Exodus 10
Up to this point Pharaoh has hardened his own heart at times. But now the Lord is going to harden it for him in order to produce acts that will reveal to people for all times that He is Lord. The Lord has three more gods to slay. Three more judgment events were coming in order to display that He is truly the only God. The Egyptians trusted in the goddess Isis to protect them from Locusts. Every 17 years there is a locust plague in the area anyway. It was to Isis that they cried out for protection. The locusts came anyway. In this instance it was more severe than they had ever known. They ate all green vegetation. And when Pharaoh asked for relief, God sent a strong wind that blew them all into the Red Sea.
Once again after the relief came the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh. This time the Lord slew the Egyptian sun gods. They had a number of sun gods which they worshipped. Among them were Re, Khepri, Harakhte, Attum, etc. This definitely displayed the greatness of the Lord over their gods. The darkness was so strong that they could feel it. But again the Lord made a distinction. In the houses of the children of Israel, there was light.
Have we experienced the Lord yet? Is His glory increasing? What gods is He slaying in my life? What gods is He slaying in the lives of those around me? Is my heart soft enough so that I will recognize His glory? Is yours? Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
March 6:1-29
Our football team in high school had signals that the quarterback could call from the line in order to change the play at the last moment, if he deemed it necessary. Usually the signal was a designated color. So he always called a color from the line as the beginning of the count for the snap. One day he was in jocular mood while in practice. Rather than giving the drab colors such as green or red or blue, he walked to the line and called, ”Chartreuse!” Now, chartreuse may be in the interior decorator’s common vocabulary but it is unexpected as a signal on the football line. It was great comic relief. The team seemed to fall apart with laughter. He had given quite a mixed signal.
Sometimes the glory is filled with mixed signals. His hometown was having a hard time believing that this local boy was really who He claimed to be. After all, He had been around for about 30 years and had never done any of these miracles before. After all, He had brothers and sisters. Yet in spite of the clear miracles done elsewhere and a few sick that He had healed in Nazareth, they refused to believe.
At this point, Jesus sends out the twelve. He empowers them to do the miracles that He had been doing and they do it! Suddenly the glory is multiplied! Where before only Jesus was doing the miracles, now there are 6 pairs of disciples going around healing and preaching. People are being set free all over the Galilean countryside! The Kingdom seems to be growing!
Then John the Baptist is jailed. Not only is he jailed, he is beheaded. Where is the glory? I recall the words of John, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Well, it has happened. You can’t decrease much more than having your head lifted off of your shoulders. But how has He increased? Well there are now 6 pairs of disciples preaching the kingdom! And they are successful!
Sometimes in our lives we get mixed signals concerning the glory. How can the King of Glory allow this to continue? Hang in there! His glory is expanding even in the midst of the mixed signal. Perhaps someday in heaven we will review it and fall apart in laughter as we see the comic relief. Or perhaps we will cry recalling the pain of our fallen brother or sister. But inevitably we will see the glory in a greater way. It may be a mixed signal now, but it won’t be then. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
February 26, 2010
Exodus 9
Now, the Lord slays Apis, the bull-god worshiped by the ancient Egyptians. Apis, a reincarnation of Ptah, a creator god. should have been the protector of the Egyptian livestock. (Perhaps this is the model for the golden calf made by the Israelites at Mount Sinai.) Instead the Lord shows his greatness over their gods. He slays Apis. Note that none of the Israelite livestock is damaged.
The Egyptian priests/magicians were careful to be clean in their duties. Ashes were used to make a powerful soap to rid their bodies of uncleanliness. If you have ever made soap, you know that one of the ingredients is lye. Lye is produced by letting water filter through ashes. The lye is leached into the water as it filters through. Then it is added to rendered animal fat to produce soap. Perhaps soap was invented as part of the religious sacrificial rituals of early man. Instead of cleanliness, Moses’ ashes brought a festering skin disease. Note that the Egyptian magicians could not stand before Moses because skin disease produced by Moses’ ashes. Once again Lord slays an Egyptian god.
The sky goddess Nut was trusted upon to give the Egyptians good weather. Lord slays Nut. He rains a dead hail and fire from the sky upon the Egyptian crops and unprotected livestock. One by one the Lord slays those things upon which the Egyptians trusted. In what do you trust. If not the Lord, be careful He may slay them. He is after all the Almighty, and He will share His glory with no other. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Mark 5:21-43
The late summer and early fall of ’78 were difficult for me emotionally. Laura and I were convinced that God had called us to join the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ for the next 3 years. We applied and received a preliminary invitation to their Institute of Biblical Studies in June and July and to their Staff training the first two weeks of August. We raised support to attend and headed off for the summer to Ft. Collins, Colorado, where these events were being held. At the end of IBS we were informed that we were no longer invited to staff training. I had shown up on the psychological test as being extremely introverted and they did not feel that I would be a good match for their style of ministry.
The problem for me was that I had been sure at the beginning of the summer that this was the direction that God was leading me. But obviously the door was shut. How could I have so misheard the Lord? Hind sight is always 20-20, as the saying goes. In the intervening years I have figured out what God was doing. God did want me in Ft. Collins, but He didn’t want me on staff with CCC. But during those first few months I didn’t understand and it seemed as if God had led me on a wild goose chase or I had not really heard God properly. God never leads on a wild goose chase. It just seems like it sometimes.
Can you imagine this synagogue official as He is waiting for the healing of His daughter? She was at the point of death. She may already be dead. He has begged the Lord to come and heal her. I can’t think of anything more emotionally wrenching than the possible death of a little child. But Jesus goes with him. There is hope. Time is of the essence. Then the unspeakable happens as He leads Jesus. Jesus stops. Come on, Jesus! She is dying. But somebody had touched Him. People were always touching Him. They were always crowding in on Him. He was the most popular man of the region at the time. Come on, Jesus, let’s go. My daughter is dying or dead! You can’t tarry here!
But somebody had touched Him! Somebody had touched Him with healing faith and He felt the healing power go out. How could it be that He did not know who it was who touched Him? Sometimes the Lord asked questions that were similar to rhetorical questions. This one was one. He wanted the one of faith to identify herself. “Come on, Jesus! We don’t have time for twenty-questions.” But Jesus took time with the woman. Time was something the daughter did not have. But while Jesus was talking with the woman, the official’s servant showed up with the dreaded news. The daughter was dead. It was too late. It indeed had been a wild goose chase.
But Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid, only believe.” Back at the house the mourners were already there, doing their job. “She is only asleep,” says Jesus. They had seen death before. There was no pulse, no breath. She was cold. She was dead. They laughed at the Lord of glory. Of course they did not know that He was the Lord of glory. Jesus raised the girl. They were astounded. What do you know? It wasn’t a wild goose chase. Jesus’ delay did not make a difference in the end result. His glory was clearly seen in His victory over death!
So, when it seems that you are on a wild goose chase, don’t be afraid, only believe. Jesus will show His glory. And by the way by having gone to Ft. Collins I was forced to live in Stillwater, Ok for the next 2.5 years. During that time the Lord led me into the Christian and Missionary Alliance, which I dearly love. Also during that time I was able to live in the same town as my parents which was a blessing that I have not been able to enjoy since. It wasn’t a wild goose chase. It was blessing. I see His glory in a greater way now. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Now, the Lord slays Apis, the bull-god worshiped by the ancient Egyptians. Apis, a reincarnation of Ptah, a creator god. should have been the protector of the Egyptian livestock. (Perhaps this is the model for the golden calf made by the Israelites at Mount Sinai.) Instead the Lord shows his greatness over their gods. He slays Apis. Note that none of the Israelite livestock is damaged.
The Egyptian priests/magicians were careful to be clean in their duties. Ashes were used to make a powerful soap to rid their bodies of uncleanliness. If you have ever made soap, you know that one of the ingredients is lye. Lye is produced by letting water filter through ashes. The lye is leached into the water as it filters through. Then it is added to rendered animal fat to produce soap. Perhaps soap was invented as part of the religious sacrificial rituals of early man. Instead of cleanliness, Moses’ ashes brought a festering skin disease. Note that the Egyptian magicians could not stand before Moses because skin disease produced by Moses’ ashes. Once again Lord slays an Egyptian god.
The sky goddess Nut was trusted upon to give the Egyptians good weather. Lord slays Nut. He rains a dead hail and fire from the sky upon the Egyptian crops and unprotected livestock. One by one the Lord slays those things upon which the Egyptians trusted. In what do you trust. If not the Lord, be careful He may slay them. He is after all the Almighty, and He will share His glory with no other. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Mark 5:21-43
The late summer and early fall of ’78 were difficult for me emotionally. Laura and I were convinced that God had called us to join the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ for the next 3 years. We applied and received a preliminary invitation to their Institute of Biblical Studies in June and July and to their Staff training the first two weeks of August. We raised support to attend and headed off for the summer to Ft. Collins, Colorado, where these events were being held. At the end of IBS we were informed that we were no longer invited to staff training. I had shown up on the psychological test as being extremely introverted and they did not feel that I would be a good match for their style of ministry.
The problem for me was that I had been sure at the beginning of the summer that this was the direction that God was leading me. But obviously the door was shut. How could I have so misheard the Lord? Hind sight is always 20-20, as the saying goes. In the intervening years I have figured out what God was doing. God did want me in Ft. Collins, but He didn’t want me on staff with CCC. But during those first few months I didn’t understand and it seemed as if God had led me on a wild goose chase or I had not really heard God properly. God never leads on a wild goose chase. It just seems like it sometimes.
Can you imagine this synagogue official as He is waiting for the healing of His daughter? She was at the point of death. She may already be dead. He has begged the Lord to come and heal her. I can’t think of anything more emotionally wrenching than the possible death of a little child. But Jesus goes with him. There is hope. Time is of the essence. Then the unspeakable happens as He leads Jesus. Jesus stops. Come on, Jesus! She is dying. But somebody had touched Him. People were always touching Him. They were always crowding in on Him. He was the most popular man of the region at the time. Come on, Jesus, let’s go. My daughter is dying or dead! You can’t tarry here!
But somebody had touched Him! Somebody had touched Him with healing faith and He felt the healing power go out. How could it be that He did not know who it was who touched Him? Sometimes the Lord asked questions that were similar to rhetorical questions. This one was one. He wanted the one of faith to identify herself. “Come on, Jesus! We don’t have time for twenty-questions.” But Jesus took time with the woman. Time was something the daughter did not have. But while Jesus was talking with the woman, the official’s servant showed up with the dreaded news. The daughter was dead. It was too late. It indeed had been a wild goose chase.
But Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid, only believe.” Back at the house the mourners were already there, doing their job. “She is only asleep,” says Jesus. They had seen death before. There was no pulse, no breath. She was cold. She was dead. They laughed at the Lord of glory. Of course they did not know that He was the Lord of glory. Jesus raised the girl. They were astounded. What do you know? It wasn’t a wild goose chase. Jesus’ delay did not make a difference in the end result. His glory was clearly seen in His victory over death!
