2 Kings 18
Of all the OT Prophets, Isaiah is probably the best know largely because of his many Messianic prophecies. But what most people do not associate with him is that many of his prophecies are spoken directly to his contemporaries. Many of his prophecies were encouragements or warnings to be faithful to the Lord and to not depend upon Egypt or any surrounding nations for their national security. Isaiah began his ministry in the year that Uzziah died. He endured the reigns of Jotham and Ahaz. Do you suppose that Hezekiah grew up under the teaching of Isaiah? He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. His father Ahaz did not. Hezekiah “trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him.” Why was Hezekiah different? It was Isaiah who had seen the glory of the Lord that is recorded in Isaiah 6:1ff. I think Isaiah spoke it to Hezekiah. Hezekiah wanted it more than anything. Because of that, he cut off anything that detracted from the glory of the Lord. He destroyed the bronze serpent that Moses had made. He stopped the idolatrous worship of the people of Israel!
Alas, he also learned from his father Ahaz. Ahaz had taken gold from the temple in order to hire the King of Assyria to attack Syria and Israel, so that he would get relief from them. When Sennacherib invaded, out of fear Hezekiah took the gold from the temple in order to pay Sennacherib’s demands. Did he really need to do that? The enemy smells fear from afar. The gift of gold only served as the scent of fear to incite Sennacherib to greater demands. The enemy used Hezekiah’s good acts as leverage against him as the demands were laid out upon the wall in Hebrew in the hearing of all the people. The glory of the Lord was maligned by Sennacherib’s officers. What would Hezekiah do? Would he depend upon the Lord? Would he succumb to the threats of fear? When the enemy uses your good acts against you to create more fear in your life, do you depend upon the Lord? Or do you succumb to the threats of fear. Maybe at those times you need someone to speak the glory of the Lord into your life. Maybe someone today needs you to speak the glory of the Lord into their life. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Hebrews 2
The glory of the Lord has been attested to by signs, wonders, miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit. And yes, they still happen today. They do not happen every day or we wouldn't view them as miracles. We would view them as every day events. I have met and know people who have attested to having personally received miraculous healings apart from medical science. I can personally attest to numerous occasions where the Lord has miraculously provided finances for me, especially in my seminary days. For example, one morning in seminary I had zero money in the bank, zero money in my pocket, no food in the refrigerator or cupboard and no prospect of receiving money in the near future. I got up and walked to the seminary library and sat down at a study table to have my quiet time. As I was reading God's word, another student, whom I had only met the week before and barely knew his name, got up from his study table, walked over to me and handed me a $20 bill. In 1980 dollars that was a lot of money. He said, "I don't know why but the Lord told me to give this to you." We ate that day because of a miracle of God. That student did not know my need. He had little money himself. It was a sacrifice for him to give. Yet God spoke to him. He listened and obeyed. And I am sure God made up the difference for him. There were several miracles that occurred in that provision: the student heard, the student obeyed, my need was met without me telling a soul and my faith was strengthened. My seminary days had many similar events.
What is man that God is mindful of him? Yet it is the glory of God that He became a man that He could meet our needs. By the grace of God He endured the suffering of death on the cross for us. Now that is glory! He destroyed the one who had the power of death! Yes, death and sickness reign for a little while, but they flee when Jesus comes and He is coming to ultimately defeat sickness and death. But before He returns He gives us aid. He is able to give us aid because in all things He was made like us. He knows our temptations. He is an ever merciful and faithful High Priest for us. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Friday, November 5, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
November 4, 2010
2 Kings 17
Anger is often thought of as a sinful emotion. Yet the Scripture tells us that the Lord was angry with Israel because of their sin. If I am going to have a full view of God, then by necessity, I must understand and appreciate His anger as part of Who God is. If I truly understood His anger, would that not play into my motivations as I am faced with temptations to pursue other gods? If I fear Him because He gets angry when I pursue other gods, wouldn’t be part of a legitimate motivation to pursue Him? I should hope so. The message that is credited with starting the greatest revival that North America has ever seen was entitled Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Often Jonathan Edwards is parodied as a wild-eyed preacher. In actuality eye-witness accounts state that he read his sermons in a monotone voice, but the power of God was so strong on the congregation that people literally fell on the floor wailing in sorrow over their sin and begging forgiveness of the Holy God, against whom they had transgressed. Most of Jonathan Edwards sermons dealt with the beauty of the Grace God. They knew His Grace. When they were faced with the reality of His anger, they had a balance view of His glory. His anger against sin is every bit as much of a part of His glory as is His mercy. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Hebrews 1
The Lord Jesus Christ is the heir of all things. Someday it is all going to be His. Somehow we think that we and/or others own the things around us. Perhaps we feel like we will have them forever. Not so, it all belongs to Him. And it should belong to Him. After all, He made all the worlds.
