One of the books that I have been gradually reading the last few years is Angie Debo’s A History of the Indians of the United States. It is indeed a fascinating book. It is amazing the number of atrocities that we have committed against each other. One thing is consistent in the relationship between those of European descent and Native American descent. It is that the white man has consistently taken away the land of the Native American. Often it was with compensation, albeit usually inadequate and forced. This chapter gives Israel permanent ownership of the land to Israel. Unlike the US government, the Lord does not go back on His treaties. The Lord has promised Israel the land for ever. There is one stipulation though. The right to dwell in the land is linked to obedience. His gifts are never recalled. The right to enjoy them are linked to obedience. The right to his glory is His children’s forever. The right to enjoy His glory is linked to obedience. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
PSALM 144
Why does evil exist? That is a good question for which the Scripture has only one clear answer, “It is allowed to reveal His glory.” But how does allowing evil to exist show His glory? I mean, wouldn’t it be better if He just never allowed it to exist? That way, when anyone thought about evil and asked, “Why doesn’t evil exist?” the answer would clearly be, “Oh evil does not exist because we have such a glorious God. He would never allow such a thing.” Hmmm. . . But if everything but God is finite (Is evil finite? Can evil exist outside of time and space?), then how would we even begin to think in terms of something which we had not experienced? My mind becomes severely twisted when I start trying to think these things through. Physicists talk about the fabric of space. I don’t quite get that. I think of space as nothing. How can nothing have fabric? I guess space is something, but if nothing is something then it is not nothing, so it can’t be something. If evil did not exist, how could finite beings think of it? I think I am going into an existential spiral and getting intellectual motion sickness. Before Adam and Eve partook of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, I do not think that they really understood what evil was. They only knew that God said, “Don’t go there.” Eve took the fruit because she did not understand what it was. When Adam saw her with the fruit, he immediately ‘knew’ what evil was because he saw her doing it. He knowingly chose to take the fruit from her because he desired her more than God. In an instant evil became experienced and entrenched. It was no longer a question of, “What is it?” but, “What do we do about it?”
Enter death. Apparently death is the infinite God’s only solution for evil. How would He apply the solution? I don’t think I can adequately explain why evil exists, but even my opponents in explaining the answer would agree with me in this, “Evil exists.” No one can deny that evil exists! To deny that is to deny existence! To deny that is to deny all reason!
So if this infinite God hates evil, then does He not hate evil infinitely? If He hates it infinitely, then He will always be about eradicating it. If He is about eradicating it, and He is infinite, then surely He is able to eradicate it instantly. Then why does/did He not do it instantly? When God first warned Adam and Eve, He said, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” I am told by the Hebrew experts that the language could be literally translated, “Dying you shall die.” It became a process, not instantaneous. Certainly that matches with reality. Why did He choose a process for the finite world? I am beginning to sound like a child, “Why? Why? Why?” I am not sure that I can give adequate answers for the discerning mind, but this I know, “The eradication of evil is a process. It does not happen instantly.” This matches Scripture and reality.
This infinite God, who has permitted evil, who is bent on eradicating it, who has chosen to use a process rather than doing it instantly, this God has also chosen to have us participate with Him in its eradication. Therefore, He trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle. He has chosen to have us partner with Him in the eradication of evil. Now it is obvious from Scripture that this is going to mean different application for different people at different times, but the metaphor of the training for battle remains constant through time. It is in the training for battle and war that we learn His hatred of evil. But it is also in the training and war that we learn His lovingkindness and protection. Apart from the contrast of war and loving kindness we would never experience the depths of either.
Wiki Answers says the average life expectancy of the “D-day” soldier was 1-2 seconds. I cannot begin to get my mind around such carnage. That is evil. But those who survived should have a greater appreciation for experiencing lovingkindness and protection. The life of the average soldier on that day was literally like the passing of a shadow. But what is the length of my life in comparison to Eternity? It is like the passing of a shadow. I am 60 years old. In some respects I still feel like I am only beginning life. The average life expectancy of a male in the world is 64.52 years, in the USA it is 75.6 years. I have 4.5 to 15.5 years left according to the averages, just a shadow. In my 60 years I have enjoyed much of His lovingkindness and protection. I have experienced a little of the ravages of His war on evil, but mostly His lovingkindness and protection. I am experiencing the blessings of His lovingkindness and protection. I am privileged to see my sons and daughter to grow up and produce fruit and become ‘pillars’ in society! But there is yet much evil to be eradicated, and I have only a shadow left!
