May 31

DEUTERONOMY 4
David Barton of Wall Builders has very convincingly demonstrated that the founding fathers of the USA based much of their concepts of government and the formation of our constitution upon principles of Scripture. While my son was serving Iraq, he developed a relationship with the interpreter assigned to his unit. His interpreter was very impressed with the way our government was established. He asked Brice for some books on the history and founding of our country. We were able to send him some of David Barton’s books on government. What would cause such a man to desire to learn more about our country, a country which many of his religion have called America, “the great Satan”? What is attractive about America?
Although I cannot find the source, the following quote is generally attributed to French political philosopher and historian de Tocqueville (about 1835):

I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers, and it was not there…in her fertile fields and boundless forests, and it was not there…in her rich mines and her vast world commerce, and it was not there…in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution, and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good; and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.

Whether or not he said or wrote it, it is still a great statement, filled with some truth. Its truth is found in the Scripture. The principle is found in what God promised to the nation of Israel that their admirers would say of them.

7“For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? 8“And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?

While this is a promise to the Nation of Israel and not the USA, the principle is there. When we follow His righteous judgments, life goes well for us. That is part of His glory. If you do the principles, they work whether you believe the principle giver or not. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 150
It is said that St. Francis of Assisi would preach to the animals. That is a little strange if you ask me. However, he seemed to take Mark 16:15 literally, and I guess Ps. 150:6 lent a little credence to his practice. I suppose if the stars themselves sing praise to the Lord, then anything that has breath could also give praise to the Lord. Maybe I should teach my dogs to sing. In what ways do lions and tigers and bears (Oh my!) give praise to the Lord? But then, if the very rocks would cry out in praise in the presence of the Lord if we did not, then I am sure that everything that has breath would do the same. What would a dog look like when it is praising the Lord? Would it tilt its head? Would it roll over? Would it whirl in circles? Would it howl and sing? When the manifest presence of the Lord came down on Sinai, even the animals were forbidden to touch the mountain lest they die. The creatures described in heaven, which were created to live in the constant manifest presence of the Lord and give Him praise, seem to cower at His greatness. If all these praise the Lord, then why do we, who were created in His image, not constantly declare forth the glories of His praise? He has hidden His face from us, lest we die and have no opportunity to repent. Lord change me, so that my breath is constantly spent giving praise to Your name. You are indeed worthy of all praise! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

ISAIAH 61
Last night a friend of mine was arrested and hauled off to the county jail. He called me right before he was arrested, and then failed to turn his cell phone off before putting it into his pocket. It was interesting. I listened for the next 45 minutes. Sometimes I could hear what was being said. Most of the time there was just a lot of pocket noise. He was being a bit mouthy toward the arresting officer. The official reason for his arrest was that he had not been consistently making payments for previous fines and legal fees for convictions. So he was picked up on warrants for failure to pay fines. He’s homeless so they did not know where to find him. If he had not have mouthed off to the officer, they would never arrested him. I’m not certain, but I kinda think that he got himself arrested on purpose. I had just bought him dinner because he hadn’t had anything to eat in a while. He didn’t have a place to spend the night, and I kinda think that he was tired of the weather. The warmth and mattress of a county jail was probably sounding good to him. Jailed again.
What was Jesus’ purpose in coming? How does that relate to His glory? When Jesus began His ministry at the synagogue in Nazareth, He was asked to read the Scripture during the service. He selected Isaiah 61 and read verse one and the first line of verse two. Luke records Jesus reading in 4:18 & 19:

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind, -not in any text of Isaiah
To set at liberty those who are oppressed; -Isaiah 58:6
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”

I love the lines that so clearly set the tone of Jesus’ ministry. He preached the good news to the poor. Listen to the words of Doug Greenwold:

In their book Palestine in the Time of Jesus, K. C. Hanson and Douglass Oakman observe that 80-90% of the people in Palestine in the First Century were peasants, i.e., indebted tenant farmers,4 living on the edge of poverty. Almost all the land in Palestine was owned and controlled by elite absentee landowners who heavily taxed the crops as rental for the land. Rents of 25-33% of the grain yield and 50% of the fruit yield were not unusual. If you were a peasant farmer in the First Century, your reality was that you were but one crop failure/drought removed from financial ruin and debtor’s prison.

