January 15

GENESIS 16
It was emotionally devastating. I knew I wasn’t very good at batting. However, I was on the team because I wanted to play not watch. I was on the best team in the Stillwater 14 & under baseball league. That was something to be proud of; except, all I did was keep the bench warm. We had an “A” squad and a “B” squad. The coach arranged extra games for the “B” squad so that he could develop their abilities for the next year. I understood not being allowed to play in the “A” squad games. After all, I did want the team to win. My playing could have an adverse effect upon the outcome of the game. But it was too much when we had our last double header for the “B” squad and I was not allowed to play in either game. Following the game, the coach gathered us all together and assessed each of our abilities. When he came to me he said, “Chaffin, you’re as good of player as anyone on the team, but, I swear, if I rolled a basketball to you on the ground, you couldn’t hit it.” I wasn’t a happy camper that night. I really felt like an outcast. Let’s travel forward in time 10 years. Now I am 23. Laura and I had recently returned from a summer in Colorado. We thought we had gone there in order to join staff with Campus Crusade for Christ. But at the end of 5 weeks of study, we were informed that was not going to be an option. Benched again, this time by God. Does God really see?
This time Abram has once again blown it. He and Sarai could not produce any children. Sarai had reached the age where women normally do not have children--even back then. Attempting to bring about God's promise by using a conventional method, Abram produces a child through Sarai's handmaid, Hagar. (Believe it or not that was a conventional method in their culture in their time. If a woman could not produce children for her husband, she could take a slave and give her to her husband, and the child she produced would legally be considered her own. Weird huh?) Abram & Sarai did a culturally acceptable thing. But it was their own work not God's promised son. God saw it.
Hagar, the slave woman, resented the legal convention, but at the same time, she gloated towards Sarai because she could give a child to Abram. Sarai was resentful toward Abram about the whole situation. When Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. Sarai received permission from Abram to treat Sarai harshly. God saw it. Hagar decided to leave. God saw it. He dispatched an angel to minister to Hagar’s need and to cause her to return home. Hagar experienced the LORD. She knew that the LORD had seen her in her need. That was all she needed. She named Him, the LORD-Who-sees. She returned to her mistress.
Yes, He sees. Looking back on my earlier experiences, I see now that He saw then, and He was working. It just took time to realize it. Shuffling down the way to Shur, I am sure that Hagar thought that God had forgotten about her and that He did not see any of the recent events. Do you feel like God does not see you, that he has forgotten you? Like you are in an oubliette (that’s a dungeon where you put someone to forget about them)? Take heart; the LORD has not forgotten. He sees. After all, He is the God who sees. That is the nature of His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 15
“Can I come over to your house?” I heard that a few times when I was a kid. Usually I was delighted with the prospect of a friend coming over. However, I remember one occasion when a friend came over. It was fun at first, but for some reason he kept purposely doing things that he knew would irritate me. I would tell him to quit, but he would ignore it. Finally, I had enough. I told him to get out of my house and go home. We still played together, but not at my house. Who can come to my house? Those who don’t purposely do things to irritate me may come.
Who may dwell in the tabernacle of the Lord? This Psalm is basically a list of what it means to walk uprightly. Those who walk uprightly may go to God’s house. The problem is that, as we saw in Psalm 14, none of us does any good. We all walk not-uprightly. (Would that be downrightly, or upwrongly?) We all at one point or another purposely do things that irritate the Lord. Usually those irritations are directed at other people. Once again we are reminded of the wonderful mercy of our Lord. Although we do not deserve to go to His house, He cleans up our walk. His grace changes it from a downright walk to an upright walk. By His power we can become people that He enjoys dwelling in His house. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

NEHEMIAH 5
The call was a collect call from the county jail. A man to whom I had been ministering had been taken back to jail because he was accused of parole violations. He explained the situation that precipitated it. If he was speaking honestly, then he probably should not be in jail. I doubt that I was hearing the whole story. He wanted me to co-sign his bail bond. I asked how much it was. I quickly calculated that it was more than I could afford to give away if he were to not show up in court. There is a Biblical principle involved in loaning money or co-signing loans. If you can’t afford to pay it yourself, don’t co-sign. Similarly, if you can’t afford to pay it back, don’t borrow. If you can’t afford to give, don’t.
The children of Israel had been forgiven a great debt by the Lord. They had been returned to the land and given a great opportunity to make a new life for themselves. Yet they were forced into a situation by their brothers in the Lord where they had to borrow money in order to feed their families. Were their brothers from whom they borrowed showing the glory of their Lord when they lent and charged exorbitant interest? Were those who borrowed showing faith in the Lord when they borrowed? I think not. So what should have happened. Those who were able to give, should have given in such a way that it enabled their brothers to become dependent upon only the Lord. That is when His glory shines the most.
What did I do with the man who wanted me to sign? I gave to him in other ways. But in this way, I let him trust the Lord. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MATTHEW 10:21-42
I just came from a MLK Jr. Day celebration function. I have been participating in these for about 11 years now. One of the things that always impresses me when I hear testimony of blacks of what life was like for them in the 50’s and 60’s is the impact of the glory of Jesus on black culture. It was the impact of Jesus’ glory that prompted MLK Jr.’s teaching on love, service and non-violence. As I hear the testimonies of those who lived the experience, I am convinced that were it not for the Black Church, this country would have experienced a racial civil war of blood shed and violence that would have equaled or surpassed the blood shed in South Africa and produced more hatred and racism. Yet these men and women who stood for the principles of love and service because of the glory of Jesus were beaten, jailed, run out of town, rejected by so-called fellow white Christians, and even killed. Some of the black leaders did it for Jesus.
Where’s the glory? Jesus allows and even expects His disciples to be hated, persecuted, run out of towns and yes even killed because they follow Him. Where’s the glory in that? One would think the glory of the Eternal God made flesh would cause Him to seek better things for His people. He does seek good things for His people. However, there are different arenas of glory and different timing. Remember Satan’s response to God’s inquiry concerning Job? Satan answered:

Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!

Satan did his worst to Job’s possessions. He took Job’s property and children. But Job did not curse God. Again God inquired of Satan concerning Job. And Satan answered:

Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!

Satan did his worst. Job lost his health and his wife turned against him. Job did not even have the luxury of knowing that he was being observed by all the spirit world. Nor did he know that this was only a temporary test and that if he remained faithful that the Lord would double his wealth and family. It is one thing for the disciple of Jesus to follow him because the Lord of glory gives him wealth, health and prosperity. It is another thing for the disciple of Jesus to follow Him and worship and adore him simply for the pure pleasure found in His glory. Even in the midst of pain and suffering, the glory is so much better than the pain and suffering that the disciple continues on. Now that demonstrates to all the greatness of the glory. Satan can no longer experience the fullness of joy of that glory because he has determined to strive against it. But he can see it demonstrated in us as we keep our eyes on His glory in the midst of our pain. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John