The Lord Jesus is also the visible manifestation of God the Father. When we have seen Him, we have seen the Father. He is the express image of the Father. There is only one way that I can see the Father, and it is through Jesus. But Jesus is no longer here. That is why the Word and the Holy Spirit are so important. As we hear, read, study, memorize, meditate upon His Word, we find Jesus. His Holy Spirit begins to take the word and reveal Jesus to us spiritually. We can see Him through the eyes of our hearts. His glory begins to become real to us. It is so vital that at those times, when His glory is becoming real, that we speak His glory to one another.
What holds the atoms together? We say things like the electrical charges of the protons, neutrons and electrons. What holds them together? We can talk about things like quarks. But ultimately there is only One that holds all things together. The Lord Jesus upholds all things by the word of His power. Wow! I admit it! I really don't understand that. But this I realize, if He chose to let go, everything would cease to exist.
This Creator, this Powerful One became flesh and purged our sins. Amazing! He is now seated at the right hand of the Majesty. One day every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. His name is above any other. He even has a name that we cannot even grasp! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Anger is often thought of as a sinful emotion. Yet the Scripture tells us that the Lord was angry with Israel because of their sin. If I am going to have a full view of God, then by necessity, I must understand and appreciate His anger as part of Who God is. If I truly understood His anger, would that not play into my motivations as I am faced with temptations to pursue other gods? If I fear Him because He gets angry when I pursue other gods, wouldn’t be part of a legitimate motivation to pursue Him? I should hope so. The message that is credited with starting the greatest revival that North America has ever seen was entitled Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Often Jonathan Edwards is parodied as a wild-eyed preacher. In actuality eye-witness accounts state that he read his sermons in a monotone voice, but the power of God was so strong on the congregation that people literally fell on the floor wailing in sorrow over their sin and begging forgiveness of the Holy God, against whom they had transgressed. Most of Jonathan Edwards sermons dealt with the beauty of the Grace God. They knew His Grace. When they were faced with the reality of His anger, they had a balance view of His glory. His anger against sin is every bit as much of a part of His glory as is His mercy. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Hebrews 1
The Lord Jesus Christ is the heir of all things. Someday it is all going to be His. Somehow we think that we and/or others own the things around us. Perhaps we feel like we will have them forever. Not so, it all belongs to Him. And it should belong to Him. After all, He made all the worlds.
The Lord Jesus is also the visible manifestation of God the Father. When we have seen Him, we have seen the Father. He is the express image of the Father. There is only one way that I can see the Father, and it is through Jesus. But Jesus is no longer here. That is why the Word and the Holy Spirit are so important. As we hear, read, study, memorize, meditate upon His Word, we find Jesus. His Holy Spirit begins to take the word and reveal Jesus to us spiritually. We can see Him through the eyes of our hearts. His glory begins to become real to us. It is so vital that at those times, when His glory is becoming real, that we speak His glory to one another.
What holds the atoms together? We say things like the electrical charges of the protons, neutrons and electrons. What holds them together? We can talk about things like quarks. But ultimately there is only One that holds all things together. The Lord Jesus upholds all things by the word of His power. Wow! I admit it! I really don't understand that. But this I realize, if He chose to let go, everything would cease to exist.
This Creator, this Powerful One became flesh and purged our sins. Amazing! He is now seated at the right hand of the Majesty. One day every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. His name is above any other. He even has a name that we cannot even grasp! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
November 3, 2010
2 Kings 16
When I was 5 or 6, my brother and I received a joint Christmas gift. It was a record player. My brother thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I on the other hand could not have cared less. He also received one of those cheap plastic doctor’s kit. I really thought that the doctor’s kit was great. He really wanted to be the sole owner of the record player. So he traded me the doctors kit for my half of the record player. Monetarily speaking, the record player was of much greater value. When I grew a little older, I realized that I had really made a dumb deal. It just did not make sense.
