July 5

JOSHUA 7
The Lord was fiercely angry with Israel because of Achan’s sin. Is that glory? To my American mindset, it does not sound fair. That is what independence is all about in America. It is the right of the individual. One of my students turned in a solution argument paragraph dealing with crime. As an example of how to deal with crime she cited China, which does not mess with criminals. If you are caught in a wrong, you are severely dealt with. Now I am not suggesting that we emulate China’s justice system; however, I do think that some other cultures have a better understanding of corporate guilt than we do. I also think that some other cultures have a better understanding of justice than we do. Achan’s sin was the county’s sin. It was right that God was angry with it. It violated the truth that God was the sole source of provision for their need. He was rightly offended. And His anger was fierce. I am glad that God is fiercely angry with sin. If he were not, there would be no justice.
There is a unique command that Joshua gives Achan, “Give glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession to Him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.” Achan does it. He is punished. God is glorified in his confession and in his punishment. I don’t quite get it, but I believe God is glorified in it! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 4
I remember the early days of our relationship. Laura’s face would literally brighten when she saw me. I cannot put into words how fulfilling that is to me. Here is the person of my choice, and she brightens when she sees me. “Lord, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.” That word for countenance is literally face. Listen to what the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (TWOT) says of this word:

This particular word always occurs in the plural, perhaps indicative of the fact that the face is a combination of a number of features. As we shall see below, the face identifies the person and reflects the attitude and sentiments of the person. As such, panim can be a substitute for the self or the feelings of the self. . . . A “shining” face is evidence of joy. . . . Most of these idioms and phrases are also applied to God. God’s face “shines” as a sign of favor and good will.

To ask God for the light of His countenance upon us is to ask Him to be joyful about us. It is to ask for His favor upon us. It is to ask the person of greatest worth to treasure us. It is to ask the person of our choice to enjoy us. It is to ask Him to fulfill us. It is to crave Him, to desire Him. It is more than just a smile of joy. It is to know that He is pleased with us. Remember in the movie Chariots of Fire where Eric Liddell says, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.” That is Eric experiencing the light of God’s countenance. God has indeed made us for a purpose. That purpose is related to how He made us physically, mentally and spiritually. When we seek Him to fulfill that purpose, God experiences inexpressible joy in our seeking. He in turn sheds the light of His countenance, His pleasure, upon us. It is ecstatic.
This is the divine romance. Nothing is more pleasurable to me than when my wife joyfully responds to my pursuit of her. Nothing is more deadening to me than when my wife ignores my pursuit of her. Nothing is more deadening to my wife than when I expect her to respond to me when I have not pursued her. I would hope that nothing is more life giving to her than when I have pursued her, and she responds. Our marriages are to reflect the marriage of Christ and the church. He pursues us, but do we respond to Him? The divine romance is that He pursues us and we respond by pursuing Him. Is it any wonder that there is such a lack of divine life in our congregations when there is such a lack of response on our part to His pursuit of us?
In mountains near Ashville, North Carolina, lies the Biltmore Estate. Built by George Vanderbilt near the turn of the 20th century, it is America’s largest single family dwelling. It rests on 8,000 acres of land. The house has his and her bedrooms. One is at one end of the mansion; the other is at the other end of the mansion. Each bedroom is larger than my house. It is a couple of minute walk from one bedroom to the other. I understand that the Vanderbuilts only had one child. I really don’t know, but it sounds like their sleeping arrangement might have had something to do with it. It sounds like there was a problem with pursuit and response. In the midst of opulence and wealth, there was very little offspring life. Sounds like the American church.
Could it be that we have failed to respond to His pursuit of us? Could it be that as the culture around us turned the glory of our Groom into shame that too few of us were angered by it? Could it be that those who were angered by it responded in a sinful way? Could it be that we have failed to meditate upon our beds concerning the ecstasies of the righteousness of our Groom? Could it be that when He was pursuing us to let the light of His countenance fall upon us, we were ho-hum about it thinking, “Who will show us any good?” Would that not deaden His pursuit of us?
Is it not time for us to cry out to Him, “Lord, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us!” If we responded in such a way, would He not pour out gladness in our hearts? Would it not bring joy in excess of this world’s wealth or wine? Would we not then lie down in peace in sleep? Would we not then experience true safety? Would it not produce an overflow of glory to His name? Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

JEREMIAH 30
I have been with my wife each time that she birthed one of our five children. I have also passed a kidney stone. I know enough that I know that I do not ever want to be in a position where I have to give birth, especially since I do not have the physical apparatus to accomplish this feat. Yet Israel’s hard time is likened to a man delivering a baby—a lot of pain but nothing is going to happen. What a miserable existence! But when we take a yoke that God has not designed for us, that is what it leads to! The good news is that He is a deliverer! If we turn to Him, He delivers! He breaks the old yoke and gives us His yoke. He is indeed a Savior! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

