December 31

2 CHRONICLES 36
When I was 8 or 9 we lived one block from the elementary school. One month the PTA had a meeting where all the kids put on skits for the parents. After the skits were over, we kids were all outside having a great time playing on the playground. My mother was tired so she let me stay and play with the other kids while she went home. After a while she sent my older brother to tell me it was time to come home. There were still a couple of kids there, so I told him no. Being the obedient older brother, he tried to make me come home, but since it was my playground, I knew how to evade being captured by him. He decided that I wasn’t worth the effort and that he had performed the assigned task, so he went home. After waiting in hiding and being sure that he wasn’t around, I decided to go find my friends again. To my dismay, in the amount of time that I had spent eluding my mother’s command through my brother, I found that my friends had gone home with their parents. There was no longer anyone to play with. There was no desire to stay there, but now I had to face my disobedience to my mother’s command.
We find in the last days of Judah:
All the leaders of the priests and the people transgressed more and more, according to all the abominations of the nations, and defiled the house of the LORD which He had consecrated in Jerusalem. 15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. 16 But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy.
When the people of God will not rise up and fulfill the command of the Lord, He will raise up the ungodly to do it! He is the sovereign God. Note that He used both Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus to do this. As such, He does not sit around waiting and biting his nails to see if we will do what He commands in order to accomplish His plan. His plan will be accomplished. The only question is, “Will I cooperate with Him in accomplishing His plan, or will He establish it in spite of me?” He has issued His commands. It is His glory to accomplish them. Will we enjoy continued fellowship with Him by joining with Him in His work, or will we suffer His discipline because we refuse to obey because we want to choose our own desires which will soon dissipate anyway? Why am I such a disobedient child? It is His glory to accomplish His plan with or without me. I might as well enjoy the benefits of obedience. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PROVERBS 31
Laura has told me on a number of occasions that this is one her ‘unfavorite’ chapters of the Bible. (I hope I am not in trouble for revealing that, but then I suppose that this an ‘unfavorite’ chapter for a lot of women. It holds an incredibly high standard for the virtuous wife. Certainly, if I were a woman, I would not be able to meet the standard.) But let us look beyond the literal meaning of this chapter to a different level. Since the theme of the Bible is the restoration of the Kingdom of God, what does that look like as we illustrate it? One of those illustrations is marriage. Our marriages are to reflect the marriage of God and humanity. When the kingdom was train wrecked with Adam and Eve’s sin, the marriage of God and humanity experienced a postponement, a divorce; Jesus became a widower. The theme of Scripture is not only the restoration of the Kingdom of God; it is also the marriage of Christ and His resurrected bride.
As Lemuel’s mother gives him instruction for being a king, she tells him to not give himself to ways that destroy kings, particularly giving his strength to women. There are many other things that he should do as king, avoid intoxication, uphold and pursue justice, plead the cause of the poor and needy. All of these things Jesus has done and does. But Lemuel’s mother’s greatest instruction is to find a virtuous wife. Could it be that one of Jesus’ chief goals in His interaction with humanity is to find a virtuous wife? Certainly that would be the indication of Ephesians 5:22-33 and Revelation 19:1-10. When the whore who sought to supplant the bride, is judged, and the preparation of that virtuous wife is complete, we see the coming forth of the Bridegroom to destroy those who resisted Him by resisting His bride (Revelation 19:11-21). So we see that it is the intention of the Lord to raise up for Himself one great bride. He will not give Himself or waste His strength of the whore of this world.
So what does this bride look like? I think that Proverbs 31: 10-31 could be a metaphor for what Jesus desires in His bride. As we fulfill that metaphor, we bring glory to Him, just as this virtuous wife brings glory to her husband. Jesus trusts in His wife because she is constantly seeking to do Him good and bring Him gain (v.11). She searches the world over to bring Him riches (missions v. 12-14). She works tirelessly to provide food for household (v.15). The glorious bride, the church, provides a rich diet of the word of God for her household. She girds herself with strength (v. 17). Where does our strength come from but from the Spirit of God? She helps the poor and needy when the needs of her own household have been met and because that is the work of her husband the King (v. 20-21). Her husband is made known in the gates because of her proclamation and work (v. 23). As the church proclaims the Gospel of the Kingdom, we are making the name of Jesus known in the world. She is dressed in fine linen (v.25), the righteous acts of the saints (Rev. 19:8). Her husband praises her (v. 28). We shall one day stand before the bema seat of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:9-17). Our works shall be judged by fire. The good works shall remain, and we shall receive the praise of our Lord and husband. He shall say, “Well done, you good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your master.” Great, attractive and entertaining programs of churches are deceitful and passing, but a congregation that fears God shall be praised by Him (v. 30).
You see, when we are this kind of wife, we bring glory to His name. When we are not, we bring shame to Him. It is all about His glory, not ours. Our marriages are to reflect this. Proverbs 31 is a goal for women to reflect what the church should be like. Men, we should reflect what Jesus is like. He “loved the church and gave Himself for her.”(Eph. 5:25). Proverbs 31 demands a great deal out of wives; Eph. 5:25 demands more. Men are we doing it? When we do, we bring glory to Him. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Be His glory in your marriage today!
--Pastor john
P.S. Laura, my darling, in my mind you fulfill Proverbs 31, even though you do not think you fulfill it. You are my virtuous wife! You are marvelous, and I am so proud that you are my wife!

REVELATION 22
Remember as a child when waiting for Christmas seemed like an eternity? Even though it was just a day away, it seemed as if it was taking forever to come? But the waiting seemed to make its coming better. We are awaiting the coming of our glorious King. He is the One who has the river of life which flows from His throne. He is the One who will cause a tree of life to grow in the streets. The fruit of the tree will bring healing to the nations. He is the One who will reverse the curse. He is the One who will change our seeming eternal nightmare into an eternal day dream—a pleasant one. He is faithful and true. Unlike the promises of a deceptive salesman, we can count upon His promises. He is the One who is righteous in all His ways. When He comes, He will bring righteousness with Him. It will no longer be an option among many. He is the Bright and Morning Star, in the midst of a dreary night, He is the promise that morning is coming, the light is dawning, the night is coming to an end. He is the Groom for whose resplendent glory we long to be united. And He is coming. In the parched desert of this life, He is the true water of life who will quench all our thirsts. Maybe this year will be the year that will set into motion all of the events that must take place before His coming. He is coming. He is coming quickly. If waiting for Christmas seemed like an eternity, then waiting for His return must surely seem longer. But His coming is all the sweeter because of the wait. Lord Jesus, it is Your glory we want to see. Come! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

December 30

2 CHRONICLES 35
It is the glory of God to let us hear his voice. Certainly if we saw His face we would die (Exodus 33:20). But He has condescended to allow us to hear His voice. As a matter of fact, one of the descriptions of being one of His sheep, His children, is that we hear His voice (John 10:27). If we do not hear His voice and follow, we are none of His. But what about Josiah? Here is a man who intently followed the Lord. There are few other kings who can compare to the revival that Josiah led in Judah! Yet in the end, he met an early demise because He did not listen. But what a strange place to hear the voice of the Lord, the mouth of Pharaoh! Verse 22 tells us that he did not heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God. The result was that he died fighting a battle that was not his to fight.
Certainly it appeared that he ought to oppose Necho. Isaiah, less than a hundred years before him, had continually spoken to the kings against allying with Egypt in order to fight the kings of the north. On the surface it might appear that to allow Pharaoh’s army safe passage would be tantamount to allying the nation with Egypt in its fight with Babylon. I think Josiah operated in the natural-that which appeared to be the right thing to do. God spoke to him through the unrighteous mouth of Necho, but Josiah was not in a place to listen. How often do we do the same. How many of our churches are running ‘successful’ programs that are really contrary to the voice of the Lord. O sure they attract people, sure they are to some degree popular, but are they really what the Lord wants? In the natural it may appear so, but have we stopped to truly hear the voice of the Lord? It may well be that we reach an early demise, or worse yet, live a life of ineffectiveness for the Kingdom, simply because we have not stopped to listen for the voice of the Lord and obeyed. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john


This view looks out of the city gates of Megiddo across the valley. Josiah’s forces would have met Necho’s forces in battle in this valley. Here Josiah met an early death, because he did not discern the voice of the Lord.

PROVERBS 30
Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Apart from Jesus, there are only two men in Scripture who ascended into heaven, Enoch and Elijah, but they never descended (unless you consider Elijah’s appearance at the Mount of Transfiguration as descending). There is One man who has both descended and ascended into heaven. Speaking to Nicodemus, Jesus makes the claim of descending in John 3:13. One thousand years before it happened, David prophesied of the ascension of Jesus in Psalm 68:18. The apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:9&10 recognizes that prophecy and explains it of Jesus.
Who has gathered the wind in His fists? How can one gather wind in His fists? Yet Jesus has done this on at least two occasions. In Exodus 14:21

Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.

Once again in Joshua 3:16–17 we find:

That the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.

He used the wind in His fists to part the Red Sea to provide the salvation of Israel (a type of our salvation). He used the wind in His fists to part the Jordan River to provide access to the Land of Canaan (a type of our rest). He will one day (in the Millennial Kingdom) use the wind of His fists to dry up the Nile River Isaiah 11:15.