Often times people just do not make sense. Ahaz did not do right in the sight of the Lord. Not only did he not do right, but he made his son pass through the fire. He was a spiritual adulterer. He ran after many other Gods. So when God sent Syria to punish him, he viewed it as Syria’s attempt to join with Israel to force them into an alliance against Assyria rather than the discipline of the Lord. Instead of repenting and turning to the Lord, He took the Lord’s gold and used it to buy an alliance with Assyria. Assyria came and defeated Syria. Ahaz’ plan worked. He decided to go to Damascus, the capital of Syria, defeated by Assyria. There he visited the temple of the god of the Syrians. In the pagan temple he sees an altar that he likes. He sends a description of it to Jerusalem and has the Lord’s altar moved and a new one like the pagan altar put in its place. What is more; the high priest of the Lord fully cooperates with him. They replace the altar of the Most High God with the altar of an ineffectual god. Why?
I can only assume that it was because Ahaz did not know the glory of the Lord. That is why it is so important that I see the glory of the Lord. If I don’t see it, I am bound to trade it for something worthless. I must continually ask myself, “Do I really see the value of the glory of the Lord?” Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Philemon
Jesus puts good things in us (v. 6). A good thing that Jesus placed in Philemon was a changed heart toward his property. He no longer grasped on to it as his own. But he recognized that everything he owned belonged to the Lord. Philemon was from Colosse and was a wealthy slave owner. Paul had lead Philemon to the Lord perhaps while in Ephesus. But perhaps he made a diversion to Colosse on his way through Phrygia to Ephesus on his third missionary journey (Acts 18:23; 19:1). Paul writes this letter to Philemon from jail in Rome. Apparently Philemon's slave, Onesimus, had run away to Rome. Somehow in the providence of God, Paul and Onesimus met up in Rome. Onesimus became a Christian. Paul was able to disciple Onesimus enabling him to grow in the Lord. Finally, the time came when the matter had to be dealt with. Legally, Onesimus was the property of Philemon. Spiritually, Onesimus was Philemon's brother. Paul did not command Philemon to free his brother. Rather he appealed to him on the basis of the good thing that Christ had put in Philemon's life. It was not a matter of law but a matter of love. How can one love his brother and treat him as a slave? You cannot.
Jesus also placed a good thing in the heart of Onesimus. Onesimus willingly went back to Philemon carrying this letter and the letter to the Colossians. He was willing to submit to an unjust authority. It is unjust that one man should own another man. But because of the 'good thing' Jesus placed in the life of Onesimus, he was willing to submit to the legal code of the Romans and return to Philemon. Philemon had the legal right to treat Onesimus in any manner that he desired, including death. Yet, Onesimus submitted to the legal authority of the government in which he lived. That Onesimus submitted, speaks volumes concerning the glory of our Lord.
Our Lord has placed every 'good thing' in you that you need. The question is do you realize it? I'm sure it took a while for Onesimus to realize it in himself. It took a while before he was willing to risk returning to Philemon. And Paul could have commanded Philemon to receive Onesimus as a brother. But he trusted in the glory of Christ that the 'good thing' was indeed planted in Philemon and Onesimus and their 'good deeds' (v. 14) would be out of willingness and not compulsion. Am I willing to endure or do anything for the sake of Christ? If I am, then it can only be because I have realized the 'good thing' he has placed in me. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
When I was 5 or 6, my brother and I received a joint Christmas gift. It was a record player. My brother thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I on the other hand could not have cared less. He also received one of those cheap plastic doctor’s kit. I really thought that the doctor’s kit was great. He really wanted to be the sole owner of the record player. So he traded me the doctors kit for my half of the record player. Monetarily speaking, the record player was of much greater value. When I grew a little older, I realized that I had really made a dumb deal. It just did not make sense.
