October 6

1 Kings 9
It is said that when Chinggis Khan died, he was given a private funeral. He was buried, and then 800 horsemen rode back and forth all day long over a large area where he was buried. Then the horsemen were killed so that none of them could tell where the Khan was buried. Chinggis had not built any great buildings, but he did build bridges. Why? He knew that in order to hold together the great empire which he had conquered, there had to be good free trade, economic development. That free trade required good roads and transportation. That was part of his genius.
When the King of Glory invaded our hearts, He did not require great buildings such as Solomon built. However, He did place His name upon the temple which Solomon built on the condition of obedience. He also promised that protracted disobedience would bring the destruction of the temple where He had placed His name. The Glory of the Kingdom of God is not found in the building of buildings. It is found in changed lives. Peter says that we are living stones being built together into a temple of God. It is here that He desires to place the glory of His name. O sure, there is practical value in buildings. But His glory is not found there, and He will destroy them if we are disobedient. No, His glory is found in our changed lives. He will have nothing less. Changed lives are the roads and bridges through which His conquering kingdom is ever expanding. It is not in programs or buildings, ministries or places. It is obedience as a result of a changed life. When we gaze upon His glory, it changes us and builds bridges to others increasing the trade of His glory. Others see His glory and exchange their poverty for His riches. His kingdom advances. What a way to conquer! Not with a sword or a building construction, but by building people. His name is placed upon us not on the condition of obedience, but His glory demands our obedience. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Psalm 97
“Clouds and darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.” Why clouds and darkness? Listen to what these other verses say of Him:

Exodus 19:9 And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.” So Moses told the words of the people to the LORD.
Deuteronomy 4:11 “Then you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the midst of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness.
1 Kings 8:12 Then Solomon spoke: “The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud.
Psalm 18:11 He made darkness His secret place; His canopy around Him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

Consider what we read a few weeks ago in Exodus 33:20, “But He said, ‘You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.’” One of the ways that we define God is that He is eternal. Eternality is more than just time. Another word for it might be infinitude. God is infinite in all that He is. So, every attribute that He has is infinite. His love, His hate, His justice, His mercy, His holiness, His compassion, His wrath, His power, His ability to restrain His power, they are all infinite. Obviously we are not infinite; we are finite. How can I, as a finite being, ever fully experience the infinitude of each or any of His attributes? Logically, I cannot! First, the metaphor of darkness must refer to the fact that I can never comprehend, understand or fully know the Infinite One. Second, the metaphor of darkness must refer to the fact that if I, a finite being who has transgressed His law, were to enter into the presence of His infinite justice, I surely would immediately be judged and rendered to nothing. Third, the metaphor of darkness must refer to the fact that if I, a being of finite power, were to step fully into the presence of infinite power, I would immediately be disintegrated (v.5). It would be like me stepping into the middle of a nuclear reaction. Unless He restrained Himself, I would immediately be undone. We could apply this to every attribute. It is no wonder that Isaiah in His midst called out, “So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.” He covers Himself in darkness for our protection!
Consider that out of that darkness comes lightnings to light the world (v.4) and light is sown for the righteous (v.11). Consider Psalm 104:1–2 Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. How can He surround Himself with darkness and cover Himself with light at the same time? What does the combination of these two metaphors teach us? The darkness is the protection He wraps around Himself so that we may be protected from what He is like. Out of the darkness comes light so that we may understand a little bit about our reality and some of His attributes. When He sends that light, we can see His glory (v.6). Even though we are still in sin, we can see some of His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Hosea 6
The story was told in the ‘70’s of a college classroom where someone had written on the blackboard, “The biggest problem in America today is apathy.” Someone scrawled underneath it, “Who cares?” So goes the lives of those caught up in the ritual cycle of sacrificial worship. The Israelites and Judeans are bringing their ritual (see yesterday) sacrifices to the altar. Hosea has delivered the message to them that He wants them to know Him, not just know about Him. But their ritual has hardened their hearts. They really do not expect to encounter the living God. They are just going through the motions. With a sigh they corporately say:

Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. 2After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight. 3Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth.

One would think that God would be happy with their response, but it is not a response of true repentance. It is a response of apathy. Their mindless repetition of sacrifices has dulled their minds and shut their hearts toward God. It is just one more weary act of contrition without the heart to mean it. God does not receive such worship. It is demeaning to His glory. He does not receive such lukewarm hearts to reveal Himself to these kind of people. Not only does He not hear their prayers, but He says,

Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of My mouth; And your judgments are like light that goes forth.

He prefers them dead over apathetic. A while ago I was at the customer service counter of a business. One of the managers (whom I know personally) was speaking to someone else and did not know that I was behind them. She is currently going through a divorce. Speaking in a loud disappointed tone of voice she said, “Well I don’t believe in divorce, but I do believe in murder.” I trust that her statement was a figure of speech, but honestly, I am not sure. I don’t think God is using a figure of speech here when He refers to killing Israel. His desire is for a fervent, red-hot love toward Him, not apathy. There is a point where our apathetic worship toward Him, which permits unholy living, becomes such an affront to His glory that He can no longer permit us to live. He takes us out of the race rather than let us defame His name. After all, we are His bride. He is returning for a bride that reflects His glory, not a bride that reflects the glory of Satan. Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Philippians 2
Most every one has read or seen some version of Charles Dickens's The Prince and the Pauper. In it a prince and a pauper who look like identical twins happen to meet each other in an unguarded moment. They exchange places and learn what it is like to be the other person. That is a little bit of a picture of the glory of Jesus. Before the Son of God added the nature of a human to His person, He existed in the very form of God. The Apostle John reveals to us in John 12:41 that it was the glory of Jesus that Isaiah saw in Isaiah 6. The glory that Jesus had before His birth was equal with that of the Father, of Yahweh. Yet Jesus did not feel that that glory was something that He had to hang on to in order to remain equal with God. So, He voluntarily took the form of a bond servant, a pauper. When He was born, it was not a castle but a stable. He was not recognized by the ruling elite but by shepherds. He was not raised in a wealthy home but that of a carpenter. Yet He was God in flesh. He was the King of kings. Yet like the prince in Dickens's story, no one recognized Him for who He was.
He could have demanded that all flesh bow down and worship Him. Yet, He was obedient to His father. He traveled, for the most part, incognito until about 30 years of age. He who should have been worshipped went un-worshipped. Even as others began to recognize who He was and sought to make Him king, He withdrew. Why? If a righteous king is to have a righteous kingdom, it is not enough for just the king to be righteous. His subjects must also be righteous; otherwise, they will corrupt His kingdom. He became flesh so that He might make His subjects righteous. As a man, He was obedient to the Father to the point of death. The death was a specific one on the cross. It was a payment for the penalty of our sins so that He could offer to us His righteousness. Every person who will bow their knee to Him and confess that He is Lord may receive His free gift of righteousness because of His obedience to go to the cross. Jesus could do this because He knew who He was. True humility is knowing who you are and acting in obedience to the Father. Obedience for Jesus meant the cross. Obedience for us means that we join Him there. But Sunday's a comin when the real glory shines! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John