So, when it seems that you are on a wild goose chase, don’t be afraid, only believe. Jesus will show His glory. And by the way by having gone to Ft. Collins I was forced to live in Stillwater, Ok for the next 2.5 years. During that time the Lord led me into the Christian and Missionary Alliance, which I dearly love. Also during that time I was able to live in the same town as my parents which was a blessing that I have not been able to enjoy since. It wasn’t a wild goose chase. It was blessing. I see His glory in a greater way now. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Thursday, February 25, 2010
February 25, 2010
Exodus 8
Do you enjoy frog legs? The Egyptians had their fill of them. Remember yesterday we talked about how the Lord, will slay our gods in order to increase the glory of His name? Here are three examples of the Lord‘s god-slaying passion. The Egyptians had a frog-god called Heqt or Heket. If he were real, he would be responsible for controlling the frog population for the Egyptians. So, the Lord demonstrates His power over Heket. Isn’t it funny that the court magicians could only add to the number of frogs rather than to reverse what the Lord had done to afflict Heket? Pharaoh promised anything for relief. Now, he is beginning to recognize, to experience, the Lord. So also, are the Egyptians and the Israelites.
Pharaoh hardened his own heart after gaining some relief from the frogs. When he reneged on his promise, the Lord slew the god of the dust, the earth-god, Geb. Some sort of insect, lice, mosquitoes, sand fleas or gnats, rose up out of the ground to terrorize the people. It was at this point that the magicians could neither add to nor relieve the problem. They recognized that this was the ‘finger of God’, the real God not the convenient thing upon which they daily relied.
You know with all these heaps of dead rotting frogs lying around, one would expect the number of flies to increase. The plague here is swarms. Most translations put in italics after swarms “of flies”. Literally it is a “mixture of noisome beasts.” I think it was their sacred beetle, the scarab. Many scarabs made of gold have been found in the tombs. These were sacred to the sun-god Ra. Do you think the Lord was having fun slaying the false gods? The Lord is keeping it clear to everyone what He is doing by keeping the plague away from Israel. Pharaoh is beginning to soften. He found the Israelite worship offensive. Maybe he could let Israel go a little ways across the border. But the Lord would accept nothing but the slaying of the gods who vied against Him for the worship of man.
The Lord will accept nothing in our own lives but worship of Himself alone. Indeed, if He is God Almighty, nothing else should be there. Part of our experience of His glory is the slaying of other gods. If we don’t slay the other gods, He will. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Mark 5:1-21
When I lived in Norman, my back yard bordered a graveyard. Was it significant that when we first moved in, the previous resident had hung garlic in the rafters of the garage, which was the closest building to the graveyard? I guess I’ll never know, but I will always wonder. I took the garlic down. Sometimes people have a preoccupation with death, particularly when the powers of darkness hold sway over their lives.
The area Mark calls the country of the Gadarenes or Gerasenes is on the far eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. “No towns or villages exist along the lake’s narrow eastern shore because cliffs several thousand feet high rise up from near the water’s edge. The steep cliffs are less pronounced the farther south one proceeds toward Gadara, situated on the heights several thousand feet above the Jordan Valley” [1] The cliffs are riddled with caves which made them very useful for tombs, especially since the rough terrain made it difficult to live there. It was a Gentile area, hence the heard of swine.
As the Lord embarks from the lake and up the steep terrain to find the nearest town, He and the disciples are met by the demoniac coming out of the tombs. This man was more than the village idiot. He was strong enough to break iron bonds. He was preoccupied with death, living in the tombs. He would cut himself with stones. (It is interesting that as our culture increases its flight away from Christianity that the number of young people who are into cutting is rising.) He was tormented constantly by the unclean spirits. He came out to meet Jesus. The demons recognized Jesus and knew who He was. They knew His power. They knew His glory. They begged to remain in the region. But Jesus had come to set men free. He had come to set this one man free. He came to serve this one man. The King of Glory came for this one man. He released the man.
The multitude of demons rushed into a herd of swine (unclean animals according to Old Testament Law). The pigs would rather be dead than inhabited by demons. (It is interesting that humans would rather be inhabited by demons.) They rushed off the cliffs and perished in the sea. Now two thousand pigs in today’s economy could easily be worth $250,000.00. This was a significant loss of income for the local people. Hearing of their loss, they came out to see what happened. They found the man clothed, in his right mind and talking with Jesus. The witnesses informed the residents of what they saw. The residents pleaded with Jesus to leave. Why? Their initial concern was more related to their income than the fact that the village embarrassment had been set free. Their income was more important than the Glory. If He stayed around, they might lose more pigs. Alas it appeared that Jesus and the 12 had come all this way for just the one man. But that is part of the glory of Jesus. He will sometimes move heaven and earth to set free just one person, who cries out to Him in truth.
But the story doesn’t end here. The former demoniac wants to come with Jesus. Who can blame him? But Jesus would not permit it. He made him stay and tell the others what the Lord had done for him. In Mark 7:31-37 Jesus returns to the area. This time he has an astonishing ministry among the residents. I believe this former demoniac prepared the way.
Today as the use of drugs has risen and interest in eastern religions has risen, so also segments of our culture have seen a corresponding rise in preoccupation with death and cutting oneself. Listening to Dawson McAlister Live, I have come to realize that there are a number of young people out there that are bound in cutting themselves.
There is One whose glory will set them free, if they could but see it. Jesus does it with a word. He breaks the bonds of those imprisoned in the strongest chains and sets them free. How we need to speak His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1]Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. 1999. Nelson's new illustrated Bible commentary . T. Nelson Publishers: Nashville
Do you enjoy frog legs? The Egyptians had their fill of them. Remember yesterday we talked about how the Lord, will slay our gods in order to increase the glory of His name? Here are three examples of the Lord‘s god-slaying passion. The Egyptians had a frog-god called Heqt or Heket. If he were real, he would be responsible for controlling the frog population for the Egyptians. So, the Lord demonstrates His power over Heket. Isn’t it funny that the court magicians could only add to the number of frogs rather than to reverse what the Lord had done to afflict Heket? Pharaoh promised anything for relief. Now, he is beginning to recognize, to experience, the Lord. So also, are the Egyptians and the Israelites.
Pharaoh hardened his own heart after gaining some relief from the frogs. When he reneged on his promise, the Lord slew the god of the dust, the earth-god, Geb. Some sort of insect, lice, mosquitoes, sand fleas or gnats, rose up out of the ground to terrorize the people. It was at this point that the magicians could neither add to nor relieve the problem. They recognized that this was the ‘finger of God’, the real God not the convenient thing upon which they daily relied.
You know with all these heaps of dead rotting frogs lying around, one would expect the number of flies to increase. The plague here is swarms. Most translations put in italics after swarms “of flies”. Literally it is a “mixture of noisome beasts.” I think it was their sacred beetle, the scarab. Many scarabs made of gold have been found in the tombs. These were sacred to the sun-god Ra. Do you think the Lord was having fun slaying the false gods? The Lord is keeping it clear to everyone what He is doing by keeping the plague away from Israel. Pharaoh is beginning to soften. He found the Israelite worship offensive. Maybe he could let Israel go a little ways across the border. But the Lord would accept nothing but the slaying of the gods who vied against Him for the worship of man.
The Lord will accept nothing in our own lives but worship of Himself alone. Indeed, if He is God Almighty, nothing else should be there. Part of our experience of His glory is the slaying of other gods. If we don’t slay the other gods, He will. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Mark 5:1-21
When I lived in Norman, my back yard bordered a graveyard. Was it significant that when we first moved in, the previous resident had hung garlic in the rafters of the garage, which was the closest building to the graveyard? I guess I’ll never know, but I will always wonder. I took the garlic down. Sometimes people have a preoccupation with death, particularly when the powers of darkness hold sway over their lives.
The area Mark calls the country of the Gadarenes or Gerasenes is on the far eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. “No towns or villages exist along the lake’s narrow eastern shore because cliffs several thousand feet high rise up from near the water’s edge. The steep cliffs are less pronounced the farther south one proceeds toward Gadara, situated on the heights several thousand feet above the Jordan Valley” [1] The cliffs are riddled with caves which made them very useful for tombs, especially since the rough terrain made it difficult to live there. It was a Gentile area, hence the heard of swine.
As the Lord embarks from the lake and up the steep terrain to find the nearest town, He and the disciples are met by the demoniac coming out of the tombs. This man was more than the village idiot. He was strong enough to break iron bonds. He was preoccupied with death, living in the tombs. He would cut himself with stones. (It is interesting that as our culture increases its flight away from Christianity that the number of young people who are into cutting is rising.) He was tormented constantly by the unclean spirits. He came out to meet Jesus. The demons recognized Jesus and knew who He was. They knew His power. They knew His glory. They begged to remain in the region. But Jesus had come to set men free. He had come to set this one man free. He came to serve this one man. The King of Glory came for this one man. He released the man.
The multitude of demons rushed into a herd of swine (unclean animals according to Old Testament Law). The pigs would rather be dead than inhabited by demons. (It is interesting that humans would rather be inhabited by demons.) They rushed off the cliffs and perished in the sea. Now two thousand pigs in today’s economy could easily be worth $250,000.00. This was a significant loss of income for the local people. Hearing of their loss, they came out to see what happened. They found the man clothed, in his right mind and talking with Jesus. The witnesses informed the residents of what they saw. The residents pleaded with Jesus to leave. Why? Their initial concern was more related to their income than the fact that the village embarrassment had been set free. Their income was more important than the Glory. If He stayed around, they might lose more pigs. Alas it appeared that Jesus and the 12 had come all this way for just the one man. But that is part of the glory of Jesus. He will sometimes move heaven and earth to set free just one person, who cries out to Him in truth.
But the story doesn’t end here. The former demoniac wants to come with Jesus. Who can blame him? But Jesus would not permit it. He made him stay and tell the others what the Lord had done for him. In Mark 7:31-37 Jesus returns to the area. This time he has an astonishing ministry among the residents. I believe this former demoniac prepared the way.
Today as the use of drugs has risen and interest in eastern religions has risen, so also segments of our culture have seen a corresponding rise in preoccupation with death and cutting oneself. Listening to Dawson McAlister Live, I have come to realize that there are a number of young people out there that are bound in cutting themselves.
There is One whose glory will set them free, if they could but see it. Jesus does it with a word. He breaks the bonds of those imprisoned in the strongest chains and sets them free. How we need to speak His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1]Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. 1999. Nelson's new illustrated Bible commentary . T. Nelson Publishers: Nashville
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
February 24, 2010
Exodus 7
Many times I have had close calls. They could have been auto accidents, lack of funds to pay a financial commitment on time, relational crises, or health problems. As I saw the solution provided by the Lord for each situation, I exited the situation with a new appreciation that He is the Lord. Why do I have to walk through those situations to learn those lessons? I think there is a sense in which I tend to learn to rely on certain things to the point that they in a sense become my god. I trust in the things rather than the Lord. That is what is spoken of in today’s passage. We will see the point driven home many ways over the next few days.
The Lord, begins by judging the court magicians via the staff/serpent incident. When Pharaoh refuses to recognize the glory of the Lord, He literally begins to judge the gods of Egypt upon which the Egyptians have come to rely. The first was the Nile. The Egyptians literally worshipped the Nile. After all, in a climate that had very little annual rainfall, the Nile provide the perfect setting for an agrarian society. The Nile’s yearly flooding cycle happens with such precision that they set their calendar by it. The headwaters of the Nile begin over a thousand miles away near the equator in East Africa. The equatorial rainy season in East Africa provided the automatic irrigation and fertilization of the Nile valley. All the Egyptians needed to do was plant seed. It was as though God provided for them. Indeed He did provide for them. But instead of worshipping the true God, they worshipped and relied upon the Nile River. The true God slew the Nile god turn its waters to nasty blood. But He is doing it not to be vindictive but so that they might know that He is the Lord.
