August 30

1 SAMUEL 23
I was watching a detective/comedy show yesterday. Three detectives were keeping secrets from their wannabe friend. Over the friend’s protests the detectives responses were, “This information is on a need to know basis, and you do not need to know.” Does the Lord ever give you the information you need to know? David needed to know some information. The Lord gave it to him. But there were other things the Lord could have done. He could have intervened for David in such a way that many of David’s troubles would not even have emerged. Why did He not intervene? Why did He only give such limited and specific answers such that David had to pursue them? Why? Why? Why? I guess that I am starting to sound like a little child. It is the glory of the Lord to let us find His glory in our pursuit of Him. He is worth pursuing. The Lord could have stopped all the misery that David was going through. But David would not have pursued Him then. And David would never know that God answers questions on a need to know basis. Also, we wouldn’t have a number of the Psalms that we have now. We find His glory only in our pursuit of Him. Lord, don’t let me give up! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john


Ein Gedi is a canyon that drops from the top of cliffs one thousand feet away down to the Dead Sea floor. Outside of the canyon the landscape is basically devoid of vegetation from lack of rainfall, but the Spring of the wild goats carries water from the top through a series of waterfalls. The canyon is riddled with caves that could be used as temporary shelters for those who might be in hiding

PSALM 60
We entered into Portland in the late afternoon. A rain storm was breaking up and a rainbow appeared to stretch out over the city. It was like a promise from God that He would be with us during our stay there. Later, the Lord gave Laura this promise from verse 12, “Through God we will do valiantly, For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.” Indeed, He was with us through unemployment, financial lack, sleep deprivation, personal injury, and even death. When I graduated from seminary (the very reason we had moved to Portland), Laura presented me with a framed water painting (which she had done) of a shepherd holding his hands up in praise to the Lord. The caption read, “Through God we will do valiantly.”
The fact that God really does that is not just a neat idea in His Holy book for me. It is an experience. I have been there. So has David. This Psalm instructs us to actively rejoice in the provision of God. It recognizes that we will lose some battles. (Lord you have cast us off!) But when we look at the whole, the victory is ours because ultimately He wins the war. That is our God! We are victorious because He cast off His own Son on the cross so that we might become victorious. To the disciples it looked as though they had lost the battle, but in that loss, they won the war. We must actively rejoice in the cross for only through the cross do we experience His victory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

EZEKIEL 29
“Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup,” so stated the bumper sticker on Christy’s car. In Scripture Egypt is often compared to a dragon or sea monster. The imagery comes from the Nile which also had crocodiles that lived in the river. Ancient advanced civilizations are usually found near great rivers that regularly flood their banks. The flooding provides needed water and nutrients for the soil. Thus Egypt, with the regular flooding of the Nile, was able to establish an advanced civilization because they could depend upon the established agrarian cycle of crops. This enabled others in the culture to specialize in other building activities. The result was an advanced civilization. Egypt knew that one of the sources of its strength was the Nile river. They established great confidence in their economy that the Nile provided for their country.
Rather than seeking the Lord, Israel sought help from Egypt against Babylon. It was wrong of Egypt to help, and it was wrong for Israel to seek Egypt’s help. Israel was meddling in the affairs of dragons. Ultimately, the source of provision and strength for any country is the Lord. How does the God of glory solve this problem? Not only does he discipline Israel, but he also disciplines the dragon. Ezekiel predicts the discipline of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar as the pay for Nebuchadnezzar’s work in disciplining Tyre. Listen to what the KJV commentary says about the fulfillment of this prophecy:
The date is March-April of 571 B.C. Though Nebuchadnezzar had laid siege to Tyre for thirteen years, the campaign was an economic loss. Since he had no booty with which to pay his soldiers, he invaded Egypt and got booty, the wages for his army. Thus, both Tyre and Egypt, proud because of their wealth, were humbled by God’s instrument, Nebuchadnezzar.
Persia defeated Babylon in 539. The Egyptian captives were eventually allowed to go home, but they would never again become the world power, true to Ezekiel’s prophecy.
God always performs His word. We do not need to appeal to the dragons of this world for our help. When we do, it is certain that we will get mixed with ketchup. That is not a good thing. God will perform His word. It is part of His glory. We need to wait upon Him. Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

1 CORINTHIANS 11:1-16
In most circles of our culture, if I were to say, “The head of woman is man,” then I would be scorned as some backward chauvinistic throw back of a previous generation. It would be as though I had said something very demeaning about women. Yet Christ does not object to us saying, “The head of Christ is God.” Is it demeaning to say that the head of Christ is God? I can hear some say, “But that is completely different. God is the Supreme being. It is not an equal rights issue here.” Oh really? Did God the Son not have the right to say, “No I do not desire to become flesh.” Did He not have the right to say, “No I will not die on a cross.” Is He not just as much God as is the Father? Indeed as we see elsewhere in Scripture, He is just as much deity as is God the Father. He could have called 10,000 angels to keep Him from dying. So it was not an issue of equal rights nor an issue of equal nature. It was something else.
Was it not an issue of love? Is it not that He loves the Father? When Jesus says to us, “If you love me, you will obey my commands,” is He not reflecting to us the very relationship He has with the Father. He loves the Father. So, He submits Himself to the Father, so that He might return us to the Father. Is it not also that He loves us? So, He submits Himself to the Father’s will so that He might rescue us from our sin and death. His submission to the Father does not demean Him or make Him any less in His deity. Rather, it increases His glory. Look what He has achieved because of His submission! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

August 29

1 SAMUEL 21-22
Dt. 19:15 and Lev. 15:16-18 indicate that a seminal emission marks a man as unclean for ceremonial worship. In the ceremonial law bodily fluids such as blood and seminal fluid were symbols of life. They are holy inside the body. For that fluid to be outside of the body, i.e. spilled on the ground, was unnatural and therefore caused one to be ceremonially unclean. The life of the flesh is in the blood, so the one bleeding is a picture of death-unnatural. Seminal fluid is part of the propagation of life, so for it to be outside the body, i.e. spilled on the ground, is to be unnatural, unclean. It was important to the priests that the men had kept themselves from ceremonially clean.
God is all about life. He is the Living God. His laws given through Moses were meant to teach the holiness of life. Pagan religions viewed the gods as lusting after each other and after humans. In some cultic religions, it was believed that the lust of the gods made the fields fertile to bring forth crops and the livestock to produce young. Thus it became part of their ceremonial practices to incite the gods to lust. Thus the idea of temple prostitutes was easily introduced. But with Yahweh, He would have nothing to do with those demeaning practices. The propagation of life has nothing to do with exciting Him to lust and therefore bring forth the fertility of field and livestock. He is the author of life and we do not need to excite Him to reproduce. Therefore in the worship of Him, He ordained that men should remain pure in their ceremonial worship of Him by temporarily abstaining from sexual relations lest they pervert His image as the pagans. Yahweh has designed the sexual relationship of a married couple to be a reflection of the intense love found in the Trinity and in the relationship between Christ and His bride, the Church.
The bread of the presence is so rich in symbolism of life and of the fellowship and love between God and His people. To enforce this holy image the bread was to only be eaten by priests. Why then did the Priest allow David and his men to eat of the bread? Radmacher says, “The Talmud explains this apparent breach of the law on the basis that the preservation of life takes precedent over nearly all other commandments in the Law (see Lev. 24:9).” Jesus is always about the Spirit of the Law, not about its letter. So why does the priest insist that the men have not had intimate relations with a woman? He is reinforcing the holiness of God’s design for our sexuality! It is not to be reduced to a mere hormonal drive, but rather it is to be the rich expression of committed love between a married couple. Even as each person of the Trinity is committed to each other in love, so the couple is to be committed to each other in all aspects of their lives. Paganism reduces it to a dirty hormonal drive. Yahweh designed it to be the celebration of committed love and respect.
So here even in a seeming innocuous conversation between a fleeing David and the high priest, we find the incredible glory of the committed love of the Godhead being portrayed. What does Saul do with it? He does what Satan always does with committed love, he kills it. When he learns of the event, he kills all the priests that he thinks may have had anything to do with it. The true followers of the Yahweh seek life and loyalty. The followers of Satan seek death. David had sought protection from Samuel the prophet. The prophet could not help him. David had sought help from Jonathan, the king’s son. The prince could not help him. David has sought help from the priest. The priest could not help him. And so begins a ten-year period of David’s life where he is constantly fleeing from Saul, living as a hunted man. Only God can truly serve as David’s rock and fortress. The Lord is the one who is our rock, our stronghold, our refuge. He is also the one who is in committed love with us. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john


The picture above is Masada. Perhaps it is a "stronghold" to which David fled.

