February 18

EXODUS 1
Some critics of the Bible complain that the God of the Old Testament is a “bloody God”. Well, yes, but honestly most of the blood is man’s inhumanity against man. Could a just God allow such inhumanity to go unpunished? I don’t think He could and still be just. When someone honors the Lord in the midst of that injustice, should it go unrewarded? No, it shouldn’t. And in today’s passage we see that it isn’t. The midwives of Egypt feared the LORD. They did not do according to Pharaoh’s commanded inhumanity. God dealt well with the midwives and their families because they feared Him. That is a good principle about God. In general, if we fear Him, He deals well with us. Maybe we don’t see it in particular points at particular times, but when our lives are over, we will be able to look back and say with Joseph and the Egyptian midwives, “What man meant for evil, God changed for good.” That is part of His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
P.S. While writing this, I am experiencing what I think is a 24 hr. stomach flu. Liam had it Monday. I ache all over. This is one of those particulars that I don’t enjoy. But, I know that He is gracious, and I am encouraged by His glory.

PSALM 49
I once learned something which I repeatedly learn again. Sometimes when I stop and think about it, I feel really stupid. God doesn’t need me to earn a lot of money in order to meet my needs. Seems like a simple concept, but I have to keep learning it. The first summer that Laura and I were married (1977), I worked my tail off and only made $300 per month. Yet we had all of our needs met. The next summer I had no job, yet all of our needs were met. In November of 1980 we moved to Portland, Oregon. I had no job. By January 1, I was out of money. I did not get a decent paying job until the end of March/ beginning of April, yet all of our needs were met. All through seminary and my first ten years of ministry, we lived below poverty level income, according to government standards. We never received food stamps; although, we did sometimes receive WIC food. All of our needs were met. In 1981 I obtained a loan to purchase a car. From that experience I decided that I would never again take a loan for transportation. Since then the Lord has given me a vehicle or the money to buy a vehicle without having to borrow. I have owned 10 different vehicles that way. The Lord provided each one. But still when money gets tight, and there is not enough to buy what I want, rather than just what I need, I get nervous. I start scheming ways to get what I want. The Lord has to teach me again. Why do I have to keep relearning?
Maybe it has to do with my seeing His glory. Perhaps I have reduced Him to a giant banker in the sky. Maybe I see Him as the ultimate cashier or auctioneer. Perhaps He is a cosmic vending machine. If I just put the right currency in the slot and hit the right combination of buttons, then I will receive exactly what I want. Is the Mighty Creator of the Universe such a trivial exchange artist in human currency?

6Those who trust in their wealth
And boast in the multitude of their riches,
7None of them can by any means redeem his brother,
Nor give to God a ransom for him—
8For the redemption of their souls is costly,
And it shall cease forever—
That he should continue to live eternally,
And not see the Pit.

Gold is just a common element to our Creator. It is no more or less difficult for Him to create than helium, carbon, silicon, iron or platinum. Why should He ever be interested in me giving Him gold in exchange for something? For me to think that I could give Him anything, which He would consider to be valuable, is to demean who He is! There is only one thing that I can give Him, which He cannot more easily create, my trust. Oh sure, He could force my affections, but He has chosen to allow me to choose trust or mistrust. There is no amount of currency that can buy my or any other person’s redemption. He simply wants our trust in all areas of our lives. We cannot categorize our lives separating our spiritual life from our financial life. He wants our trust in all areas of our lives. Why? Because He wants us to realize the greatness of His glory!
Why do I keep learning the same lesson over and over again? Because I keep forgetting the greatness of His glory! He is more than everything! That is why I must seek Him daily! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

JOB 18
Bildad speaks a second time describing the fate of the wicked. Of course in his ordered world, the wicked are soon punished for their sin, so Job must be guilty for he is obviously bearing the punishment of God. We know from the beginning of the book of Job and from the end of the book of Job that Bildad was incorrect. But is it not the glory of God to punish the sinner? Indeed it is. But punishment comes in His time. We must be very careful about drawing conclusions that someone’s poor circumstances are the punishment of God. Their poor circumstances could very well be the mercy of God. God could be using their poor circumstances to get their attention or to get our attention! The glory of God is often found as a result of poor circumstances! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MARK 1:1-20
In the spring of my junior year in high a very good friend of mine decided that he wanted to run for senior class treasurer. He asked me if I would be his campaign manager. He said that he did not want to spend any money on his campaign. His idea was that since he was running for treasurer, he would not spend any money. Then in the time given to make speeches before the class body, he would point out how frugal he was; therefore, he would make the best treasurer. Novel idea. It didn’t work. One would think that people would want frugality in a treasurer and elect a person who is frugal. Getting elected requires the increase of the glory of the candidate. In the political realm, that requires the expenditure of funds. In the political realm, glory is mostly hype. Is that true in the spiritual realm?
Some of the things that attest to someone’s glory include who introduces them, who endorses them, what obstacles they face, the goals they accomplish and the changes in the lives of the people who follow them. Mark’s staccato style brings all these concerning Jesus into play in these short 20 verses. One would think that Mark would elaborate on each of them. But then, Mark’s theme is the servanthood of Jesus. One is not usually so concerned with the glory of a servant as much as what the servant accomplishes. So in Mark we will probably be focusing more on what Jesus accomplishes, displaying His glory than focusing on His innate glory.
Who introduced Jesus? It was the last of the Old Testament style prophets, John the Baptist. He was prophesied of by Isaiah and Malachi. Who endorsed Jesus? It was none other than the Holy Spirit and God the Father who endorsed Him. What obstacles did Jesus face? From the very beginning it was Satan himself, that opposed Jesus-not some lesser demon but Satan himself. What goal did Jesus have? His goal was for the people to repent and believe in the gospel. What lives did Jesus change? At least four successful fishermen (note they had servants) left all they had to follow Jesus. There are the makings of some great stories here on the glory of Jesus. But Mark is content to just list them on his way to way to what He views as the real meat of the matter—what Jesus accomplishes. After all it is what a servant does that is important, not who he is.
For Mark the fact that the Son of God would come to serve seems to be of more importance to Him than any of these other things that speak of His glory. He doesn’t hide the deity of Jesus or any of the other things. He is just awed by what He does, He serves. There is no hype in Jesus. It is all actual accomplishment. I’ve been considering getting a Doctorate. In looking around I came across one school that offers a Doctor of Divinity. It is billed as a doctorate of accomplishment. It’s for those who have been in the ministry for over 20 years and haven’t had time to pursue research degrees. The Doctor of Divinity at that school recognizes a person for actual accomplishment not research. Mark is overwhelmed with Jesus’ accomplishment. His glory is in His service. No hype, just accomplishment.
Do you recognize that in Jesus? He deserves glory not just because He was introduced by a man prophesied of 700 years before his birth. He deserves glory not just because He is endorsed by the Holy Spirit and God the Father. He deserves glory not just because He faced down Satan himself. He deserves glory not just because He is King of a holy kingdom. He deserves glory not just because successful people leave all to follow Him. He deserves glory because He served! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