In this He shows His glory. How often does He slay my/our Gods (those things that we rely upon rather than Him) so that we might know that He is the Lord? Sometimes it takes drastic measures to get us to pay attention. I wonder which of my/your gods will he slay today? Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Mark 4:21--41
There were things we did as kids in secret that we thought nobody else knew about. I had a friend that lived right next to the railroad tracks and just a few blocks from the cotton gin. Show me an 8-10 year old boy that has no fascination with trains or cotton gins, and I'll show you a kid who is brain dead. You would be surprised to see how flat a fork or a penny can become after a train has run over it. Playing in the bin where they blow the cotton seed after it has been removed from the cotton is a lot of fun. It is amazing that we didn't derail a train or get run over or get buried under a ton of cotton seed or die from asthmatic reaction from the dust of the cotton. I guess that it’s a good thing my mother never found out about most of our activities.
But then there was the time she did find out about one trip to the tracks. We thought we were safe. But our teacher saw us heading in the wrong direction from school--not toward home but toward the tracks. She collected us, and applied the board of education to us. Oh well, what we thought was secret became public knowledge, and try as I did, even my mother found out. The public revelation of what we thought was secret was not, shall I say, "Pleasant?"
Even as adults, we get into this mindset that some of the things we do, say, or think are our little secret. We continue in them believing that we are safe from discovery. If it doesn't hurt anyone else, what difference does it make? Maybe the secret is viewing pornography. Maybe it is holding a grudge against someone else. Maybe it is inwardly judging someone else. Maybe it is a private theft. Maybe it is indifference toward someone. Maybe it is lack of forgiveness toward someone. After all, no one else notices. What difference could it make? But things that begin little grow big. When they become big, the public revelation of it is not, shall we say, "Pleasant?"
Usually what begins as private attitudes, thoughts or secrets, eventually work their way into outward events in our lives. Thoughts long held become attitudes. Attitudes long retained release into actions. Actions rooted in attitudes that are wrong usually have negative public consequences that are not, shall we say, "Pleasant?"
The Kingdom of God is similar to that. It begins small as a thought in the life of a person. Our glorious Lord plants that seed thought in the life of someone through someone speaking the word of God about the glory of Christ to them. It grows slowly but surely. Eventually it becomes beautiful and restful. The public revelation is, shall we say, "Pleasant?"
Not only is that true in the lives of individuals, but it is true in the Kingdom of God corporately. At the crucifixion there were only the 11 disciples and a handful of women left among those following the Lord. Fifty days later there were only about 120 people in the upper room. Jesus had appeared at one time to only about 500 people. It was a small start. Within 30 years the Gospel was being preached in every major city in the Roman Empire, and believers were even in the Emperor's own household. But still the ratio of believers to non-believers was very great. Today there is 1 believer on the face of the earth for every 10 non-believers and the ratio is getting better every day. We are on the verge of seeing the Gospel of the Kingdom being preached as a witness to all ethnic groups. This is the first time that this is a possibility since the Tower of Babel!
If the disciples had known the size of the task, when they were given this parable of the Mustard Seed, they surely could not have believed it. But our servant Lord brought them through an experience (one of many) that taught them to believe. It was on the Sea of Galilee. A sudden storm came up. So violent was the storm that these seasoned fishermen thought sure they were perishing. They awakened Jesus, fearful for their lives. Jesus rebuked the wind and the sea with three little words. And they became calm. "How is it that you have no faith?" He asked.
Now the disciples feared not the sea but Jesus. "Who is this One that even the wind and sea obey Him?" they said to one another. What starts small, even as a thought, has mighty power in it. I am so glad that Jesus' power is greater than the evil secrets I or anyone else may try to keep. His power is growing in its revelation through His kingdom. The final revelation shall be pleasant for those in His kingdom. His glory shall fill the earth. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Many times I have had close calls. They could have been auto accidents, lack of funds to pay a financial commitment on time, relational crises, or health problems. As I saw the solution provided by the Lord for each situation, I exited the situation with a new appreciation that He is the Lord. Why do I have to walk through those situations to learn those lessons? I think there is a sense in which I tend to learn to rely on certain things to the point that they in a sense become my god. I trust in the things rather than the Lord. That is what is spoken of in today’s passage. We will see the point driven home many ways over the next few days.
The Lord, begins by judging the court magicians via the staff/serpent incident. When Pharaoh refuses to recognize the glory of the Lord, He literally begins to judge the gods of Egypt upon which the Egyptians have come to rely. The first was the Nile. The Egyptians literally worshipped the Nile. After all, in a climate that had very little annual rainfall, the Nile provide the perfect setting for an agrarian society. The Nile’s yearly flooding cycle happens with such precision that they set their calendar by it. The headwaters of the Nile begin over a thousand miles away near the equator in East Africa. The equatorial rainy season in East Africa provided the automatic irrigation and fertilization of the Nile valley. All the Egyptians needed to do was plant seed. It was as though God provided for them. Indeed He did provide for them. But instead of worshipping the true God, they worshipped and relied upon the Nile River. The true God slew the Nile god turn its waters to nasty blood. But He is doing it not to be vindictive but so that they might know that He is the Lord.
In this He shows His glory. How often does He slay my/our Gods (those things that we rely upon rather than Him) so that we might know that He is the Lord? Sometimes it takes drastic measures to get us to pay attention. I wonder which of my/your gods will he slay today? Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Mark 4:21--41
There were things we did as kids in secret that we thought nobody else knew about. I had a friend that lived right next to the railroad tracks and just a few blocks from the cotton gin. Show me an 8-10 year old boy that has no fascination with trains or cotton gins, and I'll show you a kid who is brain dead. You would be surprised to see how flat a fork or a penny can become after a train has run over it. Playing in the bin where they blow the cotton seed after it has been removed from the cotton is a lot of fun. It is amazing that we didn't derail a train or get run over or get buried under a ton of cotton seed or die from asthmatic reaction from the dust of the cotton. I guess that it’s a good thing my mother never found out about most of our activities.
But then there was the time she did find out about one trip to the tracks. We thought we were safe. But our teacher saw us heading in the wrong direction from school--not toward home but toward the tracks. She collected us, and applied the board of education to us. Oh well, what we thought was secret became public knowledge, and try as I did, even my mother found out. The public revelation of what we thought was secret was not, shall I say, "Pleasant?"
Even as adults, we get into this mindset that some of the things we do, say, or think are our little secret. We continue in them believing that we are safe from discovery. If it doesn't hurt anyone else, what difference does it make? Maybe the secret is viewing pornography. Maybe it is holding a grudge against someone else. Maybe it is inwardly judging someone else. Maybe it is a private theft. Maybe it is indifference toward someone. Maybe it is lack of forgiveness toward someone. After all, no one else notices. What difference could it make? But things that begin little grow big. When they become big, the public revelation of it is not, shall we say, "Pleasant?"
Usually what begins as private attitudes, thoughts or secrets, eventually work their way into outward events in our lives. Thoughts long held become attitudes. Attitudes long retained release into actions. Actions rooted in attitudes that are wrong usually have negative public consequences that are not, shall we say, "Pleasant?"
The Kingdom of God is similar to that. It begins small as a thought in the life of a person. Our glorious Lord plants that seed thought in the life of someone through someone speaking the word of God about the glory of Christ to them. It grows slowly but surely. Eventually it becomes beautiful and restful. The public revelation is, shall we say, "Pleasant?"
Not only is that true in the lives of individuals, but it is true in the Kingdom of God corporately. At the crucifixion there were only the 11 disciples and a handful of women left among those following the Lord. Fifty days later there were only about 120 people in the upper room. Jesus had appeared at one time to only about 500 people. It was a small start. Within 30 years the Gospel was being preached in every major city in the Roman Empire, and believers were even in the Emperor's own household. But still the ratio of believers to non-believers was very great. Today there is 1 believer on the face of the earth for every 10 non-believers and the ratio is getting better every day. We are on the verge of seeing the Gospel of the Kingdom being preached as a witness to all ethnic groups. This is the first time that this is a possibility since the Tower of Babel!
If the disciples had known the size of the task, when they were given this parable of the Mustard Seed, they surely could not have believed it. But our servant Lord brought them through an experience (one of many) that taught them to believe. It was on the Sea of Galilee. A sudden storm came up. So violent was the storm that these seasoned fishermen thought sure they were perishing. They awakened Jesus, fearful for their lives. Jesus rebuked the wind and the sea with three little words. And they became calm. "How is it that you have no faith?" He asked.
Now the disciples feared not the sea but Jesus. "Who is this One that even the wind and sea obey Him?" they said to one another. What starts small, even as a thought, has mighty power in it. I am so glad that Jesus' power is greater than the evil secrets I or anyone else may try to keep. His power is growing in its revelation through His kingdom. The final revelation shall be pleasant for those in His kingdom. His glory shall fill the earth. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
February 23, 2010
Exodus 6
In the midst of pain and hardship, it is hard to experience anything good. Once when I was a volunteer chaplain to a hospital a patient requested a chaplain visit. He had been shot in both legs shattering both shinbones. His younger brother had called all his friends to their house for a party while their parents were out of town. A young man was behaving badly, so the older brother instructed him to leave. He did leave, but he was a gang member. He came back a little later with his gang. Well, you get the picture. I met with the young man for a week or two at the hospital. Our church helped the family with some groceries. But the pain was constant and strong for the young man. He was not assured that he would ever walk normally again. Eventually, he came to a crisis point. In the midst of his pain, he could not see that God was real, or if he was real, that He cared about his pain. The young man told me to not come see him again. Pain is like that. It screams so loud in our minds that we can no longer see the glory of God even when it is about to be experienced.
God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name Lord I was not known to them.” One of the things that the Name of the Lord tells us is that He cannot be fully known. He is. He can be known truly but not fully. He is. He can be experienced, but not completely. He is. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob experienced the Lord, but not completely. He is. He appeared to them but not completely. The name, “He is,” was unknown to them. They experienced “He is” in their pain but not completely. Now 400 years later their descendents are experiencing Him. However, their pain was great. Listen to what the text says,
‘I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8‘And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the Lord.’ ” 9So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage.
They could not hear Moses because of their anguish. This God who spoke the universe into existence spoke and told them that He was about to act on their behalf and that they would know Him. Yet they would not hear it because of the anguish of their spirit and cruel bondage. I wonder how many times I have missed hearing the voice of God because I focused on my pain. I wonder how much of the Glory of God that I have missed because I was focused upon me. His glory is still there. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Mark 3:20-35
Have you ever been publicly accused of being something less than what you actually were? If you have, then you know a little bit about the pain of Jesus in this story. The scribes were obviously reasoning:
Only God and Satan are more powerful than demons.
Jesus overpowers demons.
Jesus cannot be using God’s power.
Therefore Jesus must do this by Satan’s power.