Often times people just do not make sense. Ahaz did not do right in the sight of the Lord. Not only did he not do right, but he made his son pass through the fire. He was a spiritual adulterer. He ran after many other Gods. So when God sent Syria to punish him, he viewed it as Syria’s attempt to join with Israel to force them into an alliance against Assyria rather than the discipline of the Lord. Instead of repenting and turning to the Lord, He took the Lord’s gold and used it to buy an alliance with Assyria. Assyria came and defeated Syria. Ahaz’ plan worked. He decided to go to Damascus, the capital of Syria, defeated by Assyria. There he visited the temple of the god of the Syrians. In the pagan temple he sees an altar that he likes. He sends a description of it to Jerusalem and has the Lord’s altar moved and a new one like the pagan altar put in its place. What is more; the high priest of the Lord fully cooperates with him. They replace the altar of the Most High God with the altar of an ineffectual god. Why?
I can only assume that it was because Ahaz did not know the glory of the Lord. That is why it is so important that I see the glory of the Lord. If I don’t see it, I am bound to trade it for something worthless. I must continually ask myself, “Do I really see the value of the glory of the Lord?” Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Philemon
Jesus puts good things in us (v. 6). A good thing that Jesus placed in Philemon was a changed heart toward his property. He no longer grasped on to it as his own. But he recognized that everything he owned belonged to the Lord. Philemon was from Colosse and was a wealthy slave owner. Paul had lead Philemon to the Lord perhaps while in Ephesus. But perhaps he made a diversion to Colosse on his way through Phrygia to Ephesus on his third missionary journey (Acts 18:23; 19:1). Paul writes this letter to Philemon from jail in Rome. Apparently Philemon's slave, Onesimus, had run away to Rome. Somehow in the providence of God, Paul and Onesimus met up in Rome. Onesimus became a Christian. Paul was able to disciple Onesimus enabling him to grow in the Lord. Finally, the time came when the matter had to be dealt with. Legally, Onesimus was the property of Philemon. Spiritually, Onesimus was Philemon's brother. Paul did not command Philemon to free his brother. Rather he appealed to him on the basis of the good thing that Christ had put in Philemon's life. It was not a matter of law but a matter of love. How can one love his brother and treat him as a slave? You cannot.
Jesus also placed a good thing in the heart of Onesimus. Onesimus willingly went back to Philemon carrying this letter and the letter to the Colossians. He was willing to submit to an unjust authority. It is unjust that one man should own another man. But because of the 'good thing' Jesus placed in the life of Onesimus, he was willing to submit to the legal code of the Romans and return to Philemon. Philemon had the legal right to treat Onesimus in any manner that he desired, including death. Yet, Onesimus submitted to the legal authority of the government in which he lived. That Onesimus submitted, speaks volumes concerning the glory of our Lord.
Our Lord has placed every 'good thing' in you that you need. The question is do you realize it? I'm sure it took a while for Onesimus to realize it in himself. It took a while before he was willing to risk returning to Philemon. And Paul could have commanded Philemon to receive Onesimus as a brother. But he trusted in the glory of Christ that the 'good thing' was indeed planted in Philemon and Onesimus and their 'good deeds' (v. 14) would be out of willingness and not compulsion. Am I willing to endure or do anything for the sake of Christ? If I am, then it can only be because I have realized the 'good thing' he has placed in me. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
November 2, 2010
2 Kings 15
More than half a century of history is covered in this chapter. Azariah, better known as Uzziah in 2 Chronicles, reigned 52 years. The Kings record only devotes a total of 7 verses to describe those 52 years. Funny, David reigned only 40 years and he received 39 chapters; 24 were from his reign as king. Uzziah must have had a pretty stable and powerful administration to have lasted 52 years. Humanly speaking, he must have been an incredible king. Because of his longevity, the kings of Israel are dated according to his reign. Isaiah dates his call to ministry to the year that King Uzziah died (Is. 6:1). Yet, only 7 little verses. The Lord was not too impressed. When we get to 2 Chronicles, we will have more to say about Uzziah then. But for now we could sum it all up by saying, “What shall it profit a man if he gain the praise of the whole world, but lose the glory of God?” I am not in the least implying that Uzziah went to hell, but rather I am saying that Uzziah had potential to elevate the glory of God beyond compare. Instead, he chose his own glory. He lived out the tail end of his life as a leper because he was only concerned about his own rights. Sad. But am I any different? When I am given the choice of pursuing my own rights as opposed to obedience to the Lord, which do I choose? The world is filled with Uzziahs. Lord, keep me from being one. Lord, let your glory exceed, multiply and fill my life! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Titus 3
Jesus is kind. What does it mean to be kind? Webster says it means to be sympathetic, friendly, gentle, benevolent, generous etc. Let us start with the first one, sympathetic. Do you ever stop to think that the One who created the Universe is sympathetic toward you? Bill Clinton is famous for the oft used line in his speeches, "I feel your pain." Whether or not it was true, it struck a very solid note with a lot of people. People want to know that someone who might have the power to do something about their situation feels their pain. If that person feels their pain, then they might be inclined to do something about it. Jesus, our Creator and Sustainer, feels our pain. That is part of why He became a man. As a human being, He felt every human emotion to its fullest extent, yet without sin. But kindness goes further than just feeling another's pain. It does something about it. It is benevolent. It is moved to bring relief to the pain.
