April 21

LEVITICUS 25

You load sixteen tons, what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt. Saint Peter, don’t you call me, ’cause I can’t go; I owe my soul to the company store. According to Merle Travis, the line from the chorus “another day older and deeper in debt” was a phrase often used by his father, a coal miner himself. This and the line “I owe my soul to the company store” is a reference to the truck system and to debt bondage. Under this system workers were not paid cash; rather they were paid with unexchangeable credit vouchers for goods at the company store, usually referred to as scrip. This made it impossible for workers to store up cash savings. Workers also usually lived in company-owned dormitories or houses, the rent for which was automatically deducted from their pay. In the United States the truck system and associated debt bondage persisted until the strikes of the newly-formed United Mine Workers and affiliated unions forced an end to such practices.8

The word Sabbath means seven. We associate it with rest. God built into His calendar many different times and ways for us to obtain rest. He gave the seventh day as a rest from our work so that we may focus upon Him. He gave the completion of seven weeks from firstfruits as a festival to commemorate the beginning of the church. He gave the seventh month of the Jewish year for three different Sabbaths. He gave the seventh year as a year of rest for the land. He gave the year following the seventh Sabbatical year as a year of economic rest. This fiftieth year is called the year of jubilee. Have you ever heard the old saying, “It takes money to make money?” Well there is a lot of truth to that statement. And when people run into rough financial times, whether through mismanagement or no fault of their own, it is the people who have equity that benefit. They gain the wealth of those with the problems. So how do you bring equity to the situation for the person with no fault? When there is fault, shouldn’t there be room for forgiveness? The principles involved in the year of Jubilee allowed for equity and forgiveness. It allowed for adjustments to be made within the society so that the gap between the super rich and the super poor could be closed. Not only was it practical for the economy, but it also is a picture of our freedom and rest that we receive in Christ. It’s a picture of our forgiveness, which leads to release from bondage. Work as we might there remains a rest for the people of God. We were in bondage to sin. Work as we might we could not earn enough to deliver us from bondage. Whether it is from what we inherited from our father Adam or whether we agreed with his sin by willingly committing it ourselves, we were in bondage. It is the glory of our Lord that He delivered us. He brought us rest. He is our year of Jubilee! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john 8 Wikipedia contributors. “Sixteen Tons.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 20 Apr. 2010. Web. 21 Apr. 2010. * * PSALM 111 Five times in this Psalm (NKJV) the word ‘work’ or ‘works’ is used. Out of ten verses, that is every other verse. They are described as great, honorable, glorious, wonderful and powerful. The result of His work is verity and justice. It is said that His works are studied by all who have pleasure in them. The converse of that is that if I do not study His works then I do not take pleasure in them. Makes sense. I mean; I don’t study something unless I enjoy it, or I have to study it because I am in school or my job requires it. Do I have pleasure in the works of the Lord? Certainly I enjoy His creative works. They never cease to amaze me. Truly they can be called great, honorable, glorious, wonderful and powerful. The way He works with His people is also of great interest. When I reflect upon the way He has worked with me I understand that He is full of grace and compassion. But you know, unless I actively call them to mind, I tend to focus on negative things and pain. I guess that is why I need to meditate on His glory. It is necessary for my wellbeing. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john * * ISAIAH 21 Establihed in 1922 the USSR was dissolved in 1991. The USSR lasted 69 years. During that time Russian expatriates spread throughout the different countries of the USSR. The intermixing of former Russian people in the Ukraine seems to give Putin some verbiage in laying claim upon the Ukraine. The USA’s recent decline in military strength have emboldened Putin. Today, Russia is poised to continue its plunder of the Ukraine. Longstanding claims of ownership cloud the murky waters of détente. It is nothing new on the world scene. The number of years which can be counted in history in which there is no record of one nation assaulting another are indeed few. Once again the prophet describes the downfall of Babylon which will one day destroy the nation of Israel. Babylon the oppressor will be destroyed by its neighbors Elam and Media. What will happen to the captives of Babylon when Babylon is destroyed? After all, after 70 years as captives in a foreign land, the lines of who belongs as citizens of what country become very blurred. How will the invaders treat 70-year captives? (Sound familiar?) The Lord wants the captives to know that in a situation of intense insecurity that He knows what is happening and He is guiding the course of human history. The prophecy is given 170 years before it happens for the encouragement of the captives who will be in a very volatile situation. Now that is amazing! What would we say to believers in Ukraine who are looking at the continued possibility of Russia invading their country? I don’t pretend to know the right way for my country to respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but I do know that Russia is in a very precarious situation before the Judge of all the Earth, for He will hold Russia accountable for its actions. Putin should beware for the Judge of all the Earth will do right! To the believers in the Ukraine, I would say, “Hang in there. God is guiding history. He will use this for His glory. Trust Him for the increase of the Kingdom of God in the midst of war! Through many trials and tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God!” Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john * * LUKE 16 Okay, I admit it. I enjoy listening to Hank the Cow Dog. When my kids were little (before personal DVD players), we learned that listening to stories made traveling in the car so much easier. If you have never heard a Hank the Cow Dog book, you ought to try one. But be careful, you might get hooked like me. Hank has a book called The Incredible Priceless Corn Cob. The whole basis for the book is Hank's inability to determine what is truly valuable. Pete the barn cat tricks Hank into believing that the corn cobs from the table scraps are more valuable than the meat scraps. Of course this sets the stage for much of the conflict of the episode. It also is a platform to humorously reveal Hank's pride. It is amusing to me because not only is it so much like dogs, but it is also so much like humans. The Pharisees really loved money and the things it could buy. (It sounds just like Americans, doesn't it?) As a result, they made fun of Jesus' parable of the unjust steward and His statement that you cannot serve God and money. Jesus responds with, "What is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God." What we highly esteem is really an incredible priceless corn cob. And we are not just talking about money or the things it can buy. If that were the case, we would be satisfied with daily bread, shelter to be warm in the winter and out of the sun in the summer, safety from predators and with modest clothing to cover our bodies. But we are not satisfied with rudimentary provision. We always want more, something just a little nicer or bigger or better or newer. WHY? We have bought the lie that our identity is derived from what we possess or accomplish. If I live in a certain type of house, I am someone. If I drive a certain type of car, I am somebody. If I dress in certain kinds of clothes people will notice me. If I have a beautiful woman (or women), then I am a real man. If I have power to influence people, then I am eternal. If I am used of God to build a big church, then I am something. If I don't have that house, I am nothing. If I cannot drive that car, I am nobody. If clothes don't look right, I am embarrassed. If cannot influence people, I am just a bump in the road. If my church fails, I am useless and of no value. So thought the rich man and so think we. It is an incredible priceless corn cob. I wonder, is God ever amused with our valuing corn cobs? BUT, our identity is not derived from those things. We are created in His image. Our identity is derived from Him. That is why His glory is so important. As the moon cannot produce light from itself, we cannot primarily find our identity from each other but from Him. Yes, we are created in community to reflect His image, but our identity is found first in Him then in relation to each other. He must be exalted first. It is His glory that must first shine. Otherwise we are nothing but corn cobs--I've heard that they had a rather inglorious purpose before toilet paper. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