Wow! Talk about missing the mark! Talk about something less! Even Jesus’ family thought He had lost His mind. His own mother and siblings came to collect Him and quietly put Him away somewhere. Did Jesus rail against the accusations? No. But He did show the logical inconsistency of their reasoning, and He did reveal His love for anyone who would yield to His will.
It is interesting to note that Matthew’s Gospel, where the theme is Jesus is the King of the Kingdom of God, has Jesus’ statement, “If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God surely the kingdom of God has come upon you!” But Mark whose theme is Jesus is the Servant of God leaves the statement out. It matters not who the servant is, but what matters is whose servant He is. So Jesus gives a warning not about rejecting or blaspheming Him but about blaspheming the One by Whom He worked the power, the Holy Spirit.
Don’t miss the point about His glory here! Jesus, the Man, is the Powerful One because He does all that He does by the power of the Powerful One, God the Holy Spirit. This world was lying in the power of a strong man. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned, Satan had made planet earth his house. Over the centuries and millennia, Satan and his hosts have enslaved men and women by enticing them into sin according to their own lusts. Satan has made this world to be his goods. He is a strong foe. We are unable to overcome Him. However, Jesus, the God-Man, came, and by His death and resurrection, He bound Satan, the strong man. Jesus is the Powerful One. Now, to His glory, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can plunder the house of Satan! What would we want from the house of Satan? People! People who are enslaved by the bondage of sin. People for whom Jesus died. It is for His glory that we proclaim liberty to them that they might be taken from the house of Satan to the house of the Father! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor
In the midst of pain and hardship, it is hard to experience anything good. Once when I was a volunteer chaplain to a hospital a patient requested a chaplain visit. He had been shot in both legs shattering both shinbones. His younger brother had called all his friends to their house for a party while their parents were out of town. A young man was behaving badly, so the older brother instructed him to leave. He did leave, but he was a gang member. He came back a little later with his gang. Well, you get the picture. I met with the young man for a week or two at the hospital. Our church helped the family with some groceries. But the pain was constant and strong for the young man. He was not assured that he would ever walk normally again. Eventually, he came to a crisis point. In the midst of his pain, he could not see that God was real, or if he was real, that He cared about his pain. The young man told me to not come see him again. Pain is like that. It screams so loud in our minds that we can no longer see the glory of God even when it is about to be experienced.
God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name Lord I was not known to them.” One of the things that the Name of the Lord tells us is that He cannot be fully known. He is. He can be known truly but not fully. He is. He can be experienced, but not completely. He is. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob experienced the Lord, but not completely. He is. He appeared to them but not completely. The name, “He is,” was unknown to them. They experienced “He is” in their pain but not completely. Now 400 years later their descendents are experiencing Him. However, their pain was great. Listen to what the text says,
‘I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8‘And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the Lord.’ ” 9So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage.
They could not hear Moses because of their anguish. This God who spoke the universe into existence spoke and told them that He was about to act on their behalf and that they would know Him. Yet they would not hear it because of the anguish of their spirit and cruel bondage. I wonder how many times I have missed hearing the voice of God because I focused on my pain. I wonder how much of the Glory of God that I have missed because I was focused upon me. His glory is still there. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Mark 3:20-35
Have you ever been publicly accused of being something less than what you actually were? If you have, then you know a little bit about the pain of Jesus in this story. The scribes were obviously reasoning:
Only God and Satan are more powerful than demons.
Jesus overpowers demons.
Jesus cannot be using God’s power.
Therefore Jesus must do this by Satan’s power.
Wow! Talk about missing the mark! Talk about something less! Even Jesus’ family thought He had lost His mind. His own mother and siblings came to collect Him and quietly put Him away somewhere. Did Jesus rail against the accusations? No. But He did show the logical inconsistency of their reasoning, and He did reveal His love for anyone who would yield to His will.
It is interesting to note that Matthew’s Gospel, where the theme is Jesus is the King of the Kingdom of God, has Jesus’ statement, “If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God surely the kingdom of God has come upon you!” But Mark whose theme is Jesus is the Servant of God leaves the statement out. It matters not who the servant is, but what matters is whose servant He is. So Jesus gives a warning not about rejecting or blaspheming Him but about blaspheming the One by Whom He worked the power, the Holy Spirit.
Don’t miss the point about His glory here! Jesus, the Man, is the Powerful One because He does all that He does by the power of the Powerful One, God the Holy Spirit. This world was lying in the power of a strong man. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned, Satan had made planet earth his house. Over the centuries and millennia, Satan and his hosts have enslaved men and women by enticing them into sin according to their own lusts. Satan has made this world to be his goods. He is a strong foe. We are unable to overcome Him. However, Jesus, the God-Man, came, and by His death and resurrection, He bound Satan, the strong man. Jesus is the Powerful One. Now, to His glory, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can plunder the house of Satan! What would we want from the house of Satan? People! People who are enslaved by the bondage of sin. People for whom Jesus died. It is for His glory that we proclaim liberty to them that they might be taken from the house of Satan to the house of the Father! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor
Monday, February 22, 2010
February 22, 2010
Exodus 5
Pharaoh: Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go!
Moses: Since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.
Sometimes the glory of the Lord cannot be seen until evil has been allowed to show its worst. Sometimes even God’s own people do not recognize that He is working when evil is doing its worst.
Does Pharaoh’s ignorance of the glory of the Lord lessen the glory any? Not in the least. It only reveals his ignorance of God. Does my ignorance of the name of the quarterback who led the New Orleans Saints to the Super Bowl lessen his glory any? Not in the least. It only reveals my ignorance of the quarterback. If I remain ignorant of His name, it is my fault, and I am the loser. Pharaoh remained ignorant, indeed insisted on remaining ignorant, of the glory of the name of the Lord. He lost.
Does Moses’ momentary despair in the midst of this darkness diminish the glory of the Lord? I watched the first quarter of the Super Bowl this year (2010). Leaving at the beginning of the second quarter to run an errand, I was certain the game was going to be a blow out. I was certain New Orleans was going to be overrun by Indianapolis. I did come back to watch the second half. Boy was I wrong! I am glad I didn’t let my despair turn my back on the game. It was worth watching. What if Moses had given up on the Lord’s glory at this point? Sometimes we just have to hang in there. The Lord will eventually show His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Mark 3:20-35
Have you ever been publicly accused of being something less than what you actually were? If you have, then you know a little bit about the pain of Jesus in this story. The scribes were obviously reasoning:
Only God and Satan are more powerful than demons.
Jesus overpowers demons.
Jesus cannot be using God’s power.
Therefore Jesus must do this by Satan’s power.
Wow! Talk about missing the mark! Talk about something less! Even Jesus’ family thought He had lost His mind. His own mother and siblings came to collect Him and quietly put Him away somewhere. Did Jesus rail against the accusations? No. But He did show the logical inconsistency of their reasoning, and He did reveal His love for anyone who would yield to His will.
It is interesting to note that Matthew’s Gospel, where the theme is Jesus is the King of the Kingdom of God, has Jesus’ statement, “If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God surely the kingdom of God has come upon you!” But Mark whose theme is Jesus is the Servant of God leaves the statement out. It matters not who the servant is, but what matters is whose servant He is. So Jesus gives a warning not about rejecting or blaspheming Him but about blaspheming the One by Whom He worked the power, the Holy Spirit.
Don’t miss the point about His glory here! Jesus, the Man, is the Powerful One because He does all that He does by the power of the Powerful One, God the Holy Spirit. This world was laying in the power of a strong man. Ever sin Adam and Eve sinned, Satan had made planet earth his house. Over the centuries and millennia Satan and his hosts has enslaved men and women by enticing them into sin according to their own lusts. Satan has made this world to be his goods. He is a strong foe. We are unable to overcome Him. However, Jesus, the God-Man, came and by His death and resurrection He bound Satan, the strong man. Jesus is the Powerful One. Now, to His glory, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can plunder the house of Satan! What would we want from the house of Satan? People! People who are enslaved by the bondage of sin. People for whom Jesus died. It is for His glory that we proclaim liberty to them that they might be taken from the house of Satan to the house of the Father! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Pharaoh: Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go!
Moses: Since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.
Sometimes the glory of the Lord cannot be seen until evil has been allowed to show its worst. Sometimes even God’s own people do not recognize that He is working when evil is doing its worst.
Does Pharaoh’s ignorance of the glory of the Lord lessen the glory any? Not in the least. It only reveals his ignorance of God. Does my ignorance of the name of the quarterback who led the New Orleans Saints to the Super Bowl lessen his glory any? Not in the least. It only reveals my ignorance of the quarterback. If I remain ignorant of His name, it is my fault, and I am the loser. Pharaoh remained ignorant, indeed insisted on remaining ignorant, of the glory of the name of the Lord. He lost.
Does Moses’ momentary despair in the midst of this darkness diminish the glory of the Lord? I watched the first quarter of the Super Bowl this year (2010). Leaving at the beginning of the second quarter to run an errand, I was certain the game was going to be a blow out. I was certain New Orleans was going to be overrun by Indianapolis. I did come back to watch the second half. Boy was I wrong! I am glad I didn’t let my despair turn my back on the game. It was worth watching. What if Moses had given up on the Lord’s glory at this point? Sometimes we just have to hang in there. The Lord will eventually show His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Mark 3:20-35
Have you ever been publicly accused of being something less than what you actually were? If you have, then you know a little bit about the pain of Jesus in this story. The scribes were obviously reasoning:
Only God and Satan are more powerful than demons.
Jesus overpowers demons.
Jesus cannot be using God’s power.
Therefore Jesus must do this by Satan’s power.
Wow! Talk about missing the mark! Talk about something less! Even Jesus’ family thought He had lost His mind. His own mother and siblings came to collect Him and quietly put Him away somewhere. Did Jesus rail against the accusations? No. But He did show the logical inconsistency of their reasoning, and He did reveal His love for anyone who would yield to His will.
It is interesting to note that Matthew’s Gospel, where the theme is Jesus is the King of the Kingdom of God, has Jesus’ statement, “If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God surely the kingdom of God has come upon you!” But Mark whose theme is Jesus is the Servant of God leaves the statement out. It matters not who the servant is, but what matters is whose servant He is. So Jesus gives a warning not about rejecting or blaspheming Him but about blaspheming the One by Whom He worked the power, the Holy Spirit.
Don’t miss the point about His glory here! Jesus, the Man, is the Powerful One because He does all that He does by the power of the Powerful One, God the Holy Spirit. This world was laying in the power of a strong man. Ever sin Adam and Eve sinned, Satan had made planet earth his house. Over the centuries and millennia Satan and his hosts has enslaved men and women by enticing them into sin according to their own lusts. Satan has made this world to be his goods. He is a strong foe. We are unable to overcome Him. However, Jesus, the God-Man, came and by His death and resurrection He bound Satan, the strong man. Jesus is the Powerful One. Now, to His glory, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can plunder the house of Satan! What would we want from the house of Satan? People! People who are enslaved by the bondage of sin. People for whom Jesus died. It is for His glory that we proclaim liberty to them that they might be taken from the house of Satan to the house of the Father! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
February 21, 2010
Exodus 4
“Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD?” This is a very interesting comment by the LORD. Normally, we complain and get upset with God when things happen that make us different from other humans, such as going mute, deaf or blind. Also it is a tendency to try to defend God for allowing these things to happen. It doesn’t seem to bother God. He takes full responsibility for the mute, the deaf and the blind. He says that He made that non-functioning tongue, ear or eye. Hmm. . . . From His perspective it would appear that is not necessarily a bad or evil thing. Does that mean that we have a faulty perspective of things that we consider evil? However that one falls out, I think His point is that if He made it to begin with, then He can remake it to function however he wants to make it work. The issue is not the mouth. The issue is the Creator of the mouth. If God wanted an eloquent orator, He could make Moses to become an eloquent orator. That is the glory of our LORD.