Jesus’ multitudes came from this peasant population. He gave them good news. More importantly he brought good news to those who recognized their spiritual poverty.
He was sent to heal the broken hearted. Some were broken hearted because of their poverty, others for other reasons. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Some mourned over their sin and found comfort in Jesus’ forgiveness.
He was sent to proclaim liberty to the captive, clearly a reference to the Messiah who would bring freedom to the captive. Jesus’ main ministry was to set the spiritually bound free. He did it over and over again with the demon possessed and those ensnared by their sin.
He came to give sight to the blind, which He did an abundant number of times and in diverse ways. Interestingly enough that phrase is not found in Isaiah 61 in any Hebrew or LXX text. I wonder where Jesus got it.
He came to set at liberty those who are oppressed. Interesting, that phrase is not found in Isaiah 61, but it is found in Isaiah 58:6. It is the kind of fast that the Father desires. And Jesus gave that liberty. He Himself said, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”
What does all this have to do with my Friend? My friend has never know anything but poverty. He has lived on and off of the street since he was 18. Jesus has given Him every opportunity to have his needs met both physical and spiritual. But my friend has always ended up trading those opportunities for short term pleasure. My friend has known his share of broken heartedness. His parents split when he was young. His twin brother was drowned when he was a teen. He could never learn to read properly because of learning disabilities. He is a somewhat intelligent guy. He just could never put all those letters together in order read efficiently. Prison, captive? He’s been in and out of jail all his life, but the deeper prison is the prison of his soul. He has never escaped it. Can Jesus do what He promised in relation to my friend? Of course He can. Then why doesn’t He? Jesus will not force His deliverance upon us. As an acquaintance once told me, “You gotta wanna!” My friend doesn’t want it bad enough. . . .
What does all this have to do with the glory of the Lord? Much. Jesus stands every ready to give good news to the poor, to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, to restore sight to the blind, to bring liberty to the oppressed and to bring in the year of jubilee to our lives. Now THAT is glory! We must pursue His glory more than any other thing. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

JOHN 12:1-26
We come to John’s account of the triumphal entry. Can you imagine the thrill the disciples had as they approached Jerusalem. Thousands of people were streaming out to welcome Jesus! They were quoting part, Psalm 118:25, 26, of the Hallel which indicates they believed Him to be the Messiah, the Christ. Surely this fueled the thoughts of the twelve that the Messianic kingdom was about to be established. The exhilaration of the moment must have been overpowering! It is interesting that John introduces it with Mary anointing Jesus’ feet. Jesus announces that she has done it for His burial.
John tells us of the plot to kill Lazarus. Amazing isn’t it? Some people can have all the evidence in the world in front of them, but if it does not fit their world view, they will not believe. So it is with those who sought to kill Lazarus and would eventually kill Jesus. So John introduces the Triumphal entry with warnings and plots of death and he concludes the telling with Jesus’ admonition that it was now time to for Him to be glorified. Now had I been a disciple then and heard that statement, my natural reaction would have been, "Wow! He has presented Himself as King, as Messiah! The Kingdom will begin soon. What else could He mean that the Son of Man was going to be glorified. And I am going to be in His cabinet!"
But the glory that Jesus spoke of did not include an immediate earthly coronation nor an immediate visible kingdom. Yes the apostles would serve in His cabinet. But no it would not involve high level affairs of state meetings in grand palaces such as king Herod's palace. Glory meant dying. Jesus' glory meant their following Him into death to grand visions of importance and palaces so that they might serve others. Jesus' glory was first the cross then the resurrection. Someday His glory will come to earth in its fullness. But right now His glory is the cross and the resurrection. Our glory is to follow Him there! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!