April 20

LEVITICUS 24 Light is that wave of energy which enables my eyes and brain to better understand the reality around me. Spiritual light is the wave of spiritual energy which enables me to better understand the reality of the spiritual world around me, and even myself. Jesus said at least two different things about light. He said, “I am the light of the world.” He also said to us, “You are the light of the world.” The passage today begins with the lamp stand in the temple. Aaron was placed in charge of it. It was to burn continually. Just across the room from the lamp stand was the table of the bread of presence. The Lord calls us into the light of His presence to dine with Him. There His light reveals our true spiritual nature. If we respond properly, His presence changes our own nature to be more like His. As we sit in His presence, we gain a great appreciation for His name. Having an appreciation for His Name ought to change us. Here is a case study where the Lord is pointing out how things ought to change. Man who was half Hebrew, half Egyptian, blasphemed the name of the Lord. They brought Him to the Lord to see what ought to be done. Here in His presence, in His light, the Lord instructs them. He launches into a discourse on justice. But I thought the issue was blaspheming His name. Could it be that in His light that the Lord is pointing out something about them that is just as important as honoring His name? If man had been all Hebrew and not half-Egyptian, would they still have brought him to Moses for discipline? Would they have just overlooked it if he were all Hebrew? Or, would there have been some who would have been more strict because he were all Hebrew? Perhaps in the light of the Lord their inconsistent justice was revealed. The justice of the Lord is severe, but it is equal for all. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john * * Psalm 110 In this Psalm David says that Yahweh says to his lord, “Sit at my right hand till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” I have many questions about this passage. Some are, “When did Yahweh say this to him? How did David hear it? Was it verbal? Was it through a prophet? Was it a voice in his thoughts? How did he know it was Yahweh? Does Yahweh speak to us in the same way? How do we know it is Him speaking in our thoughts?” While the Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus, Jesus quotes this verse and asks them how David can call his descendant his lord. Clearly Jesus understood the passage as referring to Himself. So in this passage, God the Father is speaking to God the Son. It speaks clearly of His glory. First it speaks of His authority. God the Father commands the Son to sit at his right hand. In royal etiquette one does not sit at the right hand of a sovereign except at his invitation, and in so doing the sovereign is granting authority to rule with Him. Jesus has all the authority of God the Father to rule over the whole universe! Peter picked up on what Jesus had to say to the Pharisees when he quoted this verse. In His famous sermon on Pentecost Peter preaches to a once hostile crowd and says concerning Jesus: “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’ Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Wow! He is a gutsy fellow! But he could be gutsy because of who Jesus is and where He is seated. He has all authority in that seat. One day He will even use that authority to reverse the effects of death. Now that is authority. So what if I die? The One whom I trust has authority even over death! The writer of Hebrews (1:13) makes it absolutely clear that there is no other being that has greater authority than He. The second thing that the Father speaks to in His Son is the Son’s role a priest. As a priest in the order of Melchizedek (King of Righteousness), He intercedes for those who volunteer to be among His ranks. I would be too afraid to come to the Son, if He did not have this role. My sin was like a fog horn before me sounding out to a Holy God that I had transgressed His holiness. My sin was like a dead skunk on the highway to holiness. The stench would make the holy God seek to eradicate me. My sin was like the putrid rotting flesh of the leper who had never been treated and was in the late stage of the disease. The mess could only be revolting to His holiness. Yet my King of Righteousness has taken on the role of being my priest. Unlike the Levitical priests who had to make continual sacrifices for themselves and for others, and who died and had to be replaced, my Priest is of the order of Melchizedek in that He is righteousness in Himself, and He has always been and always will be! He ever lives to make intercession for me! I do not have to worry about my sin. He has eradicated it. He intercedes for me!!!!!!!! Authority and Priesthood, now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john * * Isaiah 19-20 The early church fathers had some interesting theories of interpretation. Usually their interpretations were quite fanciful in as much as they usually followed an allegorical method. Such method often leads to some very imaginative interpretations. Isaiah says, “Behold the Lord rides on a swift cloud, and will come into Egypt.” Jerome thought that the swift cloud was, “Certainly holy Mary, who was heavy with child by no human seed. Behold the Lord has entered the Egypt of this world on a swift cloud, the Virgin,” Homilies on the Psalms II (Psalm 77). But in a ‘historical, cultural, grammatical’ method of interpretation, when did God ever ride into Egypt on a swift cloud during or after the ministry of Isaiah? In a military sense the answer is never; although one commentator has suggested that perhaps it is a reference to Israel’s victory in the six-day war of 1967. While I don’t buy Jerome’s thought of the cloud being the virgin, I do think it is a reference to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. I do appreciate the early father’s attempts to compare Scripture with Scripture. For that reason I like Chrysostom’s thought: (At the Mount of Transfiguration) The Father uttered a voice out of the cloud. Why out of the cloud? Because this is how God appears. For a “cloud and darkness are around him.” “He sits on a light cloud,” and “He makes clouds his chariot.” “A cloud received him out of their sight.” “As the Son of Man coming in the clouds.” His voice comes from a cloud so that they might believe that the voice proceeds from God. Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew 56.5. Surely, Egypt did fall to the hands of a ‘cruel master, and a fierce king.’(v.4) In 670 B.C. (shortly after Isaiah’s demise) Esar-haddon, king of Assyria, subdued Egypt. Interesting, Judah was spared the invasion of Assyria, yet Egypt fell. After that time Egypt never again reached its former glory. Egypt’s economy was based up upon the stability of the Nile River. Isaiah prophesies the ruin of the river wrecking the economy. The other destructions seem to lead to a revival in Egypt (v.16-25) The exact interpretation of this has been given many fulfillments. However, Athanasius seems to view it as a prophecy of the triumphs of the gospel of Christ in his native land after the edict of Milan. He says: The thing is happening before our very eyes, here in Egypt; and thereby another prophecy is fulfilled, for at no other time have the Egyptians ceased from their false worship save when the Lord of all, riding as on a cloud, came down here in the body and brought the error of idols to nothing and won over everybody to Himself and through Himself to the Father. That is the glory of our Lord Jesus. He takes what seem to be giants in our lives, like Egypt was to Judah, and He reduces them to nothing. What seemed an impossibility in Isaiah’s day, that Egypt could ever be humbled, became reality within a few short years after Isaiah’s death. It was completely fulfilled within a few centuries of Jesus’ coming. What giant is there in my life? He will subdue it in due time for the praise of His glorious grace! He will use it to build righteousness in me! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john * * Luke 15:11-32 How do you illustrate an illustration--with another illustration? This is probably Jesus' best known parable. Its point is to reveal the awesome love of God for us. Can you imagine the impudence of the prodigal that he would demand his father's inheritance before his father had died and then move to a far country? He was communicating with out words that the relationship he had with his father was of little value to him. He wasted all that His father had to give him physically on momentary pleasures. He treated the relationship that his father wanted with him as though it were meaningless and valueless. Eventually he came to his senses. He recognized that not only had he squandered the wealth given to him but he had rejected the only relationship that was of value. He falsely presumed that his father would not be interested in renewing the relationship. Broken financially, physically, emotionally and spiritually he returned home. He no longer desired the wealth his father could give him. He didn't even think his father would forgive him. He just wanted to be home. God is indeed a holy God. He will not tolerate us exalting ourselves above Him. So he lets us run away from home with all the wealth of His name. He permits us to squander it on wasteful living. He even allows us to reject a relationship with Him. He does this until we are broken, until we realize that the only thing that is of value is to be in His house, until His name is more important than ours, until we desire a relationship with Him. Then we can return home. To our surprise, He runs to meet us and rejoices over us with singing. The fact that we squandered His wealth is forgiven. That fact that we rejected His name is forgiven. What an awesome love! Is His name more important to you than your desires, your name? The Eternal God deserves and demands that it should be. And it is only right that He should. After all, He is the Creator and we are the creatures. That is why focusing upon His glory is so important, otherwise we are exalting our names. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john P.S. Thanks Bill for the thoughts on the importance of His name