The US has produced a number of great orators. They all have their cult followings. I wonder how much more glory the LORD would receive if they were not great orators. Conversely, D.L. Moody was heavily criticized on his first trip to England because he butchered the English language, yet the LORD used him mightily. Most homiliticians who analyze Billy Graham’s sermons would say that his sermons are not all that well crafted. Yet, the LORD uses him mightily. There is a distinct difference between being able to speak well and speak in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Is the point that the LORD is trying to make here that what matters is not our ability but His ability? It is not our glory but His glory. He can make the very rocks speak His glorify if needed. Maybe one of the reasons we see so little of the power of the LORD in the US is because we are so stuck on building our own name. Would I still do what I do if I knew I would never get any credit for it? If nobody ever read these Meditations on the Glory, would I still do them? Hmm. . . .
Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Mark 3:1-19
Have you ever met someone who serves only if there is attention gained in the serving. Someone once told me about going to see their congressman when he was visiting in the area. They commented on how the congressman was all smiles as long as the press was around taking pictures. He even prompted the photographers, “Get a picture of me with this person.” But the instant the press left so did the congressman’s smile and willingness to meet his public. It made my friend really doubt the sincerity of the congressman to serve the people as opposed to his desire to gain power from the office.
A servant doesn’t draw attention to himself. He merely serves and desires to multiply the effectiveness of his service. Jesus was healing people. He entered the synagogue. The press (Pharisees and Herodians) were there to observe Him to see if He might break any of their forms. It was the Sabbath. To heal on the Sabbath was, according to them, forbidden work. It did not fit their form. A man with a withered hand was there. What kind of press would He receive from healing this man’s hand? Jesus was not concerned about press. He was concerned about mercy and the glory of God being revealed on the Sabbath. He healed the man for it accomplished both concerns. He served the man and outraged the Pharisees. From that point on they began to plot to kill Him.
Jesus withdrew. Naturally the multitude followed. He continued to teach, heal and set people free. Then He went up on the mountain and appointed twelve to:
1. be with him,
2. send them out to preach
3. heal the sick
Jesus was limited by His body. He knew that He could multiply His service by empowering others. He made it part of His glory to empower others. And they received His power and served others. His glory was increased. Still today Jesus calls us to be with Him, to preach and to heal—to serve others. His glory is increased when we serve. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
“Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD?” This is a very interesting comment by the LORD. Normally, we complain and get upset with God when things happen that make us different from other humans, such as going mute, deaf or blind. Also it is a tendency to try to defend God for allowing these things to happen. It doesn’t seem to bother God. He takes full responsibility for the mute, the deaf and the blind. He says that He made that non-functioning tongue, ear or eye. Hmm. . . . From His perspective it would appear that is not necessarily a bad or evil thing. Does that mean that we have a faulty perspective of things that we consider evil? However that one falls out, I think His point is that if He made it to begin with, then He can remake it to function however he wants to make it work. The issue is not the mouth. The issue is the Creator of the mouth. If God wanted an eloquent orator, He could make Moses to become an eloquent orator. That is the glory of our LORD.
The US has produced a number of great orators. They all have their cult followings. I wonder how much more glory the LORD would receive if they were not great orators. Conversely, D.L. Moody was heavily criticized on his first trip to England because he butchered the English language, yet the LORD used him mightily. Most homiliticians who analyze Billy Graham’s sermons would say that his sermons are not all that well crafted. Yet, the LORD uses him mightily. There is a distinct difference between being able to speak well and speak in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Is the point that the LORD is trying to make here that what matters is not our ability but His ability? It is not our glory but His glory. He can make the very rocks speak His glorify if needed. Maybe one of the reasons we see so little of the power of the LORD in the US is because we are so stuck on building our own name. Would I still do what I do if I knew I would never get any credit for it? If nobody ever read these Meditations on the Glory, would I still do them? Hmm. . . .
Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Mark 3:1-19
Have you ever met someone who serves only if there is attention gained in the serving. Someone once told me about going to see their congressman when he was visiting in the area. They commented on how the congressman was all smiles as long as the press was around taking pictures. He even prompted the photographers, “Get a picture of me with this person.” But the instant the press left so did the congressman’s smile and willingness to meet his public. It made my friend really doubt the sincerity of the congressman to serve the people as opposed to his desire to gain power from the office.
A servant doesn’t draw attention to himself. He merely serves and desires to multiply the effectiveness of his service. Jesus was healing people. He entered the synagogue. The press (Pharisees and Herodians) were there to observe Him to see if He might break any of their forms. It was the Sabbath. To heal on the Sabbath was, according to them, forbidden work. It did not fit their form. A man with a withered hand was there. What kind of press would He receive from healing this man’s hand? Jesus was not concerned about press. He was concerned about mercy and the glory of God being revealed on the Sabbath. He healed the man for it accomplished both concerns. He served the man and outraged the Pharisees. From that point on they began to plot to kill Him.
Jesus withdrew. Naturally the multitude followed. He continued to teach, heal and set people free. Then He went up on the mountain and appointed twelve to:
1. be with him,
2. send them out to preach
3. heal the sick
Jesus was limited by His body. He knew that He could multiply His service by empowering others. He made it part of His glory to empower others. And they received His power and served others. His glory was increased. Still today Jesus calls us to be with Him, to preach and to heal—to serve others. His glory is increased when we serve. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Saturday, February 20, 2010
February 20, 2010
Exodus 3
With the exception of the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ, this chapter begins the record of the greatest theophany found in the Bible. (A theophany is an appearance of God.) Books have literally been written on this chapter. How can I have just one little meditation on this chapter?
Why did God choose to appear as a burning bush? This metaphor of God as a consuming fire runs deep in Scripture. See Ex. 24:17; Deut. 4:24; 9:3; & Hebrews 12:29 plus a host of other images of his burning anger. We can talk all we want about the grace of God, yet at the same time we must remember that He is also a holy God. His holiness consumes what is not holy. The fire image is quite a fearful thing. But wait, listen to what this consuming fire says, “I have surely seen the oppression . . . I know their sorrows. 8“So I have come down to deliver . . .”
This really is more than what one can grasp in one sitting. Moses asks a very reasonable question, “What is Your name?” For a person of His culture and time, that was a way of asking, “Who are you? What are you like?” Moses could see this consuming fire that did not consume things. He knew of the oppression of his people. He had experienced the impotence of his own ability to deliver. His life had seemed like a colossal waste. Yet his senses could not deny what he was seeing and hearing. Who is this God that had not yet delivered and had been seemingly unavailable?
What was God’s answer? “I am that I am.” To a perfectly good question he receives what would seem at first a smart-aleck answer. But think on it. How else could an infinite God explain Himself to a finite man? He is what He is. Since He is infinite, the best way to learn what He is like is by experience. If it is through experience that we learn to know Him, then He is what He is. The next 40 years are experiences where Moses will learn what God is like and who He is. Some things that Moses will learn are that God sees the oppression of His people; He knows their sorrows; He comes down to deliver. In the midst of that deliverance, God’s fire consumes all that is not holy. What is holy remains and is made pure. It is not consumed. Hmmm. . . There is a lot to think about here. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Mark 2
Isn’t it funny how we get hung up on forms. A friend of mine told me of a family member who was receiving training to be a notary. In her training she was told that if someone didn’t fill out the forms properly, she, of course, was not to notarize the paper. Now that is understandable. But she was also instructed not to tell people how to fill out the form properly. Why? Because that would be giving legal advice. They are hung up on a form of a different sort.
The people of Jesus’ day were no different. Jesus said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” How outrageous! Only GOD can forgive sins! Well, Duh! Only God can heal! Jesus did not fit their form for Deity. Jesus went to eat with the tax collectors and sinners. The form says that a holy man does not eat with sinners; then, how can sinners find out how to have their sin removed? Jesus did not fit their form of separation from sin. Even the disciples of John the Baptist did not get it. J.B. taught his disciples a form of fasting – a sign of mourning over sin and its ensuing separation from God. But God was with them in the flesh! Jesus did not fit their form of fasting. Then there was the form of the Sabbath. All through the ages people have tried to push the envelope on the form of work on the Sabbath. What constitutes work and what doesn’t? But the point was not to give man the proper forms to fill out in the proper way. The point was to give man relief from everyday pursuits to focus on the One who created the form, the One who gives him meaning, to focus on God. They made the form the point rather than God.
The kingdom of God isn’t about forms of the kingdom. It is about Him! It is about His glory! That is why we have to cut through the forms and see the glory! What is the glory? He is the God who forgives sin! The forgiveness of our sin will one day lead to our healing. Fasting has its place—if we are mourning over a lack of seeing His glory. The Sabbath was given so that we could spend a day focusing on His glory. It is not about defining what forms of work we can and cannot do. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
With the exception of the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ, this chapter begins the record of the greatest theophany found in the Bible. (A theophany is an appearance of God.) Books have literally been written on this chapter. How can I have just one little meditation on this chapter?
Why did God choose to appear as a burning bush? This metaphor of God as a consuming fire runs deep in Scripture. See Ex. 24:17; Deut. 4:24; 9:3; & Hebrews 12:29 plus a host of other images of his burning anger. We can talk all we want about the grace of God, yet at the same time we must remember that He is also a holy God. His holiness consumes what is not holy. The fire image is quite a fearful thing. But wait, listen to what this consuming fire says, “I have surely seen the oppression . . . I know their sorrows. 8“So I have come down to deliver . . .”
This really is more than what one can grasp in one sitting. Moses asks a very reasonable question, “What is Your name?” For a person of His culture and time, that was a way of asking, “Who are you? What are you like?” Moses could see this consuming fire that did not consume things. He knew of the oppression of his people. He had experienced the impotence of his own ability to deliver. His life had seemed like a colossal waste. Yet his senses could not deny what he was seeing and hearing. Who is this God that had not yet delivered and had been seemingly unavailable?
What was God’s answer? “I am that I am.” To a perfectly good question he receives what would seem at first a smart-aleck answer. But think on it. How else could an infinite God explain Himself to a finite man? He is what He is. Since He is infinite, the best way to learn what He is like is by experience. If it is through experience that we learn to know Him, then He is what He is. The next 40 years are experiences where Moses will learn what God is like and who He is. Some things that Moses will learn are that God sees the oppression of His people; He knows their sorrows; He comes down to deliver. In the midst of that deliverance, God’s fire consumes all that is not holy. What is holy remains and is made pure. It is not consumed. Hmmm. . . There is a lot to think about here. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Mark 2
Isn’t it funny how we get hung up on forms. A friend of mine told me of a family member who was receiving training to be a notary. In her training she was told that if someone didn’t fill out the forms properly, she, of course, was not to notarize the paper. Now that is understandable. But she was also instructed not to tell people how to fill out the form properly. Why? Because that would be giving legal advice. They are hung up on a form of a different sort.