The LORD will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt; With His mighty wind He will shake His fist over the River, And strike it in the seven streams, And make men cross over dryshod.

Can you do that?
Who has bound the waters in a garment? The Lord appeared to Moses on Mt. Sinai clothed in dark clouds, I would say that that is having bound the waters in a garment. Exodus 19:9

And the LORD said to Moses, Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever." The Psalmist says in 104:1-3,

You are clothed with honor and majesty, Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind,

In Matthew 26:64 Jesus said,

Hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.

In Revelation 1:7 John says,

Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

Jesus not only binds water in a garment but He also binds them into modes of fancy transportation. Can you do that?
Who has established all the ends of the earth? Well obviously, Jesus has established the ends of the earth! listen to John 1:1–5,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

In Acts 17:26 Paul says, A

nd He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings.

Can you do that?
There is one who can do all of these things. What is His name? It is Yahweh. What is His Son’s name? It is Yahweh Saves, or better known in English as Jesus. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

REVELATION 21
We are naked. Much of our activity is effort to clothe ourselves, for we are naked. Ever noticed what a large percentage of advertising is devoted to clothing? Even then, good practical covering is not enough. It must look right and fit the occasion. The amount of floor space in a WalMart or a Target store devoted to clothing is considerable, for we are naked. We have whole stores devoted only to clothing. We have an inordinate emphasis on clothing, for we are naked. Ever notice how those, who try really hard to clothe themselves well, never have enough? We are naked. It didn’t begin that way. Originally we were designed to not wear clothes. We wore the glory of God. We reflected His image. Then sin came. We lost the glory of God. Then we realized that we were naked.
The Bible is the story from beginning to end of how we lost His glory and how He is restoring His glory to us. It is all about His glory. Until His glory is re-established, we seem to focus on our nakedness-our glory or lack thereof. Our deepest longings can only be clothed with His glory.
When Jesus makes things new, He will tabernacle with us. He will dwell with us. His glory will return upon us. His glory will surround us, shine upon us, shine out of us. Even the city will glow with His glory. The sun and the moon will no longer be needed for light, because the glory of the Lamb will illuminate everything. Physical clothing will lose its great importance. The glory of the Lamb will take precedence. Should it not be important now? After all, that is the direction in which history is moving. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

December 29

2 CHRONICLES 34
Manasseh set into motion the straw that broke the camel’s back. Although he later repented, the nation did not repent. His son, Amon, reaped the bitter rewards of Manasseh’s early life. Amon was evil also. He became king at the age of 22. He was so evil that he was assassinated after only 2 years of reigning. So Amon’s son, Josiah, became king as an 8-year-old. That means that he was born when Amon was probably around 16 years of age. It is possible that Josiah was 6 when Manasseh died. As an 8-year-old, Josiah began to do what was right in the sight of the LORD. Where did he learn that? The text does not say. Maybe Manasseh saw how he had ruined Amon. Maybe Manasseh communicated that to Josiah. Maybe Josiah saw the evil in his own dad and knew of the change in his grandfather. Maybe Josiah realized that he needed a different path than the path which his father took. Maybe his mother taught him. At any rate, Josiah never had a copy of the Scriptures until he was 26-years-old. So how did he know how to do what was right in the sight of the LORD?
We are told that it was in the eighth year of his reign that he began to seek the God of his father David. He was 16 years old. Amon was 16 when Josiah was born. Do you suppose that knowledge triggered something in himself to drive Him to seek the LORD? Do you suppose on his 16th birthday that his mother reminded him that Amon was 16 when Josiah was born? He had 10 years to go before he would get his own copy of the Law of Moses. How did he know to do what was right? When he was 20, he began to purge the country of false gods and images. When he was 26 he ordered the repair and remodeling of the temple of the LORD.
During the remodeling process, the priests found the Law of Moses and sent it to Josiah. The king had the Law read. Having heard it, he repented and sent to inquire of the prophetess to find out what should be done. Maybe that is how he knew what was right and how to seek the Lord. Maybe not. At any rate, now he had heard the Law; now there was not excuse. I cannot help but think that this is a marvelous example of how God is so gracious that He will move heaven and earth to bring a knowledge of Himself to someone who truly wants to know Him. The truth is that we really do not seek after Him as we ought to seek after Him, but for that rare person who does seek Him, He brings them to Himself, eventually bringing them His written word.
Manasseh brought the final judgment upon the nation. Josiah temporarily stayed the hand of judgment because he sought the LORD. Furthermore, the LORD said to him, “Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you Surely I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place and its inhabitants.” Wow what mercy!
Lord indeed you have extended such mercy toward me. Even when I did not seek you, you gave me Your word! You do not give me what I deserve, rather You give me Yourself! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PROVERBS 29
Verse 7 says,

The righteous considers the cause of the poor, But the wicked does not understand such knowledge.

Why would an outgrowth of righteousness be to consider the cause of the poor, and why would failing to understand such knowledge be an outgrowth of wickedness? Certainly righteousness finds its root in the very character of God. Does that mean that it is part of the character of God to consider the cause of the poor? Jesus himself said that we would always have the poor with us. Does this mean that as God considers the poor, He thinks that it is a good thing that poverty never ends? Obviously from all the Scriptural teaching about poverty, that cannot be true of God. What is the meaning of poverty? What is the source of poverty? What does a righteous God want to do about poverty as He considers it?
Poverty is more than just a lack of financial resources. I once co-facilitated a Getting Ahead Circle for a small group of people in poverty. The main thrust of the investigation of the circle is that poverty is a lack of resources in one of many different areas, not just financial. One can lack resources in many areas, financial, social, educational, familial, mental, emotional, spiritual, physical, etc. Usually, one in financial poverty is experiencing a lack of resources in many areas. The lack of financial resources is a multifaceted problem. Just throwing money at it will not alleviate the problem. It will give temporary relief but not long term relief.
So when God contemplates our poverty, what does He consider? Apparently, His primary concern is our spiritual poverty. When Jesus came, His primary thrust was not to reshape economic systems, although that has been a by-product in times past of His reshaping cultures. His primary thrust was to restore man to his rightful position. His primary thrust is to give us the revelation that He alone can restore us to that position, and that position is true riches. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

REVELATION 20
History is the study of the rise and fall of political regimes, machines, families and dynasties. Rarely does a nation last more than 400 years. A dynasty almost never lasts more than 500 years. A ruler never lives more than 100 years much less reign during that complete time. Fidel Castro was one of our longest ruling modern rulers having completed 49 years of rule in 2008. Yet our Lamb will reign for over 1,000 years! He will do so because He is the resurrection and the life. His rule will be completely just and equitable. His rule will be peaceful. There will be no corruption in His government. There will be no poverty in His Kingdom. Only those who have taken part in the first resurrection will be able to rule with Him in that Kingdom.
At the end of the 1,000 years he will allow Satan to be released for one more chance to try to deceive the nations. Satan will be able to gain some kind of following that will be able to lay siege to the beloved city. The Lord’s rule is so perfect that there will not even be a war. Fire will descend from heaven and consume all those who oppose Him. Then the Lord will judge all those who have died without having trusted Him. His rule is perfect. His administration is perfect. His warfare is perfect. His justice is perfect. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

December 28

2 CHRONICLES 33
I am amazed at the mercy of our Lord! No one was ever as wicked as Manasseh. He even made his own son pass through the fire, i.e. sacrificed him on a pagan altar. Not only was he personally wicked, but he also seduced “Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.” How could a man who had such a great father go so far astray? But obviously he went astray. But God disciplined him greatly. The king of Assyria came and took Manasseh into captivity. There he was disciplined. As the passage says:
12 Now when he was in affliction, he implored the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, 13 and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.
Isn’t that amazing? God would forgive a man who was such a low life! Indeed our God is a marvelous king! He forgives Manasseh and He forgives me! Wow! But I should never forget that even though Manasseh repented, it was too late. The people had been seduced, and the people did not repent.
Oh Lord, You are so kind and merciful to forgive me of my sin. You are so gracious to enable me to turn from my sin. Let me never presume upon Your mercy and grace! Rather whenever your Holy Spirit convicts me of sin, let me repent immediately turning to You. Indeed You are a merciful God! . Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

This is a partial view of the Valley of Ben Hinnom. It is taken from atop the edge of the road that runs South of the Old City walls. The valley runs downhill to the left where it eventually joins the Tyropean and Kidron Valleys. Somewhere in this valley, Manasseh sacrificed some of his sons in the fire to a pagan God. This earned it the nick name of Topheth, a place to be spit upon or abhorred. The cliffs have numerous caves and tombs dating to the first century A.D. For a while, it was used as a garbage dump. As a result, it burned and smoldered constantly. During times of siege and warfare around Jerusalem, it is thought that the valley was also used to burn the corpses of the war casualties. Because it was a burial place, and because of the fires, it became known as Gehenna (a corruption of the pronunciation of Ben Hinnom). It is also thought that the potter’s field or Aceldama (the place where Judas hung himself) was also located at the lower end of this valley. What a geographical contrast between two places of judgment! The valley represents irreparable destruction where Manasseh and other kings sacrificed their sons, where massive numbers of corpses were burned after times of warfare, where Judas went and hung himself after betraying the Son of God, where numbers of people were buried upon their deaths. Just up the hill near the top of Mount Moriah, the Son of God laid down His life at the request of His Father. There He experienced the judgment and wrath of the Father against our sin. The Father sacrificed His Son in our place to pay the penalty of our sin. There He raised the Son back to life again. He now offers eternal life to all who will repent of their trust in their own sacrifice and way of life and trust in His eternal sacrifice. What a contrast of the two locations nestled against each other! Downhill is Gehenna—judgment leading to irreparable loss. Uphill is Moriah—judgment leading to eternal life. The choice is ours!