April 19

LEVITICUS 23 Feasts! Gotta love ’em! I remember going to the Maxey reunion every summer as a kid. It was held at a park in Guthrie, OK. We always had this giant pavilion reserved for about a hundred people. Everyone brought food, great food and lots of it. Most of my fi rst cousins from my mom’s side would be there as well as second, third, and so on cousins. I didn’t know anyone but my first cousins, but that did not matter. It was great food and great fun! While the children played, the adults caught up on relationships that had lain dormant for a year. Does our Holy God care about feasts? Is holiness somehow beyond festivities of feasts? Absolutely not! This chapter briefly describes each of the seven Holy festivals given to Israel. They reflect the Glory of our Lord in that they demonstrate how He prophetically works in history with the feast days of Israel. Each feast speaks of the Messiah. Below is a simplification of the feast days and how they reflect God’s plan in the Messiah

Passover—the crucifixion and death of Messiah Unleavened Bread—the fellowship we have with Messiah because of His death Firstfruits—the resurrection of Messiah Pentecost—the giving of the law, the giving of the Holy Spirit, the beginning of the church (two loaves) Trumpets—Israel brought back into the land (future) Great Day of Atonement—the work of Messiah upon the Cross for us Tabernacles—the time when Israel is in the land (future)

The Firstfruits can be kind of confusing. Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary rather cryptically identifies this feast with Pentecost. Yet, that does not really capture it. Here is what The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia has to say:

The phrase “the first of the first-fruits” (Ex23:19; 34:26; Ezk 44:30), . . . is not quite clear. . . . It may mean the first-ripe or the choicest of the first-fruits. . . . The priest waved a re’shith of corn before the Lord on the morrow after the Sabbath in the week of unleavened bread (Lev. 23: 9-11). . . . At the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) seven weeks after the offering of the sheaf, bikkurim of corn in the ear, parched with fire and bruised, were brought to the House of the Lord as a meal offering (Ex 34:22- 26; Lev. 2:14-16).

So then, it was kind of a divided holiday. It began on the first Sunday following the Sabbath that fell during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. On this day new sheaves recently sprouted in the field were cut and brought to be offered as a wave offering before the Lord. This was the day that Jesus rose from the grave. Paul, as a good Pharisee recognized this. In 1 Cor 15:20-23 he is indicating more than that Jesus is the first to rise and stay risen from the dead. He is the fulfillment of the Feast of Firstfruits. Fifty days later when grain had produced ripe heads, they were harvested and brought to the Lord. The Feast of Pentecost was celebrated. It was celebrated with two loaves of bread made with leaven. This day is the creation of the church. The Mystery is now revealed. Jew and Gentile are blended together into one body. The two loaves become one. But wait a minute! These loaves are made with leaven. Leaven is a symbol of sin. As in the parable of the tares, Israel and the Church through the centuries has had to wrestle with sin and evil in its midst. Hmmmm. . . . The last three festivals fall in the seventh month. Seven is the number of completion. The Feasts of Trumpets and Tabernacles look to the second coming. One day He will return and we will sit down at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev.19:9). The feasts will then all have found their fulfillment in History, and we will enjoy fun and renewed relationships in the presence of our Holy God. In the mean time we have the privilege of hastening His Kingdom by spreading the good news of His glory. Is it not amazing how He has it all planned from the foundation of the world? Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john * * PSALM 109 This is what is commonly called an ‘imprecatory’ Psalm. It is one of those Psalms that calls for destruction of the Psalmist’s enemies. Some have real problems with someone under the inspiration of the Spirit calling down curses on their enemy, but there has to be justice if God is good. And if there is true justice, we do not have to worry about desiring it. We simply need to remember that we are the recipients of mercy. We received mercy because we responded to His unmerited favor. The people in imprecatory Psalms are ones who have refused to respond to God’s unmerited favor, particularly in today’s Psalm. The one upon whom David is calling down curses is certainly unrepentant. More than unrepentant, Peter recognized that David was looking beyond his enemy down the corridor of time to Judas. He quotes Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8 in reference to Judas. Certainly Judas is an example of one who was unrepentant. He was seeking to manipulate Jesus to his own ends. I believe that was his purpose in betraying Jesus. He had left his former lifestyle and hooked his wagon to what he thought was the rising Messiah. Judas saw an opportunity to wealth and power. When Jesus began speaking of suffering and death, he felt cheated and sought to redeem what he could of the situation. He sold Jesus for the price of a slave. There is nothing wrong with desiring true justice. We just need to remember that if it were not for His mercy, we would be obliterated in the distribution of true justice. But that is the glory of our Lord. He is indeed truly just, but He also ministers mercy to the repentant! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john * * ISAIAH 17-18 Ethiopia. It is mentioned in 19 verses of the New King James Version. The word Ethiopian is used in another 18 verses. It is the Greek name for the land of Cush, south of Egypt. Most scholars do not believe that it should be confused with the modern Ethiopian country. A few scholars think that the Queen of Sheba came from Ethiopia; although, most believe that Sheba was part of the southern Arabian Peninsula. 2 Chronicles 14:9 we read of Zerah the Ethiopian who came against Asa with an army of one million men. Here in Isaiah we find a prophecy against the nation. Isaiah warns of coming judgment upon Ethiopia. Thus the people of Judah should not depend upon this Egyptian/Ethiopian dynasty to deliver them from the Assyrians. Indeed the Assyrians defeated the Ethiopians in 701 B.C. Had Judah truly depended upon them, their trust would have been disappointed. But along with the promised judgment, comes a promise. The promise is that this ‘terrible-smooth-skinned people’ would one day bring a present to the Lord in Mount Zion. The Ethiopian Eunuch came to Jerusalem to find out who this Great God truly was. He was reading the scroll of Isaiah 53 when Philip met him at his chariot. What do you suppose he thought when he read of his nation in Isaiah 18? That Eunuch went back and to this day the Coptic church of Egypt and Ethiopia trace their lineage to him. Yes, the Lord caused Ethiopia to bring a gift to Him. It is the gift of some of her people. And someday even more shall come. Is that not glorious? Our king predicts what happens and then we can see it happen in history! But do we depend upon the people and things around us that will fail us? Or, do we depend upon the Lord? One day, if we depend upon Him, we will bring a gift to Him. It will be the result of our trust in Him. On the other hand, if we trust upon the people and things around us, we will have nothing to bring. I have opportunity to increase His glory by trusting on His promise, not the things around me. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john * * LUKE 15:1-10 The isles stacked with goods were tall, and they were like a maze. I was less than 5 years old, and I had lost my family. We had gone shopping in the big Sears store in Ft. Wayne. When it looked hopeless, I started crying. A man saw me and asked why I was crying. Not giving him an answer he asked, "Did you lose your parents?" Nodding my head yes, he then took me over to the counter, picked up a microphone, flipped a switch and then said, "Will the parents of the little boy wearing . . . please come to the . . . counter." Within seconds my oldest brother came around the end of the isle. He was laughing. Man it was good to see him! Jesus rejoices over us when we who were lost find Him again. The illustration I just gave really doesn't fit because in it I was the one who was lost. It describes my joy. Jesus is emphasizing the joy of heaven when we repent. The glory of Jesus is His joy when we repent. It is greater than even our own joy when we have finally accomplished repentance. Think of the joy you felt when you first found Jesus or perhaps you felt when you came back to Him after having gone astray for a while. Remember this, "His joy was even greater!" He loves you that much! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