The people of Jesus’ day were no different. Jesus said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” How outrageous! Only GOD can forgive sins! Well, Duh! Only God can heal! Jesus did not fit their form for Deity. Jesus went to eat with the tax collectors and sinners. The form says that a holy man does not eat with sinners; then, how can sinners find out how to have their sin removed? Jesus did not fit their form of separation from sin. Even the disciples of John the Baptist did not get it. J.B. taught his disciples a form of fasting – a sign of mourning over sin and its ensuing separation from God. But God was with them in the flesh! Jesus did not fit their form of fasting. Then there was the form of the Sabbath. All through the ages people have tried to push the envelope on the form of work on the Sabbath. What constitutes work and what doesn’t? But the point was not to give man the proper forms to fill out in the proper way. The point was to give man relief from everyday pursuits to focus on the One who created the form, the One who gives him meaning, to focus on God. They made the form the point rather than God.
The kingdom of God isn’t about forms of the kingdom. It is about Him! It is about His glory! That is why we have to cut through the forms and see the glory! What is the glory? He is the God who forgives sin! The forgiveness of our sin will one day lead to our healing. Fasting has its place—if we are mourning over a lack of seeing His glory. The Sabbath was given so that we could spend a day focusing on His glory. It is not about defining what forms of work we can and cannot do. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Friday, February 19, 2010
February 19, 2010
Exodus 2
Frequently in this world, the glory of God must shine through the inhumanity of man. Can you even imagine having to hide your newborn from the government officials lest they kill him? What irony that God performs here that he should let the inhumanity continue but provide a deliverer in such a way that that deliverer is raised up in Pharaoh’s household by Pharaoh’s daughter such that the deliverer brings a downfall to firstborn of the Pharaoh’s own household.
It is also ironic that we frequently think that we are doing God a favor in aiding his process of deliverance. Observe Moses, raised in Pharaoh’s household, yet nursed by his biological mother. Surely he kept some kind of contact with her after being weaned. Surely, she told him stories about his brethren. Surely, he felt like God had raised him up to be a deliverer. So, he murders a man, as if this one death might begin a revolution to set his brothers free. Indeed it would take death to set them free, but man taking it into his own hands was not what God had in mind. Had Moses been successful in leading the rebellion, then for all eternity we would have honored Moses as the deliverer. He wasn’t the deliverer. The Lord was there deliverer. Yes, Moses was used of Him, but only God could do it as it was done. Only God could do it in such a way that it would be a type of how He would ultimately deliver the whole world. So, Moses spends 40 years being raised in Pharaoh’s household learning that he was somebody. With his act of murder He spends 40 years in the desert learning that he was nobody. As we will see in the upcoming weeks, he learns the next 40 years that God takes nobodies and performs mighty works through them so that He will receive all the glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Mark 1:21-45
Going to Grandpa Chaffin’s house was always a special treat. He lived a six hour drive from us. So it wasn’t a trip we could make every weekend or even every month. He was some what fond of traveling. When he and grandma went places, they always took slides. So some evening while visiting them, they would break out the slide projector and show us places where they had been. I loved seeing the pictures of the far off places they had been, Petrified National Forest, locations of a few World Fairs, Florida Everglades and so on. Grandpa loved to tease. One night after the slides, he announced that he had a pet broom that he had trained. He brought it out and sat down in the dark end of the room where the screen had been. Without touching the broom he made it rise up off of the floor into his hand and move around. He did this for a little bit while I sat mesmerized wondering how he did it. Finally, when the light hit it just right, I saw it. He had tied black thread to the broom and to his hands and feet etc. He was wearing dark clothes and was sitting in a dark end of the room. You couldn’t see the thread, unless the light hit it just right. It looked as thought the broom was moving on its own. But all along, it was he pulling the broom around with dark threads.
We live in a sin darkened world. The result of the darkness of sin upon the creation is physical illness and evil behavior. Sometimes things happen for which there is no physical explanation. Sometimes there is illness without physical explanation. Sometimes there is a bondage to sinful behavior that cannot be explained by physical or mental reasons. It is as though the elements or people are being pulled by an unseen thread and made to act in other wise bizarre ways. The Scripture declares that there is an unseen spiritual world that affects the seen world. In that world there is a struggle between the forces of Satan and the human race. These demons occasionally pull strings in the lives of people causing them to act in certain ways.
Jesus met one of these people in a most curious place, the synagogue of Capernaum. It is interesting that often these unseen forces are afflicting people in religious institutions. This demon recognized who Jesus was, even when no one else did. The demon began to whine in fear of the Lord. The powers of darkness often recognize the glory of our Lord before we do. Jesus, with a word, made the demon hush and set the man free. He brought His glory to bear upon the man. When He did, the demon had to fly. The glory of this Servant sets people free. This chapter is full of the results of the glory of the Lord. It sets the captive of the unseen world free. It heals the ills of the physical world. He cuts the treads of sin that keep us in bondage. We are not brooms to be jerked by the threads of the unseen world. He sets us free and heals us.
Why then don’t we see more freedom and more healing? Healing and freedom will not reach their fullness until we come into the presence of His glory at His return. This sin-wrecked world must first be cleansed of sin’s corrupting presence; then, the final freedom and healing will come. In the meantime, for His purposes, He gives us glimpses of the ultimate healing and freedom that is coming. We call them miracles. In the meantime we need to focus on His glory lest we slip back under the control of sin’s controlling threads. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Frequently in this world, the glory of God must shine through the inhumanity of man. Can you even imagine having to hide your newborn from the government officials lest they kill him? What irony that God performs here that he should let the inhumanity continue but provide a deliverer in such a way that that deliverer is raised up in Pharaoh’s household by Pharaoh’s daughter such that the deliverer brings a downfall to firstborn of the Pharaoh’s own household.
It is also ironic that we frequently think that we are doing God a favor in aiding his process of deliverance. Observe Moses, raised in Pharaoh’s household, yet nursed by his biological mother. Surely he kept some kind of contact with her after being weaned. Surely, she told him stories about his brethren. Surely, he felt like God had raised him up to be a deliverer. So, he murders a man, as if this one death might begin a revolution to set his brothers free. Indeed it would take death to set them free, but man taking it into his own hands was not what God had in mind. Had Moses been successful in leading the rebellion, then for all eternity we would have honored Moses as the deliverer. He wasn’t the deliverer. The Lord was there deliverer. Yes, Moses was used of Him, but only God could do it as it was done. Only God could do it in such a way that it would be a type of how He would ultimately deliver the whole world. So, Moses spends 40 years being raised in Pharaoh’s household learning that he was somebody. With his act of murder He spends 40 years in the desert learning that he was nobody. As we will see in the upcoming weeks, he learns the next 40 years that God takes nobodies and performs mighty works through them so that He will receive all the glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Mark 1:21-45
Going to Grandpa Chaffin’s house was always a special treat. He lived a six hour drive from us. So it wasn’t a trip we could make every weekend or even every month. He was some what fond of traveling. When he and grandma went places, they always took slides. So some evening while visiting them, they would break out the slide projector and show us places where they had been. I loved seeing the pictures of the far off places they had been, Petrified National Forest, locations of a few World Fairs, Florida Everglades and so on. Grandpa loved to tease. One night after the slides, he announced that he had a pet broom that he had trained. He brought it out and sat down in the dark end of the room where the screen had been. Without touching the broom he made it rise up off of the floor into his hand and move around. He did this for a little bit while I sat mesmerized wondering how he did it. Finally, when the light hit it just right, I saw it. He had tied black thread to the broom and to his hands and feet etc. He was wearing dark clothes and was sitting in a dark end of the room. You couldn’t see the thread, unless the light hit it just right. It looked as thought the broom was moving on its own. But all along, it was he pulling the broom around with dark threads.
We live in a sin darkened world. The result of the darkness of sin upon the creation is physical illness and evil behavior. Sometimes things happen for which there is no physical explanation. Sometimes there is illness without physical explanation. Sometimes there is a bondage to sinful behavior that cannot be explained by physical or mental reasons. It is as though the elements or people are being pulled by an unseen thread and made to act in other wise bizarre ways. The Scripture declares that there is an unseen spiritual world that affects the seen world. In that world there is a struggle between the forces of Satan and the human race. These demons occasionally pull strings in the lives of people causing them to act in certain ways.
Jesus met one of these people in a most curious place, the synagogue of Capernaum. It is interesting that often these unseen forces are afflicting people in religious institutions. This demon recognized who Jesus was, even when no one else did. The demon began to whine in fear of the Lord. The powers of darkness often recognize the glory of our Lord before we do. Jesus, with a word, made the demon hush and set the man free. He brought His glory to bear upon the man. When He did, the demon had to fly. The glory of this Servant sets people free. This chapter is full of the results of the glory of the Lord. It sets the captive of the unseen world free. It heals the ills of the physical world. He cuts the treads of sin that keep us in bondage. We are not brooms to be jerked by the threads of the unseen world. He sets us free and heals us.
Why then don’t we see more freedom and more healing? Healing and freedom will not reach their fullness until we come into the presence of His glory at His return. This sin-wrecked world must first be cleansed of sin’s corrupting presence; then, the final freedom and healing will come. In the meantime, for His purposes, He gives us glimpses of the ultimate healing and freedom that is coming. We call them miracles. In the meantime we need to focus on His glory lest we slip back under the control of sin’s controlling threads. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Thursday, February 18, 2010
February 18, 2010
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.
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
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.
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
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
February 17, 2010
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 the 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 he 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
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 when they 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
“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 the 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 he 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
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 when they 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
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
February 16, 2010
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
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
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
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
Monday, February 15, 2010
February 15, 2010
Genesis 48
What is your name? What does it mean? What difference does it make? Jacob blesses Joseph’s sons by giving 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 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 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
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
What is your name? What does it mean? What difference does it make? Jacob blesses Joseph’s sons by giving 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 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 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
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
Sunday, February 14, 2010
February 14, 2010
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. 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
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
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. 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
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
Saturday, February 13, 2010
February 13, 2010
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
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
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
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
Friday, February 12, 2010
February 12, 2010
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
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:
He will put His law in their minds.
He will write it on their hearts.
He will be their God.
They shall be His people.
Everyone shall know the Lord.
He will forgive their iniquity.
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
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
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:
He will put His law in their minds.
He will write it on their hearts.
He will be their God.
They shall be His people.
Everyone shall know the Lord.
He will forgive their iniquity.
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
Thursday, February 11, 2010
February 11, 2010
Genesis 44
“His life is bound up in the lad’s.” What symbolism is found in those words! Judah, speaking of the relationship between Israel and Benjamin, sums it up that way. Could this not sum up the closeness of the relationship between God the Father and God the Son? Their life is bound up in each other. And yet we don’t want to push the symbolism too far for Jesus clearly said, “For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself.” The mystery of the Trinity is indeed too complex for me to handle. Yet, I see a small relationship between Israel & Benjamin and the Father and the Son. There is an intense love relationship between the two.
