We were in the depths of the Alabaster Caverns in northwest Oklahoma, and the guide turned out the lights. Darkness immediately enveloped us. Try as we might, we could not see. There was not even a glow of light. We were far enough into the cavern that if I had to get out on my own. I would probably have spent the rest of my life groping in the darkness wandering around in circles.
Solomon says, “The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud. I have surely built You an exalted house. . . “ Where did the LORD ever say that?” The closest thing that I could find was in Exodus 19:9 where He told Moses, “I am going to come to you in the form of a dark cloud, so that the people themselves can hear me when I talk with you, and then they will always believe you. Even a dark cloud is a revelation to us. He wraps Himself in darkness, so we do not see Him. We grope in the dark caverns of this world searching for Him. Speaking to the idolaters in Athens, Paul had this to say,
And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.—Acts 17:26-28
Why must He cloak Himself in darkness? Perhaps Exodus 33:20, when God spoke to Moses is an explanation: “But He said, ‘You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.’” I think to see Him fully would mean that we would in some way experience His attributes particularly His justice. With our sin problem, to experience His justice would kill us. Not experiencing Him in our sinful state is actually a blessing. The tabernacle and it accompanying furniture and rituals speaks of how the Lord will remove our sin from us in such a way that we shall live. It speaks of a way that He may dwell with us without destroying us. It speaks of His grace and revelation to us. He has rescued us from groping in the caverns of life. Because of what He has done, we can see His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
PROVERBS 5
“John, you need to pray for me. I am going to burn in hell.” Those were the first words out of the mouth of a co-worker of mine when we came to work 33 years ago.
“I already knew that you were headed for hell, but what is it that causes you concern this evening?” In previous conversations He had made plenty of jokes about my beliefs and heaven and hell. So, I wasn’t convinced that he wasn’t still joking.
“This week end I went over to visit a friend. When I arrived, I found that he was gone for the weekend. His wife invited me in and before I knew it, I was in bed with her. I’m going to fry for that, aren’t I?” Was his reply.
“Rest assured, unless you repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you will fry, but . . .” I continued to once again to try to give him a simple explanation of the gospel. This time I think he really understood that he was a sinner in need of mercy and grace, but in the end he wasn’t ready yet to turn to Jesus. Apparently, although he was haunted by his infidelity to his friend and himself, he really enjoyed the escapade and was desirous to do it again.
What was it about this particular sin of adultery that ignited a spark to think about his sin? What is it about adultery and sexual sin that causes so much spiritual attention and at the same time so much failure? Across the board in every culture sexual infidelity is disdained and looked down upon, and yet so frequently committed. Solomon is the rule in this and not the exception. Look at him! He had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines, and they turned his heart away from the Lord! Yet, here he is giving advice about turning away from adultery! Yet, his advice in this chapter is Holy Spirit inspired! What is it that makes this particular sin so odious in everyone’s sight, Christian or non-Christian?
Look at these two verses from this chapter:
6 Lest you ponder her path of life— Her ways are unstable; You do not know them.Notice in verse 6 that it is the man who is pondering the path of the adulterous woman. Notice also in verse 21 that it is the Lord who ponders the path of sinful man. Our sexuality is meant to be a reflection, an image, of the union between Christ and His Bride, the church. Recently in the news, a big hullabaloo was made concerning the publication of a Harvard researcher who found a 4th century gnostic manuscript fragment that quotes Jesus saying, “My wife.” Of course this raised all kind of Dan Brown DiVinci Code concepts of Jesus being married. Well, Jesus is married—to His church. It was planned from the foundation of the world. It is a Divine mystery, as the apostle Paul called it. Marriage is meant to be a reflection of that mystery! God has committed Himself to marrying the church, us! When we are adulterous in our sexual relationships, it is a repudiation, a denial, a rejection of the image for which we are created. Instinctively, we know it is wrong. We know it is horrible. But we do it anyway.
21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He ponders all his paths.
This is the where the glory of the Lord Jesus comes in. His eyes are upon us, and He ponders all our paths, and He still desires to marry us. But be careful! Unlike a man who beds an adulterous woman, He will only marry a pure, spotless and blameless bride. Only He can make us pure, spotless and blameless. He only does that for those who repent and believe in Him. But that He forgives and cleanses us is such glory! I have been unfaithful to Him so much, yet He has cleansed me of my spiritual adultery against Him. He did it with His own blood. WOW! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
MALACHI 3
There is so much of the glory of the Lord in this chapter! In the last chapter we ended with the people complaining too much. Their complaint was, “Where is the God of justice?” In this chapter He warns them that the God of justice is coming. Before He comes He will send His messenger to prepare the way for Him. Before He comes we must prepare ourselves through repentance. That was John the Baptist’s message. It remains true today that if we want to know the God of Justice we must repent. That is, we must bring our thought processes in line with His thoughts. He demands that we return to Him. How have we strayed away? We have robbed Him. How? In Malachi’s day it was the keeping back of the tithes and offerings. Today Jesus calls us to leave it all at His feet.
What does it mean to leave it all? The last time that I checked, “all” did not mean 10%; it meant 100%. I have heard so much preaching and teaching that we must give the Lord our tithe or our 10%. That teaching is so miserly with the way we treat God. It is no wonder that we are so anemic in our spirituality. Jesus makes it plain. He wants it all. Why don’t we test Him with it? Why not give it all? I am so stingy with Him. His glory is that when I release it all to Him, He meets my need. Why am I stingy? It is because I have my focus on my glory and not His glory. If I really saw His greatness, I wouldn’t have a problem with leaving all at His feet. Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
1 JOHN 4
Jesus is God made flesh. God is love. Would it follow then, that Jesus is love made flesh? It would appear so. After all, greater love has no man than this that he lay down his life for his friend. This Jesus has done. He laid down His life for us. He loves us perfectly.
Is there anything in this life you are afraid of? I took some psuedophedrine extra strength not long ago when I had some ear/sinus congestion problems. Part of the side effects of the medication was an irrational fear, which was going on in my head. I thought I was going nuts. I had to keep reminding myself that this was not logical. God loves me and He will not allow anything to happen to me that He will not turn around for my good. That knowledge did not make the fear go away (the medication had to wear off), but it was the way I was able to slog though the time.
Are you afraid of God or what He allows to enter into your life? Then you really have not seen His glory. His glory proclaims His love for you. His love promises His presence in every situation. His love makes even the most gruesome experience liveable. We have to focus on His love, His glory, to overcome our fear. Perfect love casts out fear. He is perfect love. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
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