PROVERBS 28
In 2012 I sat at dinner with a longtime friend. He mentioned how he was torn concerning the upcoming election. We had three candidates and none were that great of a choice. Obama was an abomination because of his ardent support of abortion and gay marriage. He did not feel that Romney could be trusted any farther than he could throw him. Paul wanted to abandon Israel; that is indeed dangerous. Verse 28 says, “When the wicked gain pre-eminence, other men hide; but at their fall the just flourish.” Certainly the last three years have demonstrated Obama’s true colors in relations to abortion, gay marriage and support of Israel.
This chapter covers a number of proverbs that all deal with rulers, the law, the people and the relationships that exist between all of them. But how does this all relate to the glory of the Lord Jesus? The issue of history is, “How will humans respond to the rule and reign of God.” We have been in rebellion since Adam and Eve. The theme of the Bible is the restoration of the Kingdom of God. One day Jesus will return, and He will be the supreme ruler of all the earth. He will in practice and not just title be King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the one who will rule in righteousness. He will properly define the beginning of human life and destroy those who take it wrongfully. He will be trusted in all of his rulings. Providing good paying jobs won’t be a difficult task. As for the nation of Israel, Jerusalem will be His throne and the descendants of Israel will inhabit the land surrounding it. He will bring peace to the city of Jerusalem. How could He possibly bring peace to such a troubled area? He is the One full of all understanding. He will hate the covetousness that drives the instability of the land and this earth (verse 16). As the all-wise, all-powerful ruler, He will know how to eliminate it. He will have the power to eliminate it. Now that is glory that far exceeds an Obama, a Romney, or a Paul. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

REVELATION 19
When the whore is destroyed, the bride is revealed. Who is the bride? We are His bride. We, who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, are His bride. Finally, the bride in all her resplendent glory comes forth! And what is foremost on her mind when she comes forth? It is declaring the glory of her husband the Lamb! The declaration of her praise for Him is so magnificent that John can only describe it as the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! . . .”
Then in the midst of her praise, He, the Lamb, is revealed. His glory is indeed awesome. He rides into the world as the King of kings and Lord of lords, with a description that captures the imagination, slaying those who oppose Him with a sword coming from His mouth. No one and no thing can resist His advance. And we, His bride, ride with Him. Dressed in white linen, we ride unassailed by the foe. The foe are all destroyed and the Beast and False Prophet are captured. He does it all effortlessly and simply by coming in His presence. This is our hope. This is what we look forward to. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

December 27

2 CHRONICLES 32
For the last year there have been some links to a YouTube floating around the internet that show President Obama mocking the Bible and by default, the Lord. One has to be careful with taking as fact what you see on YouTube; videos are easily manipulated and edited. Context for statements are extremely important. However, if the You Tubes are accurate, then I fear for Mr. Obama. He is walking on extremely shaky ground. It is one thing to ignore the glory of God. It is another thing to actively disparage His glory. Ask Sennacharib.
The Lord had used him to discipline Israel and other countries. But Sennacherib made himself proud. He had his officers mock the glory of the Lord as they besieged Jerusalem. Note the timing of the event according to the writer of the Chronicles, “After these deeds of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah.” What deeds of faithfulness? Hezekiah had just finished leading a mighty revival in Judah. It was one of the greatest acts of faithfulness of all times. Yet, the Lord permitted Sennacharib to enter. What’s up with that? Sometimes the Lord permits what appear to be great setbacks in order to reveal a greater glory later. And so it is with Sennacharib.
Sennacharib’s officers proclaimed things that ought not to be proclaimed. To those on the wall of Jerusalem, it probably sounded like the truth. But the statements belittled the Lord. They maligned His glory. At the time, it looked like they would do it with impunity. But God eventually repays those who blatantly offend His glory. So too, with Sennacharib.
Then the LORD sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor, leader, and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned shamefaced to his own land. And when he had gone into the temple of his god, some of his own offspring struck him down with the sword there.
Hezekiah should have learned from the obvious lesson. Rather, he became proud. The Lord had to discipline even him. The passage is quite telling at this point, “God withdrew from him, in order to test him that He might know all that was in his heart.” I haven’t translated the original at this point, but it appears that the translators of the NKJV thought the “He” referred to God because they capitalized it. I disagree. God does not need to know what is in our heart. He knows everything. “He” refers to Hezekiah. God tests us to show us what is in our own heart. We all stray from seeking to see the glory of God. We all stray into seeking our own glory. Even in the midst of God’s very own blessing, we do it. That is why it is incumbent upon us to seek His glory daily. Too easily, I forget. Too easily I can fall into seeking my own glory, and supposedly like Barak Obama, I defame the glory of God. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
P.S. In this chapter, when Hezekiah stopped up the springs, He also had a tunnel dug, diverting the water inside the city walls. Here are pictures of the tunnel.




PROVERBS 27:23-27
Two days ago I was walking my dogs in my son’s neighborhood. As we walked by a former neighbor’s house, we stopped to talk to him. As we were talking his cat came. The cat was obviously furious concerning the two dogs which we had on our leashes in the street. The cat crept closer and closer with his ears back and growling at the dogs. My standard golden doodle was quietly straining at the leash desiring to get the cat. I said to my neighbor, “That is a really brave cat.”
He responded, “Oh he loves to attack dogs. If he attacks, he would probably get the better of the dog.”
“Wow, an attack cat, interesting!” I replied. Hmm. . . I am reminded that Jesus said to the disciples in Matthew 10:16, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”
Lord, You are the great Shepherd. It is to Your glory that you tend Your flocks and take care of Your sheep. You have appointed me and the elders as under-shepherds to this flock called Christian Missionary Alliance Church. You instruct in a general sense the shepherds to know the condition of their flocks. Enable us to know the spiritual, emotional, mental, social and physical condition of our flock. Enable us to know our condition especially in relation to our purpose and our core values. Enable us to know how to teach, guide, protect and direct and equip each sheep so that it might fulfill its purpose within the development of Your flock and this congregation, not only in Stillwater but also in our state, district, nation and world. Make us all that You want us to become in being warrior, builder and valiant sheep in Your Kingdom. In relation to the enemy, make us attack sheep raiding the gates of hell to bring out new lambs in your flock. Keep us from attacking each other. Expand Your glory in us. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

REVELATION 18
It was the summer of ’72. Somewhere between eighty thousand and one hundred thousand of us had descended upon Dallas, TX for Explo ’72, a week-long world congress on evangelism and discipleship hosted by Campus Crusade for Christ International. Vendors of Christian books and goods were set up all over the place. I remember someone in charge of the congress announcing about 3/4ths of the way through the week that it had been reported to him that sales of books that would help in spiritual growth and discipleship had been quite sluggish while sales of Christian trinkets and t-shirts had been quite brisk. I remember a leader of the congress expressing his concern that we were perhaps getting caught up in the commercialization of Jesus rather than purchasing things that could really help us in our pursuit of Him, i.e. study books and discipleship books. The lure of merchandise surrounding the Lord has often been more alluring to us than an actual pursuit of His glory.
No doubt the world has always been that way. It is that problem that led to Jesus driving the money changers out of the temple. It is that problem that led to the Crusades. It is that problem that led to the church’s persecution of Martin Luther. I could list a host of other problems in the church to which this problem has led. It is that problem that leads to TV evangelists who rake in the money from viewers to spend the majority of it upon themselves. Doesn’t it seem like the Lord would do something about it? One day He will. The whore of Babylon is that movement of people who would exchange the glory of our Lord for the glory of this world. It always has the trappings of the real thing, but it is not really about the pursuit the glory of the Lamb. It is about the pursuit of one’s own glory. One day the Lamb will end it. He will destroy all the vestiges of those who would pursue their own glory. Only His glory will remain. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