That is why Jesus showed us mercy. Our pain was caused by that which kept us from Him, our sin. Our sin demanded justice, death. But in His kindness He took our sin and death upon Himself so that justice might not destroy us. Then He regenerated us. There is a lot of talk about stem cells. He is the original stem cell. He goes back to life without sin. He is able to regenerate a new life in us. He makes us new. He washes away our sin. The old is gone. The new is come.
We are now heirs with Him. An heir has an inheritance. What is His inheritance? It is us. What is our inheritance? It is Him. My first thought is that we got the better end of the deal. But then, remember He is the stem cell. What He is making us into is something that He puts on the level of us being His bride. He is not going to marry some ugly old maid. I tell you that the day my wife walked down the isle to marry me, she was the most beautiful woman in the world (and still is). I often tell her she is gorgeous. She usually responds that I have something wrong with my eyes, but it is okay for me to think she is gorgeous. Jesus has nothing wrong with His eyes. He has regenerated us and is renewing us day by day. When that day comes when we will be presented to Him, we will be radiant and without spot or blemish. We will be the perfect bride for the King of the universe. And it will all be because of His power. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
More than half a century of history is covered in this chapter. Azariah, better known as Uzziah in 2 Chronicles, reigned 52 years. The Kings record only devotes a total of 7 verses to describe those 52 years. Funny, David reigned only 40 years and he received 39 chapters; 24 were from his reign as king. Uzziah must have had a pretty stable and powerful administration to have lasted 52 years. Humanly speaking, he must have been an incredible king. Because of his longevity, the kings of Israel are dated according to his reign. Isaiah dates his call to ministry to the year that King Uzziah died (Is. 6:1). Yet, only 7 little verses. The Lord was not too impressed. When we get to 2 Chronicles, we will have more to say about Uzziah then. But for now we could sum it all up by saying, “What shall it profit a man if he gain the praise of the whole world, but lose the glory of God?” I am not in the least implying that Uzziah went to hell, but rather I am saying that Uzziah had potential to elevate the glory of God beyond compare. Instead, he chose his own glory. He lived out the tail end of his life as a leper because he was only concerned about his own rights. Sad. But am I any different? When I am given the choice of pursuing my own rights as opposed to obedience to the Lord, which do I choose? The world is filled with Uzziahs. Lord, keep me from being one. Lord, let your glory exceed, multiply and fill my life! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Titus 3
Jesus is kind. What does it mean to be kind? Webster says it means to be sympathetic, friendly, gentle, benevolent, generous etc. Let us start with the first one, sympathetic. Do you ever stop to think that the One who created the Universe is sympathetic toward you? Bill Clinton is famous for the oft used line in his speeches, "I feel your pain." Whether or not it was true, it struck a very solid note with a lot of people. People want to know that someone who might have the power to do something about their situation feels their pain. If that person feels their pain, then they might be inclined to do something about it. Jesus, our Creator and Sustainer, feels our pain. That is part of why He became a man. As a human being, He felt every human emotion to its fullest extent, yet without sin. But kindness goes further than just feeling another's pain. It does something about it. It is benevolent. It is moved to bring relief to the pain.