Psalm 59
We saw him come around the corner. We were in the fourth grade and he was in the fifth. His name was Charles. He was big for a fifth grader. We were small for fourth graders. Additionally, he was known as a bully, and he had threatened us in the past. He had the cut out lid of one-gallon-tin can in hand. We turned and ran the other direction. He let the lid fly like a Frisbee. I heard it whiz past my ear, and saw it land in front of me. “Whew! That was close!” My feet were churning as fast as they could go!
“I’ll get you yet, Chaffin!” He did not bother to pursue us. To this day I really don’t know why he had it in for me. He probably enjoyed the power of making kids smaller than him fear. My friend told everybody in school the next day of our experience. Not much later we were playing on a rope swing. My hands inexplicably could not hang on to the rope. I face planted in the gravel road—scraped a lot of skin off of my face. The next day when I walked into class, several people simultaneously asked, “What happened, Chaffin; did Charles get you?”
I guess that is the closest I have ever been to someone pursuing me to take my life. So, I really can’t relate to David. I have had people who have hated me without a cause and tried to take my job, but never my life. It seems to me that to hate one so much so as to try to kill him would be the ultimate threat. If I know how to respond in that situation, then I know how to respond in any situation. What did David do in that situation? He focused on the glory of the Lord. He focused on the strength, defense and mercy that the Lord brings to those who trust in Him. When one focuses on such glory for very long, it usually can only result in breaking out in song. His glory is too wonderful! It must be sung! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

EZEKIEL 28
Am I a god? The prince of Tyre unconsciously came to that conclusion. Tyre was a magnificent city at the time of Ezekiel. Sitting on the eastern end of the Mediterranean it had become wealthy through its merchant trade that spanned from Spain in the west to its location in the east. Centrally located, it could receive goods from a thousand miles inland to the east and distribute it throughout the Mediterranean world. The merchants of Tyre did great business. Ithbaal II, the prince of Tyre in Ezekiel’s day, attained great wealth through his portion of the trade and through taxes levied on commerce flowing through his port city. Exalted and wealthy and possessing a great business mind, he became quite proud without probably even realizing his pride. After all, he was able to gain this wealth and power through his great business skills. He came to feel that he was the author of his wealth and wisdom. He needed to submit to no one. Only God is the author of true wealth and wisdom. Are you a god?
Two thousand seven hundred years later we fall into the same trap. Here in the USA, we live in a culture that makes it possible for individual wealth and power to be gained for the individual who knows how to manipulate the wisdom of this world. A decade ago it prompted a famous secular author to state that if anyone in the USA made less than $250,000.00 per year, then he was not pulling his own weight. We might quibble on where he set the bar, but I suspect that most Americans would agree. The question is, “Where do we set the bar--$25,000, $50,000, $100,000, $250,000?” Most of us would say that we are rich, have become wealthy and have need of nothing. We have become gods, or so we think.
The problem is that there is only room for One God. He destroys all others; that is part of His glory. He takes all who seek to be gods and throws them into the pit. Those princes who seek to be gods end up like their father, the king of Tyre. He is the one who started it all. The last half of Ezekiel 28 has baffled theologians for years. Many aspects of it make it seem to be directed toward someone who is more than a man, but then he is addressed as a man. He is called the anointed cherub. From Exodus 25:18-22, we can deduce that the role of cherubim was to protect and proclaim the holiness of God. Satan, the king of Tyre once did that, but he corrupted his wisdom for the sake of his own splendor. We do the same. God allows no room for it. There is after all only One God. There is no room for another. That is His glory. Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

1 Corinthians 10:19-33
“The earth is the Lord’s and all its fullness.” Paul quotes Psalm 24:1. He quotes it twice. It must be a significant thought, if he repeats it. The earth is full of beauty. He created it. The earth is also full of pain and suffering. Does that belong to Him as well? Well, yes. Does that mean He is the author of pain and suffering? He is the righteous judge. Pain and suffering are a result of His curse upon the earth because of the sin of Adam and Eve. We agreed with that sin and joined them when we became old enough to sin. So no, He is not the author of pain and suffering, He is the judge of it.
So where is the glory of Christ in this? As I walk through life, I am to be looking for His glory. My job is to reflect His glory. Anything that diminishes His glory, I should avoid. Anything that exalts His glory I should embrace. Whatever I do, do it to His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

August 28

1 SAMUEL 20
We drove an old beater pickup. It had no doors, no headlights, no side-rear-view mirrors. Our job was to pick up the trash at the camp ground and take it to the dump. We had a full pick-up load and took it to the dump. After emptying the bed of the truck, we jumped back into the truck. As we pulled a number of yards away from the dump pile, the driver said, “We forgot to put up the tailgate.”
“Don’t worry! I’ll get it!” Without thinking I unbuckled my seat belt and stepped out of the moving truck. You know when you are already going ten miles per hour or faster and are expecting the ground to be not be moving, you cannot stay on your feet. I immediately went down. It freaked out the driver. He screamed and slammed on the brakes. The truck fish-tailed a little bit. The rear tire came within inches of my head. There was less than a step between me and death. God was merciful, and the only thing hurt was my pride.
“There is but a step between me and death.” Taken literally, it is a very grim statement. David meant it literally. He knew that Saul was intent upon ending his life, and why not? Saul had already been told by Samuel that God was going to rip the kingdom from him and give it to another whose heart was fully intent upon seeking Him. Samuel had anointed David as Saul’s successor. David had won the hearts of the people through his slaying Goliath and many successes in battle against the Philistines. David was the rags to riches story that everyone loves. David was the people’s favorite. Saul had only two choices; he must hand the kingdom over to David, or destroy him. He became intent on destroying him.
Jonathan was David’s best friend. David could handle just about anything if he knew that his friend was with him. He needed reassurance. So he confronted Jonathan head on. You’ve read the story. Jonathan was surprised to find out that David was correct. Saul was seeking to destroy David. Jonathan would have been the heir to Saul’s kingdom. In the flesh, there was no reason for Jonathan to spare David’s life. Yet, Jonathan knew that David belonged on the throne. He could have easily been a part of Saul’s plan to destroy David. Yet, he laid aside his own rights so that David might live and rule on the throne.
There is a slight parallel here between Jonathan and Jesus. Jesus ruled on His throne in heaven. I was in rebellion against Him. I was in death in the sense of separation from God. The wrath of God was upon me! But He and the Father and the Spirit all chose to have me rule on the throne with Him. In order to accomplish that, Jesus laid aside his right to rule and became a man, a servant. I was but a step from death, but He died in my place and rose on my behalf. Through repentance and trust in Him, I can now sit with Him on His throne, because He took my place! Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 58
“He is very charming.” What does that mean? It runs in two veins. It is pleasing, pleasant, or it means to have a magical power over something. David refers to his enemies as deaf cobras which do not respond to the charmer. In this context God is the charmer. Snake charming has been a long tradition in the east, middle east and Africa. While in practice it looks like the charmer exhibits some magical power over the snake, in actuality it is all a matter of appearances. But the point of the Psalm is that God seeks to charm us. He desires us to be pleased with Him. In the arms of Jesus there are ten thousand charms. But David’s enemies are not in the least pleased by the Almighty. They are like deaf cobras, He holds no pleasing power over them. Because they do not respond to the pleasing power of our Lord, David invokes the justice of our God over his enemies.
As I think about the charms of our Lord, what are they? He is the Almighty. He is full of loving kindness. He is beautiful. He is patient. He is kind. He is joy. He is peace. He is creative. Should not these charms (pleasant attributes) draw me to Him? Should they not be enough to motivate me to obedience? If I really believed that He is all these things and that He wants me to share with Him in these charms, then shouldn’t that be an overwhelming motivation to seek Him? It should be, but there is something flawed in each of us, so that we do not seek Him. The result is that we need also to learn of His justice. He will bring those who are not repentant to judgment. When our enemies refuse to repent, He will judge. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

EZEKIEL 27
I am a baby boomer, born in 1955. The decades following 1945 saw the USA at the pinnacle of her military, economic, political, social power in the world. We became both loved and hated by the nations of the world. We possessed much of the world’s resources. We inherited one of the greatest political systems for providing freedom for her citizens that the world has ever seen. Our wealth compared to the third world nations became legendary. The average citizen in the USA was immeasurably better off economically and in every category of measure than most of the third world. Our resources and system had led us to the top in the world. We were much like Tyre.
In the midst of our wealth, we forgot God. We excluded Him from our schools. In the name of freedom of religion we excluded Him from public life. Our true god became our focus. Our true god? It is nothing less than freedom from any outside restraint. To have that freedom, we have sought to amass great wealth. To have that freedom, we have sought to broker political power that will support our own interests. To sustain that freedom, we sought to build the world’s greatest military machine. To have that freedom, we have sought to throw off all moral sexual restraint. Daily we fall at the altar of “Have It Your Way,” in order to worship our impotent god. We are headed at break neck speed down the high slope of this roller coaster toward the valley of freedom of restraint. We are much like Tyre.
What would happen if we shifted our focus off this false god which we have so passionately embraced to the living God whose glory is inexpressible? Perhaps the Lord might lift us off of this insane roller coaster and set us on a plateau with an incredible view. But alas we are much like Tyre. We have exchanged the glory of the invisible God for the glory of what we can see, feel and experience. It is the glory of money, sex and power. What a putrid god it is in relation to the glory of the invisible God. Help me/us Lord to focus on your glory, not the gods of this world, lest I/we end up just like Tyre. Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

