March 25

EXODUS 36
I really don’t know what went into persuading T. Boone Pickens to give his hundreds of millions to OSU for the building of a football stadium and an athletic complex. It must have been a fund raiser’s dream come true. I have tried to help raise funds for a few organizations (and I think most every organization was more worthy than a football stadium and an athletic complex). I wish that I could have raised for those organizations even one tenth of one percent of what was given to OSU. But then that is not where God has placed me. Why was Mr. Pickens so willing to give to OSU? It was because he caught a vision of what the glory of the athletic program at OSU could become. It was important to him.

All the craftsmen who were doing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work he was doing, 5and they spoke to Moses, saying, “The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the LORD commanded us to do.” 6So Moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, “Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.” And the people were restrained from bringing, 7for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done—indeed too much.

Granted there were other factors than willingness which account for the abundance of giving. For example there is the ratio of wage earners to the project competing for donated funds. There were about half a million men as part of Israel at this time and only one project. If all the people (every man, woman, child and college student) of the Stillwater area were assessed to give an amount so that the sum would equal Mr. Pickens gift, it would be around $3,000.00 each. In my household of four, that would equal about $12,000.00. I would have to take out a loan paying it back over the course of years, and I would not be a happy camper. Granted, the Israelites probably had to give a much lesser percentage of their belongings, but still they gave willingly. They gave so willingly that they had to be restrained from further giving. Why were they so willing? They seen had a little of the glory of God. They had a vision of a place where the glory of God could be experienced.
Did you know that one day the glory of God will fill the peoples of the earth? When will that day come? Jesus said it would come when the Gospel of the Kingdom was preached as a witness to every ethnos of the earth. Do we have a vision of the glory of God filling the earth? Did you know that if the people who name the name of Jesus in the United States gave ten percent of their income to their churches and another one percent to the fulfillment of the Great Commission that there would not be a single ministry in the U.S.A. or missions sending organization that would go underfunded? Maybe our problem is that people who name the name of Christ really don’t have a vision for the glory of God. What would happen if each of us spent time in the word daily until we saw something of the glory of Christ? What would happen if each of us then shared what we saw of the glory of Christ with someone else on that day? Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Psalm 84
I have visited the Biltmore Estate. America’s largest single-family dwelling built by the Vanderbilts in the early 1900’s is indeed the epitome of opulence. I have also toured the Marland Mansion finished in 1928 and built by E.W. Marland founder of Marland Oil Company (later to become CONOCO). Marland lost his oil company in a hostile takeover by J.P.Morgan. Marland had to move out of his mansion into the adjacent artist studio because he could no longer afford the utilities on the mansion. Eventually Marland had to sell the mansion for $66,000.00, 1.2% of its building cost. The mansion, though dwarfed by the lavishness of the Biltmore Estate, was also amazing in its grandeur. Both palaces are residences which almost all people can only dream of owning. If either of the mansions were offered to you, and you were told that you would be given a yearly income sufficient for living in the place, you would probably joyfully accept the offer. But what if you knew that you also would need to give up enjoying the glory of Lord?
Obed-Edom once housed the tabernacle of the Lord for three months (1 Chron 13:13). David was improperly transporting the ark to Jerusalem; when the oxen stumbled and Uzzah reached out to steady the ark, God slew Uzzah for his insolence. In anger David gave up trying to transport it and left it in the home of Obed-Edom. We read that while the ark was housed in his house that the Lord greatly blessed Him. He experienced the presence of the Lord. In 1 Chron. 15:24 we read that Obed-Edom was appointed a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord. What would prompt him to leave his home west of Jerusalem to take up residence in Jerusalem just so that he could be a doorkeeper for the ark? I think that there can only be one answer. Obed-Edom’s life was so changed by that presence of God’s glory that he would gladly give up his comfortable residence just so that he might continue to experience His glory.
Obed-Edom was a Gittite. A Gittite is someone who had lived in Gath. Notice that our Psalm was written to be sung accompanied by an instrument of Gath. Why an instrument of Gath? Do you suppose that Obed-Edom taught the proper playing of the instrument of Gath? I believe he did. I think the sons of Korah wrote this Psalm and dedicated it to be played on an instrument of Gath in memory of Obed-Edom’s love of the presence of the glory of God. When we truly experience the glory of God, everything else fades in comparison to the wonder of Him. I would never trade the glory of God’s presence for the Biltmore Estate or the Palace on the Prairie. They are pig stys compared to His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