That is why Jesus showed us mercy. Our pain was caused by that which kept us from Him, our sin. Our sin demanded justice, death. But in His kindness He took our sin and death upon Himself so that justice might not destroy us. Then He regenerated us. There is a lot of talk about stem cells. He is the original stem cell. He goes back to life without sin. He is able to regenerate a new life in us. He makes us new. He washes away our sin. The old is gone. The new is come.
We are now heirs with Him. An heir has an inheritance. What is His inheritance? It is us. What is our inheritance? It is Him. My first thought is that we got the better end of the deal. But then, remember He is the stem cell. What He is making us into is something that He puts on the level of us being His bride. He is not going to marry some ugly old maid. I tell you that the day my wife walked down the isle to marry me, she was the most beautiful woman in the world (and still is). I often tell her she is gorgeous. She usually responds that I have something wrong with my eyes, but it is okay for me to think she is gorgeous. Jesus has nothing wrong with His eyes. He has regenerated us and is renewing us day by day. When that day comes when we will be presented to Him, we will be radiant and without spot or blemish. We will be the perfect bride for the King of the universe. And it will all be because of His power. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Monday, November 1, 2010
November 1, 2010
2Kings 14
Sometimes drought comes. A spiritual drought brings dryness for seeing the glory of the Lord. In those seasons the word of the Lord is rare, even among those who name His name. In general, Amaziah did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet he did not remove the high places that the people had built. His whole reign seems to be void of any occurrence of the glory of the Lord. Why? Perhaps because even though he did right in the sight of the Lord, he was still focused on his own glory. He probably did not stand up to the people to remove the high places because he was afraid how he would be seen by his own people. After some success in defeating the people of Edom, he thought himself strong enough to defeat Israel. Why would he even desire to defeat Israel? He wanted more glory for himself. Was the drought for the glory of the Lord result of Amaziah’s desire for glory for himself? Or, was the desire for glory for himself the result of the drought of the glory of the Lord? Or, were they both intertwined in a vicious tightening cycle that spiraled Amaziah down to defeat? Honestly, I am not sure that I can accurately separate them to clearly delineate cause and effect. But this I know, “At anytime Amaziah could have broken out of the cycle if He wanted it bad enough. Do I want it bad enough? Do I really want to see the glory of God? Or, do I just want to be comfortable. Do I really want to see the glory of God, or do I just want to my own glory to be seen? Oh God help me come to the end of myself before I spiral into defeat! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!--Pastor john
Titus 2
The glory of Jesus has appeared to all men. Now, that is a bold statement! Indeed it has appeared. God's grace was revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ when He became flesh and went to the cross and rose again on the third day. That historical event is available to be seen by all who would desire to see it. I can already hear the objection of some who might say, "What about those people who live in lands where the gospel is not allowed to be preached?" My reply is that even there the grace of God has appeared, especially to those who would see it.
I am reminded of an article in a recent A Life issue. The article was written by a worker in country which does not allow the gospel to be preached. At the end of their language training in the country, his language teacher told him, "About 4 months before you came to our country, I had a dream that a man approached me with a sword and offered it to me. You were that man in my dream. What was the sword that you were offering to me?" The worker was able to present a Bible to the language teacher and say, "This is the sword that I offered you in the dream. It is the word of God." You see, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ has appeared to all men. It is available to all through the reading of His word.
It is also available for all to see in us when we receive that grace and let it do its work of teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldliness and to live holy lives. His grace has appeared it is seen in His word and in our lives. His glory is visible!