April 18

LEVITICUS 22 “Aliens are all about rules.” If you enjoyed Lilo and Stich, then you know what I am talking about. It would be easy, reading through the Pentateuch, to think God is all about rules. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy sometimes seem like rule after rule after rule. But look at the oft repeated phrase from these books, “32 “You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel. I am the Lord who sanctifies you, 33 “who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord.” But for this one recurring phrase, I might think that God is all about rules. A friend of mine, Corey, frequently says, “Every relationship has a set of rules.” Indeed that is true. I love my wife. I have never codified the rules we have for our relationship, but there are many, and rightly so. What kind of relationship would we have if I made love to other women? What kind of relationship would we have if I treated her like dirt, or she treated me like dirt? So with God, there are rules to a relationship with Him. The rules in the Pentateuch were established to give images which would guide the relationship between Yahweh and Israel for the next 1400 years. Most people who would read this meditation have no problem with understanding the boundaries that need to be set in couple relationships. Yet as I have done counseling with a few couples who have had nothing to do with a holy environment (not brought up in church, never attended church or read the Bible), I am often struck by what seems to me to be an amazing lack of understanding of what should be obvious relationship rules which should be followed in a couple relationship. They instinctively get angry at their partner when those rules are broken, yet they don’t seem to recognize that those rules apply to themselves in order to foster a good relationship. They break the rules which protect a good relationship, but don’t recognize their own culpability. Unfortunately, I have had a few ‘churched’ people who paddle in the same boat. But rather than focus on the rules today, I would like to focus on Him as the one who sanctifies us and leads us out of Egypt. The damage people do to one another by not following the relationship rules is lethal. It is filthy. It has to be cleansed in order for the relationship to be restored. So too in our relationship with the Lord, the damage we have done to our relationship with Him is lethal. It is filthy. It must be cleansed in order for our relationship to be restored. However, how do we cleanse ourselves? It is like trying to cleanse ourselves when we are in a desert with no access to soap or water. It just cannot be done. God knows. He takes the initiative to cleanse us. Can you imagine a man desiring to make love to a prostitute whose 100 previous customers were infected with AIDS, and then she rolled in a sewer before coming to the man? I don’t want to imagine it, but I believe that our sin makes us like that before our Holy God. It is impossible for us to cleanse ourselves of such filth. Yet his love for us is so great that He takes the initiative to cleanse us when we could not cleanse ourselves. That is what He means by, “I am the Lord who sanctifies you.” It is only right that in response to such great love that we should hallow Him and love Him back. He also is the One who took them out of Egypt. Living in Egypt is a picture of slavery, of being bound in sin. My brother used to raise and show pigs at county and state fairs. For the show we would always wash the pig and groom it to make it look nice for the show. However, as soon as we had the pig back home, it would always head for the pond or mud. Why? The nature of a pig is such that to remain cool it must have wet skin. Hence, if it is warm, it will always head for a pond or the mud. A pig is in bondage to its thermostat. It must remain cool. We are in bondage to our sin nature. We feel a compulsion to sin. But Jesus will deliver us out of that bondage. He sets us free. One would think that if we focused on His sanctifying power and His bondage breaking power, we would realize His awesome love, mercy and grace. Oh, that gives me such great hope! It tells me of His great glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john * * PSALM 108 There were only 6 teams in the league. We played 10 games each season. We had a spring season and a fall season. In this soccer club, I was my son’s coach. That was kind of a laugh. At the beginning of the first game, I had never observed a soccer game in its entirety. The club had sent me to a coaching clinic to teach me how to coach youth soccer. It was a good clinic. It emphasized making soccer fun for the kids while teaching them the basic techniques for developing good soccer skills. There was a marked difference between what I was taught in the clinic and what I had experienced as youth baseball player. Yet there is still that competitive spirit in me that desires to win. While the years progressed, I progressed as a coach. I certainly wanted to make the experience fun for the kids and to help them increase their skills in soccer, but part of the game being fun is that you win on occasion. It’s no fun to be constantly beaten. In terms of win loss, the first season was a disaster. But I think we did win the recognition of the most improved team. As the years progressed, the core kids on the team progressed along as a team. The kids improved in their soccer skills, and we began to win a little more. Most of the teams remained intact as we aged. There was one coach whose team I never could beat. I remember after the 4th or 5th time that his team beat us, it had been a very close game, instead of what had been a rout the first time we played them. I went to him after the game to congratulate him on another victory. I could not resist saying, “One of these days we are going to win.” He just smiled and walked on. A good coach wants his players to develop to their fullest potentials, and he wants them to win. He rejoices when they are having fun and are victorious over their opponent. God rejoices in our victories. “I will rejoice (God speaking). . . over Philistia I will triumph. . . Through God (David speaking) we shall do valiantly.” When we are victorious, it is really His doing. Verse one says, “O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.” What is his glory? He would have no glory if the Lord had not worked through him. David is recognizing the source of his glory; it is the Lord. He trains us for life. He trains us for victory over sin. He trains us to triumph. If we respond to Him, He develops us to our fullest potential. He causes us to win for His glory, and He rejoices in it. That is His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john * * ISAIAH 16 Moab and Edom were ancient relatives of Judah and enemies as well. Moabites were the descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. Six hundred years after the birth of Moab, his descendants were antagonistic toward Israel as they passed through Moab on their way to Canaan. They hired Balaam to prophesy against Israel. God, in the law, forbade any Moabite from entering the temple up to the fourth generation. This set the stage for a long history of antagonism between the two nations. During the time of the judges, a few Moabite kings severely plagued Israel. David’s grandmother, Ruth was a Moabitess. It was only by his mercy that the Lord allowed David to enter the tabernacle. David subdued the Moabites and they remained under Israel’s control for many years. Under the divided nation, Omri subdued Moab. But when the Syrians and Assyrians were hassling Ahab, the Moabites rebelled and gained independence. This incident was celebrated by Mesha king of Moab on the now famous Moabite stone on display in the Louvre. Ahab’s son Jehoram talked Jehoshaphat into helping him once again subjugate Moab. The King of Moab sacrificed his son to Chemosh in a last ditch effort to get the gods to support him against Israel and Judah. The sacrifice rallied the Moabite troops and scared the Israel & Judah troops, so the expedition failed. On other occasions the Moabites invaded Israel. When we come to the time of Isaiah, the Assyrians are conquering Moab. Yesterday and today’s passage is the prophetic lament of Moab’s defeat. So where is the glory of Christ in this lament? “Send the lamb!” to Jerusalem is a command to make peace with Jerusalem for the purpose of gaining deliverance from the Assyrian invasion. Sela was the capital of Edom which later became known as Petra. It was a magnificent natural fortification. The Moabites had fled there to escape the invading Assyrians. If you have ever seen Indian Jones and the Last Crusade, you have seen part of Petra or Sela. It is the temple at the end of the movie where the medieval knight keeps guard over the Holy Grail. Verse five indicates that in the millennial kingdom the Messiah will bring justice and righteousness into the land. At that time Moab will be able to come to Him for relief from those who seek to destroy it. In the mean time, Isaiah says, “We have heard of the pride of Moab.” He has probably heard of what we call the Moabite Stone which boasts of its victory over Israel. Moab is warned to cease its boasting. The enemy of our souls is at war with us seeking to destroy us. We have one hope of victory. It is the Lamb of God. He is also the One that will one day be seated upon the throne of David in Jerusalem. In the meant time we need to cease boasting in our own strength. We need to realize that we have no strength but His. Ours is an exchanged life. We die to our self in exchange for His life. Now that is glory! Moab illustrates those who cling to their own glory rather than the glory of Jesus. That is why I need to seek Him in His word every day. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john * * * BELOW are a few pictures of Petra (Sela). The only way to enter the city is through this quarter-mile long canyon. The only way to the top of the canyon from the outside is by climbing sheer rock wall cliffs. You can imagine how this would make the city easily defensible. Once you have walked through the canyon, it opens up into a beautiful view of the city treasury (Picture with the camels in front). * * LUKE 14:25-35 It Takes a Thief, Maverick, Mission Impossible, Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve etc. for some reason we love to watch TV shows & movies about ingenious ways of gaining something that really does not belong to us (better known as stealing). Okay, Okay, I used the plural we. Maybe I should have said, "I." Well even if you won't admit it, there must be others other than me, because these all made money from people watching them. Okay I admit it. I enjoy watching them because I want things that cost more than what I have. Jesus offers us something that costs more than what we have. He offers us a relationship with Himself. In one sense it is free. In another sense it is not. He says, "Come, take up your cross and follow Me." Now there is only one reason to pick up a cross. It is so you can take it to the place of execution and be nailed to it. There you will hang until dead. Yeah that's right, Jesus wants to leave us hanging-until dead. It is a living death. Doesn't sound too pleasant, does it? But what do we get in exchange? We get life. We get a moment by moment experience of His beautiful presence. Is it worth it? What little I have experienced of His precious presence in the midst of suffering, I would say, "I will do it all over again for His presence." Of course, I would say, "Lord, can't we do this without the pain?" But for some reason He says, "Not now." By faith I reckon that His life is worth more than this life. In the process of dying, He shows me more of His beauty. It is worth the cost. Have you counted the cost? He calls us to abundant life. But the path to abundant life is found through living death to self. Why would I want to do that? Because His glory is worth it! Danny Ocean might steal and connive his way into millions of dollars, but he loses it all when he dies. I might die to the things I wanted out of this life, but when this death is complete, I will have walked with the King of Glory along the way and I will have riches that cannot be taken away. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

