“He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD.” I thought that was interesting wording by the King James version. It is interesting because were it not the word of God, it would be considered impolite at best in most American Christian circles. Why would the Lord have such stipulations? How does it relate to the glory of God? Basically the verse means that any male who is unable to procreate, cannot worship with the people of Israel. The next verse indicates that any person whose conception was outside of marital commitment could not worship with the people of Israel. (It even uses the “B” word.) Now, both of those stipulations would seem kind of unfair at first glance. I mean, what man in his right mind would choose to have his sexual organs crushed or removed? Given the choice, what person would choose to be born of rape or promiscuous lusters rather than of parents who are deeply committed to each other?
What really is at stake here is God’s original intent for His glory to dwell in mankind. Before He created Adam and Eve, He said, “Let us make man in our image.” After the creation He charged them with, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” God’s original intent was for the earth to be filled with His glory through the Godly image of His highest creation-man, male and female. Since that image was marred by sin, God is about restoring and reclaiming the image—for His glory. In that restoration and reclaiming, He is creating one nation to reflect His glory. If they could not properly reflect that image in reproducing, then they could not worship with the people of that nation.
Hmmm. . . What implication might there be for members of the church today? In the church today, we are supposed to be making disciples of Jesus of all nations. We are supposed to be reproducing. And as we are reproducing, it is supposed to be done in a godly manner. Do not mistake me. I am not now talking about physical procreation; although, that also has clear implications here. As members of His church, are our spiritual stones or privy members cut off? Or if not cut off, are we using them in ways that produce bastards of the faith? His glory is at stake! Have we sought our own glory? Have we resorted to illegitimate means to reproduce the faith? Or are we so in love with Him that He delights in releasing His spiritual seed in us producing legitimate spiritual births. Hmmm. . . weird thoughts and analogies, but I think it should be pondered. After all we indeed 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 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
JEREMIAH 13
At the cost of many lives we invaded Iraq and toppled the government of Saddam Hussein. We then had the problem of, “How do we extricate ourselves from this situation and leave a government that can righteously take care of its citizens, remain friendly to us and protect itself from insurgents.” We thought the job was accomplished, and we pulled our troops out. We were wrong. What is my point? Simply this, the area is unstable. It is virtually impossible to establish and maintain a democratic republic where the grassroots of a people are not firmly committed to Jesus.
It was no different for the theocratic monarchy of Israel in 605 B.C. The Lord’s intent for Judah was that they should become, “My people, for renown, for praise, and for glory.” Josiah had attempted to bring about a revival that would restore the glory of the Lord to Israel, but alas, the revival was only skin deep. The people would not hear. When Josiah died, the Egyptian replacement Jehoiachin and his mother Nehushta were carried off to the Euphrates as spoils of war (2 Kings 24:8–12). Israel was subjugated to the will of the Babylonians, their neighbors to the far north.
What dramatic symbols of what God and Israel were doing! First he makes Jeremiah make the 1,000+ mile round trip to the Euphrates to bury a beautiful linen sash which he had purchased. Can you imagine Jeremiah leaving with the exiles to Babylon showing off his beautiful new sash to everyone as they journey along. Hear the people saying or thinking, “Jeremiah, what a beautiful new sash. It looks so good on you! You must have spent a small fortune on it.” It increased his glory. Arriving at the River, he buries it. After many days, God tells him to go dig it up. His beautiful new sash is filthy, rotting, molded, stained. It would not bring even a homeless man any glory. Everybody says, “Jeremiah, what happened to your beautiful new sash? It is rotten, filthy, moldy and stained.” Jeremiah replies, “The sash to me is as our nation to Yahweh.” We are rotten, filthy, moldy and stained. We are not suitable to reflect His glory.
God tells Jeremiah to tell the people to, “Every bottle shall be filled with wine!” It is a well attested archaeological find that the wine industry was a thriving industry in ancient Israel. At times Israel was a major world exporter of wine. The industry seems to have thrived right up to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D. So when Jeremiah tells the people, “Every bottle shall be filled with wine,” their natural response would be, “Of course it will. That’s what we do!” But the Lord adds a new twist of judgment to it. Their bottles will be filled to cause drunkenness even in the royal family. The drunkenness will bring shame upon the nation. Like when a harlot is exposed and shamed in public, so Judah will be exposed and shamed. She who should have been a symbol of the glory of God will become a symbol of rottenness to His bones.
As Judah was created to be a beacon of the glory of the Lord, so too, we believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are created to be a beacon of His glory. We are His sash. We are His bride. We are His glory in the earth. He has created and redeemed us for His pleasure. He wants to take us out of our filth that has brought rottenness and ruin, and by His death and resurrection He wants to restore us to a pure spotless bride not drunk with wine but filled with the joy and fruit of His Spirit. That is what increases His glory. Only He can take my ruined life and make it shine for His glory. Lord, I hand you all that I am, giving it to You. You take it and make it what You want it to be for your glory and praise! Extricate me from the unstable rotten government of my own life and recreate me and Your church for Your own glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
ACTS 4:1-22
Peter was in love with a glorious Lord. Peter was convinced that his Lord was glorious. He knew that the crippled man was made well not because he had great faith but because he had a great Lord. He was consumed with the knowledge that Jesus permitted himself to die at the hands of men in order to save those men who killed Him. There was no questioning the fact that Jesus is the only way that salvation may come to men. Because Peter was so consumed with the glory of his Lord, He was able to be positive and bold even when arrested by those men who had killed His Lord. This same Peter who at one time was ashamed of his Lord, now is consumed by the great glory of his Lord. Why? Because he had been with Jesus. He had spent three years of his life living physically with his Lord. Then Peter denied Him. Jesus loved and restored him. Jesus filled him with His Holy Spirit. Peter was no longer awed by just the awesome power of Jesus, but now, he is also awed by the awesome love of Jesus. He is also filled with the Spirit of Jesus. He can share in the literal power of his Lord. With a Lord like that how can one help but speak of Him to others? When commanded to cease speaking in the name of Jesus, there was no question in Peter's mind. The glory of his Lord consumed him. It did not matter what any human thought of his speech about Jesus. It did not matter what anyone did to him because of his speech about Jesus. How could one help but speak the glory of a Lord like that? Am I consumed with His glory? Are you consumed with His glory? What glory there is in the Name of Jesus! Indeed our King is a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
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