February 17

GENESIS 50

“Oh bury me not on the lone prairie. . .
I've always wished to be laid when I died
In a little churchyard on the green hillside
By my father's grave, there let me be,
O bury me not on the lone prairie."

That is one of the most famous cowboy ballads dating from the 1800’s, stolen from sailors—O bury me not in the deep, deep sea. . . The cowboy version has been recorded by the likes of Moe Bandy, Johnny Cash, Burl Ives, Tex Ritter, and Roy Rogers. We could almost apply it to Jacob. Joseph, as well, desired to have his bones transferred to Machpelah to be buried in the cave with Abraham, Sarah, Rebekah, Isaac and Leah,
If you look for it, there is quite a bit to be seen of the glory of God at a funeral. Funerals ought to do three things. They should honor the life lived. They should cause one to reflect upon his own life to see if he is prepared for his own inevitable death. They should comfort those who remain. Through the proper lenses the glory of God can be seen in each of those purposes. When Jacob’s sons buried him, what do you think they said when they honored him? Do you think they spoke of how he cheated Esau? Do you suppose they reveled in his deception of Isaac? Do you think they related the stories of how he tried to gain Laban’s goods. Did they speak of his response to Shechem when Shechem raped Dinah? Of what did they speak? I’d be willing to bet that they spoke of how he wrestled with God. I am sure that they related the stories of the five different times that God spoke to Jacob/Israel. Do you suppose they dwelt upon how the LORD changed his name? The immense grace of God can be seen at a funeral of a person like Jacob.
As they reflected upon their own lives, what came to mind? Did Reuben think of how he felt remorse for shaming his father for going to bed with Bilhah, Rachel’s maid? (Rachel was Joseph’s mother.) Did Simeon & Levi reflect on their murder of the men of Shechem? Did they all reflect on their early treatment of Joseph, particularly selling him into slavery? You bet they did. They were sure that now that their father was dead that Joseph would now bring about his revenge. The hour of reckoning was now here. But once again we see the glory of the God in Joseph. What was Joseph’s reply?
“Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. 21“Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
Now that is glory! Only the LORD can change a person so that they can forgive like that. Not only that but he comforted them. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 48
Some time ago I was sitting on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. My son and I had spent several days trodding through the streets of Jerusalem. At one point we had walked around the exterior walls of the present old city. We walked about her, counted her bulwarks and towers, considered her palaces. We sang this Psalm as we walked. To be honest, it was pretty ugly. I’ve seen plenty of other cities that are prettier. After three millennia of destruction and rebuilding over and over again, it is just ugly. To top it off, it was Ramadan, and the celebrants were leaving trash everywhere. Of course this is now, and in Asaph’s day, it might have been beautiful. It is said that centuries after Asaph, when the expansion begun by Herod the Great was finished, that if one had not seen the temple in Jerusalem, one had never seen a beautiful building.
What made the city beautiful? Unless the foliage is different now than then (which it probably is), then it wasn’t the foliage that made it beautiful. Was it the wonderful architecture? Well, in Asaph’s day, it might have been. But I think it is clear from the passage that what made this little city beautiful was not its architecture or foliage, but it was the presence of the Almighty God. It was God in her palaces that made her beautiful. His beauty made her beautiful. I see a parallel in that for us. It is His presence in us that makes us beautiful. As ugly as I am, and I am not just talking about physical appearance, He makes me beautiful (or maybe I should say handsome)! Corporately He takes His people, the church and makes them beautiful. He removes the spots and wrinkles and makes us glow. That beauty makes us desirable to some who do not know Him yet. They are drawn to His beauty and become one of us. His presence makes all the difference. It is all about His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

JOB 16-17
“Daddy, if I were being chased by the Mafia, would you help me?” Now there is a strange question to come out of the blue. Beth had a dream the night before last. In her dream, the Mafia was chasing her. And NOBODY would help her except Jesse. The police wouldn’t help; nobody, whom she asked for help, would help. Later that day she jokingly asked me that question. Of course I would help.

