March 3

EXODUS 14
Which is the greater miracle: to put a pillar of fire between the Egyptians and Israelites and blow a wind strong enough to part the sea all night long drying it up so that they could walk through it, or to change the heart of the Pharaoh and his servants so that they would pursue the Israelites even after ten horrific plagues and a pillar of darkness that separated them. For our God neither is harder. God did both. What are the implications for His glory? This is what the word says:
18“Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen. . . . 31Thus Israel saw the great work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses.
The LORD does amazing things to force us to recognize His glory. We ought to see His glory just from looking at the creation. But since we do not, He hardens the hearts of those who have already hardened their hearts, and the hearts of his people he softens by doing mighty works of conquest. All for the glory of His name. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 62
I remember Monty Python and the Holy Grail. In their search, the protagonists come upon the exterior of a French castle. They make demands of the inhabitants of the castle. The castle inhabitants respond in jest and throw many unlikely things over the castle wall in order to drive away the aggressors. My kids made a movie, The Meaning of it All, which spoofs the scene. (Personally I like my kids’ movie better.) If one knows that one cannot be hurt, one acts differently in the face of a real threat. The point is that when one is secure in a place of safety, a fortress, one is emboldened to speak and act things that one would not otherwise do.
Yesterday, we saw David’s cry to be raised to a rock higher than he, to a fortress. Today we see that he is there. From his place of safety, David twice says, “I shall not be moved.” To be moved has the idea of overthrown, dislodged, let to fall or drop or greatly shake. (TWOT). From this position David could say to his enemy, “You shall be slain, all of you, Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.” He could say this because he was secure in His place with the Almighty. What is pressing in on me today that is making threats upon me? Am I secure in the grip of the Almighty? If I really understood His power and mercy how would that affect my reaction that which is threatening me? Meditating upon his glory has the effect of making me realize that I am secure in His fortress. I can rebuke that which assaults me because He is great and made me so that I cannot be overthrown or dislodged. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

JOB 32
“After much deliberation we have withdrawn our invitation to you to be part of our staff.” While the conversation was much longer and not quite so blunt, that was in essence what we were told. We had sold just about everything we had. We had taken all of our last year’s savings (it wasn’t much. I was only making $500.00 a month) and raised some support and travelled to Colorado to begin the process of going on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ. At the end of the first 4-5 weeks in attending their Institute of Biblical Studies, we received their final answer. It was hard. We were relatively certain that the Lord had instructed us to apply and that were to attend the training that summer for the purpose of going on staff with Crusade. But it was a time for a 180 degree turn.
We packed up our luggage and went home. It was a hot July and my Pinto had no air conditioning. We hit a grasshopper plague as we crossed the Colorado and Kansas plains. We had to roll up our windows. It was hot. We had spent all our money on IBS and were broke. I did not even have the money for first month’s rent and deposit on an apartment. I couldn’t move to seminary, because I did not have the money. Frustrated, we moved in with my parents, who were both also temporarily out of jobs. I was able to get a job at Hardees while I waited to be hired at Mercury Marine. The next few years were very frustrating emotionally.
I really did not understand why God had done this to me. It just didn’t seem fair. I really questioned my ability to discern the will of God and to do anything of spiritual significance. I felt like I was being punished by God. Although I wanted to be, I was never a good athlete. Consequently I spent a lot of time on the bench. Now, I felt like I was being put on the bench spiritually. “God, I hate the bench.”
Elihu is upset with both Job and Job’s friends. He is upset with Job’s friends because they condemned Job and yet could not give evidence of specific sins that Job had committed in order to receive his punishments. He was upset with Job because Job claimed to be completely innocent and was therefore accusing God of being unjust for putting him in this situation. Job has been benched and no one knows why. There are times when we do not and cannot understand what God is doing. What happens to us feels like a punishment from Him. In the long run, all of our pain is a result of the fact that we are sinners. We are born in a fallen world. In the short run, not all of our pain is a result of sin, nor is it an indication that He has put us on the bench. So we cannot accuse God of injustice when we experience pain, nor do we always have to come up with some kind of sin for which God is punishing us when we experience pain. But we do need to seek Him.
Years down the road, I know why God benched me. Here are at least three reasons, or things I learned being benched. 1) It was the road of training. Through it I have ended up serving in the Christian and Missionary Alliance. That has been a good road of training for me. 2) It was the road of helping. Through it, I encouraged my Dad to apply with me at Mercury Marine. He did. He was hired one week after me. After years of struggling with unemployment, he was once again employed. We had the joy of working briefly together at Mercury. 3) It was the road of learning. I am learning that I do not always need to know what is ahead, just the next step. He always gives the next step. Isn’t that faith? That is part of His glory. He simply says, “Trust Me.” I still hate the bench, yet He still says the same thing whether it is pleasurable, painful, joyful, or tearful, “Trust Me.” In the end He shows His glory. Job hasn’t seen His glory yet, but he is about to. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MARK 8:21-38
Frequently in school I would have teachers who would teach by asking questions. This was particularly true in Seminary. They seemed to sense that if they spoon fed you information, you would not remember it. If they asked you a question and you had to find the answer, then put it into words, then it would stick with you longer. One systematic theology professor never gave a written exam. They were always oral exams. He scheduled us in groups of 3 or 4 for about an hour and a half with him. One had to state your answer and defend it. Those were the exams that really made me nervous and the ones for which I was most prepared. Oh, and then there was my ordination exam. Three hours in front of a board of six men. They each took turns in asking me questions and forcing me to defend my answers from Scripture.
Jesus commonly used the question method with people and particularly with His disciples. This question that He asks Peter is the crux of all history, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter never showed any more brilliance than at this point. "You are the Christ," was his reply. All kinds of glory are packed up in that little word, "Christ." The anointed One through out the Old Testament is cryptically described. He is from eternity. He is Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time foreword, even forever. When Peter said, "You are the Christ," you can bet that he had these things in mind. Peter passed this oral exam with flying colors!
Based upon this correct answer Jesus begins to earnestly instruct Peter and the disciples about the prophecies of the Messiah that He must be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and after three days rise again. Isaiah 53 is part of it. Peter missed this part and began to rebuke the Lord, privately. Jesus rebuked Peter publicly. Then He called the people to Himself and the disciples and began to call them to the cross with Him.
The glory of Jesus is indeed great. He calls us to share it with Him. There is one catch. If we want to share in His glory, we have to die with Him. Dying to self is not pleasant but it is required. But look what comes as a result! We share in the glory of Jesus! What a deal! Jim Elliot was right when he said, "He is no fool who gives that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose!" We give this life, which we are going to lose anyway, to gain His life which we will never lose. I want that! "Goodbye, John! Hello, Jesus!" Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John