July 28

JUDGES 11
Have you ever stopped to consider the importance of a vow before the Lord? Vows are extremely important to the Lord. But does he expect us to keep a rash vow? Vows are a reflection of our character. They reflect faithfulness and truth. If we do not keep vows then it reflects upon how faithful and true we are. But what if we make a vow without understanding its implications? Does God expect us to keep it then? What if that vow, made without understanding its implications, would lead us, if we fulfilled it, to do something that is morally reprehensible? Is there a line where it is not morally reprehensible enough such that we do it anyway? When have we crossed that line? Why does the Lord care? He cares because He is faithful and true. He cares because He created us to reflect what He is like. Would He want us to do something morally reprehensible in order to carry out a vow made when we did not understand its implications?
Jephthah made a vow to sacrifice the first thing that he saw coming out of his house when he returned from battle if the Lord would make him victorious. The Lord made him victorious. His daughter was the first thing that he saw coming out of his house. Would the Lord expect such a morally reprehensible act to be carried out? Yet the Scripture remains silent on whether or not God wanted Jephthah’s daughter to be sacrificed. Or does it? Twice in the book it is recorded, “In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” In Deuteronomy 12:8, Moses warns the people to not do what was right in their own eyes. Proverbs 12:15 says that the way of a fool is right in his own eyes. Did God want Jephthah to sacrifice his own daughter or give her over to permanent virginity? (Both interpretations are set forth.) I don’t think God wanted or demanded either option. So to argue which option that He wanted is rather pointless.
So what did God want? Here is a prime example of a man doing what was right in his own eyes instead of looking at the glory of the Lord. Yes, God wants us to keep our vows. It keeps us reflecting His justice, faithfulness and truth. But there come times when He wants us to reflect mercy and grace. Had Jephthah brought His dilemma to the Lord, I believe that the Lord would have given him an option that would have reflected justice, faithfulness, truth, mercy and grace all at the same time. After all, is that not what He has done for us in the Lord Jesus Christ? Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 27
I have never experienced warfare. I am part of that generation that watched Vietnam on the nightly news. Every night they would give a body count of US, Vietnamese and Viet Cong. While the Vietnamese counts were almost always a couple of times higher than the US and the Viet Cong were almost always multiple times higher than the US, it was still wearing upon the soul to hear the nightly counts that went on for years. Occasionally the news would bring footage of battle that occurred recently. I have listened to the stories from my son, who spent 15 months in Iraq and lost many friends and acquaintances. I have read the histories of the Civil War, in which the nation lost more soldiers than all the other wars combined. My great grandfather fought at Cold Harbor which one general called, “Not war but murder.” I think about the ancient wars in which it was not uncommon for 50-80,000 soldiers to die in one battle. I think about David, who led his men into battles all through his life. He said, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. 3 Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident.” How can any man not fear and be confident when surrounded by the enemy?
The answer can only be, “Either he is not in touch with reality, or he is filled with blood lust, or he really knows what it means for the LORD to be his light and salvation.” When I know that the LORD is my light and salvation, I can smile at my enemy and say, “I know something you do not know. I am not left handed.” (That’s for you Princess Bride aficionados.) Yes, I can say, “I know something you do not know. I am not alone. The God of all creation is with me.” Why should I ever be afraid?
We are in a spiritual war. The casualties are all around us. The enemy seeks to eat our flesh. He is destroying our families, our children, our friends and our enemies. He wins when we cease to keep our eyes on our light and salvation. He wins when we focus on periods of calm in between the battles. He wins when we set our swords (the Word of God) and shields (our faith) down to enjoy the calm. His ambushes are always unique. But our LORD ever remains our light. In His light we can identify the ambushes of the darkness. In His light we can forge forward in confidence. In His light we can gaze upon His beauty. He is our salvation. We need nothing else. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

LAMENTATIONS 1
I never was a good athlete. I enjoyed trying though. On my 9th grade football team, I was the 3rd string (last string) linebacker and offensive right guard. One game we were behind several touchdowns at halftime. The coach was extremely angry with the first string’s performance, and he let us know it at half-time. By the end of the third quarter he was so frustrated with the performance of the first and second strings that he put the 3rd string in for the remainder of the game. I got to play the whole quarter, which was a lot of fun. Had the game only counted the 4th quarter for scoring, we would have won, 7-0, but all that proved was that our last string played better than their last string.
When we came to practice the next day, we found that the last string had been promoted to first string. The first string had to earn their spots back. Not only that, but the practices the next two days were filled with grueling conditioning drills that let us know that the coach was really angry with us. We did what we called grass drills for 15 minutes to begin practice. He then had us doing grass drills off and on again for the rest of the practice and ended the practice with more grass drills. It was agonizing. Why should the 3rd string have to endure the wrath of the coach when we had out played our opponents during our part of the game? We were a team.
Why should Jeremiah and whatever few righteous people who were left in Jerusalem have to endure the wrath of God? They were one people. Sometimes we are in distress; our soul is troubled; our heart is overturned within us. Outside the sword bereaves and home is like death. Sometimes it happens to us, not because what we have individually done, but because we are identified with a certain people and that people has rebelled and is experiencing the wrath of God as a people. Any good coach disciplines the whole team for the good of the team. There comes a point when he must do what he must, especially if he wants to receive the glory of a well-disciplined team. God wants His people to glorify Him. He will do whatever it takes to change them so that they will love Him and glorify Him, including destroying their national identity. After all, it is His glory that is at stake. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

ACTS 28
This is church planting at its most amazing. And it is so because Jesus designed it from beginning to end. He didn't stop the storm! I wonder if Paul asked him to stop it. He wrecked the ship! He did warn Paul that everything would be all right. He allowed a deadly viper to bite Paul! He prevented the bite from harming Paul. The father of the magistrate of the island lay sick and had dysentery. In those days people frequently died with dysentery. Paul prayed for him, and the Lord raised him up. Do you think anyone on the Island believed? I am sure that Paul left a young church behind.
Paul was delivered over to the captain of the guard. This is probably Afranius Burrus, who judged the cases for Nero. For two years Paul was under house arrest. Soldiers of the Praetorian Guard (the personal troops of Caesar) watched him constantly. He had a constant captive audience. Do you think Paul witnessed to them? I am sure he did. Do you think any of them gave their lives to Christ? I am sure a few did. The letter of Philippians was probably written from Rome. Philippi was a Roman colony in Macedonia. Listen to what Paul tells them in 1:12-14 (the word palace refers to the Praetorian):

But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

The leaders of the Jews came to him. He proclaimed Jesus to them. Some believed; others rejected the message. Paul concludes with quoting Isaiah on the obstinacies of His people and saying, "Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!" We began the book of Acts with Jesus telling His disciples that they would be witnesses to the ends of the earth. They were near a city on the outer reaches of the Roman Empire. Outside of a 200 mile radius, almost nobody had ever heard of Jesus. Less than the 30 years later, the Gospel has traveled to the very heart of the empire to Rome itself and is becoming embedded in Caesar's own guard. Tens of thousands, if not hundreds, have embraced Christ. The Gospel is spreading like wildfire! Why? Because His disciples are filled with His Holy Spirit and they speak the glories of Christ! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John