April 17

LEVITICUS 21 A few days ago, a bomb went off during the Boston Marathon. Since then, the TV airways have been flooded with images of what happened and is happening. Today at lunch I watched a special news report as I ate. They interviewed one of the investigators who has a master’s degree in video imaging. He talked about how within the last 5 years, how the everyday technology of cameras, phone cameras etc. has increased dramatically in quality. Part of the process of trying to identify the bomber is a plea to any and everyone who has video of the event to turn it over to the investigators. They are literally combing thousands of video images to identify the bomber, stop him from any further travesty and bring him to justice. In the meantime, we are constantly bombarded with images on TV, making it impossible to forget about this tragic incident. Why was it so important that the priests had to differentiate themselves from everyone else in death, marriage and physical health? In the ceremonial law, to touch a dead thing or dead person caused ceremonial uncleanness. The priest’s job presented an image of God’s holiness. Physical death is part of the curse of sin. The wages or result of sin is death, separation. God is life, perfect union. The Father has granted for Jesus to have life in Himself. He is the giver of life. Jesus as our High Priest is the representative of life. He is the mediator between God and man who brings life. Since the priests of Israel were images of Jesus, they needed to be ones who were connected with life, except in the taking of the life of the sacrificial animal. The sacrifice of Jesus’ death was not arbitrary. It was deliberate and purposeful providing the substitute which we all needed. His resurrection secured the victory over death which we all needed. We receive that provision and victory when we are united with Him in His death and resurrection. So why did the priest have to keep himself from death? He was the image of the great High Priest who would defeat sin and death. His separation from death communicates to all the God is the author of life. His goal is to bring us life and not death. Why was it so important that the priests had to differentiate themselves from everyone else in marriage? God continually speaks to us in Scripture by the image of marriage. His people are His bride. The image is that the love relationship that exists spawns new life. Marriage is not just a proper form designed for releasing a hormonal urge for reproduction. It is a committed relationship which produces life which finds its beloved to be most thrilling and results in more life. Jesus wants His bride to be exhilarated with His love to the point that we refl ect the love of the Trinity for each other. In the midst of that exhilaration, He produces new life. The priests of Israel were to be a symbol of that relationship. The Bride of Jesus is to be pure and spotless, not a whore, not divorced, not adulterous, not homosexual. The priest’s marriage was to reflect that purity. Why was it so important that the priests had to differentiate themselves from everyone else in physical health? The sacrifice was to be perfect. An imperfect sacrifice would not be sufficient in paying the debt of sin. Jesus, the perfect lamb of God, is sufficient to pay the penalty of our sin. The priest who presented the sacrifice had to be perfect as Jesus is perfect. He was an image, a symbol of the perfection of Jesus. The power of an image is incredible. That is why we are instructed to make no image to bow down and worship it. God knows this. He created us this way. Immediately following the special news report at lunch was a Drs. reality show. It was ironic that part of the theme of the show was the selling of a calendar which featured the 12 most beautiful male doctors of the USA. Sale proceeds of the calendar would all go to the American Red Cross. We went from images of destruction to images of beauty and healing. Images are so moving, so convincing, so powerful. In the instruction of the priests’ response to death, marriage and physical health we see a reflection of the Glory of our Lord Jesus He is the life giver whom death cannot hold. He is the perfect lover who seeks and will obtain a perfect bride. There is no lack of commitment with Him. He is the perfect healer, bringing us all new life. As I experience death, imperfect relationships and declining health, I know that He will overcome it all someday. He has made it known even in the refl ection of the priests. He is the perfect priest! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john * * PSALM 107 REDEEMED. Redeemed is word Christians throw around quite frequently, but how often do we stop to think of the import of the word? A few who read this have had the personal privilege of never having known the bondage of debt. Most who read this are from the middle class. Your debt has extended at least to the mortgage on your house. You know the tension of what might happen if you lost your job. Your house is just 6 months away from foreclosure. Perhaps a few of you know all too well the sinking feeling of having more debt than you could ever pay. Health problems combined with a low paying job and no insurance have financially sunk you. Even if you worked every day of your life and properly budgeted your money and lived to be 100, you would still never pay back what you owe. In the Psalmist’s day, most everyone reading this would understand the danger of such debt. In his day you would be sold as a slave in order to pay your debt. The United States no longer permits people to be bought and sold on the market as slaves; although, we still illegally have slaves through human trafficking. The closest thing that we have to a debtor’s prison are the laws we have for not paying child support. When I was involved in jail ministry in Brunswick County, about 1/3 of the people in jails on misdemeanors were there for not paying child support. For many of them, it was willful. For many it was a matter of economics. They did not make enough money to support themselves and the children they sired, who lived in a different household. What do you do when your debt owed is greater than your ability to pay? In the Psalmist’s day, someone who needed to be redeemed was someone who owed more than he had ability to pay. In such a case, first his lands would be sold off. If there were still money owed, that person’s family and even himself could be sold as a slave. But God had made a provision for such circumstance and instructed the nearest of kin to come in and buy back the person in debt. That act of buying back is redemption. The nearest of kin was a redeemer. The Psalmist calls the redeemed to declare the goodness of the Lord. Why? Because He has bought us back out of the slave market of sin and given us our life and land back. Many, either living in or having come through the degradation of living as a slave, focus upon the horror of slave life:

—hunger—either physically, spiritually or emotionally, —darkness—physically, spiritually or emotionally, —bondage—to sin or in some cases physical jail, —death—separated from the life of God to know only the misery of this life.

Jesus seeks to set us free from them. It is our privilege and duty to declare His goodness for setting us free from the slave market of sin. We can participate in His glory. What a joy to declare His goodness in doing so! I was hopelessly lost in the consequences of my sin, and He died in my place. He paid the price for my redemption. I love the words of the old song written by the blind composer Fanny Crosby:

1 Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it! Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; Redeemed thro’ His infinite mercy, His child and forever I am. 2 Redeemed, and so happy in Jesus, No language my rapture can tell; I know that the light of His presence With me doth continually dwell. 3 I think of my blessed Redeemer, I think of Him all the day long: I sing, for I cannot be silent; His love is the theme of my song. Chorus Redeemed, redeemed, Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it! His child and forever I am.