One day Jesus will appear visibly to all. For those who have received His grace it will be a glorious day because we will see Him in His fullness. For those who have not received His grace, it will be a glorious day because they will see Him as the great coming judge. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Sometimes drought comes. A spiritual drought brings dryness for seeing the glory of the Lord. In those seasons the word of the Lord is rare, even among those who name His name. In general, Amaziah did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet he did not remove the high places that the people had built. His whole reign seems to be void of any occurrence of the glory of the Lord. Why? Perhaps because even though he did right in the sight of the Lord, he was still focused on his own glory. He probably did not stand up to the people to remove the high places because he was afraid how he would be seen by his own people. After some success in defeating the people of Edom, he thought himself strong enough to defeat Israel. Why would he even desire to defeat Israel? He wanted more glory for himself. Was the drought for the glory of the Lord result of Amaziah’s desire for glory for himself? Or, was the desire for glory for himself the result of the drought of the glory of the Lord? Or, were they both intertwined in a vicious tightening cycle that spiraled Amaziah down to defeat? Honestly, I am not sure that I can accurately separate them to clearly delineate cause and effect. But this I know, “At anytime Amaziah could have broken out of the cycle if He wanted it bad enough. Do I want it bad enough? Do I really want to see the glory of God? Or, do I just want to be comfortable. Do I really want to see the glory of God, or do I just want to my own glory to be seen? Oh God help me come to the end of myself before I spiral into defeat! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!--Pastor john
Titus 2
The glory of Jesus has appeared to all men. Now, that is a bold statement! Indeed it has appeared. God's grace was revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ when He became flesh and went to the cross and rose again on the third day. That historical event is available to be seen by all who would desire to see it. I can already hear the objection of some who might say, "What about those people who live in lands where the gospel is not allowed to be preached?" My reply is that even there the grace of God has appeared, especially to those who would see it.
I am reminded of an article in a recent A Life issue. The article was written by a worker in country which does not allow the gospel to be preached. At the end of their language training in the country, his language teacher told him, "About 4 months before you came to our country, I had a dream that a man approached me with a sword and offered it to me. You were that man in my dream. What was the sword that you were offering to me?" The worker was able to present a Bible to the language teacher and say, "This is the sword that I offered you in the dream. It is the word of God." You see, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ has appeared to all men. It is available to all through the reading of His word.
It is also available for all to see in us when we receive that grace and let it do its work of teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldliness and to live holy lives. His grace has appeared it is seen in His word and in our lives. His glory is visible!
One day Jesus will appear visibly to all. For those who have received His grace it will be a glorious day because we will see Him in His fullness. For those who have not received His grace, it will be a glorious day because they will see Him as the great coming judge. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
October 31
Titus 1
There are certain things that we can count on that bring glory to the Lord. One of those things is that He cannot lie. In a world where we constantly find that our leaders have lied, we have One leader, the Lord Jesus Christ who cannot lie. It is not even in His nature. It is a logical impossibility. When He says that all who come to Him He will in no wise cast out, we can bank on it. When He says, “Whoever believes in me shall not perish but have eternal life,” we can believe. When He says, “Take My yoke upon you for my yoke is easy and by burden light,” we can take it in confidence and find rest for our souls. When He says, “I am with you always even to the end of the earth,” we can know He is with us even if we do not feel His presence. When He says, “If they persecuted Me, they will persecute You,” we shouldn’t be surprised when it happens. When He says, “I will supply all your needs,” be sure your needs will be met. When He says, “If you abide in Me and I in you, ask what you will and it shall be done for you,” He will do it. If what we asked for doesn’t come to pass, then we were not abiding. When He says, “If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him,” and we don’t receive the petitions we asked, guess what, they were not His will. When He says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” we are cleansed when we confess. When He commands us to be filled with the Holy Spirit, then we know it is His will. He does not lie. If then we yield completely to Him and ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit, it is done.
Any other person at some time or another will give us a promise that they will fail to keep, especially our politicians. But not Jesus, He has no reason to make false promises. He is King of kings and Lord of lords whether or not we follow Him or vote for Him. When He makes a promise it is only to increase His glory. It is not in His nature to lie. He cannot do it. Some idiot once told me that God was not all powerful, omnipotent, because He couldn’t lie. Omnipotence has nothing to do with those things that are logically contrary to God’s nature. Now here is where the rubber meets the road. If I do not believe the promise He has made, then I am calling Him a liar. That is a very serious charge to bring against the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. Maybe we need to rethink how we approach some of His promises. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
There are certain things that we can count on that bring glory to the Lord. One of those things is that He cannot lie. In a world where we constantly find that our leaders have lied, we have One leader, the Lord Jesus Christ who cannot lie. It is not even in His nature. It is a logical impossibility. When He says that all who come to Him He will in no wise cast out, we can bank on it. When He says, “Whoever believes in me shall not perish but have eternal life,” we can believe. When He says, “Take My yoke upon you for my yoke is easy and by burden light,” we can take it in confidence and find rest for our souls. When He says, “I am with you always even to the end of the earth,” we can know He is with us even if we do not feel His presence. When He says, “If they persecuted Me, they will persecute You,” we shouldn’t be surprised when it happens. When He says, “I will supply all your needs,” be sure your needs will be met. When He says, “If you abide in Me and I in you, ask what you will and it shall be done for you,” He will do it. If what we asked for doesn’t come to pass, then we were not abiding. When He says, “If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him,” and we don’t receive the petitions we asked, guess what, they were not His will. When He says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” we are cleansed when we confess. When He commands us to be filled with the Holy Spirit, then we know it is His will. He does not lie. If then we yield completely to Him and ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit, it is done.