1 CORINTHIANS 10:1-18
When the Children of Israel came out of Egypt, the Lord not only provided miraculously for their exit but also for their sustenance as they traveled the desert He provided manna for bread, quail for meat and water via various miracles. Two of those miracles were occasions where water poured from a rock after Moses struck it. (If you remember the first time he was commanded to strike it, the second time he was commanded to speak to it but in disobedience, he struck it again.) Paul says that Rock was Christ. He is the Rock who brings us the water of life when He was struck down in His crucifixion but raised again, declaring us righteous before God. He is also the Rock who brings us ongoing, daily life as we kneel before Him yielding our lives to Him in reverence.
Throughout the Scripture “Rock” is used as a metaphor of Christ. “Rock” is used by the Psalmist as a place of safety and refuge, like Masada. Jesus refers to hearing and obeying His words to being like a person who builds his house on solid bedrock. Here the “Rock” is the source of pure living water that sustains our life. Jesus also refers to Himself as the manna that came down out of heaven. He is the source of our sustenance.
Paul says Jesus followed the Children of Israel. The Lord Jesus is our “Rock”. He follows us. He is always there. He is our place of refuge and safety. He is the bedrock upon which we can build. He is the source of pure living water that sustains us and is the source of sustenance. What comfort there is in that knowledge! What warning is also there! Paul kind of understates the case when he says with most of them God was not well pleased. Indeed, He was not well pleased with all the adults except Joshua and Caleb. They were His children. He met their needs. But because of their unbelief, they lived out their natural lives in the wilderness never experiencing the promised land for which they had been called out of Egypt.
We are often tempted to leave or ignore the source of our sustenance. That amounts to idolatry and immorality. But He constantly follows us. He is there ready to give us a way of escape from the temptation if we are willing to take it. We can bear it, because He is there. This blessed truth is part of the symbolism of communion. We drink of one cup together—the cup of the Lord Jesus Christ. He makes us holy through communion with Him. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

August 27

1 SAMUEL 19
When God has a plan, He makes even His enemies join in accomplishing the plan. This is the second time that the Spirit of the Lord has come upon Saul and caused Him to prophesy. However, the first time found in chapter 10, Saul had just been privately anointed as king by Samuel, and he willingly joined in the prophets. This time Saul is seeking to kill David, the Lord’s replacement for him as king. This time Saul is forced to prophesy. This time God makes him strip in order to prophesy. This does not mean that he was completely naked. It means that the Lord made him take off his royal robes, the sign of his kingly office. The Lord forced him to publicly recognize that he was no longer to be king. When he prophesied, I wonder what he said. Do you suppose it was related to the extent of the kingdom that David’s descendant, the Lord Jesus, would have? It must have been awfully hard for Saul to swallow. Can you make your enemies praise you? Jesus can, does and will. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 57
Can you imagine sitting in the cave of Adullam? 1 Samuel 22:1-2 says:

David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him.

So here he is unjustly hunted as a criminal by Saul, living in a cave, surrounded by 400 discontented people. What a wonderful environment to practice the power of positive thinking! While I wrote that sarcastically, I also meant it literally. Keep in mind though that not all positive thinking is godly, but all godly thinking is positive. Ever been around people who are discontent? Can you imagine 400 hundred of them? So here is David living in a cave with 400 discontents. What do you suppose the conversation was all about? “Saul is really doing a great job at subduing the Philistines,” or “The economy is really booming right now. We are doing so well. I think will have to expand my barns for all the grain and livestock. Maybe the wife and I will expand our house for the children we are having.”
I don’t thinks so. The conversation could probably be better described as, “My soul is among lions; I lie among the sons of men who are set on fire, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.” On the one hand, David feels it is good to have the support of 400 men. On the other hand, it is negative support. These men want change. They are discontent. They want change that spears, arrows and swords can bring. They see in David their champion. They see in David the one who can vulcanize their corporate desire for change and produce a new regime. Well, David is headed there, but not in the direction they had expected.
So if you were being pursued by Saul, if it were as though your pursuer had laid a net to trap you, if it were as though a pit had been dug for you, if you were among 400 discontents, how would you speak to vulcanize your followers in such a way that they would follow you to establish justice? Most of us would lay plans to bring down the evil regime and establish ourselves as the rulers. It is not so with David. He speaks of the glory of God! He cries for God’s mercy! He establishes his trust in God! He remembers that calamities, as evil as they are, are temporary! He calls out to the One who is almighty! He petitions Him to let mercy and truth be seen in their midst! He pleads for God’s Glory to be revealed to them! He makes his heart steadfast to sing the glory and praise of God!
Oh Lord help me to trade my discontent for Your glory! Help me to lift up the praise of your mercy and power! Help me to be content only in Your empowerment! May Your mercy and truth ever be upon my lips! It is Your glory to work that work in me and in us! Establish it O Lord! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

EZEKIEL 26
Tyre had it coming. She had produced such a notable as Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, who led the nation into Baal worship. Archaeologists have found thousands of JPFs, Judean Pillar Figurines (or perhaps better labeled Judahite Pillar Figurines). The figurines are generally about 6 inches tall and are figures of a woman standing like a pillar with her hands under her breasts. Some have suggested that they were just toys. Others have suggested that they are household gods much like those which Rachel stole from Laban. Still others think that they are a household version of the Asherah pole, the female consort of Baal, considered to be a fertility goddess. Most of the JPFs were found in strata dating from about 800—586 B.C. Since Jezebel lived & ruled from 874-853 B.C. She certainly could have influenced their production and spread for all those generations. It was Jezebel’s daughter, Athaliah, who married a King of Judah, Jehoram. The appearance of the JPFs occurs about a generation after Athaliah and remains until the destruction of the first temple. Tyre indeed had long fingers of influence into the cultural life of Israel and Judah. Her lust for wealth and sexual freedom were a corrupting influence upon the nations of Israel and Judah.
This chapter yields seven interesting predictions about the fate of Tyre:

1. Many nation would come against her.
3 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up.
2. She would be scraped bare
4 And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock.
3. Fishermen would spread their nets upon her for drying.
5 It shall be a place for spreading nets in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken,’ says the Lord GOD; ‘it shall become plunder for the nations.
4. Nebuchadnezzar would destroy the mainland city
7–8 “For thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Behold, I will bring against Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses, with chariots, and with horsemen, and an army with many people. 8 He will slay with the sword your daughter villages in the fields; he will heap up a siege mound against you, build a wall against you, and raise a defense against you.
5. Her debris would be thrown into the water.
12 They will plunder your riches and pillage your merchandise; they will break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses; they will lay your stones, your timber, and your soil in the midst of the water.
6. She would never be rebuilt.
14 I will make you like the top of a rock; you shall be a place for spreading nets, and you shall never be rebuilt, for I the LORD have spoken,’ says the Lord GOD.
7. She would never be found again
21 I will make you a terror, and you shall be no more; though you are sought for, you will never be found again,’ says the Lord GOD.”

Many have written demonstrating the accuracy of the fulfillment of these prophecies. I will leave it to you to read what Josh McDowell has written in Evidence that Demands a Verdict in order to understand how each of these were fulfilled in history. Peter Stoner has calculated the odds of those 7 prophecies being fulfilled as one chance in 75,000,000. Yet every one of them has been fulfilled! Now that demonstrates the Glory of our God! He proclaims what will happen years before it happens, and it comes true! Jezebel thought that she could get away with her idolatry. Athaliah thought she could get away with her idolatry. Their poison spread to Judah and Israel. The kings of Tyre thought that they could get away with their idolatry, but God brings them to an end. Do I think I can get away with my idolatry? In the end we will all stand naked before Him. He will judge us according to the intentions of our hearts and our deeds. I need this Jesus to be my advocate at that time, for His blood pleads a better case. Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

1 CORINTHIANS 9
It seems that every minister has a group of people that examine his ministry and find it deficient in some manner. The clear implication here is that there was such a group in the church at Corinth. Apparently, there were some who did not think Paul qualified as an Apostle. After all, he did not take a salary from anyone but rather worked to meet his own needs. An Apostle wouldn't do that. He did not bring a wife with him. He didn't even have a wife. Surely an Apostle would have a wife and take her with him wherever he went. If he were such a great Apostle, where were all the rewards that should accompany the office? His reward? His reward was the people who followed Christ as a result of his preaching the Gospel. For that reason he did whatever it took to make himself more effective at bringing people to Jesus. How does this speak the glory of Jesus?
Would you or I give up the right to receive a salary just so that you or I might be more effective at preaching the Gospel? Would you or I give up the right to a spouse just so that you or I might be more effective at preaching the Gospel? Paul would and did because he had seen the glory of Christ. You and I may not see the glory of Christ visibly as did Paul, this side of death. But we can see His glory in the Scripture. We can see His glory as He works around us. As we focus on His glory, it gradually changes us so that we become willing to become all things for all people that we might save some. Because we understand that it is about His glory not our rights, and His glory is more precious than our rights. That is why we must focus on His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

