June 9

DEUTERONOMY 13-14
Since the dawn of creation we have battled three foes, Satan, the world, and the flesh. Today, we fight against Satan by submitting to God and resisting Satan. Today we fight against the world by not loving it. Today, we fight against the flesh by killing it, not literally but spiritually and mentally. What do those statements have to do with today’s text? Since, the Fall in the Garden of Eden, the Lord had been seeking to bring about the Godly Seed of the woman who would crush the head of the Serpent. At this point (Dt. 13), He had successfully produced a Nation through whom that Seed would come. To this point, Satan had sought to destroy or corrupt the line of descent through whom the Seed would come. To this point, the world had sought to corrupt the line of descent by enslaving it or enticing it. In order to preserve the line of descent of the Godly Seed the Lord commanded the nation to kill anyone in their own midst who sought to entice them after other gods. Not only is this a practical means that the Lord gave them to preserve the line of descent, it is also a picture of how we now battle the flesh, (again, not physical flesh but spiritual flesh) that entity within us that seeks to woo us away from the Lord our God.
Many people look at this text and wonder how it brings glory to the Lord our God. How can this loving God command the destruction of people simply for enticing people to worship other gods? The answer is simple, yet it is multiple. First, the glory of our Lord is so great that it cannot be sullied with anything less. His glory is more important that human life. Why? Because human life is created in His image. When humans desecrate their lives with sin, they are desecrating the image of God. There can only be one treatment of such an infraction against Divine holiness, death. Second, the holiness of God must preserve the holiness of the line of descent through which the Godly Seed would come. What would be the best way to keep out corruption? Kill it! How do doctors treat flesh invaded with MRSA? In badly infected cases, surgery must be performed to remove the part of the infection that is untreatable with drugs. Then the drugs can be effective. So also, in that time people within the line of descent who sought to lead the people of God astray, were executed to preserve the line of descent. Third, now that the Godly Seed has come and offered up Himself as a propitiation for our sin, the killing of those people is a type of how we deal with the member with our self that seeks to lead us after other gods. We kill it. We were buried with Christ in Baptism; we are risen to walk in newness of life. When our flesh rises up against us to lead us after other gods, we reckon ourselves dead to sin, but alive in Christ. In doing so, we walk in freedom from the flesh. What an amazing God we serve. He enables with the possibility of living above sin. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PROVERBS 9
I once met a young man who was recently divorced. He had met his wife in a bar, when he was in rebellion against the Lord. They married, but she wasn’t satisfied with just him. She enjoyed the overnight company of other men. That led to their divorce. He had tried several times to reconcile, but she could not seem to be devoted just to him. One day she walked into my office. To this day I am not sure what she was up to, but I could smell her perfume before she rounded the corner to my office so that I could see her. She was dressed to show off all of her hardware, and to be honest, it was beautiful hardware. I could see why the young man was originally attracted to her. Immediately the thought popped into my mind, “This is the woman proverbs warns about.” Her story was that she wanted to reconcile with her ex-husband, but when I arranged a meeting with the two, her story was different, and she certainly did not come as perfumed and beautified as she came when she asked for the meeting. Suffice it to say that the young man thought it the same song, tenth verse. She would never give her own life for him. She would never reserve herself just for him.
In contrast Wisdom has built her house. 1 Cor 1:30 tells us, “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” Is it not interesting the metaphors that are presented in this chapter of Proverbs and how those metaphors are extended by the New Testament writers? If Jesus is our wisdom, and wisdom has built her house, then what kind of house is Jesus building?
First, it is a building that is an offensive moveable force,

Matt. 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

Its purpose is to break the gates of Hades in order to take its citizens out. It is to depopulate Hades.
Second, its materials are made of people; we are the building materials and the ones working with Him to build it. As we depopulate Hades, the captives are set free to become part of the building He is building and to work with Him in building it.

1 Cor. 3:9-10 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.

Third, our certificate of occupancy is that we are to be indwelt by God Himself.

Eph. 2:20–22 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Finally, when He takes up occupancy we will be filled with offerings of spiritual sacrifices, which I submit to you is the fruit of our lips, offerings of thanksgiving and praise.

1 Peter 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

This house is a house of righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Jesus has/is sumptuously spread/spreading a meal for the inhabitants. One day it will be celebrated as the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Matt. 22:4; Rev. 19:9). Now it is a covenant meal of His own flesh and blood sacrificed on our behalf. The slaughtered meat is His own flesh; the mixed wine is His own blood. He bids us come and dine.

John 6:54–56 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.

