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
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