11God has delivered me to the ungodly, And turned me over to the hands of the wicked. 12 I was at ease, but He has shattered me; He also has taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces; He has set me up for His target, 13His archers surround me. He pierces my heart and does not pity; He pours out my gall on the ground. –NKJV

Had God really delivered Job to the ungodly? The Contemporary English Version translates the last part of 13 as: “and without showing mercy, he slashed my stomach open, spilling out my insides.” Job is accusing God of being as merciless as if he were being drawn and quartered! Is that true of God? Indeed God had delivered Job to Satan. God gave Satan permission to do whatever he wanted with Job, except take his life. Satan took God up on the offer. How does this reflect upon the glory of God? I mean, even I, being evil, protect my children, wouldn’t God?
Sometimes God has greater plans in mind than our momentary protection. What we learn from Job is that although the pain, which he was experiencing, was excruciating, God is in control, and ultimately a few minutes in the presence of the Almighty is indeed worth days, months, weeks, yes, even years of pain. God wants the world to know that. But how can the world learn unless people like Job are willing? Sometimes God lets the spiritual Mafia take us, so we can learn how wonderful He is. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MATTHEW 28
Do you remember when Ronald Reagan was shot? Remember in the confusion as to the succession of the chain of command, Alexander Haig made the comment, "I'm in charge here!" As a career military officer, he was only doing what came natural (even if he wasn't legally in charge). Well, Jesus was dead (or so the disciples thought). Jesus had rebuked Peter for using his sword in the Garden of Gethsemane. The disciples were in great confusion. They were doing what came natural for someone whose leader had been killed and who had rebuked them for resisting before he was killed. They were hiding. No one was in charge. Life couldn't have been any bleaker at the moment. In the midst of that emotional and spiritual darkness, Jesus steps back in.
He was alive! The disciples couldn't believe it! BUT He had told them several times this would happen! But they still could not believe it. He had told them before the crucifixion that when he was raised that He would meet them at the mountain in Galilee. Did they go? No, they didn't believe. The angels and Jesus both appear to the women at the tomb. They tell them to tell the disciples that He is alive and to go to the mountain in Galilee. The women told them. Did they go? No, they didn't believe. You know how it is, men never listen to women, especially when the women are right. We find out in the other gospels that Jesus finally appears to them a couple of times in the upper room in Jerusalem and tells them to go to Galilee. Finally they go. But there is still doubt.
He meets them in Galilee. There is still doubt. But they worship Him. Why? Because His glory is inescapable. As they see Him in His glory, it is so overpowering that they throw themselves prostate before Him. How can the One they saw die be alive and in such mighty health? But He is! What would He say in this moment? Would it be an explanation of His glory? No that is obvious. It is what is most important to His heart. What does He say? He says what their confusion told them they could not believe. He says, "I'm in charge here!--All authority has been given unto Me!" How can a dead guy have any authority? But He is not dead! He is risen! He has all authority, even over death!
In the bleakness of our blackest hours when we are most confused, Jesus stands before us saying, "I'm in charge here--All authority has been given unto Me!" It is hard to believe but none-the-less true. The problem is that His glory is hidden from us. There is blindness on our eyes. In those moments we need desperately to speak His glory and to have His glory spoken to us.
What does the One who has all authority tell them? Make Disciples! His glory is enhanced when we make disciples. What are disciples? Disciples are followers, learners of Jesus. Disciples are people who are focused on the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