Here is another piece of symbolism. Judah in this instance becomes a type of Christ. Benjamin is declared guilty for possessing the stolen divination cup. For the love of the father, Judah volunteers to take the place of Benjamin. For the love of the Father, Jesus volunteered to take our place in death and resurrection. Granted Benjamin wasn’t really guilty. But we were really guilty. The death of the Son satisfied the righteous wrath of the Father against our sin and led us into a position to be restored in relationship to the Father. What awesome love. Let it sink down into your soul. The Father loves the Son. The Son loves the Father. The Father loves us. The Son loves us. All that remains is for us to love them and find our delight in them alone! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Matthew 26:1-25
Sometimes I think that meditating on the glory of God is like riding on a pendulum that swings not in arcs, not in circles, not even in spheres, not even in spheres plus the dimension of time but in spheres plus the dimension of time plus other dimensions which we cannot even conceive. I have a hard time just keeping the arcs in balance. Anyway, a few days after giving the parable that when you have done it for the least of these, you have done it for Jesus, this woman shows up. She wishes to worship the Lord in an extraordinary way. She takes fragrant oil that was probably worth about a year’s wages and poured it upon Jesus’ head. Now, a year’s worth of wages could go a long way in ministering to the “least of these.” Many were indignant at the waste, after all, so many of the “least of these” could have been cared for with the sale of the oil. Jesus rebuked those who were indignant. All of a sudden I feel like I am on the other end of the arc of the pendulum, or maybe even some other dimension.
Some how she caught the teaching of Jesus that in two days He would be crucified and the disciples did not catch the teaching. She understood. The anointing was for His burial. She somehow understood it was for her that Jesus was dying. She glimpsed His glory. She wanted to worship Him extravagantly. Some have been indignant with the church at building elaborate cathedrals while the needs of the poor go unmet. Jesus is sent away as one of the “least of these”. Often times I think their critiques are on target. It seems we are often more interested in building “Christian playgrounds” than taking the Gospel to those who have never heard or ministering to the needs of “the least of these.”
But here is what I think is the balance: No worship expense is a waste if the motivation is 100% to worship and adore Jesus and to minister to Him. Why? Because His glory is so great that He can take that so-called “waste”, which is poured out upon Him, and He can multiply what was poured out so that those who do the pouring can turn around and because of the supply of His glory minister to others. I don’t know. The Scriptures don’t say. But I’d be willing to bet that after the resurrection this woman was a power house in ministering to the “least of these.” What appeared to be a waste became an unbelievable increase because it was completely motivated for the glory of God and not self.
On the other hand, Judas, seeing this, couldn’t take the pendulum ride any longer. He left and sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. How do you value the glory of Jesus? Judas thought he had a bargain at 30 pieces of silver. The woman thought she had a bargain at a year’s worth of wages. Our abandoning ourselves in the worship of Jesus is never a waste. His glory is just too great! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
“His life is bound up in the lad’s.” What symbolism is found in those words! Judah, speaking of the relationship between Israel and Benjamin, sums it up that way. Could this not sum up the closeness of the relationship between God the Father and God the Son? Their life is bound up in each other. And yet we don’t want to push the symbolism too far for Jesus clearly said, “For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself.” The mystery of the Trinity is indeed too complex for me to handle. Yet, I see a small relationship between Israel & Benjamin and the Father and the Son. There is an intense love relationship between the two.
Here is another piece of symbolism. Judah in this instance becomes a type of Christ. Benjamin is declared guilty for possessing the stolen divination cup. For the love of the father, Judah volunteers to take the place of Benjamin. For the love of the Father, Jesus volunteered to take our place in death and resurrection. Granted Benjamin wasn’t really guilty. But we were really guilty. The death of the Son satisfied the righteous wrath of the Father against our sin and led us into a position to be restored in relationship to the Father. What awesome love. Let it sink down into your soul. The Father loves the Son. The Son loves the Father. The Father loves us. The Son loves us. All that remains is for us to love them and find our delight in them alone! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Matthew 26:1-25
Sometimes I think that meditating on the glory of God is like riding on a pendulum that swings not in arcs, not in circles, not even in spheres, not even in spheres plus the dimension of time but in spheres plus the dimension of time plus other dimensions which we cannot even conceive. I have a hard time just keeping the arcs in balance. Anyway, a few days after giving the parable that when you have done it for the least of these, you have done it for Jesus, this woman shows up. She wishes to worship the Lord in an extraordinary way. She takes fragrant oil that was probably worth about a year’s wages and poured it upon Jesus’ head. Now, a year’s worth of wages could go a long way in ministering to the “least of these.” Many were indignant at the waste, after all, so many of the “least of these” could have been cared for with the sale of the oil. Jesus rebuked those who were indignant. All of a sudden I feel like I am on the other end of the arc of the pendulum, or maybe even some other dimension.
Some how she caught the teaching of Jesus that in two days He would be crucified and the disciples did not catch the teaching. She understood. The anointing was for His burial. She somehow understood it was for her that Jesus was dying. She glimpsed His glory. She wanted to worship Him extravagantly. Some have been indignant with the church at building elaborate cathedrals while the needs of the poor go unmet. Jesus is sent away as one of the “least of these”. Often times I think their critiques are on target. It seems we are often more interested in building “Christian playgrounds” than taking the Gospel to those who have never heard or ministering to the needs of “the least of these.”
But here is what I think is the balance: No worship expense is a waste if the motivation is 100% to worship and adore Jesus and to minister to Him. Why? Because His glory is so great that He can take that so-called “waste”, which is poured out upon Him, and He can multiply what was poured out so that those who do the pouring can turn around and because of the supply of His glory minister to others. I don’t know. The Scriptures don’t say. But I’d be willing to bet that after the resurrection this woman was a power house in ministering to the “least of these.” What appeared to be a waste became an unbelievable increase because it was completely motivated for the glory of God and not self.
On the other hand, Judas, seeing this, couldn’t take the pendulum ride any longer. He left and sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. How do you value the glory of Jesus? Judas thought he had a bargain at 30 pieces of silver. The woman thought she had a bargain at a year’s worth of wages. Our abandoning ourselves in the worship of Jesus is never a waste. His glory is just too great! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
February 10, 2010
Genesis 43
Up until February of 2008, I never had a pair of prescription glasses. I never needed them. When my reading vision started decreasing after I hit 40, I began purchasing magnifying glasses. For over ten years I only needed them to read. Then at 50, I occasionally noticed that I couldn’t read distant signs any better that Laura could read them with her glasses on. Her long distance sight has never been all that great. So I went to the optometrist. Indeed, my distance sight was not as good as it used to be. Buying my first pair of prescription glasses and wearing them constantly, I found how annoying it is to have cloudy lenses. At first it was just a problem with finger prints. But after 2 years, now I have a problem with lots of tiny scratches. I can still see what is there. It is just annoying because it is often cloudy and I do not see as clearly as I would like. Often we view the glory of the Lord through the cloudy lenses of our past. We have been looking at the glory of the Lord from Joseph’s perspective. He had sharp clean lenses to view the glory of the Lord
Look at Jacob’s perspective. His wives have died. He thinks Joseph, the eldest son of his favorite wife, is dead. He has only one other child by his favorite wife, Benjamin. Should we mention the other sins of his past that surely cloud his vision of the glory of the Lord? And now they are in a regional famine of great intensity. His grain supply is mostly depleted. He cannot clearly see the glory of the Lord in this dire situation. His lenses need to be cleaned or reground. He sounds like Eeyore, the depressed donkey of Winnie the Pooh fame.
Reuben’s perspective as the first born is interesting. In Chapter 42 he was willing to put his children’s lives on the line in order to obtain food for the clan (typical first born reaction). He then stops just short of literally telling his brothers, “I told you so.” Do you suppose that he was having issues with guilt from not having done enough to intervene for Joseph before he was sold into slavery? Perhaps he was having guilt issues for having slept with Bilhah, Dan and Naphatali’s mother, Joseph’s mother’s handmaid. But now in chapter 43, he steps out of the picture. The field of vision has become just too dim.
What is Judah’s perspective like in the midst of this? It was Judah who put forth the idea to sell Joseph to the Ishmaelite slavers. It was Judah who had the problem with his daughter-in-law-eventually-wife. Judah had said nothing when Reuben offered his sons. Now it was Judah who volunteered not his own sons to be held as ransom for their safe return but his own life. He does so not because he sees the glory of the Lord and trusts in the Lord’s provision, but he does so because he sees no other way for life. His own guilt clouds his ability to see the Lord’s glory.
What is the ten’s perspective as they enter into Joseph’s house? They feared death. I submit it was because their own spiritual vision was clouded by their past sin, particularly against Joseph. The cloud was so thick that they could not see who Joseph was even when they were seated according to birth order and when Benjamin was given a portion 5 times greater than theirs. God was working in their midst, and they could not see Him.
Some times the glory of the Lord is working all around us, and we cannot see it. Our spiritual glasses are to greatly smudged and scratched for us to see what is clear. Does that change His glory? Not one bit. He is still working and doing amazing things. We just don’t see it. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Matthew 25:31-46
Remember the years before and after the death of Howard Hughes? There were a lot of reports of people claiming to have seen the recluse. (Yeah I know, there are people even now who claim Elvis sightings.) Usually they were reports of a man disguised as a homeless person who turned out to be the eccentric billionaire. In a way, that is kind of like the glory of our Lord Jesus. His glory is all around us in a veiled form. We are all created in the image of God. That image is marred and ruined by our sin. But, it is non-the-less still there. It reflects a little of the glory of Jesus. Granted it is greatly veiled by our sinful flesh, but it is still there.
So, anyone, no matter how sinful or impoverished, has something, somewhere deep inside that reflects a little bit of God's image and therefore the glory of the Lord Jesus. This extends from the homeless person to the Queen of England, from the mass murderer on death row to the Pope, from George Bush or Barak Obama to Sadaam Hussein. How I treat them is how I am treating the Lord Jesus. What I do to them is what I am doing to the Lord Jesus.
How can His glory be there? It is simply amazing that He could share a little bit of His glory with each of us, even after we had sinned against Him. I think it is often easier for us to believe that Howard Hughes could show up as a homeless person than to believe that Jesus shows up in some of the people we know and live with. But He does, and that increases His glory!
We also have this promise from Him. One day He will return in His full glory, no more veil. He will sit on the throne of His glory. What is the throne of His glory? Is it just some brilliantly lighted chair? Think about this possibility. If we are created in His image, if we have marred that glorious image with our sin, if He is in the process of restoring that fallen image in us, if the least of these is Him in disguise, maybe the throne of His glory is us in our fully redeemed state. Who gets the glory for our forgiveness? He does! Who gets the glory for our changed lives? He does! Who gets the glory for the reverse of the curse? He does! When He gives us crowns as a reward for our deeds in the flesh, what will we do with them? We will throw them back down at His feet and say, "We are undeserving servants; we have only done what we should have done in the first place!" Truly grasping this will change how I treat other people. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Up until February of 2008, I never had a pair of prescription glasses. I never needed them. When my reading vision started decreasing after I hit 40, I began purchasing magnifying glasses. For over ten years I only needed them to read. Then at 50, I occasionally noticed that I couldn’t read distant signs any better that Laura could read them with her glasses on. Her long distance sight has never been all that great. So I went to the optometrist. Indeed, my distance sight was not as good as it used to be. Buying my first pair of prescription glasses and wearing them constantly, I found how annoying it is to have cloudy lenses. At first it was just a problem with finger prints. But after 2 years, now I have a problem with lots of tiny scratches. I can still see what is there. It is just annoying because it is often cloudy and I do not see as clearly as I would like. Often we view the glory of the Lord through the cloudy lenses of our past. We have been looking at the glory of the Lord from Joseph’s perspective. He had sharp clean lenses to view the glory of the Lord
Look at Jacob’s perspective. His wives have died. He thinks Joseph, the eldest son of his favorite wife, is dead. He has only one other child by his favorite wife, Benjamin. Should we mention the other sins of his past that surely cloud his vision of the glory of the Lord? And now they are in a regional famine of great intensity. His grain supply is mostly depleted. He cannot clearly see the glory of the Lord in this dire situation. His lenses need to be cleaned or reground. He sounds like Eeyore, the depressed donkey of Winnie the Pooh fame.
