I never could beat. I remember after the 4th or 5th time that his team beat us, it had been a very close game, instead of what had been a rout the first time we played them. I went to him after the game to congratulate him on another victory. I could not resist saying, “One of these days we are going to win.” He just smiled and walked on. A good coach wants his players to develop to their fullest potentials, and he wants them to win. He rejoices when they are having fun and are victorious over their opponent.
God rejoices in our victories. “I will rejoice (God speaking). . . over Philistia I will triumph. . . Through God (David speaking) we shall do valiantly.” When we are victorious, it is really His doing. Verse one says, “O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.” What is his glory? He would have no glory if the Lord had not worked through him. David is recognizing the source of his glory; it is the Lord. He trains us for life. He trains us for victory over sin. He trains us to triumph. If we respond to Him, He develops us to our fullest potential. He causes us to win for His glory, and He rejoices in it. That is His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
JOEL 3
One cannot but help wonder at times if God really is a great Judge as He says that He is. After all when we see ISIS beheading Christian children, or Nazis exterminating 6 million Jews plus 12 million non-Jews, or even the anti-Semitism that is arising again on our college campuses (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAyFlByb64M ), one wonders if God is really a just judge. If He is, then He seems to be rather lax. The making of videos concerning discrimination against so many different people groups is seemingly endless. Just type “anti-discrimination” into your YouTube search engine and you will see what I mean. It seems that every one is discriminated against in some way. Who can sort it all out? Who can really judge?
Joel reminds us that indeed God does and will judge. One day He will bring judgment to the earth. Apocalyptically He pictures Himself to us as setting up His judgment seat in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. This valley is considered to be that part of the Kidron Valley between the Temple and the Mount of Olives. I really like the imagery here. At the foot of the temple, He judges. The temple, where the sacrifices for sin are atoned, is where judgment takes place. West of the Temple just outside the city gate Jesus was crucified. There sin was judged. There atonement was made. There redemption is offered. There at the foot of sacrifice, He will judge. Jehoshaphat means, “Yahweh is Judge.”
The thrust of Joel is that judgment has come upon the nation of Israel, God’s people. But here in the last chapter He calls the nations into the valley of decision. Here He will judge. He is depicted as roaring against the nations, but His people will find safety in Him. He will acquit His people of bloodshed. They will find their safety in Him. What a picture of the Lord Jesus. We find our safety in being crucified with Him. In Him we have peace with God. In Him our sins are atoned. In Him we are acquitted. Apart from Him there remains nothing but a fiery expectation of judgment. That leaves us in the valley of decision. Will we decide to be in Him or apart from Him? What would we trade for His glory? Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Go to http://genesistochroniclespictures.blogspot.com/ for pictures of the Valley of Jehoshaphat as it appears today.
This passage played a significant part in the ministry of Billy Graham. Go to http://www.ccel.us/billy.ch11.html to read about it.
1 THESSALONIANS 5
The doctrine of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ has at least one major purpose. It is to give us comfort in the midst of darkness. He is our Prince of peace and King of kings. We live in a world that keeps giving us promises of peace. The politics of the world gives us a never ending parade of people who promise that, if we follow them, they will lead us into peace and prosperity. Yet Scripture is clear; there is only One who gives lasting peace, only One who gives eternal prosperity. And the Scripture is clear that, as we progress toward His coming, we will progress into ever greater darkness and trouble in the world. But when He appears, there will be such contrast! Jewelers usually display their diamonds on a background of black. The contrast does much to show off the beauty of the diamond. So also, the beauty of our Lord Jesus will be so amazing in contrast as our husband comes in His glory for His bride. We want to be prepared for the wedding ceremony; that is what sanctification is all about. He calls us to cooperate with Him in being adorned for Him. Yet even as we cooperate, it is He that sanctifies us completely. He will preserve us blameless at His coming! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
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