February 16

GENESIS 49
It is the glory of the Lord that at the same time He has a sovereign plan for the ages, and yet, He permits the exercise of free will. Take, for example, this amazing blessing/prophecy of Jacob’s. The most pointed one is the prophecy concerning Judah. He speaks, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.” In ancient times when a ruler or law giver took his seat in court, his staff or scepter would rest between feet. The reference then is not that His rule would end when Shiloh comes but rather it would begin in full force when He comes. Then the people will obey Him. The word Shiloh means “Him to whom it belongs.” Obviously the scepter belongs to the Messiah.
Messiah is the ‘seed’ of Abraham, the descendent of Abraham. He is the one through Whom all the ethnic groups would be blessed. Jesus is that Messiah. He is descended from the tribe of Judah. He is the Lion of Judah as mentioned in verse 9. He is worthy of all our obedience. One day He will receive it. Let us not hold back from Him the obedience that He deserves. Is it not amazing that through disobedient people like Jacob’s sons, He can produce His sovereign plan, yet our free will remains intact? Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 47
Five times we are commanded to sing praises to our God. One of those times, we are commanded to sing praises with understanding. Well how else would one sing praises? It happens every Sunday. People enter into the sanctuary to sing praises. The songs are familiar. The mind shifts into neutral and lets the mood of the music take over. The routine is familiar. As the praises are sung, the words flow out effortlessly. The words enter through the eyes from the screen or hymnal, pass through the brain and are transformed into hopefully somewhat melodious sounds without really grasping the mind or the spirit. It is an age-old problem. It happens to us all more often than we would like to admit. One result of the problem is that the time of praise becomes lifeless without any transforming power.
Another extreme of the problem is to recognize that the understanding is being by-passed and react with great emotion and by the flesh try to stir up the understanding through the music. Its result is just as lifeless. Usually it leaves the participant drained emotionally rather than
transformed spiritually because of his encounter with the God of glory. What is needed is an experience of what Jesus called worshipping in Spirit and in Truth. We need His Holy Spirit to enlighten our understanding and empower our praises. Such worship brings us into the presence of the Father and transforms our lives.
We are commanded to shout unto God with a voice of triumph. Now if I am going to sing praise with a voice of triumph, what is it that I have triumphed over, and how did that triumph happen? In verse 5 the Psalmist says, “God has gone up with a shout!” Now what is that supposed to mean, and why is He shouting? Commentators usually say that the historical context here is referring to when David brought up the ark to Jerusalem with much shouting and singing and dancing. The ark has always been a symbol of the very presence of God obtained through the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of our Lord. When we shout to the Lord, it is shouting with the understanding of these things in mind. It is not mindless excitation of the flesh. It is Spirit empowered will and emotion because we understand what great things He has accomplished to secure our redemption! It will be finally obtained upon His second coming. It no accident that Paul says, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” His redemption is complete but it will not be fully realized until He returns. Yes, He shouts, and so ought we also shout!
As we sing praise, we should remember our inheritance (v.4). I thank God for the inheritance my wife received from her father, but when we die, we will not have it anymore. It will pass on to our children (if I don’t spend it first). Should I not be even more thankful for the inheritance that I receive from God? Peter says that inheritance is, “incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.” So when I sing praise with understanding it is with a shout because of what He has done to deliver me (where I came from), but it is also a shout because of where He is taking me (where I am going). It is also a shout because of what I have now. Paul says that the Holy Spirit is, “The guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” I have the Spirit of God living in me, enabling me to live like Jesus lived, hastening the day of His coming! Now there is shouting ground!
Another reason to sing praises with understanding is because He is King of the earth. He is King in his providence over the earth. In His providence He has cursed the earth because of our sin. He is none-the-less in control! Yes, in the curse He permits the tornado, hurricane, blizzard, cancer, disease and maladies out of our control, but He is King! He is in control of the nations. Al Qaeda did not take Him by surprise, and He did permit 911 as he permits every other malady which we hate. He brought the curse to teach us the evilness of sin and our need for redemption. The evils of war and human deprivation are man’s invention, but He permitted it to cause us to turn to Him. He is not only king in providence now, but He will one day rule as King upon the earth bringing an end to man’s evil inventions.
When I consider all the above, I am left in wonder of His glory. I am aghast that I must be commanded to praise Him for His glory leaves me in awe! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Job 15
Eliphaz begins the second round of argument between Job and his three “friends.” Eliphaz gets very pointed and heated as the argument escalates. But what do we see of the glory of God. Eliphaz’ speech yields nothing but half-truths concerning God. True God is pure, but does He not trust His angels? True God does punish iniquity, but is it always in this life? Where is the glory of God? Maybe it is in the patience of God that He is willing to wait and let Eliphaz spout such vehement nonsense concerning His servant, Job. I wonder; is He as patient with me when I spout nonsense? I suspect that He is. Hmmm. . . How about you? Is He as patient with you? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MATTHEW 27:51-66
Going to the airport is a different experience since 911. We used to be able to walk our loved ones right up to the gate to say goodbye or meet them right as they come off of the plane -- not so anymore. It is for our safety that the big posters are hung telling us that only ticketed passengers with boarding pass and photo I.D. are permitted past that point. It is for our safety that guards search our baggage and our bodies for dangerous weapons. It is for our safety that armed security guards stand ready to stop anyone who would violate the safety procedures. So too, the veil in the temple was hung for our safety.
Only the priests could enter the holy place of the temple. And only the High Priest could enter once a year into the Holy of Holies. The veil separated the holy place for the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies was in pre-crucifixion of Jesus times the place where the presence of the Almighty God dwelt. To enter beyond the veil without the pre-requisite holiness was to incur the wrath of God. The veil was there for our safety. Without holiness we would instantly be struck dead as we would come into the presence of the Holy God.
A dear friend of mine came into my office today wearing a shirt that said, "Grandpas are dads with no rules." Americans have a hard time grasping the utter holiness of God. We tend to picture Him as some old grandpa smiling at the misdeeds of his grandchildren. Turning His back on our sin saying, "Boys will be boys!" If that were the case, then the death of Jesus would have been absolutely meaningless. But it is not the case. Our God is chiefly, holy. He is holy in all of His attributes. Without holiness we cannot see Him and live. The veil is there for our safety.
When Jesus died, the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom. The Gospel writers make a big deal about that. It is not just an interesting coincidence that they decided to put in here. It was a great symbolic act that God did to let us know the power of the death of His Son. At the point when the powers of darkness seemed to have triumphed, when the life of the Son came to an end, when it seemed that the situation could not be any worse, the payment for holiness was secured! The Father was communicating to us the value of His Son's death. The veil was ripped from the top-the Father's end- to the bottom-our end. He had made it possible for us to have holiness through His death. The payment of the penalty of sin had been paid! The rules that were broken were satisfied! The earth quaked! The graves opened! Some of the saints who had died came out of the graves after Jesus' resurrection (I wonder, what were they doing in their graves until Sunday morning?"
The writer of Hebrews 10:19-22 tells us,

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

I can enter the very presence of God with full assurance of safety because His body was ripped in two for me. His blood has sprinkled my heart cleansing me of evil, washing away my sin. His resurrection gives me His holiness. No longer are there any cherubim standing as armed guards, ready to strike me down lest I should transgress His holiness. My ticket is secured in Him. I have my boarding pass in Him. I have my positive I.D. in Him, and it identifies me as: Child of the King! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

February 15

GENESIS 48
What is your name? What does it mean? What difference does it make? Jacob blesses Joseph’s sons by pronouncing to them the names of his fathers and his own name. Abraham means father of a multitude. Isaac means he laughs. Which of his own names did he pass on to them, Jacob or Israel? Jacob means supplanter. Israel means God prevails or prince of God. God gave Abraham and Israel their names. Is there anything significant in that? Maybe it is this: God wants them to be the father of a multitude of people who laugh and over whom God prevails. There wasn’t much laughter recorded neither in Israel’s life nor in Isaac’s life. But somehow I think that when the Spirit of God is truly prevailing in one’s life that there will be frequent times of laughter. After all, the joy of the Lord is our strength, and the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy. . . Somehow I think that the Glory of God is increased when we experience joy and laughter because of him. In passing on his names to Joseph’s sons I think that is part of what Israel was trying to impart.
What really ought to excite us as believers is that He has invited us to share in His name. After all, He has adopted us as His children. Do we reflect His name to others? Or do we reflect our old name? Is what we radiate to others, supplanter? Or is what we radiate to others, laughter because He has prevailed? Some people whom I have met take their Christianity very seriously, and we ought to. But some are so straight laced that I think if they laughed, their skin would split. Is that the way God wants us to be? Certainly He demands that we take our relationship with Him seriously. I remember being with Fred Hartley as we traveled in Senegal. We took the mission we were on very seriously. But when the work was done, and the trip was done, Fred was full of laughter. God had prevailed, and it filled our hearts with joy. I think that is a great way to reflect His glory. When we are a people over whom He prevails, it is seen in obedience and joy. We laugh. Can you see Him laughing? Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 46
It has been an interesting year. A year ago today, we had the coldest day on record for Stillwater, Oklahoma. That led into a drought and a long hot summer. We set records for heat during the summer. In the fall as the drought began to weaken (we still haven’t recovered), we had on the same day tornados, thunder storms and an earthquake. The extreme cold, the extreme heat, the drought was devastating for our farmers and ranchers. In November, Quad Graphics, a large employer in Stillwater announced an impending shutdown of their plant. Mercury Marine, a long time Stillwater employer, closed their plant in December. Last week, Frontier Engineering announced a layoff of 20 employees. All told we have lost hundreds of jobs in Stillwater in the last year. We have gained some too, so I am not sure of the net loss. Oklahoma’s 45th infantry deployed to Afghanistan. We have lost a lot of young men there. Stillwater has had its share. The good news is that our men in Iraq have come home for the most part. OSU almost won a national football championship-just one interception away.
Mountains seem to be falling upon us as the ground literally trembles beneath us. The desolation of drought robbed many of income for the year. The closing of industry robbed others. Wars might be coming to an end, but our young men still die. What is God trying to teach us in the midst of all this? Primarily He is trying to teach us that He alone is our mighty fortress. He alone is our protection. He alone is our income. He alone brings us safely through war. His water of life alone can make us glad. Neither bumper crops, large herds, great employment, domestic or foreign peace or even national football championships can make us glad in a significant way. His river of life alone makes us glad, and that is His glory! Let us behold the works of the Lord as He works desolations upon the face of the earth. Let us be still and know that He is God! Let us exalt Him among the nations for He is our refuge! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