December 26

2 CHRONICLES 31
Why do I give to the United States Treasury? I give for one overriding reason. If I do not, I will be charged penalties and interest. If I ignore the penalties and interest long enough, the U.S. Government will confiscate all my belongings to pay what I owe, or throw me in jail, or both. Why do I give to the State of Oklahoma, or the county of Payne? I give for the same reason that I give to the U.S. Government. If it were not forced, would I do it? Probably not. Yet, the federal, state, county and city governments provide services that greatly enhance my quality of life. Because of their work, I have good running water, sewer, electricity, natural gas, police protection, ambulance coverage, decent roads to drive upon, safety in travel from state to state, protection from foreign invaders, quality higher education for my children, etc. If the governments did not require it, would I still pay for the benefits? Hmmmm. . . I am pretty short sighted. I would pay if I saw the direct benefit. I would probably not pay if I did not see the direct benefit.
In the late 1800’s when the men at the Oklahoma A&M campus planted trees, did they do it for their benefit? No they did it for generations to come. Today I enjoy the shade and beauty of large oak and cypress trees on the OSU campus because of their foresight. They paid for others as well as themselves.
Hezekiah’s revival brought a renewed vision for the glory of the Lord. That glory required the service of many priests and Levites that had previously not been supported by the people. Hezekiah required the people to tithe. That requirement came at the height of the revival when the vision of the glory of the Lord had been renewed. Having seen the glory of the Lord and having the king’s requirement, the people brought in their tithes. Being an agrarian society, they stacked their tithes in three gigantic piles. They took 4 months to heap it all up. The leaders saw it and blessed the people. It could have been smaller heaps. The people could probably have cheated a little and succeeded, but they saw the glory of the Lord. It was worth it to them to give to the Lord.
It was an issue of value received for a gift given. They valued the glory of the Lord. He was worth their gift. Do I view Him that way? Jesus put it this way, “What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Am I so short sighted that I cling to the things of this world?” Is my focus on the value of the world or the value of His glory? When it is His glory, I will let go of the things of the world because they will pale in value compared to the things of the Lord. When it is the things of this world, I have to be commanded to give to His kingdom, and if I give, it is grudgingly. When my focus is His glory, His command is not burdensome. I am excited to participate in His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PROVERBS 26
There is a vine in North Carolina and Oklahoma that is popularly called, ‘cat’s claw’. It has kind of a heart shaped leaf. The vine itself is very strong and hearty. It likes to grown in bushes and will eventually take over a bush. The only way to get rid of it is to dig up its roots. It is hard to disentangle from a bush because of its multitude of thorns, hence the nick name ‘cat’s claw’. I have received more than one prick while trying to disentangle a bush from the clutches of a cat’s claw. It is easier to get rid of it when it is first beginning to climb the bush. I suppose one could use it as a weapon to cut and tear the skin of an enemy. But only a fool would use it.
Verse 10 says,

The great God who formed everything gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages.

This chapter is full of contrasts of fools and wise people, but this is the only verse that deals with the glory of God. As one scans the chapter for the folly of the fool it is easy to see many examples of fools in real life. At times in the past, I have been that fool. I pray that it is no longer so. Although, while I have been on vacation, I have to admit that I have been a little slow to turn on my bed. I like the companion (verse 9) comparison of the fool until I read some of the other translations. Wow, what a difference in meaning! Anyway a fool attempts to use his foolishness to satisfy himself, never understanding that God will eventually bring his foolishness back upon Himself.
Lord, You are the Great God who formed everything. Keep me from foolishness and foolish living. Let my wages be the wages of wisdom. I need Your empowerment in this. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

REVELATION 17
When my children were little, we would sometimes wrestle or pillow fight. Sometimes I would pretend that they were beating me. I would let them do their very best to do the very worst to me. Then I would overcome them. It would reveal how much stronger that I, as an adult, was than they as children. The Beast will do his best to overcome the Lamb. The Lamb will let them do their best to do their worst. It will reveal to us how great He is. It will add new meaning to us to His titles of ‘King of kings’ and ‘Lord of lords’.
But how does this beast and harlot attack the Lamb? They do it by attacking the followers of the Lamb throughout the world. Who is this Harlot? She is “Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth.” Babylon has always represented not only powerful military interests but also economic interests. It is these interests that invade the good earth of our lives (parable of the sower) and choke out the good seed. Even John, standing in heaven, when he saw her, marveled at her beauty. The Lord quickly brings him back and essentially says, “Wake up, John! What are you marveling at?” She is the religious/economic spirit that throughout the ages has tempted the followers of the Lamb to lie with her. Her beauty is most seductive and difficult to overcome. Without a constant gaze upon the beauty and riches of our Lord, we will be drawn into committing spiritual adultery with her. In this way she attacks the Lamb!
Perhaps the enemy at this very moment is attacking you. He is doing his very best to do his worst to you. He attacks you because in attacking you, He attacks the King of kings and Lord of lords. The King lets him do his best to do his worst. But it is only for a season and only to show how mighty He is through you. You and He will after all, overcome. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

December 25

2 CHRONICLES 30
Several years ago when Christmas fell on a Sunday, we had a baptism on Christmas morning. I filled the tank before I went home Friday. I remember years ago when First Baptist Church of BSL burned down early one Sunday Morning. The cause of the fire was traced to a faulty water pump/heater for the baptistery. With that in mind and since Christmas Eve was a Saturday, I decided to get up at 6:00 on Christmas morning to start the heater. It would just be done later. I didn’t want to be gone a day while the heater was running. Unfortunately, the pump seized up when I tried to start it. It became really hot to the touch. It was too late to call a plumber to fix the heater for the morning’s baptism. Sometimes things just don’t get done in time. Later in the morning, I learned that one of the baptismal candidates was ill. She and her husband could not attend. Their baptism would be done later. Sometimes things just have to be done later. We went ahead and had the baptisms with the other candidates. Brrrrr. . . it was cold.
The Passover is a celebration of Jesus. The Lord wants us to celebrate Him. It is His glory for us to celebrate Him. Sometimes things just don’t happen in time for it to happen. Sometimes things just don’t get done in time. As marvelous as was the revival in Hezekiah's day, it just did not get done in time to allow the priests to properly prepare for the Passover. But the law had a provision for celebrating the Passover in the second month for those who could not celebrate it in the first month. So, Hezekiah called the nation to celebrate the Passover in the second month. Sometimes things just have to be done later. It is the glory of the Lord to recognize this and mercifully allow for change. When there is real change going on in our lives, He makes allowance for us. He is so merciful to allow for my slowness, as long as there is real change going on. What was the result in Jerusalem? There was joy! Lord, keep the change going on in my life! Thank you for Your mercy in giving me more time. Keep me from presuming upon Your mercy! You are so glorious in Your patience with me! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PROVERBS 25
There is something about traveling, whether it is across the state, across the country to North Carolina, or across the world to Mongolia, that reminds me of how small I am. In the midst of the travel I must struggle to traverse the vast distances, but the distances are mere trifles in comparison to the vast distances of creation. In the midst of travel I encounter fantastic variety of information in different species, and am reminded that my Creator thought it all through. I am overwhelmed how He holds it all together.
While on vacation in North Carolina, visiting my son, daughter-in-law and grandson, I was bitten by something, an insect, a spider; I don’t know. My arm swelled and became extremely itchy. The bite mark became hard in the center started oozing. I checked the internet for types of possible spider bites. Purportedly there were not brown recluses in that area of the USA. The only antihistamine that I had with me was Claritin. It seemed to briefly help the swelling, hardness and itching, but it wore off quickly. I began thinking about the extreme complexity involved in the chemistry of a spider bite and other chemicals of the body. It is indeed a matter which is wholly hidden to us. Yet God has designed it all both in its creation and in its curse. He has concealed this matter.
Why does God conceal a matter? Indeed most of creation is matters which are hidden to us. The question sounds almost as if He is trying to hide something. Rather I think it is that He is so far greater than us in knowledge, power and virtue (infinitely so), and we are so far under Him that it appears that He has concealed all of these things. We will be infinitely studying matters which He has concealed (because He is infinite) and we will never exhaust the mysteries which He created or concealed. The ultimate mystery is Himself, the love that exists in the Godhead, and the marriage of the Son and His bride. That is His glory.
But there is another glory! It is the glory of kings to reveal what God has hidden. There is one King, the King of Kings, who reveals what God is like. The one who has seen Him, has seen the Father. The one who finds Him, finds the way to the Father. The one who knows Him, knows the Truth. The one who obtains Him, obtains life for the Father has granted Him to have life in Himself. The one who has Him has the perfect exegesis of the One is above all else. That is the glory of the Lord Jesus. He is both the one who conceals all things as their creator, as well as the one who makes everything known. That is part of his glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