August 26

1 SAMUEL 18
“Praise the Lord!” was my comment to my teammate as I returned to the bench after the series of downs. It was the last game of the season of my senior year. I had never been a good football player. I had never even suited up before my senior year. The coach had let me start the first two home games. During both games, he yanked me out because of poor performance on the field. I rarely played after that. But this was the last game of the season. My best friend, who had sustained a mild injury in the previous game played both offense and defense. Coach wanted him to play just offense in order to preserve his strength during the game. So, I received the call to play his defensive spot. All week long I was praying that the Lord would allow me to play above my ability so as to bring glory to His name. The Lord answered that prayer. I played above my ability because of Him. When my teammates commented upon my play level, I had no other choice but to say, “Praise the Lord!” It was His doing.
Assuming Saul reigned 40 years, assuming David was 30 when he became king upon the death of Saul, David was born in Saul’s 10th year as king. Assuming Jonathan was 15-18 years old when he began leading 1,000 men, assuming that was in Saul’s second year as king (see August 21, 1 Samuel 13), there is a 25-27 year age gap between Jonathan and David. Yet there was this natural friendship between Jonathan and David. Perhaps Jonathan saw something of himself in David. Maybe, like himself, he saw a 15-year-old who wasn’t afraid of overwhelming odds. David had the same kind of spirit as Jonathan. Jonathan was secure in his relationship with God. David was not a threat to him, but an encouragement. It was refreshing to see someone like himself who would trust God in the midst of overwhelming odds.
What a contrast with Saul! Saul, for whatever reason was always insecure in his relationship with God. Maybe it was because his father was bent. Maybe it was a lack of self-confidence. After all Saul was the one found hiding in the baggage when it came time to anoint him king. One thing is certain; Saul had great difficulty in full obedience to the Lord. He couldn’t wait for Samuel, so he took it upon himself to lead in sacrifice. He couldn’t wait for the answer from the Lord via the priestly ephod, when Jonathan unexpectedly began the rout of the Philistines. He rashly made a vow when commanding his troops not to eat anything during the battle. This led to the soldiers eating blood (a clear violation of the law) when they finally had a break. He did not fulfill the command of the Lord when he defeated the Amalekites. He saved the best for himself, rather than destroying all. He teetered on leading the army into battle against the Philistines in the valley of Elah, and let 15-year-old (or less) David go fight the giant. Instead of rejoicing over the victory that God gave, he became jealous. What a contrast with Jonathan and David!
So God sent a distressing spirit upon Saul. For some people it just doesn’t seem right for God to send an evil spirit upon someone. How can a good God send an evil spirit on someone? For an explanation better than I can give on that subject, go to this website:
http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=6&article=1278
Saul was focused upon his own glory. Jonathan and David both understood the glory of God. Focusing upon His glory resulted obedient acts of valor when the occasion demanded it. Saul’s focusing upon himself resulted in disobedient acts of valor when the occasion demanded obedient acts. Oh by the way, after reviewing the game films of the last game, the coach told me, “If I knew you could play that position like that, you would have been there all year.” Well, that is the rub, I couldn’t play the position like that. I was playing above my ability. The Lord was teaching me to focus on His glory. When we do, He glorifies Himself, and lets us enjoy doing it with Him. Lord, may I always focus on your glory so that when the occasion demands it, I will walk with you in obedient acts which bring glory to Your name! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 56
PSALM 56
Prayer for Relief from Tormentors
To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Silent Dove in Distant Lands.” a Michtam of David When the Philistines Captured Him in Gath.
1 Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up;
Fighting all day he oppresses me.
2 My enemies would hound me all day,
For there are many who fight against me, O Most High.
3 Whenever I am afraid,
I will trust in You.
4 In God (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
I will not fear.
What can flesh do to me?
5 All day they twist my words;
All their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They gather together,
They hide, they mark my steps,
When they lie in wait for my life.
7 Shall they escape by iniquity?
In anger cast down the peoples, O God!
8 You number my wanderings;
Put my tears into Your bottle;
Are they not in Your book?
9 When I cry out to You,
Then my enemies will turn back;
This I know, because God is for me.
10 In God (I will praise His word),
In the LORD (I will praise His word),
11 In God I have put my trust;
I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
12 Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God;
I will render praises to You,
13 For You have delivered my soul from death.
Have You not kept my feet from falling,
That I may walk before God
In the light of the living?

PSALM 34
The Happiness of Those Who Trust in God
A Psalm of David When He Pretended Madness Before Abimelech, Who Drove Him Away, and He Departed.

1 I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him,
And delivers them.
8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
9 Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him.
10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.
11 Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 Who is the man who desires life,
And loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil,
And your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,
And His ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears,
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
20 He guards all his bones;
Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
22 The LORD redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.


David writes two Psalms out of this one experience. Obviously it made quite an impact upon him. David had been delivered from the paw of the Lion and the bear. He had defeated the Philistine champion of Gath, Goliath. But to be pursued by one whom you had loyally supported is indeed unsettling. It was so unsettling that David ran to his former enemies for help. What happened to trusting in the Lord? Even the best of us have our moments when we seek fleshly help rather than rely upon the Lord. It didn’t take David long to realize that he had jumped from the frying pan into the fire. But it did re-teach him a lesson. He was forced to re-learn that only God can be trusted.
Now that is one of the essential things about our Lord. He can and must be trusted. Though man can torture me, though he can ridicule me, though he can torture my family, though he can kill me, God can and will keep all that I have committed to Him. He will restore it when He returns. So, I can say with David, “What can man do to me?” Nothing can happen to that which I have committed to Him. I can and will trust Him. He is worth my trust. That is His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

EZEKIEL 25
1 Peter 4:17 “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” Many people tire quickly of Ezekiel because it is chapter after chapter of judgment. Indeed the first 24 chapters of Ezekiel deal with the glory of God in particular as He is dispensing judgment upon the house of God. The time had come for God to judge His house. Now a shift has come in Ezekiel. He begins to judge the countries outside the house of God. The judgment upon His house was harsh and hot, but the house of God, the descendants of Abraham, the descendants of those with whom He made the Mosaic covenant are still recognizable today.
What about the peoples to whom He now turns His attention? What about, Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia. Those people groups are no longer recognizable even though there are people living in those lands which still bear their names. Where does Amman, Jordan get its name? Probably from Ammon. Where do the Palestinians get their name? It is derived from the Roman designation of the area which referred to the area as Palestine which meant Philistine. But would a Palestinian today claim to be a Philistine? Absolutely not! Would one born and raised in Amman, Jordan claim to be an Ammonite or a Moabite or a Edomite? Absolutely not! The cultural identity of those groups from the day of Ezekiel has been lost, but not the Israelite! Hmmm. . .
The fact that there is therefore, now, no condemnation for those to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, does not protect us from the judgment of the house of God. There is a difference between a judgment that brings condemnation and a fiery judgment that disciplines and burns away what is ungodly. Judgment that brings condemnation ends in eternal separation from our loving King. Judgment that disciplines and burns away what is ungodly purifies us and brings us into loving relationship with our Father and Lord. Lord, it is to Your glory that I be purified of all ungodliness. Lord, I welcome Your discipline, and I also choose to walk according to Your Spirit. Yielding to You, I claim the empowerment of Your Holy Spirit to walk as you have called me to walk. Magnify Your glory by showing the world what You will do with one sinner who will yield to You. Lord, do not stop on the individual level. May the congregation which I pastor yield corporately to You. May we claim the empowerment of Your Holy Spirit to walk as you have called us to walk. Magnify Your glory by showing the world what you will do with a congregation that corporately yields to You. Lord, do not stop with this one congregation in Stillwater. May the church of Stillwater yield corporately to You. May we claim the empowerment of Your Holy Spirit to walk as you have called us to wallk. Magnify Your glory by showing the world what you will do with church of a community that corporately yields to You. Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

1 CORINTHIANS 8
There is one God, the Father, of whom are all things and we are for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ through whom are all things, and through whom we live.
Through Jesus comes all things. He called into being the stars. He put them into motion. He designed the laws of physics & chemistry. He created the first cell. He created how the physical interacts with the spiritual. He designed how interpersonal relationships ought to work. He designed how I ought to relate to myself. He designed how I ought to relate to Himself.
Through Jesus we live. What are all the implications of that? I breathe because He enables it. But that is a shallow concept of life. He enables eternal life. What is eternal life? Is it just breathing forever? This is eternal life -- that we may know God and Jesus Christ, Whom He has sent. He enables me to know my Creator. May He grant me to know Him more! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

August 25

1 SAMUEL 17
As a sophomore in high school, I weighed 135 (only a little bit more than Goliaths coat of mail) pounds. I was on the last string (6th) of our football team. The coach sometimes took the last string and used it as a scout team against the first string. We would run the defense and offense of the upcoming team in a scrimmage against our 1st string. One practice I was placed as a cornerback on the defense of the scout team. In this particular practice our first string offense was practicing a screen pass. This meant that our 1st string tackle, who weighed 235 and was all muscle, would be blocking me. Not only would he be blocking me, but he would have a running start. The first time that he hit me, I think that I was fully airborne for at least five yards. As I pulled myself back on my feet, the head coach looked at me and said, “I know he is big, but you’ve got to protect yourself, Chaffin.” I thought to myself, “Yeah, give me a loaded Smith and Wesson, and I’ll protect myself.” That was one time in my life when I felt that there was a literal giant, whom I had to face in battle.
There are times in our lives when the enemy of our soul appears as a giant looming over us. He appears large, crafty, fierce and ready to consume us. Where is the glory of the Lord in those situations? The enemy seems to smear the reputation of God in our sight. Why does not the Lord do something for the glory of His Name? David recognized the situation. But he saw beyond the scene. He saw the glory of the Lord. He had faced lesser giants before. He had depended upon the Lord before. He knew the glory of the Lord was at stake. When no other champion would defend the glory of the Lord, David knew that the Lord would defend His own glory. Knowing the glory of the Lord, David could confidently boast,

I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46“This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel!