JOB 14
If a man dies, shall he live again? This thought gives me hope, so that in all my anguish I eagerly await sweet death! (LB) At 55 years of age, I have stood by the graveside often. This past year and a half, I was there more than most years. Twice I was there as a pastor. Four times I was there for older family members, my oldest brother, my Dad and an aunt and an uncle. I’m kinda tired of funerals. But I have many more to attend. I have lots of older relatives. I have many aunts and uncles and cousins. I am the youngest of five siblings. If we go in chronological order, I will be the last to exit. If looking at the longevity of families means anything, the love of my life will probably exit before me. You know, I kind of expect those older than me to exit before me. It is the ones younger than me that are the most difficult. I have a couple of grandchildren on the other side. Death is universally accepted as an unwanted intruder in our relationships. It is cruel; although, not unusual. It is common to us all.
The prelude to death often is not any prettier. Every one of our earthly hopes are one by one extinguished. We get old and wrinkled. We lose our hair then our teeth. Bodily processes begin to cease functioning properly. Our eyes go dim. Our memories begin to fail. If we bear only these problems, we are fortunate.
Why did Job eagerly await death? Because he knew the glory of God, He eagerly awaited it! He knew the awesome power of God. Death is only a portal into eternal life or eternal death. It is only a portal into an eternal relationship with the Lord or an eternal existence separated from the Lord. He knew that the mighty power of God would raise him from the dead. In that understanding, death is a mercy. Imagine that! God will one day take the elements and refashion a physical body for us! We will have flesh that can see God and will not corrupt. Those of us who have clung to Jesus will enter into an eternal relationship with Him that is filled with joy inexpressible. Those who did not, will enter into an eternal separation from Him. So what is important now? Is it not preparation for knowing God? Does it not make sense that in order to prepare for the other side, that I should do all that I can do now to know and exalt the glory of God? What am I willing to be deprived of in order to do that? Should it not be everything? Yet I keep hanging on to the poverty of this world when His fantastic glory is so near. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MATTHEW 27:27-50
No illustration can do it justice. How can one describe the glory of our Lord in His crucifixion? He is the King of the universe. Nothing exists that He did not create. Yet here He is permitting the soldiers of a lesser king to strip Him. He could have destroyed them all instantly just by speaking the word. But He allowed them to mock His Kingship. Weaving a crown of thorns they crushed it upon His head. Mocking His anointing as King they anointed Him with their spit. What should have been kisses of loyalty became beatings with reeds and whips. Leading Him off to be crucified, He fell, too weakened by the loss of blood to carry the massive beam of the cross. They drafted a man from the crowd to bear His cross. At the Place of a Skull they offered Him a cheap drug that might deaden some of the pain. But He was born for this. He chose to feel all the pain that would be inflicted by our sin upon Him. Crucifying Him they then gambled for His only earthly possessions, His clothes. Then in continuance of the mocking of this "King," they placed a plaque above His head which read, "This is the King of the Jews." Indeed He is the King of the Jews as well as every other ethnic group that has or ever will live. But this obviously was cast in derision of what He claimed.
Those passing by blasphemed Him. They used His words against Him, "You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself!" Little did they know but as they spoke those words He was in the process of doing just that. He was allowing them to tear down the temple of His body. In three days He was going to build it back up again. Do you suppose that any of those who walked by wagging their heads in derision, after the resurrection repented of their unbelief and recanted their words? Even the robber crucified with Him reviled Him.
But all these were not the greatest pain. The greatest pain for our Lord came from noon until 3 in the afternoon. An eerie darkness fell upon the land. Why? I believe it was because at that time the Father placed all the sin of the world, my sin and your sin, upon Him upon that cross. During that time the Father poured out His holy justice upon Him as He hung between heaven and earth. He, who knew no sin, became sin on our behalf. For the first time the Father was in His face with all His terrible wrath being poured out upon Him. He knew the absolute terror that all of those who choose to go to hell know. He knew the terror of being the recipient of eternal wrath. In agony of the spiritual pain He cried out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Crying again, He yielded up His spirit. It was not wrenched from Him. He gave it willingly. This is glory that cannot be illustrated only received. Have you received it? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

February 14

GENESIS 47

7Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?” 9And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.” 10So Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.