REVELATION 16
Are the judgments of the Lamb righteous? Of course they are righteous! One might respond that one is taking the word of God too literally to say that every judgment of the Lamb is taking the passage too literal. What is to keep me from saying that every passage that does not satisfy me emotionally is not to be taken literally?
I was talking with my father-in-law. He asked me, “You don’t believe that God really sends people to hell to burn forever?” I nodded my head indicating that I do believe that God sends people to hell to burn forever. He responded, “I think that you take the Bible too literally.” The implication of his comment is that such a judgment is unrighteous. Now I did not argue the point with him. I believe that if someone does not want to believe the word of God, then no logical argument, no matter how logical, will be useful. Believing God is mostly an act of the will not of the intellect. It is a spiritual thing not intellectual; although, the intellect does play into it. If one wants to believe, then the intellectual questions must be addressed, for God does not ask us to shelve our intellects. He expects us to love Him with all of our minds. So for those who choose to love God, the intellect must be addressed as much as possible. But for those who choose not to love God, it does not matter how logical your argument, the intellect is never satisfied.
I suppose that if the book of Revelation were the only place in the Bible that talked about eternal flames of hell, then my father-in-law would have a good point. Revelation is a book of imagery. Often times one wonders whether the images of the Revelation are be taken literally or whether to ask what does the image mean and then conclude that the meaning behind the image is literal. But the references to eternal judgment are not found only in the book of Revelation. Jesus, Himself, warns against doing something that would cause one to, “Go into hell into the fire that shall never be quenched—where, ‘Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’” (Mark 9:42-48; Matthew 5:29,30; 18:8,9) If this does not refer to an eternal punishment, then what does it mean?
What does it mean that God is eternal? Part of the meaning is that time is part of His creation, which necessarily means that He exists outside of time. He sees and knows all things at once. For Him, everything could be considered one eternal now. If sin is committed, then it is committed against an eternal God. That sin is eternally before Him. If He is just, then His justice must eternally judge a sin that is eternally before Him. This He did in the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ. If one refuses to receive the Lamb’s eternal payment for one’s sin, then that refusal is eternally before God. The payment that the Lamb made is applied only to those persons who receive Him. It would be unjust of God to not eternally punish those persons who refuse to receive Him. That is why Jesus says, “He who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
His judgments are indeed righteous and true. It is emotionally painful for us to think of any one being tortured for eternity. Perhaps that is because we really do not understand righteousness and justice and why the unrighteous cling to their decisions when pardon is offered. He is righteous in all of His judgments. Eternal sin demands eternal justice. The Lamb gives both eternal mercy and eternal justice. That is part of His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

December 24

2 CHRONICLES 29
What a celebration! It is the glory of our Lord that He desires for us to return to Him as did Hezekiah in this day. Ahaz had left a horrid legacy for Hezekiah. Under Ahaz’s authority, “They. . .shut up the doors of the vestibule, put out the lamps, and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel.” It is a sad day when we quit seeking the glory of the Lord. But equally so, it is a joyful day when we return to seeking Him. Notice the order that the Levites took to seeking the Lord. First they cleansed the temple then they offered themselves and sacrificed. Remember sacrifices speak of the Lord Jesus. Finally there was great unity and rejoicing together.
One day we will all sit down at the marriage supper of the Lamb. Our cleansing will be complete. The sacrifices will be done. We will enjoy His glory. We will enjoy each other. It is the glory of the Lord that He desires such unity. O Lord speed that day! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PROVERBS 24
I remember clearly when I first heard of Randall Terry’s Operation Rescue. It was a radio report of a protest which he was leading at an abortion death chamber in Wichita, Kansas. Convinced that life begins at conception, Mr. Terry reasoned that to do nothing about abortion was to be an accomplice to the death of the innocents in the womb. At the same time, he was committed to the non-violence principles of the Scripture. He rallied his supporters around Proverbs 24:11-12:

Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, "Surely we did not know this," Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?

How do you rescue those bound for death without violence? You lay down your life and place your body between them and the executioner. You go limp when the police try to drag you away. You may remember the result. Randall Terry and his followers were arrested multiple times in many cities. It was quite frustrating for the pro-death advocates. His ministry was slowing down the death trafficking, but it was not eliminating it. Finally the U.S. government used the Racketeering Laws to bring an end to his radical involvement.
Unable to continue his protests, Mr. Randall has sought other means to bring an end to the abortion practices of our country. Among them was a run for the Presidency on the Democratic ticket against President Obama. In Oklahoma he received 18,400 votes or 18 percent in Oklahoma’s Democratic Primary. Numerically it was enough to secure one delegate at the National Convention; however, he did not get the proper paper work in, so he lost the delegate. One has to admire his desire to stand against what he sees as evil. He surely has done what he could to end the American death march which has now interred without a funeral over 58,000,000 since 1973.
That is the positive side of Mr. Terry. However, if one would go the Operation Rescue website at http://www.operationrescue.org/about-us/who-we-are , one would find a darker side to Mr. Terry. My using him as an example does not mean I endorse him whole heartedly. Indeed it would seem that since Mr. Terry and Operation Rescue parted ways that Operation Rescue has taken a higher road of ethics than has Mr. Terry. But I do think that he provides a somewhat interesting type of Christ.
What does this have to do with the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ? Jesus, the eternal Word of God saw that we were headed for death. He placed Himself on the line. The police came and took Him to His place of death. He volunteered to place His body between us and the wrath of God. He died to take our death, experiencing the full wrath of God. He rose again to defeat our death. Now He offers pardon and peace to all who will trust in Him. He does not just give wise advice in His word, He does it! Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

REVELATION 15
Fire in the Scripture is frequently a symbol of the judgment of God. Fire burns away the impurities leaving only the pure metals. Fire kills bacteria leaving clean vessels. Here the saints who have victory are seen standing on a sea of glass mingled with fire. We presume that the fire does not burn or harm them because that which is dross has already been burned away. Even in the midst of God’s holiness, they stand victorious because the Lamb has removed their sin and given them His righteousness.
They sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. Presumably The Song of Moses is the one recorded in Exodus 15. It is the song that he and the children of Israel sang after God’s mighty deliverance from the Egyptians through the Red Sea. The song of the Lamb for the saints would be the song we sing because He has delivered us. He brings us safe through His judgments. He took the judgment for us on our behalf. It is a great and marvelous work! It truly demonstrates once again that He is the Almighty. His deliverance is just. He cannot be accused in any way of injustice. His deliverance is true. It is completely consistent with all of what He is like. He indeed is holy in all that He has done!
After His judgment is done, He opens His tabernacle and temple. The saints cannot enter at first, because it is filled with His wrath. His wrath is still hot against those who refuse to trust in the Lamb. Once the wrath is removed, the saints, we, are invited into His presence. For this we are destined, to enjoy forever the presence of the Almighty God without interference from any sin or unholiness. It will be pure ecstasy. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

December 23

2 CHRONICLES 27-28
My first summer church camp experience before my 8th grade year resulted in repentance on my part for the way I had been living. Repentance resulted immediately in a willingness to help clean up around the cabin before we left for home. I did not have to be told to help. I wanted to help. So I pitched in without being told. That Sunday as the youth leader gave the report to the church, she presented me with an award for willingly helping to clean the campsite. I was given an award for something I should have been doing anyway. Imagine that! It is the glory of our Lord that He should bless us when we do what we should be doing anyway. Jotham is an illustration of this principle.
It is the glory of the Lord that He disciplines those who are disobedient. Yet it is also His glory to temper His discipline with mercy. What a contrast between Jotham and Ahaz! Ahaz deserved to be removed as King. The Lord used the wicked Israel and Syria to discipline Ahaz. He granted to Ahaz’s enemies the ability to defeat his army. The enemies went beyond what the Lord intended for them to do. The Lord tempered his discipline of Ahaz by forcing the return of the captives. This is mercy.
It is also the glory of the Lord to motivate His servants to do insanely courageous things. Oded is an example of that. It was common practice in ancient days for conquering armies to enslave the subjugated armies. Any resistance would be met with death or enslavement, take your pick. Oded went to the leaders of Israel and Syria—not followers of the Lord—and rebuked them for enslaving the subjugated army of Judah. Wow! That is insanely courageous! May his tribe ever increase. Why would he do that? I can only think that it was because he knew the glory of the Lord. He would rather have a clear vision of the glory of the Lord than live free! Sorry Braveheart, but there is something better than freedom! It is experiencing the glory of the Lord. Lord, may Your glory be my only vision! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PROVERBS 23
What is ancient? Growing up in Oklahoma, ancient was any building over 100 years old. I went to Israel last summer. Ancient had a different connotation there. Archeologists in Israel regularly dig at sites that are uncontestably up to 4,500 years old. So what is ancient? The Free Dictionary defines ancient as:

1. Of great age; very old.2. Of or relating to times long past, especially those of the historical period before the fall of the Western Roman Empire (A.D. 476). . . 4. Having the qualities associated with age, wisdom, or long use; venerable.

