It is common to us to relegate our Lord to activity in only a certain area. Do we not all segment our lives? Do not many have their “spiritual” area and their “secular” area. We are not unique in this. But today’s reading reveals that this is a dangerous segmentation. The people of Elisha’s day seemed to believe in territorial gods. One god was a god of one area, and another god was a god of another area. They attributed their power in battle to the strength of their god. The Syrian king had seen: 1) his general healed of leprosy by the God of Elisha, 2) his military secrets revealed to Elisha by the God of Elisha, 3) commandos sent into Israel to arrest Elisha were blinded, captured, fed and released at the command of the God of Elisha, 4) a failed siege of Samaria when the God of Elisha placed false sensations in the senses of the complete army performing the siege, 5) the failure of his own gods to heal him of his disease. Clearly the king of Syria believed in territorial gods but now had come to see that the God of Israel was greater than his gods. So, he sends to inquire of Elisha concerning his health. God reveals that He is sovereign over all nations, not just Israel. He deposes the king of Syria as well as Judah and Israel. It was a dangerous thing for the king of Syria to assume that the God of Elisha was only God of Israel and that his god was stronger. It is a dangerous thing when we segment our Lord to one area of our lives. His glory cannot be hidden in segments. It shines in all segments. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
PSALM 119:1-56
A few years ago when my granddaughter was born my son and daughter-in-law asked what I wanted my grandchildren to call me. I told them, “Grumps.” I thought it matched my mental state at times. From time-to-time if find myself getting rather dour. What causes that state, and how do I get out of it? I know what causes it. Usually it is because I think things are not going the direction that I would like them to go. It can be a variety of things. I suspect that you could identify a few points where the same thing begins to happen to you. My focus gets off of the Lord and on to my desires. I begin to get grumpy. When it happens, I almost feel like I need a cleansing. How can I, an old man, cleanse my way? It is the same way a young man cleanses his way, Verse nine says, “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” One of His glories is that His word cleanses us. It can cleanse us of great moral failures and it can also cleanse us of the little things that nip at us and make us grumpy. When I ask Him, He will open my eyes to see the wondrous works of His hands. He uses His word and His Spirit to do it. He lifts me up! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
P.S. Recently my youngest visible grandson has started calling me Dumps. I am not sure whether he thinks it is more appropriate for me or whether he can say Dumps easier than Grumps.
OBADIAH
As the twin towers collapsed, it collapsed more than the buildings and the lives of those trapped in the buildings. The target was well chosen, not only for the lives it would take, but also for the symbolic strike that occurred. America was on top of the world economically, militarily, and in security. We were and are trusting in ourselves. The collapse rocked that trust. Our pride was in what we had built. Now? Economically we are collapsing. Militarily, it wasn’t as easy to find Osama or rid the world of weapons of “mass destruction” as we thought. It has come at an enormous price tag in terms of money, lives and morale. Although we may be withdrawing from Iraq soon, we seem to be bogged down in Afghanistan. Security? Well, life is just different now. We are reminded of it every time we enter an airport or a government building. Perhaps there used to be a corporate ego that was embodied in the heights of the twin towers.
“The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high.” If you have seen Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, then you have gained a glimpse of Petra, the reference of Obadiah to dwelling in the clefts. Petra is located in a mountain. Its sides are cliffs all the way around. The only entrance is through a natural cleft that begins at the bottom and twists up to the top. The cleft at points is very narrow making it impossible for more than a few to ride abreast through the cleft providing a wonderful defense for those above. At the top of the cleft, the inhabitants carved beautiful temples into the cliffs of the sandstone mountain. They thought that they were impregnable to invasion because of their location. So when Judah was attacked by other foes, they could join in without worry of much repercussion. Their corporate ego was embodied in the heights of their defenses.
Sometimes I wonder if I have fallen into the American trap of providing for myself in such a way that I am trying to build my own twin towers of personal protection and economic security. The reality is that I have no protection other than Jesus. When I die, if I have any economic stuff it will all remain here. So If I boast about any security, economic or otherwise, I really have only one secure place to boast—Jesus. Only His glory will remain. Lord, once again I present myself to You. I choose to invest only in Your glory. It is the only thing that will last. As I gaze upon Your glory, let me hear only your voice and submit only to You! Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
2 TIMOTHY 1
Why would anyone be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord? When Paul wrote this, he was in jail for the last time. How would you feel if your pastor was frequently in jail for preaching the gospel? Shouldn't this glorious Lord protect His people? Shouldn't His followers be honored rather than jailed? Shouldn't such a glorious Lord not allow His followers to suffer? Not necessarily. Rather, It seems this glorious Lord sometimes chooses to empower his people to suffer through persecution. In the midst of life-even without persecution--we tend to forget the glory of Jesus. When we forget, then we tend to be ashamed. Paul reminds us of some things concerning Christ's glory.
To begin with, Christ saved us. WE honor and glorify heroes. Who is a greater hero than Jesus? Through His sacrifice He saved not just us but also more than a billion people. He has called us in a holy calling a calling which is according to His purpose. He has a purpose for you and me! Can you give purpose to anyone else? No, you cannot, but He does! He gave us grace before time began. Can you do that? He abolished death and brought immortality to light. Can you do that? Do you know anyone who can?
The next time you realize that you are ashamed of the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ, why not begin thinking about these things. How could you be ashamed of Him when you realize these things? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
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