1 Chronicles 5:2 (NKJV)2yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler, although the birthright was Joseph’s. Hmmm. . . The Birthright belonged to Reuben as the firstborn. But he was disqualified because he dishonored his father. Simeon and Levi were next in line, but Judah prevailed. Perhaps Simeon and Levi were disqualified because of their murder of the men of Shechem. At any rate, Judah prevailed and the right to rule and the line of the Messiah shifted to him. Joseph got the double portion through Ephraim and Manasseh, his sons, but the blessing to the whole world went through Judah. Reuben profaned the name of the Lord with his unbridled lust. Simeon and Levi profaned the name of the Lord with their unbridled revenge. Judah prevailed by his intercession before Joseph for the life of his brother Benjamin and his father Israel. Judah offered his own life in exchange for Benjamin. He was willing to lay it all on the line for his brother’s and his father’s sake. That is exactly what Jesus did for us and for His Father. Lord, let me be the type of man who will lay it all on the line for the sake of others, so that your glory could shine to its brightest degree. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Psalm 135
I’ve heard it said that we know more about what is outside the atmosphere of the earth than we know about what lies beneath the surface of our oceans. It has been easier to build crafts that can enter a vacuum than to build crafts that can take us to the depths where the weight of water pops ordinary vessels like a pimple. We have all probably seen TV shows of the excursions of people who have gone to the depths to find and explore the wreckage of the Titanic, or to explore the depths of the Marianas Trench the deepest spot in the oceans seven miles below the surface. In order to accomplish these feats we have had to engineer special submarines that cannot be crushed at those depths. To exit those special vehicles in a wet suit would immediately crush the human body. We cannot do as we please.
Contrast that with space. We can hurl ourselves to the moon and come back safely. During the ride, we can jump outside the vehicle in a special space suit and make repairs. It is almost as if we could do as we please in space. Is it not interesting that we can figure out how to live in deep space, but not how to live in the depths of the sea. Yet that is an illusion. In space we have a limited amount of time before we must return. In space we are one careless mistake away from death. We really don’t do what we please, but we have a little more liberty than the depths of the sea.
Often times portions of Psalms are repeated in other Psalms. We find this Psalm to be very similar to Psalm 115. However, I noted one difference. Psalm 115:3 says, “But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.” Psalm 135:5–6 says, “For I know that the LORD is great, And our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the LORD pleases He does, In heaven and in earth, In the seas and in all deep places.” He knows what kind of life exists in the heat vents of the Marianas Trench. He knows the vacuum of space. He does what He pleases in either case. He created the water whose weight crushes the people in the depths of the sea. He created the vacuum that sucks the life of man in space. Neither extreme has any effect upon Him for He is life. He does not possess it as if someone or something could ever take it away. He is life itself. He needs neither oxygen, pressure or lack of pressure. He lives independently of all things, because He is life! Take away oxygen, water, pressure, food and we die, but He does not! Without those things He still does as He pleases.
So what difference does that make to me? This God who does as He pleases has declared that those who trust in His Son are His special treasure! He simultaneously judges His people and has compassion upon them. There is nothing in this life that threatens me that threatens Him. He designs all things that come into my life to cause me to look to Him and understand who He is. When I see what I presume to be bad in my life, I can rest assured that he is doing it to draw me to Himself, and that is good! He does what He pleases under pressure and in a vacuum. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
ZEPHANIAH 2
Yesterday we looked at Zephaniah’s denunciation of the nation of Judah who were at fault because they were complacent concerning what they thought the Lord might do in their nation. Today the prophet turns his attention to the surrounding nations as he looks to the day of judgment of the day of the Lord. Even in the midst of announcing the coming judgment He warns them to, “Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger.” (Zephaniah, by the way, means hidden of the Lord or darkness of the Lord.) This is the glory of the Lord that we should meekly uphold justice seeking righteousness and humility. The anger of the Lord is reserved for those who do not do so. In the midst of His anger as it falls upon those around us, we can find refuge by hiding in Him. This is the glory of the Lord! Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Hebrews 11:1-19
Faith is the substance of things hope for, the evidence of things not seen. How can we have faith? It is because of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is in Him that our faith is placed. He is the one who framed the worlds. It is He who gives us His righteousness when we place our trust in him. When we come to death's edge, it is He who will bid us welcome as we step on the other shore. It is in Him that we are pleasing to God. It is in Him that we are protected from the wrath of a Holy God as it is poured out against sin. It is by Him that we look for a city whose builder and maker is God. We may die, not having received all of the promises He has given us, but we know that because of Him all the promises will be fulfilled on the other side. It is because of Him that we desire the heavenly country. Because of Him the Father is not ashamed for us to call Him our God. It is because of Him that we have assurance that He will raise us up. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
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