When that song is on our lips, we are obedient to the command of this Psalm, and we have seen His glory! OH Lord, how great is Your goodness toward me for buying me back out of the slave market of sin! I was there of my own doing, yet You bought me back anyway! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john * * ISAIAH 15 Isaiah has a ‘burden’ against Moab. Now, a burden can be either a weight to carry or a prophetic oracle. Here it is both. The prophet has a heavy emotional weight as he describes the coming destruction of Moab. One would think that Isaiah would gloat over the coming destruction of Moab; however, there is a sense of despair in this passage. It was the king of Moab who tried to hire Balaam the prophet to prophesy against Moab. There were centuries of adversarial relationship between Israel and Moab. Yet there seems to be a sadness in the prophet as he announces the destruction of the nation. In the first four verses he lists no less than nine of the cities of Moab. I’ve been to what in modern times is called Medeba. Centuries ago it was desolate. No one even knew that there had been a city in this location. Christians from Karak migrated there in the late 1800’s. It was a place no one wanted. As they began to dig in order to build a foundation, they struck an ancient floor of an old Byzantine Church. The floor had many marvelous mosaics on the floor. One was a map of Palestine, as it was understood in the 7th century, containing a map of Jerusalem. Today it is a city of about 60,000. But how does this passage relate the glory of God? Moab had a long history of enmity with God. It was born out of the incestuous relationship that Lot had with one of his daughters after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Strange that the Nephew of the godly Abraham could become so infected by the world. The history of Moab is one of continued antagonism against the people of the promise, Israel. Eventually God did destroy them. Yet this passage strikes me as one of mourning over the waste of life and over the human misery involved. As a holy God, God could not let their sin go unpunished, yet he seems to mourn over its loss. I am reminded that God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance and faith in Christ Jesus. Yes, that is our God, Holy. He makes every effort to urge men, women, boys and girls to come to repentance. What love, what long suffering, what patience! Yet one day the chance to repent comes to an end. It is marvelous! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john Here is a picture of a portion of the famous Medeba Mosaic Map. This portion is of Jerusalem. * * LUKE 14:1-24 If you were given an invitation to attend a banquet with the President of the United States, and it was at a time at which you could attend and cost you nothing, would you go? If there were not assigned seating but people were seated on a first-come-first-served basis, where would you sit? If the truth were known, I think most of us would go, even if you didn't like the President's politics. After all, he is the President of the U.S.A. Also, most of us would do our best to be seated nearest the President as possible. Someone infinitely greater than the President of the U,S.A. is giving a banquet, and all are invited. God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth and His Son Jesus, the Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords have issued and invitation to come and dine with them. It is an invitation that works on a couple of levels. The first and obvious level in this parable is at the end of time we are invited to enter into eternal fellowship with Him. It is at a time at which are able to attend, and in one sense it will cost you nothing. Is it something most are willing to do? Unfortunately many are so focused upon the things of this world that they fail to see the tremendous privilege to which they have been invited. Consequently, they choose things that pale in comparison to the privilege of coming to the banquet. Those things include, marriage, buying real estate, getting your business secure etc. One day they will wake up and find that they chose activities that have come to an end rather than entering into an eternal relationship with their Creator. Theirs will be eternal loss. This invitation works on another level as well. Jesus bids us daily, indeed moment by moment to enter into a continual feast with Him, a relationship where we constantly are aware and act upon His presence. Unfortunately many are so focused upon the things of this world that we fail to see the tremendous privilege to which we have been invited. Consequently, we choose things that pale in comparison to the privilege of coming to the banquet. Those things include, marriage, buying real estate, getting our employment or retirement secure etc. One day we will wake up to find that we have wasted so much time in a pursuit that was cheap in comparison to what we could have had with Him. Like the final banquet in one sense this banquet is free. In another sense (as we will see tomorrow), it will cost you everything. The question is, "What is His glory worth to us?" Is it worth to us the sacrifice required to see it and to practice it on a daily, yes moment by moment basis? Lord, help us to see your glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

April 16

LEVITICUS 20 Yesterday we looked at reflecting the glory of God in our own lives by being holy because He is holy. That vein of thought continues on in today’s passage. There are a number of associations mentioned here in which God would not allow His people to participate because they would reflect upon His holiness. Included here are: sacrificing children to Molech, turning to mediums and familiar spirits, cursing a parent, adultery, various forms of incest, bestiality and homosexuality. The people of God are not to participate in these activities because they defile His holiness. Recently I read a book by an accomplished theologian defending the practice of monogamous homosexuality. Certainly he had to explain away passages like this one and a few others found in the Scripture. The gist of his argument in this passage was that the context was reacting to Canaanite worship. These were all practices that the Canaanites had in their worship of their gods. Since God is holy, he argued that the Israelites should not use the heathen practices in their worship of the Lord. He then surmised that unless the practice was forbidden elsewhere in Scripture, then the practices were okay as long as they were not used in worship. Hmmm. . . I guess that would mean that as long as it was not an act of worship I could sacrifice my children. My children had better look out! I can visit mediums and seek familiar spirits as long as it is not an act of worship. I can curse my parents as long as it is not in a religious ritual. I can go commit adultery as long as it is not a religious ceremony. Incest is fair game, just not in church. Approval of bestiality might open up a whole new market for a dog business. Now in all fairness, I guess I should not have addressed cursing parents and committing adultery for they are forbidden in the ten commandments. Maybe I should put up a palm reading sign on my front door. After all, I wouldn’t use it in a worship service. No! These are not activities that reflect the glory of the Lord in any situation. Is it not better just to say that these are sin? Is it not better to repent if I fall into this sin? In another light, yesterday we saw the greatest command was to love your neighbor as yourself. What if I have a neighbor who sacrifices his children? The loving thing to do would be to tell the authorities for he must be restrained from sacrificing his children. What if the authorities will not intervene? The loving thing to do would be to love that neighbor and tell him that God does approve of the sacrifice of their child. Would it not be better to help and support that neighbor to make a decision for life? (Do we not have neighbors that practice child sacrifice, abortion?) If we have neighbors who are practicing the dark arts, do we seek to pray for them, love them and share the truth with them? If we have neighbors who are adulterers do we love them and share the truth with them? If we have neighbors who practice incest, should we not tell the authorities? Should we not let them know that this practice is wrong? Would not PETA speak up if I bred dogs for people who practice bestiality? If my neighbor is practicing homosexuality, is it not incumbent upon me to love them and to share with them that this practice is wrong? Here is the marvelous glory of God. On the one hand, He hates and detests sin. On the other hand, He loves people. He tells us what sin is. He loved us so much that He gave His Only Begotten Son to die for the penalty of our sin. He gives us opportunity to repent and receive forgiveness of sin. How can we do any less? We are to reflect His glory, His holiness. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john * * PSALM 106 God is full of lovingkindness and mercy, but He is also full of justice. It is His glory to reveal both. His lovingkindness and mercy postpones the day of judgment that we might have time to repent and receive a greater measure of mercy. The history of the nation of Israel, recited in this psalm, is an example of God’s mercy extended over centuries of waiting for the corporate repentance of the nation, but finally the day of judgment had to come. That day was foreshadowed in the wilderness: They soon forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel, But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, And tested God in the desert. And He gave them their request, But sent leanness into their soul. I often marvel at how quickly they forgot His works. They were less than a week into the desert, after the miraculous Passover, when they forgot those works. They lusted exceedingly for water (Exodus 15:22-26), meat and bread (Exodus 16:1-16). Those are things that every one of us would call the basic necessities of life. Each of us would have lusted for the same. Rather than wait for His counsel, they murmured against Moses. Why would they not wait for His counsel? They forgot His glory. The focus on their desires instead of His glory spiraled into murmuring, testing God. When His glory appeared, it was not enough for them. He gave them the manna and quail. Greedily they gathered and ate the quail (Numbers 11:31-34). They received the meat they wanted, but their souls were dry. Hmmmm. . . God’s glory is constantly available for me to gaze at in His word. His Spirit is ever present to illuminate it. Are my requests of Him for the increase of His glory, or are they for the fulfilling of my desires? Maybe that is why my/our prayer life exhibits a leanness of soul. O sure, He does grant requests in prayer. They are indeed ‘blessings,’ but do they bring a fatness or leanness of soul? Do the requests of my/our prayer life bring an increase to His glory or my/our desires? O Lord, let my gaze and desire be upon You and Your glory! Satisfy me only with Your glory and not my desires! “Save us, O LORD our God, . . . To give thanks to Your holy name, To triumph in Your praise.” Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john * * ISAIAH 14 We certainly live in uncertain economic and political times. It is almost unnecessary to mention the doomsayers who predict the destruction of our economy because we have learned to buy now and pay later. We have been presented evidence that we have sold our grandchildren into bondage. We are constantly reminded that the national debt cannot continue in the direction it is going, and it will eventually crumble and destroy the economy and the nation. On the one hand, one cannot but admit that they seem to be truly forecasting the direction in which we are headed. On the other hand, one looks around at all the wealth and wonders, “There surely must be much wealth here. How could it all possibly just disappear? Surely there is much power in the USA. How could it ever be lost?” I think there is this subconscious thought that while the economy could suffer harm, it could never be completely lost. There is this thought that the USA, while it could be shaken, could never be brought down. And certainly, no one who lives here, wants that to happen. We saw yesterday the wealth and power of Babylon. Surely in the heyday of Babylon, no one ever thought it would fall. Imagine having a 52,000 pound gold idol in the center of the city! What wealth! Certainly the king himself thought himself secure (see Daniel 5). Belshazzar, even while under siege, partied and reviled the LORD, thinking himself secure in his fortifications. Yet that very night through engineering deftness, Cyrus’ army entered the city and took it. Babylon took a downhill slope from which it eventually perished, and became uninhabited. To this day it remains empty. Could this ever happen to us? Have we ever been guilty, as was the king of Babylon, of saying,

‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; (the temple location in Isaiah’s day) I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’

Hmmm. . . I think this exhibits the spirit of America. Is it any wonder that much of the Islamic world calls us the Great Satan? Tertullian (an ancient church father) and others have interpreted this passage as speaking of the fall of Satan. Modern scholar/interpreter, Ed Young dismisses it saying, “Inasmuch, then, as this passage describes a king’s downfall and removal from the scene, it cannot apply to Satan.” However, Hinson and Kroll remark,

The reference to Lucifer is most certainly to Satan himself. The real issue of interpretation in this passage is whether Satan is to be viewed literally as the referent of the prophecy in these verses, or whether he is to be viewed as the power behind the throne of the Babylonian king

Sometimes the economic, military and political power that is in control just seems too overbearing and powerful. It truly is the work of Satan behind it. Can there be any hope? Oh YES THERE CAN AND IS! We must remember in those dark times that the Lord’s purposes will be accomplished! They will not be subverted. He will cast Satan down. In Isaiah’s day the looming power of Assyria looked terrible and incontrovertible. In Jeremiah’s day the smashing power of Babylon looked irreversible. Yet God destroyed them both. It is God’s glory to ultimately accomplish His purposes, especially when it seems the darkest.

For the LORD of hosts has purposed, And who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, And who will turn it back?” What will they answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD has founded Zion, And the poor of His people shall take refuge in it.

Is your world or my world dark with the gloom of disaster? Look to Him! He will eventually accomplish His good purposes in YOU! And you will declare His glory! Take refuge in Him! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john * * LUKE 13:22-35 I used to live in a relatively small community that experienced horrendous traffic jams. There was one intersection that controlled access between Oak Island, Southport, travel west toward Charlotte and northeast toward Wilmington. If you were on one side of the intersection and needed to get to the other side, there was only one route, through that intersection. DOT had been trying to rebuild the intersection in order to produce better traffic flow. The Construction caused tremendous traffic problems for us. I heard stories of people taking over an hour to get through that one intersection. When I know that a certain direction is going to produce problems, I avoid it. Don’t you? Jesus was headed for an intersection under construction. Verse 22 says that He was journeying toward Jerusalem. He was going there for one supreme purpose, and He was painfully aware of it. He spoke of it to His disciples as He journeyed. One day some friendly Pharisees came to warn Him of Herod’s intent to kill Him. Their intent was to get Him to take a detour, avoid the intersection. But it was Jesus’ glory that He already knew of the problem and was actually controlling the traffic. He would go there. He would die. He would then defeat death. Purposely He headed there, not because He couldn’t avoid it but because He loved us. In order to bring us into His kingdom, there was only one route, through that intersection. He controlled the construction. He controlled the traffic. He controlled the way. Along the way He instructed us that if we want to enter the kingdom, its entrance is a narrow gate. He is the gate. Identification often times means heading to a painful intersection. The only route through is death to self. We choose to die with Him that we might be raised with Him. Some seek to enter the kingdom. They see the cost of the entrance at the gate and avoid it. They go a different direction. That is His glory! He chose death and resurrection for us. We have the privilege of identifying with Him. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john