By definition #2, Oklahoma has next to nothing that is ancient. We have the Spiro Mounds which are ancient Native American burial grounds, but in terms of human artifacts, that is about the extent of all of it. Israel on the other hand, almost every community has areas with history dating back at least 1,600 years. If we take the fourth definition as our definition, then Oklahoma is rich in oral history of its Native American tribes.
So what does the Proverb mean when it say, “10Do not remove the ancient landmark?” Literally it refers to the stones and markers, which were difficult to move, which delineated property boundaries. If one could stealthily move the boundaries, one could increase the size of one’s own property. But, must the ancient landmark refer to property boundaries? What if it also referred to moral boundaries which are associated with age, wisdom, or long use? Could it be that such tampering might result in an increase in the number of fatherless in the culture? A case could be made that the good intentions of welfare regulations begun in the war on poverty and Johnson’s Great Society have over the years evolved and, along with other influences, resulted in producing a generation of fatherless children. The result of generations of fatherless children has not only produced a deeper divide between the rich and the poor in our country, but it has also produced predators upon those children.
Both those who moved the boundaries and those who prey upon the fatherless should beware. For their Redeemer is mighty. He will one day plead their cause to the judge of all the earth. That redeemer is the Ancient of Days. That redeemer is full of glory. We must remember that we must give an account to Him for all our actions. This demands that we fear Him all the day. There surely is a hereafter, and we will give an account to Him. In this we hope. In this we make our decisions. We make them knowing that He is more ancient than all. We make them knowing that He knows where the ancient boundaries were set. We make them knowing that He will righteously judge according to His ancient standard, not our modern thought. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

REVELATION 14
Somehow, somewhere, I picked up this feeling that all anger is sin, that all wrath is sin. But that is not true. There is a holy anger. There is a righteous anger. There is a holy wrath. If I observed an adult savagely beating a two year old, and I did not become angry, there would be something wrong with me. I think that example establishes that there is such a thing as holy wrath. There must be wrath against gross injustice, or there is no justice.
One spring I was at a men's retreat. One of the other men who was there was just back from a tour of duty with the Army in Iraq. He had a couple of jobs while he was there. One was clearing houses and buildings, searching for weapons stashes. Another job was that on a few occasions he had to open some mass graves that Sadam's men had created. He felt that even if we never found any weapons of mass destruction, he felt that we were justified in removing Sadam. To see all the relatives of these dead people come to the mass graves looking and hoping to find something of a lost loved one, and then thank the soldiers for their service, demonstrated to him that Sadam needed to be removed. Why? Because a gross injustice was being committed, it had to be stopped. Now lest you get caught up in the validity of the soldier's evaluation in the illustration, don't miss the point. The point is that at some point wrath against injustice is valid, or there is no justice at all.
Hitler had to be taken out. The murder of 16,000,000 people cried out for holy wrath to avenge their murders! The question becomes, "At what point is holy wrath no longer valid?" Is it at 8,000,000? Is it at 8,000? Is it at 8? Is it at one? Is murder the only sin that deserves holy wrath? How about sexual immorality? Well how bad does the sexual immorality have to be? How about lying? Well how bad does the lie have to be? How about stealing? Well how bad does the stealing have to be? How about coveting? Well how bad does the coveting have to be?
In Rev. 14 we again see the wrath of the Lamb. I love the way this is balanced. Once again notice that before the wrath of God falls, the Lamb is emphasized. Remember John the Baptist's saying of Jesus, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world?" The Lamb was slain as our substitute because of the wrath of God against all sin and breaking of God's law. This Lamb is the one executing the wrath of God. Again note that it is against those who will not follow the Lamb. For those who trust the Lamb, the wrath of God is satisfied in the Lamb's sacrifice. Note also that before the wrath falls, an angel is sent with the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. They are given every opportunity to repent and they will not. (It is interesting to note that God's normal method of preaching the gospel is through people, not angels.) God's wrath is just. Sinners, who refuse to repent and believe in Jesus, deserve exactly what they have asked for, eternal separation from God. It is the glory of the Lamb that He became their substitute, that He defeated death, that He freely offers life to those who will believe, that those who refuse His free offer should be forever tormented in the presence of that Lamb.
Some hate to talk about the wrath of God. Some even deny the wrath of God. But for God to be just there must be wrath. For God to be glorious, He must be just. If God is just, at some point there must be wrath against injustice. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

December 22

2 CHRONICLES 26
Uzziah’s fame spread far and wide, till he became strong. But when he was strong, he transgressed against the LORD his God by entering the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. It is only for the priests to burn incense. I am so tempted to want to receive praise for the things I do. Whenever I seek the praise of man, whenever the praise of others is my motivation for action, I am infringing on the glory of the Lord. Uzziah had been abundantly blessed by the Lord. In that blessing he became deceived thinking that God had elevated him to a place that he had not been elevated. How could he possibly have thought that? That is the subtle temptation of pride. If we could see it coming, it would not overtake us. How could Satan have thought that He could elevate himself to God’s level? How could he ever have thought, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High?” Yet he did, and Uzziah followed in his steps. If we have an elevated view of ourselves and devalued view of His glory, we too will follow in his steps. Lord, let me constantly know who I am and who You are! Break down the pride in me! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PROVERBS 22
“A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold.” What does it mean to be rich or poor? Some years ago our church hosted Getting Ahead circles. In the circles we regularly mention that poverty is not always economic poverty. There are many kinds of poverty other than economic. There is emotional poverty, spiritual poverty, relational poverty, family poverty, intellectual poverty. You can probably think of a few other types of poverty. Just as there are many types of poverty, there are also many types of riches. I remember one time, when I was very young (at least under 6), asking my mother if we were rich. I had never had any memory of not having something which we needed. She gave a very perceptive but non-committal answer, “Some would say we are. What does it mean to be rich?” I was too young to understand the question, much less give a good answer. Looking back on it, of course my question was in relation to financial poverty. My parents were always able to give us what we needed, if not what we wanted. Is that rich? At least 1/3 of the 7 billion people in the world would say so. It was before Johnson’s war on poverty, and I suspect that we would have been ranked at just barely above the poverty level of the USA.
I learned from watching how they lived (raise up a child) that a good name is to be chosen rather than riches. I know that from 1981 through 1994, if you look at my Social Security records, it would reveal that my income was below the U.S. government’s standard for poverty for a household of four. But I was more interested in choosing to follow the Lord than to pursue financial riches. Many of those years we would have been eligible for food stamps and other government programs. There was only one government program which we used, WIC. Why? We wanted our Father to be our primary care giver. We wanted His name to be exalted in us.
Jesus set the example. He gave up the riches of heaven to become one of His creatures. Not only did He give up riches, but He took my spiritual poverty upon Himself going to the cross, dying a transgressor’s death, experiencing the wrath of the Father against my sin. The Father recognized the great love that His Son had for Him because the Son chose the name of the Father rather than great riches. Because of this excellent choice, the Father gave Him a name above any other name that at the name of Jesus every knee would bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord! He exalted the living Word above His name.
Ever notice the relationship in Scripture between name, word and deed? Consider the following Scriptures:

Psalm 138:2 I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
Isaiah 45:23 (The Living Bible) I have sworn by myself, and I will never go back on my word, for it is true—that every knee in all the world shall bow to me, and every tongue shall swear allegiance to my name.
John 17:6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.
Revelation 19:13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Deeds are performed because of choices which are made. Choices are made upon the basis of the understanding which we have of them. The understanding we have of them comes as a result of the words spoken about them. The deeds, choices and words done by or for someone all contribute to the glory or defamation of their name. Jesus, the Eternal Word of God, communicates to us the value of what God is like. He performed deeds which explain God. He made choices which reveal what God is like. His greatest choice in relation to us is the cross. The cross speaks deeds and words of what God is like. Simultaneously the cross speaks of God’s intense hatred for sin and passionate love within the Trinity and for us.
Does God hate sin? Absolutely! Just look at the cross! That is what God does to sin! Does The Son love the Father? Absolutely! Just look at the cross! Jesus was willing to endure the cross for the love of the Father. Does God love me? Absolutely! Just look at the cross! Jesus was willing to become sin in my place so that the punishment of my sin might be carried out upon Him rather than me. Is God able to change me? Absolutely! Just look at the resurrection! He could raise Jesus from the dead after 3 days. He can also enliven me so that I may live victoriously over sin. All of this glorifies His name. It stemmed from a choice, deed and words that Jesus did. Lord let me ever live in that choice, those deeds resting in those words for they bring glory to Your Name!!! In all of this I am rich! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

REVELATION 13
It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe tongue, and nation. . . . Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. Satan is incapable of beating the Lamb and he knows it. Yet he continues in his rebellion. The only way that he can diminish the glory of the Lamb is by coercing those who have chosen to receive the Lamb to despair and give up. The Lamb could respond in one of two ways. He could put a hedge around those who receive Him and not allow the temptation. Or He could allow Satan to attack and see if His followers will remain steadfast in the midst of the attack. Which will bring the Lamb more glory? It would seem to me that to stand steadfast in the midst of a horrible ordeal because one has found the Lamb's glory more valuable than comfort, speaks more loudly of the Lamb's glory than to be coddled in comfort, never having been aware that you have been protected from a fierce enemy.
In our time of serving the Lord, Laura and I have experienced-at no direct fault of our own-financial deprivation, rejection, death of loved ones, false accusations, illnesses etc. While I don't necessarily want to go through any of those experiences again, I am well within the mark when I say that in each and every situation, when it seemed the darkest, the Lord met us and walked us, if not carried us, through the situation. And at some of those times, His presence was so strong that I would have been willing to continue on in those situations for the sheer joy of experiencing His presence. Satan cannot do anything to us without it being granted to him by the Lamb. What blessed opportunities to show the glory of the Lamb! He suffered and died for me. I am willing to live, suffer and die for Him. In so doing I have the privilege of increasing His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