Obviously these are metaphors of a very real spiritual experience. We will not literally eat His flesh and drink His blood, but spiritually it is by consuming Him that we are forgiven and gain eternal life. Spiritually, He is our life; we have none except by feeding upon Him.
The person who is simple refuses to see his/her need of becoming part of this house or sharing in the fellowship of its meal. But it is where true living is found! God is calling out to the simple, “Come on in! Be part of Me! Eat Me and live! Enjoy Me! Don’t be satisfied with anything less!” The simple person is like a man who allows Himself to seduced by a woman who will leave him in a few days, weeks, months or years. She will never satisfy him and will eventually leave him cold. She will never give her own life for him. Will we give our own lives for Him? He gives Himself for us and will never leave nor forsake us, for He cannot deny Himself! That is His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

JEREMIAH 4
Oneday I had phone calls at the church from three different single mothers seeking financial assistance for their dilemma. One said that her money had been stolen; another said that her grandfather had died and that she had taken time off to mourn, as a result her minimum-wage-job pay was not enough to make ends meet; another had health problems that had her in and out of the hospital for at least six months; additionally, she had a daughter who was disabled and another daughter facing cancer. They all sounded desperate. It always seems that the most vulnerable are the ones that are most preyed upon. How do you speak the love of the Lord Jesus Christ into despair?
Jeremiah 4 is a good example of how the Lord works with us. When things are going well we ignore Him. So it was with Judah. Jeremiah tells the nation of a ravaging enemy that is coming to destroy them. The enemy is coming at the command of the Lord. In our peaceful environment in the USA, we often don’t appreciate the peace and prosperity that we enjoy. Oh sure we see pictures on our televisions of unrest in the Middle East, in Egypt, in Libya, in Syria, in Iraq in lands where people are tired of suffering under the hands of a dictator. But we don’t really feel the desperation because we are not in the situation. The Lord, speaking through Jeremiah, pleads with the nation to repent lest He not hold back the ravaging enemy.
He calls them to circumcise their hearts. Now there is an interesting word picture! How in the world do I circumcise my heart? Every male of Israel was to be circumcised on the eighth day after their birth. Why? It was to be a sign of the covenant with the Lord. Every time a male urinated, bathed or had sex, he should have been reminded by the circumcision that he was supposed to be in a special relationship with the Lord. Like a household repair that is long left undone, the physical sign became invisible and unheeded. God pleads with them to circumcise their heart. He wants them to do whatever it would take to bring their heart to the point that their greatest desire is to walk in relationship with their God. He wants them to remember that they are His people, but they will not. Instead they continue to seek the finest clothes, to buy the best jewelry, to put on the best make up, to make themselves fair for their lover, the world. All the while, the One who truly loves them, they ignored. Their hearts were not circumcised.
Observe the words used to describe the emotions of the Lord as He brings this devastation:

fury like a fire
fierce anger
a wind too strong to come (sirocco)
by His fierce anger

These words describe His passion for His people. He will not be left for a lesser lover. So He designs that which we would call evil in order to drive us back to Himself in order that we might experience His passionate love rather than His passionate anger. Will we delight in His passion? Will we delight in His pleasure? So how do you speak the love of the Lord Jesus Christ into one in despair? You tell them the truth. God designs to allow our circumstance to sour so that we might circumcise our hearts. When our hearts are circumcised, we are passionate about our relationship with Him. When we are in relationship with Him, our circumstances become of lesser importance. Nothing is as important as experiencing His pleasure and His passion. That is His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

JOHN 18:19-40
Kings and rulers have come and gone in this world. A student of world history can only focus on the more well known kings or rulers. Their number is too great to know them all well. Each king has sought to do that which will grant him immortality. The Pharaohs sought it through the building of their pyramids. Others, such as Nebuchadnezzar, sought it through building great cities. Others sought it through world conquest. Others sought it through requiring their subjects to worship them as god. But all have one thing in common. They died, were buried and were never heard of again. People were expendable to them. Wealth was necessary to them. Military conquest was a necessary evil for them. Truth was expendable to them. For earthly kings and rulers, truth is something only to be bent and colored in order to accomplish their designs.
Pilate was a ruler. For him truth was something to be manipulated in order to gain more power. For Pilate truth had no basis in what existed but rather in commonly shared beliefs that could be swayed to accomplish ones own ends. Here the true reality was presented before him, and he would not recognize it. Truth for Pilate was something to be manipulated, not something to be obeyed. Are we not all little rulers, seeking to manipulate truth rather than obey truth?
Jesus is a King. But His kingdom is not of this world. He needs not for His subjects to seek great building programs for His glory. He needs not for His subjects to take kingdoms by sword or gun. He is the King of truth. He is truth. The truth is that He is King of all. He will one day forcefully rule as King of all. But today He bids us recognize the truth and willingly bow our knee before Him. Indeed our King is a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John