It wasn’t about who was the biggest, the strongest, the fiercest, the tallest, the smartest, or even the toughest. It was about the glory of the Lord. When it came to the glory of the Lord, Goliath never knew what hit him. When those times come in my life when the enemy looms over me, I have to find out what the Lord is doing for His glory in this situation. When I get on His side and work with Him. The enemy is the one who goes flying and He gets the glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 55
Have you ever been betrayed by one whom you thought was a friend, if not a friend at least an ally? It is one thing to be attacked by an enemy; it is quite another thing to be attacked by one you thought to be a friend. That is why Shakespeare’s words, “Et tu Brute?” ring down true through the ages. It is a betrayal of expected trust and support that is suddenly gone when you need it. It leaves you reeling emotionally if nothing else. It is why adultery is so devastating. It is why church splits are so damaging. It is why many people are turned off toward the organized church. What do you do when the one with whom you worshipped and sought the counsel together turns and suggests that you are no longer worthy of walking with them? How do you handle it when the with whom you once sought God’s advice implies or says that you are incapable of hearing the voice of God, or even that you are mentally unstable, or if not unstable, at least dishonest. David experienced that:

It is not an enemy who reproaches me; Then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; Then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, My companion and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, And walked to the house of God in the throng.

Jesus also knew that pain. He knew it before it happened. He Himself said on the night on which he was betrayed, “I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’”
Later when Judas came to betray Him, He said,

And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.” Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.

Jesus knew why he had come. He knew at supper what Judas was about to do. A friend does not betray a friend. Why does Jesus call him, “friend?” Jesus wasn’t casting accusation upon Judas. He was simply pointing out the fact of how He felt toward Judas. In light of that awesome love, He was forcing Judas to see what he was rejecting. He used a question to teach the point. Was this painful to Jesus? Oh yes it was! Then why does He treat Judas with such compassion? Because that is the way that Jesus is.
He had spent the night in prayer with His Father. He was ready for the pain. He could endure it for the joy that lay before Him. The wrestling in prayer had prepared Him for it. Interesting, that is how the Psalm begins, “Give ear to my prayer, O God, And do not hide Yourself from my supplication. Attend to me, and hear me; I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily.” What can one do when one has experienced betrayal and the friend will not be reconciled? Matthew Henry says, “Prayer is a salve for every sore and a relief to the spirit under every burden.” I am particularly encouraged when I realize that Jesus Himself has experienced this pain to its fullest degree. He is able to fully relate to my pain. Indeed if I am honest with myself, I realize that I at times past have been that same kind of pain to Him, and He forgives me, He helps me through my own betrayals. WOW! Is He not glorious? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

EZEKIEL 24
Sometimes the Lord is as cold as ice. Why? He always has one goal in mind, that we would know that He is Lord. It is the recurring stanza in the book of Ezekiel. It would seem in the flesh that if He wanted us to know that He is Lord, then He would present Himself as soft and warm and inviting. But our natures are corrupt enough that when we go astray and sear our consciences, that only tough action gets our attention. The Lord is furious with Jerusalem because of her sin, as we saw in chapter 21. He is going to melt her down and consume her dross, as we saw in chapter 22. He will treat her as an adulterous wife, as we saw in chapter 23. Here He makes Ezekiel be as cold as ice at the death of His beloved wife. He will not allow him to mourn her death. He does this to teach the nation that the end has come.
The siege of Jerusalem of Jerusalem has begun. Within two years she will have become so weak from the siege that she will buckle and fall. She, the unfaithful wife, will receive recompense for her unfaithful adulteries. She had been obstinate about repenting of her idolatry. When she falls, the inhabitants will not even be allowed the luxury of mourning. Thus Ezekiel was to be a sign to them before it happens. Why? So that they will know that He is Lord.
Lord, I want the dross burned away. But Lord, it would really be nice if I could just learn my lesson before I have to experience that you are as cold as ice and as hot as a burning pot. But You are the Lord! And it is Your glory to reveal that You are Lord! You are too gracious and too loving to permit us to continue in our sin. Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

1 CORINTHIANS 7:17-40
A small few have suggested from this passage that Paul is against marriage. Nothing could be further from the truth. Paul is for the glory of Christ. Knowing Jesus in His glory is far more fulfilling than the very best marriage relationship. And if you have one of those very best marriage relationships, you know that it is very fulfilling. But knowing Jesus in His glory is far more fulfilling! If you are one of those rare people who can truthfully say, "I have a very fulfilling marriage and I have a very fulfilling relationship with Jesus Christ," you know exactly what I mean here. Indeed, I do not believe that one's marriage can reach it fullest potential unless one first finds their fulfillment in Christ.Jesus. It is through knowing and experiencing our fulfillment in Him that enables us to give without expectation in return. The more things or people to whom we attach ourselves in this world, the more difficult it is to find our fulfillment in Christ. Paul's point is to be content in what condition you met Christ and find your fulfillment in Him first. Then as you are fulfilled through Him, if marriage is in the plan, that is good. If marriage is not in the plan, that is good--you are still fulfilled. It is the glory of Christ that He fulfill us, not the things or people, whom He gives to us. That is why speaking His glory to one another is so pivotal. It helps us focus on His glory. We cannot be fulfilled by His glory if we do not focus upon it. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

August 24

1 SAM 16
The Lord forever looks on the inward person of a man. As I sit in my office, our church building is being used as a polling place. Voting is an interesting process. I wish that we had a scope that could look into the hearts of our people running for office and truly reveal their heart. But even if we did, we would still have those who base their decisions on the outward appearance of a person. The 1960 TV debate between Nixon and Kennedy is considered a watershed event by political science pundits. Those who listened to the debate by radio thought that Nixon had won the debate. Those whose who viewed it by TV felt that Kennedy had won. Why the difference? Nixon did not have as good appearance on screen as did Kennedy. Man looks on the outward appearance. It is our nature. But it is God’s nature to look upon the heart. He sees in spite of our masks.
Hmmm. . . that is both comforting and challenging at the same time. I can hide nothing from Him. Whatever is my motivation, He knows it. Even when I am not sure of my own motivation, He knows it. That is challenging. When everyone else mistakes my motivation, He knows it. That is comforting. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 54
He had been “on the lamb” for quite some time now. Having escaped Saul, then Achish, he returned to the cave of Adullam. The discontent of the land heard about his whereabouts and began to join him. Within a few months he had a small army of 400. David removed himself to Moab. He asked the king of Moab to let his family stay in Moab to protect them from Saul. The Moabite king granted it. David returned to his stronghold in the desert, and then under the instruction of the Spirit of God, he removed himself into the fields of Judah. There Abiathar the son of Ahimelech found him and informed him of the treachery of Doeg and the murder of the priests. Then David wrote Psalm 52. By this time at least a year must have passed for all these events to have taken place.
It was reported that the Philistines were raiding Keilah. David enquired of the Lord and took his men and did what should have been the job of the king. He delivered Keilah. One would think Saul would recognize David’s loyalty. Mental illness always prevents one from recognizing the truth. (I am convinced that we are all mentally ill to some degree.) But Saul had a severe case of it. Saul took his troops to destroy David. David fled to the wilderness of Ziph.
David meant to be a stabilizing force in the area of Ziph. He had solid control of his men, and they could act like a police force protecting the inhabitants from bandits, rustlers, raiders and invaders. But the residents of Ziph saw him as a destabilizing force. They knew that he was Saul’s sworn enemy. The last thing they needed was to get caught between the forces of the king and this upstart young officer. Naturally, they reported his presence to Saul, and Saul came to kill him. Judging by the shortness of this Psalm, I would judge that David wrote this on the run. The outcome is still unknown. All that David can say in the Psalm is to declare that God is his helper and deliverer, and He has delivered David in the past. After at least a year of running, David had to be tired of all of this, yet he still pens a song to the praise of God for His deliverance.
The story continues for years. David is delivered from the hand of Saul time and again. What can we learn from David’s Psalm? When the negative influences of life multiply upon us to destroy us, we can rejoice in the strong name of our Lord. The Lord may or may not deliver me immediately, but He will deliver me ultimately. The Lord will eventually cut off all of His enemies. If His enemies are my enemies, then I can rest in what He will do. He will one day rule supreme for He is God. I can trust in that fact alone. So, do I understand His strong name so that I can rejoice in it when I am about to be destroyed? That is why I must daily focus upon His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