December 21

2 CHRONICLES 25
Amaziah began his reign by properly executing his father’s murderers. However, he quickly went downhill from there. He first disobeyed the Lord by numbering the men of Israel in order to determine the strength of the army. Then based upon the census, he hired soldiers from Ephraim to fight for him. Both acts were forbidden by the Lord. As a result, the Lord rebuked him through the prophet. But he had already spent 100 talents hiring the Ephraimites. The Lord told him to let it go; He could provide much more. Amaziah reluctantly obeyed. The Lord forgave Amaziah. However, Amaziah had to live with the consequences of his sin. He lost the 100 talents, and the Ephraimites attacked his territory while he was fighting the Edomites. God had already been abundantly merciful to Amaziah, but Amaziah presumed on the mercy of the Lord. Amaziah then spiraled into even greater sin.
What do I see about the glory of the Lord? He is merciful. He gave Amaziah much opportunity to repent, but eventually Amaziah’s refusal to repent led to Amaziah’s discipline and eventual death. The justice of the Lord is thus played out in the acts of men. How is his glory seen here? He is shown as both merciful and just. That is my Jesus. He is ever compassionate and merciful. However, one day an end comes where He ceases to wait for our obedience. He is just. I also see that I can freely let go of what I think is a great sum of money. He is able give it all back to me if He desires. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PROVERBS 21
David probably stopped to ponder his actions. He must have justified himself many times. Each time that he took another wife, he surely justified himself. After all many others had multiple wives, why shouldn’t he? He once had vowed to kill a man for snubbing him and his troops after they had spent endless hours protecting him. Fortunately the man’s wife and the Lord intervened. The man died. David was more than willing to take the beautiful widow as his wife. But this new circumstance was a little different. This widow’s husband was intensely loyal to David. David had coveted her before her husband died. David had yielded to that temptation and seduced her while her husband was on the battlefield fighting for David’s cause. David arranged to have him put in a battle situation where he would surely die, and he was killed.
How could a man after God’s own heart justify such a course of action? The deception of our own hearts is ever deep. David must have thought, “I am king; I have the right to do as I please.” Kings throughout history have often taken the wives of other men and forced themselves upon them. Perhaps he reasoned even that it was his Divine right. After all had he not be faithful to “touch not the anointed of the Lord” for more than a decade? Had he not done everything possible to wait upon the Lord to bring him the rule of kingship over Israel? Did not more than a decade of running in the desert leading what many considered to be an army of thieves finally warrant some kind of perks? Didn’t he deserve this? And why should one night with the man’s wife matter to the man. After all she had promised that she would never tell him. No one would ever know. The complication of the whole matter was that she had become pregnant. No problem, bring the man home to enjoy marital conjugation with the woman, and everyone would think the child was the man’s. But the man had an unusual sense of honor. He refused to enjoy a night with his wife while his companions were on the field of battle. Do you suppose he knew what had happened? How could David ever justify this? For the good of the image of the office of the king, this matter must be discretely taken care of. He was the commander-in-chief. He would simply place the man in a unit where he would likely be killed. It was after all his prerogative. After all, he was King!
Even a man after God’s own heart can make his perverted ways seem right in his own eyes. If David could fall prey to it, so can I. Even Solomon, a man blessed with wisdom and riches beyond any other, could fall prey to it, so can I. What are we to do? There is only one solution. I must throw myself upon the grace of our Lord imploring Him to constantly weigh my heart and show it to me. I can never be satisfied with the condition of my heart yesterday. The question is, “Where is my heart today?” Yes, I may have had a great interaction with the Spirit of the Lord and His word yesterday, but what about today? The glory of our Lord Jesus is that He will weigh our heart today and share with us the results, but we must pursue Him. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

REVELATION 12
In the fall of my sophomore year in high school, I weighed all of 135 pounds and that was stretching it a bit. I went out for football. We had 6 strings on the team. I was on the sixth. The coach used to have the sixth string run against the first string. We would run the plays which the upcoming opponent would probably be running. Our first string had a guy on it who was about 235 pounds and made all-state tackle. He was pure muscle. One particular practice I had the opportunity to be on defense against him and to be the one who he was privileged to block. They were practicing a screen pass, which meant not only was he blocking me, but he had would be hitting me at a full run. My demise was sudden, airborne and painful. As I collected myself from various parts of the field, I remember the head coach, who couldn't even call my name without looking on the name tag on my helmet, say, "Now protect yourself, Chaffin." My thought was, "Give me a Smith & Wesson, and I will protect myself." I was a nameless player in an inglorious effort against an impossible foe.
Sometimes in this world it seems as though we are nameless players in an inglorious effort against impossible foes. Satan has always opposed the work of God. He sought to destroy Jesus. He thought he had destroyed Jesus when he had Him nailed to the cross. Ah but God raised Him up on the third day, and then He ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven. But Satan remains in opposition to us. He seeks to make us feel like we are nameless players in an inglorious effort against an impossible foe. But our Lamb is an attack Lamb. Our Lamb has overcome on our behalf! We enter into that victory as we trust in the effectiveness of His blood, speak His glory and remain faithful to the death.
We are not nameless players. Jesus knows our names-even shedding His blood for us. It is not an inglorious effort. No one else may know our effort, but He knows, and He's the only one who counts. The foe is doomed. His time is short. He is not impossible. One day Satan's demise will be eternally sudden, airborne and painful. Death may come for us, but that is only the beginning of our victory. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the testimony of our mouths. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

December 20

2 CHRONICLES 24
Thank God for godly mothers. I have one. My faith in the Lord is partly what it is because of her faith. Joash’s momma was from the South. She was from Beersheba. There is a general principle in Geographic theology found in the Bible that the southern Bible lands are associated with desert living. Yet it seems often that is in the desert that God reveals Himself. The northern Bible lands are green and lush. Yet it seems often in the abundance of the greenery and goods that God is lost. Joash’s momma was from Beersheba, about as far south as one would want to live in Israel. Farther south is habitable, but not desirable. Athaliah was from the north. It was more desirable to live there, but it was also where idol worship was more common. The godly influence of his mother Zibiah and the high priest Jehoiadah combined to fashion Joash as a king who sought the Lord until Jehoiadah died.
That was Joash’s problem. His faith was Jehoiadah’s faith, not his own faith. He had never come to learn for Himself the great glory of the Lord! So when Jehoiadah was gone, he listened to the people and became concerned for his own glory rather than the glory of the Lord. He was so enamored with his own glory that he could not handle the rebuke brought to him by Zechariah, his old mentor’s son. Surely Zechariah would have been like a step-brother or uncle to him. Yet, Joash killed Zechariah in defense of his own glory. Lord, help me keep my eyes on Your glory and not my own! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PROVERBS 20
Many times I have declared something to the effect of, “This is where God is leading me,” only to find that while the first step was where He was leading me, subsequent steps force me elsewhere. Am I so dense that I do not properly hear the voice of my Lord? It could be. It could be that I am so disobedient that I am not in tune with His voice. Then again the proverb says, “24A man’s steps are of the LORD; How then can a man understand his own way?” It is that old “sovereignty of God/free will of man” debate. How can man truly have free will if God is truly sovereign? How can God be truly sovereign if man has free will? I think I have heard most of the arguments on both sides. It is not an argument that is unique to Christianity. It is an argument that exists in all religions. I have never been satisfied with any answers that I have read. I simply have come to live with the tension that both are true.
I genuinely believe that I am free to decide. Yes, I understand that when I first chose to sin (whether in Adam or in my early childhood), I became enslaved to sin. To some degree, I lost the ability to choose, but never the less I chose Christ. Somehow Christ lets me do that. Yet somehow, He chose me first. Theologians have always struggled with how to explain it. Wesley talked of prevenient grace. Jonathan Edwards, of course, was embroiled in a debate over the issue that cost him a great deal. Both of these were men with intellect far greater than mine. If they cannot explain it, why should I think that I can explain it any better than they? I am not highly motivated to try to understand it. I simply declare, “God is sovereign, and I must choose. I can live with both.” Some of you may think that is a cop out. Maybe it is, but I don't care.
He sometimes directs me in one direction by using things or saying things that I do not fully grasp. That is part of the adventure. It is part of the challenge. If I want to partake, then I must stay at His side. Daily He unfolds a little bit more of His glory as I wait on Him to reveal a little more of Himself. He does it in small increments so that I will stay at His side. I get into trouble when I get too far away. My steps are of the Lord. I really don’t know for sure where I will be tomorrow, or in a year. That is part of the adventure of experiencing His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