ECCLESIASTES 11
"Twenty-one and strong as I can be. I know what freedom means to me. I can't give a reason why. I should ever wanna die,” so go lyrics to the song “Twenty-one” released on an Eagles album in 1973. If you are as old as I and are an Eagles fan, then I am sure you remember the song. It probably captured the rebellion and idealism of my generation better than any other pop song. The whole album was an idealistic comparison between being rock and roll stars and being outlaws. Our generation was on the edge of the moralistic protest concerning war, racism and ‘free love,’ and the completely ‘me’ focused generation that was to follow.
When I review my youth and my contemporaries, I cringe a little at the Preacher’s advice here: “Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes.” The NKJV commentary has a footnote to ‘ways’ and ‘in the sight’. It would seem that a good way to translate it would be, ‘impulses of your heart, And as you see to be best.’ I think of the impulses of my heart as a youth and of my generation when we were young, and I see a mixed bag. I see at times an unbridled immorality and at times a passion for what we thought was right. Youth had an optimism that time and experience has dimmed. That optimism should be applauded. However, youth also had an impulsiveness that led many down a path of unrighteousness under the sun and moon.
But the Preacher did not leave them there. He follows-up his advice with, “But know that for all these, God will bring you into judgment.” There is more than just life ‘under the sun’. As the Scripture says, “It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this comes judgment.” One day believers will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. We must give an account for all our deeds done on the earth. For those deeds done in the power of the Holy Spirit we will receive reward. Those deeds done in the power of the flesh will be burned away. One day unbelievers will stand before the great white throne of Jesus and they will be judged according to their works and cast in to the lake of fire. If in our youth we really believed those two judgments were going to happen, how would it change how we lived our lives?
Twenty-one passed me by almost 39 years ago. I still know what freedom means to me. It means knowing Jesus and sacrificing everything for Him. It is not being able to do what my impulses tell me. That is bondage under the sun. It is knowing what is right and doing it in the power of the Holy Spirit. I can give several reasons why I want to die and why I want to live. I want to live because in so doing, He gives me opportunity in the power of His Holy Spirit to glorify His magnificent name! I want to die because in so doing, I will be able to directly experience His glory. That is much better than living. But for Him, I pursue His glory here and now. If the impulse of my heart is truly to experience His glory, then, old or young, let me pursue it with all that I am! Lord, give me that mountain! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

LUKE 2:25-52
If you could visit any defining moment of history as an observer, what would it be? If you could meet any great person of history who would it be? Maybe Noah as he came off of the ark? Maybe Nimrod at the Tower of Babel? Abraham when God sent him out of the land? How about Hammurabi as he solidified his law code? Moses at the burning bush or confronting Pharaoh for the final time? Maybe some great moment in Chinese history? David when he defeated Goliath? Nebuchadnezzar when he destroyed the Temple? How about Alexander the Great when his troops refused to go any further at the Indus River? Julius Caesar as he decided to cross the Rubicon? Titus as he destroyed the second temple and crushed the Jewish rebellion? Attila the Hun as he set out to sweep across Asia and Europe? Genghis Khan as he began his conquering quest? William the Conqueror at Hastings? George Washington at Valley Forge? Napoleon at Waterloo? What would you want to observe?
For Simeon it was the new born Jesus. When he saw Him, he declared, “My eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” Most of the people first mentioned above brought death to many and security and wealth to a few others. They are considered to be glorious by some and infamous to others. One thing none of them ever brought was peace with God. They may have brought fleeting happiness to some but it was only fleeting. Many of them certainly brought death and destruction to others. When Jesus came he led no armies. He conquered no lands. He did not re-distribute wealth. He built no castles. He had no palace. The closest thing he had to a coronation was riding on the back of a donkey. Yet as a result of Him more people have found peace with God, meaning in life and true wealth than as a result of all the other conquerors combined! Sinners who once wasted their wealth and abilities on debauchery have become productive citizens. Hospitals have been built, clothing disbursed, food pantries organized. Love is restored because of Him. That is the light Simeon saw. That is part of the glory of our Jesus. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John