EZEKIEL 23
Samaria, Oholah means ‘her own tabernacle.’ Jerusalem, Oholibah means ‘My tabernacle is in her.’ In order to maintain the split to between the two counties/cities, Jeroboam instituted two other places of worship in the northern kingdom, Dan and Bethel. The move was basically established in order to keep the northern people from returning to Jerusalem to worship. Jeroboam was fearful that regular returns to Jerusalem to worship might incite a desire to reunite the country, and he or his descendants might lose their power. Eventually after the exile, the Samaritans built their own temple on Mt. Gerazim near the city of Samaria. The woman at the well unsuccessfully sought to draw Jesus into the argument on the proper place to worship. The split remains to this day. Samaritans still worship on Mt. Gerazim and Jews at the wailing wall in Jerusalem. The Lord points out through Ezekiel that both of them have committed spiritual adultery with other gods in their places of worship. They were both guilty of exchanging the worship of the true God for the worship of false gods. Not only did they worship other gods, but they tried to incorporate that worship into the worship of the Lord. But the Lord will not share His glory with any other. It’s like sharing your wife with someone else. It just doesn’t work.
I wonder if the reason that the American church is so weak is that we have placed our own spiritual desires in place of true worship of our Lord. We have dressed it up nicely, like it looks it is worshipping the Lord, but spiritually we’ve gone to bed with another god. The Lord doesn’t put up with that. Lord, remove any spiritual unfaithfulness in me so that your glory might shine alone in me. Lord, cure us of our spiritual whoredom so that Your glory might reign supreme in us! Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

1 Corinthians 7:1-16
The sex drive is a pervasive drive in humans. Contrary to what our culture would have us believe, it is more than just a physical sensation. It is tied into all levels of our being--spirit, soul and body. We tie our self esteem to it. When we give it cheaply or treat it cheaply, it wreaks havoc in our being. Yet the enemy of our souls would blind us to that, especially in the marriage relationship.
Where is the glory of Christ in this? The marriage bond ought to reflect the relationship we have with our Lord and it ought to reflect the relationship the church has with the Lord. When sexual affection is withheld from someone to whom you are not married, that is good. You are demonstrating that you are saving that affection for your spouse. It reflects as though you are purely devoted to our Lord Jesus Christ. When sexual affection is withheld from your spouse, that is bad. It reflects as though you were withholding affection from Jesus. Yet it is He who deserves all of our life's affection. When it is demanded from your spouse, it reflects as though you were demanding affection from Jesus. It is inappropriate to demand affection from anyone, much less the King of Glory.
Where is the glory of Christ in this? He can change this pervasive drive that has been warped by our own sin and our cultural decadence into a holy expression of love for our spouse. And it isn't even dependent on whether our spouse views it that way! He can make even the expression of our marital affections bring glory to Him! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

August 23

1 SAMUEL 15
The Lord seems so stern at times. Utterly destroy everybody? Wow, that is tough! When Saul does not destroy everything and everybody, the Lord “regrets” having made him king and decides to remove him as king. Wow, that is stringent! But wait a minute; who were these Amalakites? They were the descendents of Esau’s grandson, Amalek. Esau despised the blessing of Abraham and demonstrated it by selling his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of porridge. Esau’s lack of respect for the Abrahamic blessing and the glory of God was passed on to his descendants and intensified by them. Consequently when Israel came out of Egypt. The Amalekites attacked them. The Lord swore that He would always be at war with them. Why? Because they would not respect the glory of the Lord.
Saul would not obey the Lord. Why? Look at verse 24. Saul says, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.“ Saul was more concerned about how the people viewed Him than he was concerned about the glory of the Lord. God is looking for men who are more concerned about His glory than about how people view them.
The Lord “regrets” making Saul king. That same word is used in Gen. 6:6 when He says that he was “sorry” that he had made man. He was pretty stern at that time also. He wiped out everyone on the earth except Noah and His family. What does that tell us about the glory of the Lord? It tells me that the glory of the Almighty is more important than anything else. I must seek His glory with all that I am. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 53
Comedian Jeff Allan said in the date night challenge produced by Focus on the Family, “I know why God created teenagers. He wanted us to experience what it was like to create someone in our image, who denies our existence.” The Psalmist says that “God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God.” What did this glorious God find when He looked? There is no one who seeks God. Paul quotes these verses in Romans 3:10-12 in order to demonstrate that all have sinned. So how is it that this glorious God could create us in His own image, and we refuse to acknowledge His existence? What should a righteous God do with this enigma? Here is what the righteous God did. He said that sin required the death of the sinner.
If we fail to acknowledge God’s existence and claim upon our lives, how will that affect our relationships with each other? If we are made in the image of God, and we are, then every time we see another human, we see the image of God. We are then faced with a subconscious choice. We must either acknowledge God’s existence in them or deny it. If we deny it, if we view them simply as a big bag of chemical electrical reactions, what is wrong with killing them, if leads to my survival? After all, if there is no god, then the ruling force is survival of the fittest. Naturally such a mindset would lead to much killing, or as the Psalmist puts it in verse 4, “Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, Who eat up my people as they eat bread, And do not call upon God?” So when I desire the demise of another is not part of the reason because I have failed to acknowledge the image of God in them?
So what do I do with this knowledge, for I know that I have desired the demise of others and others have desired my demise? And the problem stems from my failure to acknowledge God’s existence and claims upon my life. What should or will this Holy God do? He should kill us, but His holiness extends beyond His justice to His mercy. Because of His great mercy, He brings us salvation, so we can call out with David, “O that salvation would come out of Zion!” He provides salvation for us. So, when we continually receive that salvation and gaze upon His image, it changes us. He delivers us out of our captivity to sin. He restores us to right relationship with Him. He causes us to rejoice and be glad. It is a gladness that is not dependent upon circumstance. It just flows from him. Wow! Instead of death, we receive joy and gladness. What an amazing God! ? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Ezekiel 22
It was kind of an eerie glow. The molten aluminum glowed in the dark. Working second shift at Mercruiser, I would on occasion walk back into the die cast department during break. There was no second shift, so the lights would be out. It was too inefficient to turn off the vats that fed the molten aluminum into the machines, so they would remain heated through the night. The glow from the vat was beautiful. It was almost transparent. There was no impurity, no dross, nothing to fowl the aluminum. It was enchanting.
Listen to what the KJV Commentary says of this passage.

A stronger indictment against a city, people, and land wholly gone into moral decay could not be expressed. They have served idols instead of the Lord; by bloodshed they have despised the sanctity of life; by sexual perversion they have despised the highest form of creation, man’s body; by seeking material gain at any cost, they have put the material above the spiritual. They have done all of this because they have forgotten the Lord GOD.*

All segments of the social structure have become involved in this decay: prophet, priest, prince, and people. Therefore, the Lord must bring judgment by dispersion to a remnant, and fire, sword, and plague to the others. God’s holy purpose in this is to purge out filthiness and dross, appease His wrath against sin, and bring His people back to Himself. . . . He must deal with His sinful people in judgment.
The fire of God’s wrath produces that which is beautiful. The nation was so corrupt that there was no one to “stand in the gap and close up the wall.” There was nothing left to do but to melt the nation down consume the dross and inject the molten metal into a new mold. I am so thankful that the Lord is melting me down. He consumed my dross on the cross. He is injecting me into a new mold, one that looks like His Son. It is sometimes painful, but he has promised not to leave me nor forsake me. What remains will be beautiful. Someday I will glow because of what He has done. Some say that I’m already kind of eerie, but I don’t think they mean it in a good way. Anyway, if there is any glowing it will be from Him for He is the beautiful One. Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
*KJV Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1994, S. 1574

1 CORINTHIANS 6
"WE will judge the world." Now, if I didn't understand the glory of Christ, that would be a most disturbing thought! Just, look at our judicial system now! Just look at our churches now! We will judge the world? How can one keep from throwing up his or her hands and crying out, "I don't think so?" ONLY by looking at the glory of Christ can we keep from that. What is His glory? He takes the wretched refuse of our sin and washes it clean with His blood. We were once fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves covetous, drunkards, revilers, and extortionists. But He washed us, made us holy and declared us righteous. If He can do that, and He has, He can change us so that eventually we will have the ability to righteously judge the world. Isn't He glorious? He can take our vileness and make us holy! He can take our foolishness and make us wise! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