April 15

LEVITICUS 19 Years ago a friend of mine and his twenty-something son were helping me install the plumbing in a house which I was building. It was the end of the day, and we were grubby from crawling under the house all day installing pipes. We were ready to sweat in the copper pipes to the water heater, but we had no matches to light the torch. The man’s son and I went around the block to the nearest neighbor to beg for some matches. A young lady was home. She seemed fearful of us, but nevertheless she gave us a handful of books of matches. We returned to my house and finished the installation of the pipes. The next day I needed to get a permit to burn a pile of construction debris that I had accumulated. While at the police station filling out the application for the permit, a woman walked up to talk to the officer. She identified herself as living at the house where my friend and I had begged the matches. She said, “Yesterday my daughter was home alone when these two unsavory characters knocked on the door and asked for some matches. I just wanted to know if there is some kind of scam going on in our neighborhood.” You should have seen the look on her face when I identified myself as one of those unsavory characters and announced that I was going to be her new neighbor—priceless. Is it not interesting how people associate the moral character of a person with the clothes they wear? We instinctively try to determine what someone is like by association. In some ways those associations are accurate. That is why the Lord says, “You shall be holy for I am holy.” But what associations are there that indicate holiness? Is it clothing? The Lord lays out several associations in this chapter. But there is one here that Jesus and the apostles quote in the New Testament, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Everything in this chapter would be fulfi lled if we fulfi lled that one commandment. It is a very demanding command. By the time Jesus arrived, 1400 years later, the rabbis had reinterpreted it to make it possible to keep. So when a lawyer asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied with the story of the Good Samaritan. The story is scathing in its implications. The Samaritans were enemies of the Jews. They were unsavory characters. Yet a Samaritan is the hero in this story which defi nes a neighbor. But is this not what the Lord has done for us? While were yet sinners, Christ died for us. While we were enemies of God, alienated from Him, He took the initiative to come down and deliver us. He is Holy. In His holiness He associates with us in His love. The “holy” people of His day associated Him with sinners. He was an unsavory character. Yet He was without sin. I hope that when I stand before the judgment seat of Christ that He can say of me, “You associated with sinners yet remained unspotted by the world.” Why? Because then I will have refl ected His glory. He will receive honor for what He has done. I want to be part of that kind of unsavory character’s club— not one of man’s associations. I want to be holy as He is holy, loving people into the presence of God, remaining unspotted by the world. When that happens, only He can truly receive glory because only He could change me in that way. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john * * PSALM 105 “Keep me searchin’ for a heart of gold, and I’m growing old. . .” If you’re old like me, you probably remember that song from the early 70’s. I’m old enough to have watched a number of entertainers go through cycles of trying to find truth and meaning in life. Probably the classic is Bob Dylan. Often celebrated as one of the greatest song writers of the 60’-80’s, he ran the gambit of religions and philosophies. Of course during his “Christian” period, he wrote Gotta Serve Somebody and Man Gave Names to All the Animals. To the best of my knowledge, he currently does not claim Christianity. There is Kris Kristofferson who made a lot of noise about Jesus, especially with his song Why Me Lord? I am not sure where his public stand is right now. There was B.J.Thomas, Rain Drops Keep Fallin on My Head. He professed Christ for a while, then backed off. I think I heard that he is back with Jesus now. Of course there was Jane Fonda. What a radical! She made a few ripples a decade ago about possibly being a follower of Jesus, not sure where she stands now. People keep blindly searching for the truth. Why is it that when they find it, they back away? Oh there are several answers to that question. The motivations are varied within the same individual and often unknown to the seeker. But I think this Psalm reveals one of the reasons people fall away. Verse 3 commands, “Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!” I think the reason the seeker often falls away is a failure to make this his/her motivation. Often we, as seekers, are seeking in order to advance our own glory or our own pleasure. If our own glory or pleasure is not advanced, then we fall away. What does it mean to glory in His name as opposed to my name? Why should I have to be commanded to rejoice when I seek Him? Should it not come naturally as I pursue the One who created all things? The Psalm is replete with the history of God’s redemptive plan in Israel. Many of those acts go beyond His work with Israel. They are types of what God was going to do in Jesus the Messiah in order to deliver us out of the kingdom of darkness into His Kingdom of Light. The Psalmist recounts the many acts that God did before He made them into a great nation. They include the humbling and raising of Joseph, the plaguing of the land of Egypt before their departure, the destruction of the firstborn, the plundering of the Egyptians on the night of their deliverance, the protecting pillar and cloud of the Lord for the nation, the miraculous providing of bread and quail for the sustenance of the people. It is as though the Psalmist is saying, “Connect the dots! These times of suffering and deliverance show the glory of the Lord, not our own glory. Therefore, when suffering and deliverance occur again, connect the dots! God is about to once again reveal His glory! Therefore, led your heart be glad! Rejoice!” Maybe a reason we have so many people fall away is because we have won them with a promise of glory, but have not helped them to connect the dots of God using the redemptive acts in their lives of suffering and struggle to bring Himself glory in our lives, by our redemption. Therefore, when we continue to suffer or struggle, rather than rejoicing in another opportunity to show His wondrous works, we give up. We thought it was solely about our comfort and redemption. Connect the dots! God used the suffering and discomfort to bring us to Himself. Because of the hardness of our hearts, He must continue to use suffering and discomfort to keep us glorifying Him. Hmmmm. . . Have I connected the dots of suffering and pain that lead me to a knowledge of him? Let my heart rejoice as I seek Him; for when those times of pain and suffering come, it is another opportunity for Him to display His wondrous works and how glorious He is! He alone can keep me searching for a heart of gold. He is that gold. He alone is our reward. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john * * ISAIAH 13 Babylon is first mentioned in the Bible in 2 Kings 17:24. Relatively speaking it is rather late in the history of the world and Israel. Babylon is the nation that eventually sacked Jerusalem and took Judah into captivity. But that event would come 80-100 years following Isaiah’s ministry. Babylon would become a huge issue after Josiah’s death. It is interesting that Babylon was used by the hand of the Lord to punish Assyria and yet this passage speaks of the fall of Babylon at the hand of the Medes. Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel have volumes to speak of Babylon because they lived in the times when Babylon was the dominate world power. After the sack of Babylon by the Medes, we really don’t hear too much about it until the book of Revelation. At the time that John wrote the Revelation, Babylon was in the ruins of which Isaiah speaks in this chapter. However, Babylon appears in Revelation as it represents the world financial system. It is an idolatrous system which pursues wealth over God. It is the world financial and religious system by which men seek to support themselves, so that they do not have to seek God. In this passage literal Babylon’s destruction is prophesied at least 80 years before it even becomes a threat to Judah. It is both a near prophecy (given at least 140 years before the beginning of its literal fulfillment) and a far prophecy given concerning the end of the world. At the height of Babylon’s power it probably seemed impossible that the city would ever fall. Listen to the KJV Bible Commentary’s description of Babylon: The splendor of ancient Babylon was indeed spectacular, covering over 1000 acres surrounded by a double-walled system of defense that encircled the city. These walls were over 85 feet thick and 11 miles long, with the outer walls being approximately 25 feet wide and reinforced with towers every 65 feet. There were eight major city gates named after various Babylonian deities (e.g., Ishtar). The city was dominated by a seven-story ziggurat, 288 feet high, known as the Tower of Babylon. It was constructed from nearly 60 million fired bricks. On the top of it stood the temple of Marduk. The Greek historian Herodotus claimed that it contained a solid gold statue of Marduk weighing 52,000 pounds! Can you imagine what must Jeremiah, Ezekiel or Daniel’s contemporaries must have thought of this prophecy? “It’s crazy! Babylon could never fall. Its wealth and power are too vast and great.” Yet this mighty city fell overnight to the Medes, just as Isaiah predicted. Eventually it fell into obscurity and became exactly what Isaiah predicted, “The hyenas will howl in their citadels, and jackals in their pleasant palaces.” Today it is a mass of broken down bricks. Saddam Hussein sought to restore the palace of Nebuchadnezzar as a tourist attraction. However, the gulf war brought an end to his endeavors. Yet we cannot leave this passage just looking at the near fulfillment of Isaiah. The prophecy also looks to the far fulfillment of the final day of the Lord. This is of what John’s Revelation also speaks. One day this mighty world system of finance and economy, which seduces the people of the world to pursue it rather than the Lord, will collapse. Right now it seems impossible. Oh we all admit that there will be depressions and blips on the road, but few of us really believe that one day it will completely collapse upon itself. It is for this reason that Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor. . . Do not worry about your life. . . Seek first the kingdom of heaven and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” Our first priority is Him. Isaiah tells us that one day it is all coming crashing down. “I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.” That is the glory of our Lord. He will permit nothing but allegiance to Himself. He deserves nothing but allegiance to Himself. He graciously grants us opportunity to seek Him. But one day a day of reckoning is coming. He Himself will be exalted in that day. Should we not give all that we are for Him right now? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john * * LUKE 13:1-21 Why do bad things happen to good people? Why does it seem, when you are doing your best to follow after the Lord, is when you get attacked the hardest? Why did God even allow sin anyway? Each of these questions has buried under it somewhere deep in its supporting premises that I don't deserve to be treated the way I am being treated. Let's go have a pity party. Let's rail against God for permitting it. So when those who heard about the Galileans reported it to Jesus, He gave what seems at first a very harsh and cryptic answer, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish." Ouch, Lord, I was just trying to get a little comfort here in what seemed to be a terrible tragedy. And you tell me that I am a terrible sinner? And He answers, "Yep." But don't stop there. He goes on to warn that unless one's repentance begins to bear fruit that one will be cut down. Ouch! Add a little salt to the wound and rub it in! But don't stop there. He goes on to loose a woman who had been bound over with an infirmity for eighteen years. Immediately she was made straight and what? She glorified God! Somehow I think her whole life was changed from that moment on. It was not just a glorifying God for the moment, but it became a lifestyle. This was in direct opposition to the synagogue ruler who thought he was pretty good because he observed the Sabbath. Deep inside he thought he had not experienced any bad things because he was good. But he was wrong. The glory of Jesus is that He has come to set us free from the power and bondage of sin. Ultimately, we deserve any bad thing that happens to us. We are sinners. We deserve death. We are in rebellion against the Holy God. It is only by His mercy that we continue to live. It is by His grace that we are delivered and set free! Where is the glory of Jesus? When we repent and believe in Jesus, He plants the seed of the Kingdom of God in us. Slowly it begins to grow and germinate and change us. It produces real fruit. We are changed from one bound in sin to one growing in righteousness. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john