Reuben’s perspective as the first born is interesting. In Chapter 42 he was willing to put his children’s lives on the line in order to obtain food for the clan (typical first born reaction). He then stops just short of literally telling his brothers, “I told you so.” Do you suppose that he was having issues with guilt from not having done enough to intervene for Joseph before he was sold into slavery? Perhaps he was having guilt issues for having slept with Bilhah, Dan and Naphatali’s mother, Joseph’s mother’s handmaid. But now in chapter 43, he steps out of the picture. The field of vision has become just too dim.
What is Judah’s perspective like in the midst of this? It was Judah who put forth the idea to sell Joseph to the Ishmaelite slavers. It was Judah who had the problem with his daughter-in-law-eventually-wife. Judah had said nothing when Reuben offered his sons. Now it was Judah who volunteered not his own sons to be held as ransom for their safe return but his own life. He does so not because he sees the glory of the Lord and trusts in the Lord’s provision, but he does so because he sees no other way for life. His own guilt clouds his ability to see the Lord’s glory.
What is the ten’s perspective as they enter into Joseph’s house? They feared death. I submit it was because their own spiritual vision was clouded by their past sin, particularly against Joseph. The cloud was so thick that they could not see who Joseph was even when they were seated according to birth order and when Benjamin was given a portion 5 times greater than theirs. God was working in their midst, and they could not see Him.
Some times the glory of the Lord is working all around us, and we cannot see it. Our spiritual glasses are to greatly smudged and scratched for us to see what is clear. Does that change His glory? Not one bit. He is still working and doing amazing things. We just don’t see it. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Matthew 25:31-46
Remember the years before and after the death of Howard Hughes? There were a lot of reports of people claiming to have seen the recluse. (Yeah I know, there are people even now who claim Elvis sightings.) Usually they were reports of a man disguised as a homeless person who turned out to be the eccentric billionaire. In a way, that is kind of like the glory of our Lord Jesus. His glory is all around us in a veiled form. We are all created in the image of God. That image is marred and ruined by our sin. But, it is non-the-less still there. It reflects a little of the glory of Jesus. Granted it is greatly veiled by our sinful flesh, but it is still there.
So, anyone, no matter how sinful or impoverished, has something, somewhere deep inside that reflects a little bit of God's image and therefore the glory of the Lord Jesus. This extends from the homeless person to the Queen of England, from the mass murderer on death row to the Pope, from George Bush or Barak Obama to Sadaam Hussein. How I treat them is how I am treating the Lord Jesus. What I do to them is what I am doing to the Lord Jesus.
How can His glory be there? It is simply amazing that He could share a little bit of His glory with each of us, even after we had sinned against Him. I think it is often easier for us to believe that Howard Hughes could show up as a homeless person than to believe that Jesus shows up in some of the people we know and live with. But He does, and that increases His glory!
We also have this promise from Him. One day He will return in His full glory, no more veil. He will sit on the throne of His glory. What is the throne of His glory? Is it just some brilliantly lighted chair? Think about this possibility. If we are created in His image, if we have marred that glorious image with our sin, if He is in the process of restoring that fallen image in us, if the least of these is Him in disguise, maybe the throne of His glory is us in our fully redeemed state. Who gets the glory for our forgiveness? He does! Who gets the glory for our changed lives? He does! Who gets the glory for the reverse of the curse? He does! When He gives us crowns as a reward for our deeds in the flesh, what will we do with them? We will throw them back down at His feet and say, "We are undeserving servants; we have only done what we should have done in the first place!" Truly grasping this will change how I treat other people. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
February 9, 2010
Genesis 42
Dysfunctional families, as a pastor of 25 years, I have seen quite a few of them. It is the glory of the Lord to heal dysfunctional families. I find it fascinating that in this case, not only does He heal a dysfunctional family, but he uses it to guide the course of human history to produce the nation that would produce the Savior who would be for all peoples.
Joseph has risen to the top. He is now 38 or 39 years old. The last time they saw each other, Joseph was 17, and Reuben was 23 or 24. Looks change a lot in 21, 22 years, especially from 17. Joseph recognized them, but they did not recognize him. Granted, Joseph had changed the most. He was the youngest (except Benjamin). He changed cultures and probably clothing and grooming styles. The last his brothers had seen of him, he was bound as a slave in a slaving caravan. That he could have risen from a slave to 2nd in command in the most powerful country of the world was just inconceivable. They would not have been looking for Joseph in this position. But he was looking for them. Why else would the 2nd in command be interviewing individual foreigners. He probably had his underlings looking for their profile. Anyone matching the profile, he personally interviewed them.
Joseph remembered the dream. Why the dream? Most people would have remembered the betrayal. I believe that Joseph had long ago forgiven his brothers. The healing of dysfunctional families does not happen without forgiveness. Forgiveness is choosing not to hold another person accountable for a wrong committed against you. Joseph remembered the dream because he had chosen to not hold them accountable for the wrong they had performed against him. But forgiveness did not invalidate his dream, nor did it mean that he had to once again place himself in a position where they could harm him.
He needed to find out if there had been any remorse for what they had done to him. Working on the fly, he unfolds an interesting plot to reveal their hearts to himself and to each other. Dysfunctional families can be healed. However, it requires forgiveness extended by the wounded party and a recognition of guilt by the guilty party(s). It is the glory of the Lord to bring that healing. Only He can orchestrate it, but both parties must choose to enter into it. But He puts broken lives back together. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Matthew 25:1-30
The Lord Jesus has gone to receive and prepare a kingdom. He has given each of us talents to invest in building His kingdom. (I understand that a talent in the parable is money, but I will use it here as abilities.) That is part of His glory. The investment of our gifts increases His glory. Some of those talents are natural gifts. Some of those talents are spiritual gifts. Some of those talents are financial gifts. Some are gifts of time. Some are gifts of personality. Some are gifts of family. Some are gifts of friends. Some have abundance. Some have few. All have at least one. Some develop their talents in order to increase His kingdom. Some develop their talents to increase themselves. Some just squander them.
I've noticed in my lifetime that many people like to look at mine and let me know how I match up to what they think my talents should be or compare them to other people's talents. Some are good at expressing their disappointment in how they think I am wasting my talents. A few have also expressed their joy at how I am developing them. I always try to evaluate what they say, just in case they are right. That causes a lot of pain. My Lord deserves all the glory that He can get. I should hate to think that I purposely gave Him any less than He deserves. To be honest, I also hate letting other people down. But if I did the sum of what everyone else expects of me, I would be working with out any sleep or leisure time. I don't think He wants that.
But when He returns and I have to give account for the investment of the talents that He has given me, the people who are evaluating me now will not be the One evaluating me then. He alone will evaluate me on the standard of what He had given me in order to increase His glory. My evaluation will not be used. The evaluation of other people will not be used. So until that day, what do I do? I keep my eyes on His glory. I keep myself in His Word and listen for His voice concerning what He wants me to do. I don't try to judge other people as to how well they are using the talents that He gave them. He is glorified most when I focus on Him, listen to Him and do what He says. That is why meditating on His glory is so important. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Dysfunctional families, as a pastor of 25 years, I have seen quite a few of them. It is the glory of the Lord to heal dysfunctional families. I find it fascinating that in this case, not only does He heal a dysfunctional family, but he uses it to guide the course of human history to produce the nation that would produce the Savior who would be for all peoples.
Joseph has risen to the top. He is now 38 or 39 years old. The last time they saw each other, Joseph was 17, and Reuben was 23 or 24. Looks change a lot in 21, 22 years, especially from 17. Joseph recognized them, but they did not recognize him. Granted, Joseph had changed the most. He was the youngest (except Benjamin). He changed cultures and probably clothing and grooming styles. The last his brothers had seen of him, he was bound as a slave in a slaving caravan. That he could have risen from a slave to 2nd in command in the most powerful country of the world was just inconceivable. They would not have been looking for Joseph in this position. But he was looking for them. Why else would the 2nd in command be interviewing individual foreigners. He probably had his underlings looking for their profile. Anyone matching the profile, he personally interviewed them.
Joseph remembered the dream. Why the dream? Most people would have remembered the betrayal. I believe that Joseph had long ago forgiven his brothers. The healing of dysfunctional families does not happen without forgiveness. Forgiveness is choosing not to hold another person accountable for a wrong committed against you. Joseph remembered the dream because he had chosen to not hold them accountable for the wrong they had performed against him. But forgiveness did not invalidate his dream, nor did it mean that he had to once again place himself in a position where they could harm him.
He needed to find out if there had been any remorse for what they had done to him. Working on the fly, he unfolds an interesting plot to reveal their hearts to himself and to each other. Dysfunctional families can be healed. However, it requires forgiveness extended by the wounded party and a recognition of guilt by the guilty party(s). It is the glory of the Lord to bring that healing. Only He can orchestrate it, but both parties must choose to enter into it. But He puts broken lives back together. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Matthew 25:1-30
The Lord Jesus has gone to receive and prepare a kingdom. He has given each of us talents to invest in building His kingdom. (I understand that a talent in the parable is money, but I will use it here as abilities.) That is part of His glory. The investment of our gifts increases His glory. Some of those talents are natural gifts. Some of those talents are spiritual gifts. Some of those talents are financial gifts. Some are gifts of time. Some are gifts of personality. Some are gifts of family. Some are gifts of friends. Some have abundance. Some have few. All have at least one. Some develop their talents in order to increase His kingdom. Some develop their talents to increase themselves. Some just squander them.
I've noticed in my lifetime that many people like to look at mine and let me know how I match up to what they think my talents should be or compare them to other people's talents. Some are good at expressing their disappointment in how they think I am wasting my talents. A few have also expressed their joy at how I am developing them. I always try to evaluate what they say, just in case they are right. That causes a lot of pain. My Lord deserves all the glory that He can get. I should hate to think that I purposely gave Him any less than He deserves. To be honest, I also hate letting other people down. But if I did the sum of what everyone else expects of me, I would be working with out any sleep or leisure time. I don't think He wants that.
But when He returns and I have to give account for the investment of the talents that He has given me, the people who are evaluating me now will not be the One evaluating me then. He alone will evaluate me on the standard of what He had given me in order to increase His glory. My evaluation will not be used. The evaluation of other people will not be used. So until that day, what do I do? I keep my eyes on His glory. I keep myself in His Word and listen for His voice concerning what He wants me to do. I don't try to judge other people as to how well they are using the talents that He gave them. He is glorified most when I focus on Him, listen to Him and do what He says. That is why meditating on His glory is so important. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
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