Any other person at some time or another will give us a promise that they will fail to keep, especially our politicians. But not Jesus, He has no reason to make false promises. He is King of kings and Lord of lords whether or not we follow Him or vote for Him. When He makes a promise it is only to increase His glory. It is not in His nature to lie. He cannot do it. Some idiot once told me that God was not all powerful, omnipotent, because He couldn’t lie. Omnipotence has nothing to do with those things that are logically contrary to God’s nature. Now here is where the rubber meets the road. If I do not believe the promise He has made, then I am calling Him a liar. That is a very serious charge to bring against the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. Maybe we need to rethink how we approach some of His promises. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
October 30
2 Timothy 4
The Lord is a righteous judge. He will judge both the living and the dead. All will one day stand before His judgment seat. I have spent time in a court room as an observer. The times that I have been there have been to be a moral support to those who were either in a court battle or were there on criminal charges. One thing that has impressed me each time that I have been there is the absolute authority that a judge has in a court room. Not having ever been in the military, there is nothing else that I have experienced that is like the authority of a judge. Even a human judge carries a special authority. The lawyers treat them with the utmost respect. The officers respond immediately to their commands. If they want silence in the courtroom, they get it. Even the innocent tend to become timid before them. And this is just a human judge! What if that judge were corrupt, as we know happens every once-in-a-while? The potential for the abuse of power looms great in a judge. They have to be of the utmost highest in character.
If a human judge commands that much authority, how much more the judge of all the earth? I am so glad that He is righteous. But I am not innocent. Should I not be quaking before Him? Not any more. You see, He, the judge, has already paid the penalty for my sin and declared me to be righteous in His sight. I will stand before Him to be judged, not to see whether or not I will go to heaven. That was taken care of on the day I trusted Him as my Savior. I will stand before Him to see if I have done anything that is worthy of reward from Him. Now that is a deal! Not only does He pay the penalty due me and declare me righteous, but He also rewards me of any good work that He deems worthy of reward! Isn’t He glorious? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
The Lord is a righteous judge. He will judge both the living and the dead. All will one day stand before His judgment seat. I have spent time in a court room as an observer. The times that I have been there have been to be a moral support to those who were either in a court battle or were there on criminal charges. One thing that has impressed me each time that I have been there is the absolute authority that a judge has in a court room. Not having ever been in the military, there is nothing else that I have experienced that is like the authority of a judge. Even a human judge carries a special authority. The lawyers treat them with the utmost respect. The officers respond immediately to their commands. If they want silence in the courtroom, they get it. Even the innocent tend to become timid before them. And this is just a human judge! What if that judge were corrupt, as we know happens every once-in-a-while? The potential for the abuse of power looms great in a judge. They have to be of the utmost highest in character.
If a human judge commands that much authority, how much more the judge of all the earth? I am so glad that He is righteous. But I am not innocent. Should I not be quaking before Him? Not any more. You see, He, the judge, has already paid the penalty for my sin and declared me to be righteous in His sight. I will stand before Him to be judged, not to see whether or not I will go to heaven. That was taken care of on the day I trusted Him as my Savior. I will stand before Him to see if I have done anything that is worthy of reward from Him. Now that is a deal! Not only does He pay the penalty due me and declare me righteous, but He also rewards me of any good work that He deems worthy of reward! Isn’t He glorious? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
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