August 22

2013, 1 SAM 14
Recently a number of “little things” have begun to gnaw on me, weighing my heart down. None of them are particularly insurmountable, but the sum total of them drain the energy out of me. We’ve lost a number of significant people in our church. In one case the parting included some hard relational problems. I have been patiently working through an audit with the IRS. It has demanded an accounting for every bank deposit in the 2010/2011 tax years. Every time I give an answer, it seems they want more information. I have a relative who has mental problems. He called me the other night when I was not there and left a message on the answering machine which threatened to have “my a__ thrown in jail.” According to the message, he thinks that my wife works for the Social Security office and that she caused Social Security to deny him $49,000 in benefits. My wife has nothing to do with Social Security. I am a care giver for my 91-year-old mother. Her house had a fire the other day; the roof leaks (unrelated to the fire); a sewer line had to be replaced; several trees are dropping limbs as a result of the previous two years of drought; at least two trees died and need to be cut down. My own house has issues. Limbs are dropping, the roof leaks from one of the limbs, the water heater sprang a leak (it was brand new in 2007). The dog is in heat and there is a problem with our male. The list could go on, but I will stop here. There are just a lot of little things that seem to weigh the heart down.
There are things that are done in the heat of passion when the adrenaline is rushing and foolhardiness overwhelms us. Then there are things that are done in a cold calculating manner when it is determined that we can be successful. Then there are things that are not done because the multitude of little things against doing the right thing weigh the heart down, and the will becomes enmeshed in in a shroud of negative thinking. The children of Israel had experienced a great victory over the Ammonites. Saul had galvanized the nation and 300,000 men showed up in the adrenal rush of their new king. They rescued Jabesh Gilead, but farmers can’t stay in the army forever. They returned home to their families and crops. So a year or two later, Saul had only a small standing army of 3,000. Jonathan took his 1,000 and his youthful adrenaline, and he defeated the Philistine garrison raising the ire of the Philistines.
Unlike the Ammonite army, the Philistine army had technology on their side, 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen, plus a huge number of soldiers. It overwhelmed the standing army of Israel. The citizens and much of the army became afraid and began to hide in the abundant caves of the mountains of Israel. Saul’s army was reduced from 3,000 to 600. This wasn’t just a multitude of little things; it was an overwhelming flood! Was Jonathan filled with the memories of Jabesh Gilead and the defeat of Philistine garrison, or was he caught up in youthful adrenaline and foolhardiness, or did he really believe that the Lord could and would deliver them from their oppressors. Whatever his true motivation, these are his words: “It may be that the LORD will work for us. For nothing restrains the LORD from saving by many or by few.” Wow! May his kin live forever!
His words indicate that he knew the glory of the Lord! He and one other guy crossed the pass at Michmash, scaling the cliffs while the Philistines watched and waited for them to come to the top. (You can see pictures of Michmash by going to google images and type in the word Michmash.) It was 20 against 2+the Lord. The 20 were mismatched. In half an acre of land Jonathan and his armor bearer brought the Philistines to their final meeting with the Lord. It began a rout. The Lord used Jonathan’s victory to cause fear to spread through the Philistine camp. The army began to melt away in fear.
Meanwhile back at the camp, Saul had called a priest with an ephod to determine from the Lord whether or not he should attack the Philistines. Before the priest could toss the urim and the thummim, the noise of the retreating army reached Saul’s ears. Always a man of action over waiting upon the Lord, Saul commanded the priest to withdraw his hand. He immediately set out to join in the rout. He gave a rash oath designed to motivate the troops to victory, but it led to sin against the Lord. When victory was assured in the evening, he took time to seek the Lord concerning the wisdom of pursuing the Philistines into the night. The Lord would not answer. One gets the impression that Saul seemed more concerned with weighing his various options rather than his concern for what the Lord wanted. As A.W. Tozer once put it, “The Lord tells the man who cares.” Saul has demonstrated a lack of whole hearted devotion to seeking the Lord. This little devotion led to him placing requirements upon his army which led to sin. Their hearts and passions were revealed by ravenous eating of meat that had not been properly bled. Their hearts were found lacking. On the other hand, Jonathan helped himself to some ‘clean’ food. A little honey from the honey comb allowed him the right energy that was needed in the midst of the battle.
Jonathan would not allow the overwhelming flood of the Philistine army to shroud the glory of the Lord. Saul let the problems fog His sight. His vision was set upon the problems. I am faced daily with the same choice. You are faced daily with the same choice. Which path will I follow? Which path will you follow? I choose the glory of the Lord. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 52
We all look for opportunities. Not all opportunities are equal. They are the way in which we gain advancement in this life. Doeg, the Edomite, was one of those opportunistic people. Not a natural citizen of Israel he saw the rising nationalism and power of Israel, his neighbor to the north. Moving to Saul’s capital, he sought to hook his wagon to this rising star. We don’t really know why he left his homeland, or how he gained access to Saul, but he did. It was a good opportunity for him. He apparently did something in order to gain high standing in Saul’s court. He served, watched and waited for the next opportunity to advance himself in Saul’s service. Being opportunistic, he did not care whether it advanced the Glory of God or not. His concern was his advancement in the eyes of Saul. The opportunity came when he observed the rift between Saul and David, and he observed the flight of David as he visited Ahimelech the priest in order to gain help from the Lord. He reported David’s activity to Saul. Saul ordered Doeg to kill the priests of Ahimelech. Doeg gladly responded to Saul’s order. In so doing he would ingratiate himself even more before the king. What an opportunity! Doeg destroyed 85 priests before the day was over.
David continued running to the Philistine king Abimelech (Achish). There David had to feign madness in order to escape Achish. Not much opportunity there! Psalm 34 was written shortly after that. Psalm 52 was written after David learned of what Doeg the Edomite had done. David wrote this on the run from Saul. He spent more than a decade running from Saul. Yes, he had up to 600 men who joined him on the run, but it wasn’t exactly a prosperous time. He did not write it from the comfort of a palace. He wrote it from the confines of a tent as he was on the run. Yet in contrast to Doeg, the man who trusted in his riches, David describes himself as “I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.” That is quite the proclamation and commitment coming from a man who is running for his life from the wrath of the king! How can David have such confidence?
David knows the good Name of the Lord. He knows that the Lord laughs at the kings of the earth who oppose Him. David knows that the Lord is! He knows that the Lord hears and comes down to deliver. In short, David knows the glory of the Lord. His situation is temporary! His relationship with the Lord is forever. It is the glory of the Lord that keeps him going. What keeps me going? Is it the promise of an opportunity, or is it the glory of God? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

EZEKIEL 21
“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” So goes the well known hyperbolic saying of epic proportions. I don’t know. I have never experienced it. But I would agree with this, “Hell is the fury of God scorned.” Fury is sometimes defined as destructive rage. God describes Himself as exhibiting fury when He judges and destroys Jerusalem. Listen to verse 17, “I also will beat My fists together, And I will cause My fury to rest; I, the LORD, have spoken.” There has to be something glorious about the fury of the Lord. On that fateful day when the Lord casts Satan into the Lake of fire, I think we will all be shouting, “Glory!” We will all be joyous when the would-be usurper of the throne of the Universe is finally put out of action forever! If God does not do this someday, then He is not just. Fury against sin must be!
He must rule over what He has created, or He is impotent and not worthy praise. Thus we will one day shout with joy, “Overthrown, overthrown, He has made it overthrown! He whose right it is has come, and the Father has given it to Him.” The destruction of Jerusalem is just a microcosm of that greater judgment which He will bring, and it is glorious! Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

1 CORINTHIANS 5
The purity of our Lord is unassailable. It ought to be of His church. That is His goal—to present us to Himself a glorious bride without spot or blemish. That will happen when He returns. In the meantime we are to speak of His purity to one another. When that purity is obviously sullied we are to take measures to remove it. In this case the obvious was a man, who had his father’s wife. Such blatant immorality must be dealt with—for the purpose of bringing the person back to Jesus. Jesus is our purity, our Passover. Let us celebrate His purity with sincerity and truth. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