What kind of testimony is that? “Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life.” Well, Jacob is at least honest in this statement. Most of his days were evil. He spent them scheming to advance himself or his own agenda until he met the Lord at Peniel. In the next 11 years after wrestling with God Jacob’s Daughter would be raped by Shechem. Jacob’s sons would ruthlessly avenge their sister making him odious in the nostrils of the Canaanites. Jacob would lose his favorite wife in childbirth. Jacob would bury his father Isaac and finally his favorite son would be sold into slavery and reported dead to him. He would lose 22 years of life with him. Yes, few and evil were the days of the years of his life. Yet, God was with him. How would he have known it?
Do you feel like Jacob, “Few and evil are the days of the years of my life?” If you truly know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then He is with you. All feelings and circumstances aside, He is with you. What a promise. In the good times and the bad, He is with you. The Eternal God is with you. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 45
The Lord is represented here as the One coming to His coronation as King. As He is described, we find that He matches the desire for a perfect King. What else could one ask for? He is a mighty warrior. Truth, humility and righteousness are the major cornerstones of His character. In personality He is full of gladness. In this election year would it not be great to have candidates whom we knew the foundation of their characters was truth, humility and righteousness? His righteous rule will last forever, not just 4 years at best. So how do we receive this perfect King? The daughters are exhorted:

Listen, O daughter, Consider and incline your ear; Forget your own people also, and your father’s house; So the King will greatly desire your beauty; Because He is your Lord, worship Him.

“Forget your own people. . .so the King will greatly desire your beauty.” This righteous King has called us out of a people of unrighteousness. If we wish Him to greatly desire us, we must desire Him more than our people of unrighteousness. He calls us into truth and humility. Do we really want a relationship with a King who is true, humble, righteous, attractive, strong? If so, then we must seek His glory more than our own. Is that really our desire? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

JOB 13
In verse eleven the New Century Version says, “His bright glory would scare you.” The NKJV says His excellence. The New Living Translation says, “His glorious splendor.” One would think that Job had spent much time in meditation on the glory of God. I believe that he had. Because of that time in meditation upon the Lord, he says a couple of amazing things. First he knows that his present problem is not the judgment of God for specific sin that he has done. Look at what he says, “This is my case: I know that I am righteous.” He is doing his best to lay aside useless condemnation, and his friends are not helping him with this task. They are useless physicians. Second he knows that He can trust God to listen to whatever he has to say, “God may kill me for saying this—in fact, I expect him to. Nevertheless, I am going to argue my case with him.” (LB) He is familiar enough with the glory of God that he can speak his mind to God. Have I reached that point? Is that not the true essence of prayer?
Understanding the awesome glory of God, he asks two things of Him, “O God, there are two things I beg you not to do to me; only then will I be able to face you. 21Don’t abandon me. And don’t terrify me with your awesome presence.” Those of us who have chosen to cling to Jesus have come to the understanding that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He has promised that. However, He has never promised to not terrify us with His awesome presence. Indeed, Job got what he asked for. He was able to face God. God never abandoned him, but God indeed terrified Job with His presence. I think that if He were to reveal Himself to me as He did to Job, I would be terrified. But it would be a good terror; it was for Job. How about that, good terror? But then, that is the glory of our Lord. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MATTHEW 27:1-26
Every once in a while I do a dramatic monologue as a sermon. I'll take on the character of a person in the Bible and attempt to tell the story from their perspective. Usually I will don a costume with a beard to help the congregation get into the mindset of the story. I remember the first time Liam saw me dressed up as a character. I think He sort of recognized my voice but he certainly didn't recognize the weird clothes or the beard. He wouldn't have anything to do with me until I removed the beard and had "normal" clothes on. He didn't recognize me. But, I was still me. The outward stuff had only changed to enhance communication.
Sometimes the glory of the Lord is obscured because we have this outward picture of what He should be like. When the reality doesn't match up with our thoughts, we reject the reality. Consider these ways that Jesus was not recognized.
He is priceless but His subjects valued Him at only 30 pieces of silver. In Jesus' day that was about 30 days wages for a common laborer. That is definitely not a fortune, maybe $3,000? Thirty pieces of silver was also a common price of a slave in His day. Hey, you could put it on your Master Card. We pay more for our cars than that. Do we ever value Him so cheaply? Is walking with Him worth the price of a car? How can we put any value upon Him? Yet we do. I am afraid that at times we sell Him much cheaper than even $3,000.
He is the King but His subjects did not recognize Him. Pilate wanted to know, "Are you the King of the Jews?" He answered in the affirmative. Yet this King would not answer the charges of His subjects. He should have been giving them orders. They brought Him to trial. Before we condemn these people, ask the question, "Where is Christ in relation to the throne of my life?" Can we honestly say that we even hear His commands when He speaks them to our hearts? When we hear them, do we obey instantly? Full view of His glory would bring instant obedience to His slightest desire. After all He is our King, our great sovereign.
He is just, but His subjects deemed Him worthy of death. There is not injustice in God. Therefore, there is no injustice in Jesus, for He is God. But how often do we complain to Him that our situation is not fair. Like Sarah in the movie, Labyrinth, we continuously protest, "It's not fair!" I had a philosophy professor in college who stated in class as a response to my direct question, "It is never just that an innocent party, no matter how willing, could take the punishment in the place of a guilty party." It is no wonder that the professor couldn't believe the Gospel. He had a faulty understanding of justice. Is it not ironic that Pilate's wife & Pilate, heathens that they were, recognized the justice of Jesus, when Jesus' own people did not recognize His justice?
The problem with the glory of Jesus is that we often obscure it with our own concepts of what that glory should look like. The result is that we don't recognize Him when He is standing in full view in front of us. That is why we need to speak the glory to one another as the Scriptures declare it. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