REVELATION 11
The Mighty Angel of God sends his two witnesses to the earth to prophesy and call people to repentance. Armed with miracles, signs and wonders the witnesses preach but are opposed and then murdered by the beast. The beast, seeking to emphasize his triumph, leaves their dead bodies in the street for 3.5 days. For followers of the Lamb, it is a dark time. It looks like the beast has triumphed. Then God resurrects the witnesses in the presence of their enemies. All the world sees their new life, and then they are called to heaven. In heaven it is declared that the second woe is past, and the seventh angel sounds his trumpet. I cannot read this passage without Handel's Hallelujah Chorus coming to mind.
Loud voices begin to say, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” That's fine for those in heaven who can hear the exultation and know the truth. But what about those people left on earth who want to follow the Lamb? All they have seen is His two witnesses destroyed, resurrected and then called back to heaven. They still have to live in the junk floating around them. Do they realize what is going on? This revelation is given to all who are in midst of hard times. Indeed His kingdom will one day rule over all others. To this revelation we must cling when times are rough and impossible.
The Lord God Almighty is described as the One who is and who was and who is to come. Five times a phrase similar to this is used in Revelation to describe God. John uses it in1:4 to describe God. Jesus uses it in 1:8 to describe Himself. The four living creatures use it to describe the One seated upon the throne in 4:8. The twenty-four elders use it here to describe the Lord God Almighty. The angel of the waters uses it to describe the Lord God Almighty in 16:5. Each time it is used in a slightly different manner, but the phrase has the same basic meaning. He has great power. He was. He used the power to become flesh and deliver us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. His grace is ever flowing over us. He is. He is the one who rules in heaven right now while this junk is going on in our lives and on this earth. His mercy is constantly revealed giving people opportunity to repent. He is to come. His wrath will One day be revealed against those who will not repent. He will return, and then everything will be set straight.
Are you having a hard time hanging on? Focus on Him who was and is and is to come. We cannot lose that focus! He is our life! He is glorious! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

December 19

2 CHRONICLES 22-23
Almost every month we read of a country where there is civil unrest. Regimes are constantly being challenged and often over thrown. The single greatest contributor to poverty worldwide is the greed of men which leads to civil unrest, which leads to the destruction of economic systems. The struggle is to become the most comfortable. Even the Crusades with their religious verbage were really more a result of greed than truly acting upon spiritual principle. But these coups first led by Athaliah and then against her by Jehoiadah were not merely civil coups. They were also a struggle of religion, a struggle of gods.
Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, had strong connections with Baal worship. She had seen her mother’s prophets defeated by Elijah. She had seen how Elijah had commanded the execution of the 450. She had been pushed into an arranged marriage with Jehoram, Jehoshaphat’s son. Now with her husband’s death, she had opportunity to manipulate the kingdom through her son Ahaziah (named for Athaliah’s brother Ahaziah, king of Israel). Unfortunately for her, Ahaziah, her son died only a year into his reign. His death followed the prophecy of Elisha, prophet of Yahweh. Under the instruction Elisha, one of the sons of the prophets anointed Jehu king of Israel. Jehu killed Jezebel, Athaliah’s mother, Joram, Athaliah’s brother and Ahaziah, Athaliah’s son. She was none too happy with Yahweh! She couldn’t stand the thought of any of her grandchildren becoming influenced by this Judean God, Yahweh. She was driven to destroy any worship of Yahweh. She lay claim to the throne of Judah, perhaps with the thought of reuniting it with the throne of Israel. But while any Judean Yahweh descendants remained, her claim would be invalid in Judah, and she would be held suspect in Israel. The solution? Kill the offspring of Jehoshaphat, claim the throne of Judah and raise an army to destroy Jehu to re-unite the countries into one strong country under her Baal god.
There was a catch. She was not just manipulating people. She was in a real sense trying to manipulate Yahweh. He will not permit such bold manipulation. By divine providence one child escaped. He came under the watch care of Jehoiadah, the high priest. Jehoiadah planned his coup carefully and well. It was successful. The boy king began to reign. Athaliah was executed. The temple of Baal was torn down by the people. Yahweh prevailed! Ultimately, He will prevail in every coup! It may be generations before the coup is put down, but He will prevail. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PROVERBS 19
When I married my wife, my father-n-law was unemployed. I paid for the wedding. I never really expected any great inheritance. To my surprise, when he passed away, we received an inheritance that more than enabled us to pay off our house. Indeed in our situation, the Scripture is true when it says, “Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers.” Thank you, Bill. On the other hand, I have a wife who is understanding and wise, or in other words, prudent. “But a prudent wife is from the LORD.” Yes, she is a gift from the Lord. Thank you, Jesus. Because of You, I have found her; I have found a good thing and obtained favor from You! Indeed you are glorious! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

REVELATION 10
Have you ever eaten anything that was sweet in your mouth but bitter in your stomach? I have. It seems that as I get older, my digestive system does not work as well as it used to work. I love homemade bread. I love things made with cheese (pizza, lasagna, etc.). I am finding that if I eat those things till I am full that I always get bad indigestion. It seems also that the combination of bread and cheese is particularly effective at producing indigestion. The things of this earth are sweet in our mouths. But they eventually sour. The bitterness is a result of the sin of mankind.
Jesus is the One who created all the beauty that we see. He is the author of the things we enjoy. Our sin has polluted it. It causes His once good creation to bring bitterness to our lives. BUT He is the one who will bring it to an end. It is a mystery how He created it good, we ruined it, but He will restore it. He will bring it to an end. He will finish it. That is His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

December 18

2 CHRONICLES 21
One of the saddest experiences of my life was the first funeral that I was asked to perform. It was the funeral of the mother of a man whose little girls had attended our VBS. They had no church home. So when his mother passed away, he had no one to turn to but me. I had never met the woman before and had only met him on a couple of occasions. Before the funeral I met with him to try to learn about the life of his mother. He could not come up with one good memory concerning his mother. The best that I could ascertain, she did not know the Lord. The man had siblings but they refused to come to the funeral. It was a graveside funeral. It rained. He, his wife and two daughters and myself were the only ones that showed up. No tears were shed. What happens when we radically reject the glory of the Lord? Ask Jehoram. He died from his intestines gradually falling out day-by-day. When he died, it was to, “no one’s sorrow.” He wasn’t even buried with the other kings of Jerusalem. How does this show the glory of the Lord? It only shows the ultimate result of not pursuing Him. His glory is that which changes us from a life like Jehoram’s to one that is worth living. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PROVERBS 18
I remember my sister relating a story that happened to a friend of hers. Her friend was coming out of a building in a city. It was evening and she was alone. It was summer, so the windows in her car were down. As she was starting her car, a man walked up and reached through her window and grabbed her wrist. Obviously she was terrified. Almost instinctively she called out, “Jesus!”-not as a curse word but as a prayer. The expression on the man’s instantly changed from menace to fear. He let go of her wrist, turned and ran. “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.” The name of the Lord is always a place of safety in the long haul. Granted, sometimes the Lord does not deliver His saints in such a manner. Just look at the high number of martyrs not only throughout the centuries, but especially today. But even in those cases, in the long haul, he brings His loved ones safely home to his presence.
Contrast this with the person who trusts elsewhere for their protection. In America, where might that be? America was the wealthiest society that world had ever seen. Oh there were other societies that were wealthier, but none had wealth spread as much across the board of the populace as the USA until a few decades ago. The last three decades has seen a dramatic increase in the USA between the wealthy and the impoverished. The divide has grown greater while the middle class has been shrinking. The number of people with “golden parachutes” has steadily grown. To share the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ with the wealthy and see a corresponding response of repentance and belief is very rare. Why? It is because the rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own esteem. He has been ensnared by the glory of riches. He sees no need for the glory of the Lord.
Such pride! The minor prophets had much about which to warn the wealthy. Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty—so it is with the wealthy and their wealth. But in the long haul of things, before honor is humility. Nothing has been more dramatically demonstrated than that. It was made clear in the Lord Jesus Christ. He had the riches of heaven. He was constantly adored by all the creatures in heaven. He had a perfect relationship with God the Father. Yet He gave up that position to become a servant. As a servant, He became our sin on our behalf and endured the wrath of the Father. On the cross He thought Himself forsaken and smitten of God. Dying on the cross, He was buried and rose again the third day. God the Father has now exalted Him to His right hand on high and given Him a name above every other name that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! His name is a strong tower. When we run into it, we are saved. Oh, there may be a few crosses on the way, but in the long haul, we are saved. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

REVELATION 9
We watch and hear much in the news now of Radical Islamic groups which seek to dominate the world. Their methods of terror are most disturbing. According to the Scripture, the Government has the power of the sword in order to punish the evildoer. How the Government chooses to punish the evildoer in relation to Radical Islamic groups is not in the scope of this meditation, but what is in the scope of this meditation is the role of the saints (followers of the Lord Jesus). Jesus has called His church to make disciples of all ethnic groups of the world. Unlike ISIS, His followers are not to make disciples through forced conversion—convert or die, but rather through persuasion as a result of acts of love and proclamation of truth and through intercession. The church is not called to execute the wrath of God. That is the job of Jesus when He returns. Right now our job is to love, speak truth and pray.
Somehow the justice and judgment of the Lamb is intermingled with the prayers of the saints. It is when the censer, which was used to bring the prayers of the saints to God, is thrown to the earth at the end of time that the trumpets of judgment begin to blow. When the sixth trumpet sounds, a voice speaks from the golden altar which is before God. It is upon the golden altar that the prayers of the saints are offered and rise up before God. The voice from the golden altar commands the release of the 4 angels. The people of the Lamb are participating with Him in His judgment of those who will not repent. It is the glory of the Lamb that they should work with Him from heaven to bring just retribution to those who will not repent. It is not our place to gain vengeance now. Now is the time to pray and intercede. The time that we participate with Him in judgment will be after we have died. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john