August 21

1 SAMUEL 13
The race was coming to an end. My lungs felt like fire; my bowels felt like they were going to explode, and my legs felt like lead weights. It was a six mile jog that was offered by my biology teacher as extra credit to all who run it and complete it. Many of us took him up on the offer. Few of us trained for it. As I neared the finish line, I saw an accomplished athlete from our class. He had left me in his dust at the beginning of the race. Now he was walking. I kept on chugging along. He looked back when he heard my breathing. Immediately he said, “Chaffin, I can’t let YOU beat me! Stop running!” He took off running. I couldn’t answer. My lungs burned too much. I tried to give it a kick. We ran neck and neck for quite a way. He kept telling me to stop. He said he didn’t have much left, but he couldn’t let ME beat him. I am not a great athlete, but I am not a quitter. I kept putting one foot in front of the other. He kept telling me to quit. He crossed the finish line one step in front of me. “Why wouldn’t you quit?” I did not have the breath to answer him, but the answer is, “Because I just don’t have it in me to quit.”
Saul had taken at least a year since his coronation, maybe two years, to develop a standing army of 3,000. With his son Jonathan in charge of 1,000 at Gibeah, he had 2,000 at Michmash, just 4 miles as the crow flies to the northeast of Gibeah. The Philistines had a garrison in Geba 3 miles to the northeast of Gibeah. Whether Saul commanded Jonathan to attack, or whether the 15-18 year-old Jonathan did it in youthful impetuosity, is unclear, but it caught the Philistines by surprise and Jonathan was successful at Geba. It brought the full force of the wrath of the Philistines to Michmash – 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen against Israel’s farmers armed with sharpened farming implements.
Saul retreated to Gilgal and called Israel together. Saul was getting nervous. He was instructed by the Samuel, as a commandment of the Lord, to wait at Gilgal, seven days, until Samuel came to sacrifice. Gilgal had been a very important location in the life of Israel to this point. It was the base camp of the people after crossing the Jordan River ending their wilderness wanderings. Near here they set up a pile of stones to commemorate their crossing. Here they renewed the covenant with Yahweh by circumcising all the males. This sign of the covenant had not been practiced since they left Egypt. Then the Lord said, “I have rolled away your reproach.” (Gilgal means ‘wheel’ or ‘rolling.’) After healing from the circumcision, they celebrated the first Passover in Canaan. It served as their base camp for the military conquest of Canaan. Here Saul received his coronation as king of Israel. It is the furthest point east in the center of Israel without crossing the Jordan. It is a significant location historically, religiously and militarily. The command was simple, “Wait seven days.”
Perhaps Jonathan won at Geba because he had surprise on his side. Perhaps it was because the garrison at Geba was small. Perhaps it is because God was with him, but when the massive Philistine army showed up at Michmash, it was overwhelming. People ran and hid. Saul’s little force of 3,000 began to dwindle to 600 and Saul was worried. Waiting for battle caused his force to dwindle rather than grow. Instead of people rallying to his side, they ran and hid. Saul waited until the last minute, but Samuel hadn’t shown. If he waited any longer, he might have no army. He would not wait any longer. He was a man of action, and he acted. His heart was set on the circumstances not upon the Lord.
The Lord engineers races for us to wait upon Him. It is a wait race. In so doing He reveals our hearts to us. Saul’s heart was revealed. It was not set upon the Lord; it was set upon the circumstances. He lost the wait race. The Lord wants people whose hearts are set upon Him not circumstances. How long will I wait upon Him before I bolt and run? I guess it depends on how set my heart is upon His glory. That is why I need to see His glory every day. Otherwise the guy running in front of me can dissuade me, and I will quit running. But when I see His glory, oh I cannot help but keep running! I cannot help but put another weary foot in front of the other. I cannot help but breathe another fire-filled breath. I am running into His glory and that makes all the difference. With His glory before me, I just don’t have it in me to quit. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

2012 PSALM 51
Just six days ago, I was staying in the New Park Hotel in Amman, Jordan. When you step out of the hotel and look up, you can see the northeast corner of the citadel of the ancient city. Down toward the western end of the citadel archaeologists have found the foundations of what they believe to be a palace belonging to an ancient king of Rabbah Ben Ammon. That was the city to which Joab was laying siege when David made his infamous decision to stay at home rather than go out to war. It was somewhere around here that David had Joab put Uriah in the hottest part of the battle and then withdraw so that Uriah would be killed. It is a rugged area to be attempting a siege. I could see how a blunder could be staged that that would yield the desired outcome without inflicting large losses upon one’s own troops.
Just a few days before I was at the New Park Hotel, I was in the City of David looking at the Archeological Park. Archeologist Eilat Mazar has located there what she believes to be the remains of David’s palace. It sits at the northwest corner of David’s old city. The old City of David barely covers 12 acres, is long and skinny, and steeply slopes from the lowest point in the south to the highest in the north. At Mazar’s location David’s palace would not have to be very tall to overlook every house in town. Moreover, the archeological park indicates that a royal quarter of houses surrounded the palace, meaning David’s most trusted military men and civil officials probably lived very close by. I wonder if it was common practice for women to bathe on their rooftop. If not, what was Bathsheba doing up there? If so, David knew that being there alone would escort him into the area of lustful thoughts. He went there anyway.
Whatever the causes, David was almost literally “caught with his pants down,” not only with the adultery but also with the cover-up murder. David tried to hide his sin. He denied, denied, denied, even to himself. How long had the desire for God gone dry before he knew it was gone? How long was it before he experienced the realization that he was no longer in fellowship with God? How long was it before he realized that his private sin was public knowledge? Was it really only when Nathan the prophet came to him? When and how did this overwhelming remorse take him so that he penned this Psalm? It seems to me that this sin was so premeditated that the answer to all these questions is, “He knew it all along, but refused to consciously recognize it.” If man of whom God implied was ‘a man after His own heart’ could be caught that way, how much more can I?
David’s desperation for cleansing and renewal and forgiveness wash through this Psalm. His confession had to be made public for in a sense his was a public sin. O sure, the thought processes which led to the private bedroom act were all private. Sure, the arrangements for Uriah’s murder were private, but the consequences had public results. Ultimately, it was only against God that he had sinned, but in the process he sinned against Bathsheba, taking from her that which she should only have given her husband. He sinned against Uriah, taking from him that which belonged only to him as Bathsheba’s husband. He sinned against Uriah, taking his life from him. But David knew that ultimately, as the Creator, these all belonged to God. He sinned against God. The fellowship was gone, and he knew it.
Here is where the Glory of Jesus comes in. Jesus does not just wink at the sin. He desires and demands truth in our hidden parts, but when He brings us to the point (which may feel like our bones are being broken) where we see and acknowledge the truth, He brings forgiveness. He does purge us. He does wash us whiter than snow. He does create in us a clean heart. He does renew a steadfast spirit—David had one before Bathsheba, and he would have one again. God does restore His presence. He does this so that other sinners may come to repentance and be converted. He does it so that we might experience true change and experience Him. He wants me to experience Him. David lived the rest of his life in the ignominious circumstances resulting from his sin, but nevertheless, he experienced God once again. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

EZEKIEL 20
Why was the human race created? Why were the people of Israel created? Why did God choose to locate them where He located them? Why did He remove them from the land? Why did He return them to the land? The answers to all of these questions are embedded in this passage.
The Lord created us to reflect His image, Genesis 1:26-28. Reflecting His image necessarily means that we must be close enough to Him that a reflection may be made. That is why the Lord would walk with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day, Genesis 3:8. His image is inherent in us via His creation of us, but it is magnified when we walk with Him. Walking with someone implies conversation which builds relationship. We were created to be in periodic, if not constant, conversation with God. Our sin divides us from God; it kills us, Genesis 3. It stops the conversation. That is why, as a rule, we no longer hear the voice of God. Yet in the midst of the curse of death God promised a deliverer, Genesis 3:15.
Why was Israel created? Israel was created to be the people group through whom the seed of the woman would come to deliver us, Genesis 12:3. Why did He locate them in the Land of Canaan? Look at a map of the world. At the time that Israel was created, 1400 B.C., it was literally the crossroads of the world. Anyone going from Europe to Asia or Africa by land would go through Palestine. Anyone traveling from Asia to Europe of Africa by land would go through Palestine. Anyone traveling from Africa to Asia or Europe by land would travel through Palestine. God’s desire was to restore the communication with Himself through the seed of the woman, who would be a descendant of Abraham and of David, 2 Samuel 7:12-16. Israel was to be the people group through whom the seed would come and through whom the rest of the nations could re-enter into a relationship with God. They were to be the ones who would point the Gentiles, non-Israelites, to God. They were geographically strategically located to do just that! They were equipped through the law to do just that! He brought them out of Egypt to Canaan just for that purpose, Ezekiel 20:9.
Why did God remove them from the land and then return them to the land? Instead of seeking the Lord, communicating with Him and sharing Him with the Gentiles, the Israelites sought the gods of the Gentiles, Ezekiel 20:9, 14, 22, 23, 32. So, God cut off communication with them because they would communicate with Gentile gods and not Him. Then He kicked them out of the land, but in so doing, He promised to bring them back after their repentance, Ezekiel 20: 41,42.
What does all of this have to do with His glory? It is His glory that we are to reflect. That is why we were created. Our sin diminished and killed the reflection of His glory. Jesus, God the Son, is the seed of the woman having come through the line of Abraham and of David. He came to crush the head of the serpent that He might restore our ability to communicate with God the Father through God the Spirit, when that communication is restored we then fulfill the purpose for which we are created, to reflect the image and glory of God! Am I in constant communication with Him so that I may reflect who He is? It is for this that I am created! It is for this that you are created! I cannot reflect Him if I keep myself from Him and pursue other gods. Oh Lord, I want to see Your glory, that I might enjoy You and being consumed by You, reflect you to others. Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

1 CORINTHIANS 4
This is the glory of Christ: One day He will judge the motives of our hearts and each person’s praise will come to him from God. We can look at actions and try to determine whether that action was right or wrong. We have God’s law to use to evaluate that action. What we cannot determine is what motivated the person to that action. But Jesus can and does determine motives of the heart and will one day reveal them. He is indeed amazing in that He knows the motives of our hearts. Remember Jeremiah 17:9,10? “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.”
We are more than capable of self-deceit. Jesus cuts through all the trash of the twisted thinking of our hearts. If we let Him, He reveals our hearts to us, so that we might be changed. If we don’t let Him, He will reveal it to us on the day He comes. It is better to have it revealed now and to change than when He returns. Can we truthfully say to others, “I exhort you therefore, be imitators of me?” Jesus alone can cut through the trash of our hearts and change them. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John