October 28

2 KINGS 9
What a gruesome story. What are we to think of a God who condones this? Wait a minute! Is our God supposed to be just? Yes, of course! Is our God supposed to punish evil? Yes, of course! Then this event demonstrates the severity of the Justice of God. Did Jehoram and Jezebaal deserve to die? Absolutely! Jezebaal had murdered many of the prophets of the Lord and had sought to kill Elijah. She was a driving force at introducing and increasing Baal worship in Israel. Her son was walking in the same path. This incident is a great warning to us all that there is a “payday someday.” God will eventually bring about justice to every person. It either comes at the cross of Jesus, or we perish. Can we glory in His justice? Yes. I would rather glory in His mercy, but without His justice, there is no such thing as mercy. Even Jehu, the instrument of justice to Ahab’s house, is the recipient of justice because he oversteps his authority in administrating the Lord’s intent.
Did Hitler deserve to die? Most people would answer, “Yes.” Am I as deserving of death as is Hitler? Some people would answer, “No.” I would answer, “Yes.” Before I met Jesus, God would also have answered, “Yes.” But God carried out the penalty, which justice required, upon Jesus. Because I have received Jesus, the penalty is paid, and I have received mercy. So I will glory in God’s justice. He is just! But I am most thankful that Jesus took the just penalty for me. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 119:57-112
One Christmas in 1961, my parents gave my brother and I a portable Roy Rogers stereo record player. My 11-year-old brother thought it was awesome. In my 6-year-old mindset, I was not so impressed. He offered me one of his other gifts if I would relinquish my portion of the record player. I was impressed with the offer, so I gladly took it. He became the sole possessor of the record player, and I became the possessor of toy doctor’s kit. At the time we were both delighted with our exchange. As the years progressed, I began to think less of the exchange and to realize that I had thought too little of my portion of the record player.
God’s law is more than a list of His commands of how He wants us to live and not to live. Rather, His law is a reflection of what He is like. So, the keeping of His law is not a “do and don’t” proposition. It is learning to dwell in His presence in such a way that we delight in what He is like. He remains our portion. Notice some of the things that David says about the law of the Lord:

72The law of Your mouth is better to me Than thousands of coins of gold and silver.
75I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are right, And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.
92Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction.

When He becomes our delight, He becomes our hope and He enlightens our life (vs. 81 &105). That hope and enlightenment produces strength in adversity. Look at verses 61 &62: “The cords of the wicked have bound me, But I have not forgotten Your law. At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, Because of Your righteous judgments.” While the New Testament writers did not interpret this as a reference to Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail, it sure is reminiscent of their experience. These two men were preaching the good news in Philippi and having great success. As a result of that success, they were beaten and thrown into the dungeon. Most people who would be beaten and imprisoned for exercising free speech would be rather depressed, but not Paul and Silas. Why? Because the law and the gospel was more than a concept for them. It was a relationship with the living God! It was a delight to enjoy His presence while they suffered! At midnight, bruised and bleeding, fastened by chains to the dungeon floor, they joyfully raised up songs of praise to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Because the law and the Gospel was the presence of Jesus Christ. His presence was delight!
Often I think too little of my portion of the Lord. I trade His presence for the toys of this world. When will I ever learn? O Lord, teach me your judgments, knowledge and commandments for they are more than words on paper. They are what You are like. You are a delight! That is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

JONAH 1
It is easy to throw stones at Jonah. He, as a prophet of the Lord, should have known that one cannot escape the presence of God. He, as a prophet would have read David’s 139th Psalm, “Where can I flee from your presence, O Lord?” But then, he would also know that there is the omnipresence of God and then there is the manifest presence of God. He was seeking to escape the manifest presence of God. Wow, with all the talk of seeking the manifest presence of God, here is a man who had experienced it, but wanted to flee! He knew it could cost him something, his life. Oh but it was more than his physical life that it could cost him. It included the price tag of forgiving ones whom he hated culturally. The Assyrians had brought much warfare to Israel, and eventually would destroy the country. They were a harsh people and deeply hated by Israelites. Not only would he be fraternizing with the enemy, but he would raise the eyebrows of many an Israelite. But wouldn’t all those things be worth the trouble of his life, forgiving his enemy and risking the ire of his follow Israelites, apparently not to Jonah.
Yes, it is easy to throw stones at Jonah. But am I, are we, any different? In order to experience the true manifest presence of God and His miraculous power flowing through me, am I willing to trade my life, forgive my enemy, risk being viewed by those closest to me as a traitor, fanatic or idiot? Do I choose to cling to the glory of the Lord because I understand that it is of infinite more worth than my puny life, my petty grudges or the approval of my peers? Lord, what a weak minded and willed man that I am! Deliver me such petty thoughts of You! I lay everything at Your feet for Your glory is worth it all! Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

2 TIMOTHY 2
While I was in college, I used to jog 6 miles every morning. The OSU cross-country course is a beautiful 3 mile course with gulleys and ponds. There is just something about watching the sun come up as you jog along the ridge of a gulley in the coolness of the morning. The birds are singing, and the rabbits sit there watching you as if they are wondering why the crazy human is in such a hurry. It was exhilarating.
One day while stretching out before my jog, a local pastor came jogging by on his morning workout. I thought to myself. "I will finish my stretching and catch up with him.” He was an old man (at least 35). “I shouldn't have any problem catching him." When I started, he was about 100 yards ahead of me. I took off on what I thought was a good pace. I wasn't gaining on him. I increased the pace. Finally after about 2.5 miles he was only about 20 yards ahead. I was tired; no, I was dying. But I couldn't let this old man beat me. I kept kicking. Just about the time I caught up with him nearing the end of the course, I got this tremendous snapping pain in the side of my left knee every time that I extended it forward. It felt like someone was stabbing me in the knee with each step. I had caught Him, but I couldn't go any further. Not much glory in this. I quit. He kept on jogging. Another round? I found out later that he used to run track for OSU and regularly ran marathons. The doctor told me that I should stay off my knee for a couple of weeks. I lost the discipline of jogging.
I've since tried to regain the discipline. It is not fun anymore. I weigh 40 pounds more. I am an "old man". The humidity of Coastal Carolina on a summer morning, even at sunrise is oppressive. I get tired of running very easy.
Sometimes I get tired of ministry. The variety of reasons, which confront me that explain why people don't want to follow Jesus or think they are following Jesus when they really are not, is sometimes overwhelming. I feel a responsibility to combat those reasons and to bring people to the Lordship of Jesus. When I don't see visible success, it is easy to lose motivation. Sometimes I get tired. Its like jogging. I get tired easy. And then every once-in-a-while something happens that is like someone spiritually stabbing you in the knee. I get tired.
What keeps me going? It is the glory of Jesus. His grace is overflowing. His salvation is an eternal weight of glory. He tired on the way to the cross. He had stabbing pain on the cross. He allows me the privilege of dying with Him. He allows me the privilege of enduring pain with Him. He allows me the privilege of living with Him. I never get tired of His glory. If I endure with Him, I will one day reign with Him. WOW! Say that again! If I endure with Him, I will one day reign with the King of Glory!!! But even if I am faithless, He will remain faithful because He cannot deny Himself! I've just gotta get my eyes off of the crud and back onto His glory!
I have named His name. It is not about me. It is about Him. What have I to do with any iniquity? I want to depart from it because my life is not about me! It is about the glory of His name. God forbid that I should shame His name because of my iniquity! I want His beauty to shine through me. I want His name to be spread abroad. He is the glorious King! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John