February 13

GENESIS 46
This is now the 5th time that God has spoken directly to Jacob. It is significant to me that the first time God meets Jacob at Bethel, He tells Jacob, “I will be with you.” I believe this is the last time that God appears to Jacob. Again He tells him, “I will be with you.” It is the story of Jacob’s life. His God is with him. He never left. Through all of Jacob’s waywardness, He never left Jacob. If we belong to Him, through all our waywardness, He never leaves us. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 44
He knows the secrets of my Heart. The very things that I do not wish anyone else to know about, He already knows. Consequently, He seems to leave me as sheep for the slaughter. What do I do? This Awesome God, who is holy and just, knows the secrets of my heart even when I cannot discern them. The Psalmist knows that. He is painfully aware that he and the nation are guilty and deserving of the invading nation that is so cruelly oppressing them. He knows that we are like sheep being led to the slaughter. But he also knows the great mercy of our Lord, so he calls upon the Lord to awaken out of His slumber and deliver!
Paul knows of the great love of the Lord. In the middle of waxing eloquent concerning the love of the Lord in Romans 8, he asks, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Then, Paul quotes this verse stating that for His sake we are killed all day long and led like sheep for the slaughter. Strange kind of love? Actually no! Love that is the greatest is revealed only under the greatest stresses. What stress is greater than death? What stress is greater than apparently meaningless death? He knows the dark secrets of my heart and loves me still. He ever works to remove the evil secrets and reveal His greatest love toward me and perfect my greatest love toward Him. That necessarily involves the death of my flesh. It is not a pleasurable thing, but it is necessary. It is not His hate that promotes it, rather it is His love. That is glorious. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

JOB 12
Job admits to being just like his accusers. He also has wisdom and insight into the greatness of God, yet He is without ability to apply it to his situation. If He withholds the waters, they dry up; if He sends them out they overwhelm the earth. We had little precipitation in Stillwater over the last six months. We were dry. God had withheld the water. These last two weeks He has sent snows that have overwhelmed us. God overthrows the mighty. This week in Egypt we have seen the government tottering like a wall about to fall. The King of Jordan dismissed his cabinet. God has the ability to bring all governments to its knees. Yes, even the USA is not exempt from His great abilities. He enlarges nations and makes them great. But how does this knowledge of His glory affect our daily lives? Do we not need a personal understanding of how the Lord applies His glory to our lives? He does give us this knowledge if we wait upon Him. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MATTHEW 26:47-75
When I was in sixth grade, it seems that I was perpetually in trouble at school. I think I spent more time at my desk at recess than on the playground. If I wasn’t in a fight with someone, I always seemed to be doing the wrong thing at the wrong time. One of the times the janitor had just removed a ton of boxes from the cafeteria storage. They were in this pile outside. We asked him, “Can we play with these?” His answer was, “If you help me throw them away in a little bit.” Then he went back into the cafeteria.
We tore into those boxes with a vengeance. We had been playing with them for less than two minutes when we turned around and saw our teacher stomping toward us. She was not a happy camper. “What do y’all think you are doing?” was her cry. Don’t you hate it when someone asks you a question when you know she already knows the answer? We had been in enough trouble already that year. We did not even try to explain. We just started walking back to our room.
Here is the One who created the universe. He could destroy the whole lot with a single word for He created it by speaking. They are coming to arrest Him. One of the twelve is leading Him. He knows that Judas is coming to betray Him. He has already forecast the problem (26:1, 21-25). Yet, He greets Judas, “Friend, why have you come?” Don’t you hate it when someone asks you a question when you know he already knows the answer? No answer was given. Do you suppose Judas hated the question? He knew Jesus knew the answer.
Peter swings into action slicing off the ear of the servant of the High Priest. “Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?” Peter ran away, confused. Don’t you hate it when someone asks you a question when you know he already knows the answer?
Now to the multitude Jesus asks the question, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?” Don’t you hate it when someone asks you a question when you know he already knows the answer? They ignored the question and took Him anyway.
The Sanhedrin now thought it was there turn to ask the questions. Jesus kept silent until they charged Him by the living God to give an answer. He gave the answer that was true and that they wanted. He made Himself equal with God. Judas would not recognize it. Peter didn’t get it. The multitude rejected it. The Sanhedrin would not permit it. But it was true. Funny how a question drives the point harder than a straight up answer, and yet people still reject it.
With the exception of the Sanhedrin, I believe that in each case Jesus was still extending love to those who were betraying Him, denying Him and arresting Him. He wanted the best for them. What marvelous love and patience does our Lord have! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

February 12

GENESIS 45
God makes even the sin of man to praise Him! We’ve reached the climax of the Joseph chronicle. I love these sentences by Joseph:

5“But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. .. . .7And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. . . .13So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here.

This is the value of focusing upon the glory of the Lord. So often when we are wronged by others, especially fellow believers, our brothers and sisters, we focus upon the wrong. The wrong is painful. It is discouraging. It hurts. But God has ways of taking that sin and turning it into something good. He makes even the sin to praise Him. That does not make the sin good; it just makes His glory greater. He can take vile sin and turn it to His praise. Witness Joseph and his brothers!
How could Joseph possibly not have wanted to take revenge? I submit to you that it is only because he focused on the glory of God and not the sin of his brothers. Even when he did not know how God was going to work in the depths of prison, he focused upon the glory of God. When we look upon His glory, bitterness cannot stick to us. It eventually slides off.
“Tell my father of all my glory in Egypt.” That is a human perspective. All the Egyptians would have discussed the success story of Joseph. He had risen from the depths of prison to the second most powerful man in the world at that time. Had it been today, the paparazzi would have been all over him like flies on honey. On a human level, that is glory! But look at Joseph’s perspective. Twice he says, “God sent me.” Once he says, “It was not you who sent me here, but God.” He also says of God, “He has made me a father to Pharaoh.” It was not just Joseph’s glory that was increased by the sin of man; it was God’s. On a human level, that was made possible because Joseph focused on the glory of God. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 43
Sometimes when you experience the rejection of a group of people, it feels like God has also rejected you. When you have been accused of motivations you did not have, of lack of production that really is not your responsibility, or even production that is ignored, you just want to scream out, “This is unjust! I did not have that motivation. That was not my responsibility! I did not cause that! I did produce this! Why can’t you see that!” In short, you want to be vindicated. You want God to stand up and declare the truth.
In four other Psalms the Psalmist cries out, “Vindicate me!” David had reason to scream that. He was steadfastly loyal to Saul. For his victories over the Philistines on Saul’s behalf, he was hunted as a criminal. Everyone was told that he was in rebellion against Saul. I am sure that he wanted to scream out:
But it was I who killed Goliath! I am the one sang and played the harp and lyre and lute and brought a soothing spirit to Saul. I have led Israel’s armies into battle and killed thousands of Israel’s enemies. I have brought increased security to Saul’s regime. I am Jonathan’s (Saul’s oldest son) best friend. I killed 200 Philistines in order to purchase Michal (Saul’s daughter) as my wife. I am Saul’s son-in-law! I have had opportunity to kill Saul with impunity. What do I need to do to demonstrate the loyalties of my motivations? What else can I do that shows I fulfill my responsibilities to Saul? What more do I need to produce to show that I am loyal?
In such situations only God can vindicate.
David felt rejected by the nation. He felt cast off by God. He asks for light and truth from God. Light enables us to see our surroundings. In the darkness of his downcast soul, David needed spiritual light to see the reality of his situation. He needed God’s truth to illuminate the emotional and mental darkness around him. He needed that light and truth to lead him into the very presence of God for it is in the presence of our Shepherd King that our downcast soul is set upright again. His presence gives us exceeding great joy. In His presence it doesn’t matter what our evil nation thinks; there is only One opinion that counts. That is His glory. When we experience the light and truth of His glory, everything else melts in His light. That is why seeing His light and truth and glory on a daily basis is so important. Only there are we truly vindicated. Only there can we find true joy and hope. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