O God of glory will you come down out of heaven in Your awesome glory and eradicate evil! Continue to use my hands and fingers in the battle for the eradication of evil! Do it in a way that brings You the most possible glory! Keep me from falsehood! Give me new songs to sing to you! Glorify Yourself in delivering Your servant from evil! Lord, I have family, friends and neighbors whose lives are entrenched in evil. Use my hands and fingers to set them free from the bonds of evil! In so doing, glorify Yourself! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
ISAIAH 55
Sometime ago a friend of ours threw a party for everyone they knew. They had just moved into a new house situated on a beautiful 15 acres outside of town. The land and house was simply gorgeous. The food was outstanding. It tasted wonderful, and there was more than enough for everyone. I could not have gone to any restaurant and found better tasting food. Of course the food and drink was free. The party spoke well of their generosity to all of their friends.
The Lord does something similar. He bids us come to Him to buy wine, milk and bread. He even castigates us for spending money on that which does not satisfy. Of course the cost for the Lord’s food is not money, it is just to simply come to Him. Of course He is not talking about physical food but about that which truly will satisfy our souls. He reprimands us for seeking the satisfaction of our souls in anything but Him. We were created to know Him. We were created to enjoy Him forever. As Augustine said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” Lord, incline me to quit wasting my life on what will never satisfy. May seek only after You! For only You satisfy. Your satisfaction is part of Your glory! Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
JOHN 9:1-23
"If you do not believe this story, ask the blind man, he saw it all." There are many folk poems of which we cannot completely trace their origin, and they have many versions. You probably recognize the line I opened with from such a poem. Throughout literature and even in the Bible, the figure of the blind man often stands for one who sees spiritually while the physically sighted are ones who are blind spiritually. It is a similar case in this true story of Jesus healing the blind man.
The man was blind from birth. He had never seen the face of his mother or father. He had never seen colors. He had no clue concerning the color of the dirt throughout the streets of Jerusalem. He had no clue of the beautiful buildings of the temple of Jerusalem. He had no idea of the beauty of the Mount of Olives when it was green from recent rains. His was a life of learning how to navigate through the streets by paces, sounds and scents. After having been healed by Jesus by this unusual healing technique, do you suppose he recognized his parents before they spoke? I wonder, what was that first meeting like. Suppose he walked in the house, looked straight at his mother and said, "Look mom! No cane!" Can you imagine the thrill that his parents experienced? They had the double whammy of their son's disability and the cultural mindset that his disability was their punishment for some sin, which they had committed. Now both were gone. Jesus had healed them.
The man was spiritually sighted enough to know that Jesus was from God; therefore, he would take his stand with Jesus. His parents were dumbfounded. For years they had to deal with gossip concerning what sin they had possibly committed in order for their son to have received this punishment. Now, that social stigma was no longer visible. They were not willing to go on the line risking being put out of the synagogue for something in which they had no part. They simply referred people back to their son. After all he was of legal age. Jesus had lit the world of this one man who was born blind. And his parents were cautiously entering the light.
Jesus always lights our world, if we will enter it. That is the glory of His nature. Now, that light doesn't always reveal what we expect. Do you suppose the blind man was surprised at what he saw or how his parents reacted? I tend to think that he was amazed by some of it, and some of it he already knew instinctively. But afterward he saw reality. It was no longer an imagined thing. When we enter the light of Jesus, some of what we see is truly amazing. Some of it we already knew instinctively. When we step into the light of Jesus, we see the ugliness of our sin. We already knew instinctively its ugliness. What amazes us are two things 1) how horribly ugly it is and 2) how beautiful and amazing His grace is. We are amazed that He would bear such ugliness upon the cross in our place. We are stamped with the amazement of His love for us. It is like His light burns away the sin replacing it with the beauty of His love. The result from Him is a desire to be pure in all things. That is why Paul tells us to examine ourselves lest we be reprobate. If there is no desire to be pure as He is pure, I have news for you; you are not standing in the light. Come on in! Bask in it! It’s great! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
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