JOB 11
It is easy to latch on to one aspect of the Glory of God and think that you now understand how that applies to every aspect of life. Zophar thought that. He has some very astute understanding of the glory of God, and yet he has completely misapplied it in relation to Job. Look at some of Zophar's statements:

1. “God exacts from you less than your iniquity deserves.“ That is a statement that is partially true of everyone. If the Lord exacted justice immediately, then we would all be instantly killed. However, it is His mercy that holds off His justice giving us time to repent. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
2. “Can you find out the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than heaven—what can you do?” He is dead on center with this statement. We cannot find the limits of the Almighty. We will be forever learning more about God and never have learned everything because He is infinite. By definition finite creatures like ourselves will never be able to understand the infinite being. But how does that prove that Job is being punished for something He did wrong? It doesn’t; Zophar has misapplied the truth.
3. “If He passes by . . . then who can hinder Him?” Again Zophar is dead on center. No finite creature could ever hinder the infinite being! But how does that prove Job’s guilt?
4. “But the eyes of the wicked will fail, And they shall not escape, And their hope—loss of life!”

True the eyes of the wicked will fail. All of us will die. There is no escaping death except that the return of Jesus should happen before our time to die. Is the hope of the wicked loss of life? Jesus said, “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.”
This we learn about the glory of God from Zophar. It is His mercy that keeps me alive. Illness is not necessarily the direct punishment of God. God has no limits. I will be forever learning about what He is like. I cannot hinder His ultimate purpose. I can hinder His purpose in my own life but not His ultimate purpose. I have one hope, to lose myself in the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MATTHEW 26:26-46
Our hardest moments are often not our most public moments. So it was also with Jesus at this time. The crucifixion was very public. The Garden turmoil was very private. Jesus’ sharing of the Passover meal with the disciples is key to understanding the turmoil in the Garden. The text says, “He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Later in the Garden, twice He prays, ”Let this cup pass from me.”
What is the cup of His blood of the New Covenant? Jeremiah is the one who pronounced it first in 31:31-34. It is a Covenant that Yahweh (Jesus) makes with Israel, which Israel will be able to keep. These are the results of the Covenant:

1. He will put His law in their minds.
2. He will write it on their hearts.
3. He will be their God.
4. They shall be His people.
5. Everyone shall know the Lord.
6. He will forgive their iniquity.
7. He will remember their iniquity no more.

How will the LORD accomplish this? Jesus says that it is in His blood. The cup represents the blood of the covenant. A covenant was always inaugurated with the shedding of blood. As Jesus was praying this night in the Garden, the Father was showing Him what was going to happen to Him the next day. He was looking in to that cup. He was seeing the reason for which His blood was going to be shed in His beating and in His crucifixion. That blood was for the remission of sins so that God would no longer remember our sins.
As Jesus looked into that cup, He saw all the sins of all the people of all the ages. He saw the wrath that the Father felt for that sin. Most importantly for me, He looked into that cup and saw the sin of John Chaffin. He saw all my insolence against Him. He saw the pain that it would cost Him to bear my insolence as the Father punished that insolence so that He would remember it no more. But it wasn’t just my insolence. He saw every sin that I have ever committed and ever will commit. He saw every time I placed a god before Him, and He thought, “Isn’t there some other way?” He saw every time that I made an idol and the justice that God would pour out upon it, and He thought, “Do I have to go through this?” He saw every time I spoke His name in vain and was repulsed by my vulgarity, and He thought, “Isn’t there some other way?” He saw all the times when I was so caught up in my own work and pleasure that I could not honor Him even one day out of the week by ceasing my activities to seek His face, and He thought, “Must I die for this?” He saw every time that I failed to honor my parents with the great honor that they deserve. Perhaps He thought, “Why should I honor a boy who cannot honor his own parents, by dying for that boy?” He saw every time that I hated someone else or denigrated someone else’s value. He said, “Must I die for a murderer?” He saw all my lusts, my thefts, my lies, my covetousness. He thought, “Must I go through this for Him? Isn’t there some other way? Cannot this cup pass?” As He looked, it was not just the sin of John Chaffin that repulsed Him. It was that sin multiplied by billions of others. The sin wasn’t all that was there, but He also saw the wrath of a Holy God being poured out upon that sin. “Isn’t there some other way?” The answer was a simple, “No.” His reply, “Your will be done.” The struggle was over. It was now just a day of agony. And He did it for me, and He did it for you. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John