ACTS 13:36-52
The glory of Jesus is that He defeated sin on the cross and death in His resurrection. That seems to be the essence of Paul's messages whether his audience is Jew or Gentile. That message still overwhelms me when I take the time to focus on it. The eternal, holy God, the Creator of all things, became sin on my behalf and died on my behalf and rose again on my behalf. Why don't more people see that glory? In Antioch of Pisidia Paul was light of the glory of Jesus to both Jew and Gentle. That light received a mixed reception. When a bright light shines brightly in the presence of a totally blind person and blind person does not see it, it is not the fault of the light. The problem lies with the blind person. They lack the receptors to see the light. The glory of Jesus is that He breaks through our inability and enables us to see. Herein lies the mystery of the sovereignty of God, which frankly I have neither ability to comprehend or explain. People can't believe because they won't and won't believe because they can't. God breaks the cycle for some by appointing them to eternal life. In breaking that cycle He commands us to speak His glory to all. As we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are enabled to speak light into darkness and He shines, making us lights for salvation to the ends of the earth. Are you filled with His Spirit? Indeed, we serve a glorious king! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

July 4

JOSHUA 6
The Lord needs no army to destroy a city. Then why does He make them fight? Is it the glory of the Lord to kill? Is it the glory of the Lord to have His people kill? Joshua’s mission to kill or drive out all the Canaanites is probably one of the most difficult aspects of Scripture to explain. I think that the answer lies in the simplicity of justice. If God is just, then injustice must be punished. That is the nature of justice. With that in mind if justice is served we all should die. So the surprise should be not that He should command that any should die, but that He should show mercy on anyone. How can He be just and show mercy? Only if justice is satisfied can mercy be shown. He can only show me mercy if I die. I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me, and the life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Mercy and justice are seen in the same city of Jericho. The harlot and her family received mercy. The rest of the city received justice. Why did the harlot receive mercy? She received mercy because she chose to trust in Yahweh. How did she know to trust in Yahweh? She knew of Him before the spies came. She knew how He had aided Israel from Egypt to the crossing of the Jordan. One can only assume that the rest of the city was aware of the same stories. Would they not have had the same opportunity as she had? Could they not also have called out for mercy? They could, but they did not. The result was that we see both in this city. Sometimes people are the instruments of God’s mercy and justice. We had better be sure that we go no further than what He has assigned with our mercy or justice.
It was the ark that led the way of His justice. The ark was presence of God. My how powerful is His presence! His presence destroys the power of our enemy. That is why we must grasp the glory of His presence every day. It is His glory that destroys the power of the enemy in us. But He expects us participate with Him in putting to death the deeds of the body. In so doing we live. This passage reveals to me His glory in giving me victory over the deeds of the flesh. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 3
Salvation belongs to our God. What does He save us from? He saves us from His own wrath. He saves us from ourselves. He saves us from our families. He saves us from our enemies. Wow, salvation belongs to Him! At a time when he was at one of his greatest emotional lows, David declares that salvation belongs to our God.
Can you imagine being hunted by your son? Absalom was a son who was truly gifted. He was good looking and charismatic. He was talented enough to have won the hearts of the people over to himself. He had a sense of justice. When Absalom’s full sister was raped by her half-brother, he waited for David to execute justice. It was not executed. Absalom made it happen with His own hands. David couldn’t bring himself to forgive Absalom or completely condemn him. After all, he too was a murderer. It led to David’s downfall and crowned the schism between them. Surely David was proud of him, and yet, he was repulsed by him. He had held Absalom at arm’s length. Now Absalom was seeking to kill him.
David is dying. His own past condemns him. His son seeks his life. How can God save him? But He does. God saves David. He heals David’s broken heart. He delivers David from death. In the midst of it all David can say, “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.” If He can do that for David, He can do that for me! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john


ACTS 13:1-35
It was the glory of the Lord to establish a strong Gentile church in Antioch. Saul and Barnabas, Jews, were major tools in the Lord’s hands to build up this church. It had been communicated earlier to Saul and confirmed through the church that God had raised up Saul to minister specifically to the Gentiles. Saul had now gone through years of re-training. It was time for him to embark on His journey.
The Holy Spirit spoke to the prophets and teachers in the Church in Antioch. Jesus usually works by calling someone to a task and then confirming it through the church leadership. Why should it be glory for our Lord to work such a way? We are so full of ego that to get two people to agree about anything is truly amazing. Throw into the mix the fact that Satan is ever seeking to destroy the work of God, then you have a recipe for constant infighting. The Antioch church had a good thing going here. It was large, growing and experiencing peace. Why ruin it by taking away its two key leaders? But the Holy Spirit spoke to the leadership, not just Saul and Barnabas. It was clear that it was time for Saul and Barnabas to begin the work for which God had raised them up. It is the glory of the Lord to call someone to ministry and confirm it through the leadership. From this point on, Saul is called Paul.
Paul is opposed by an emissary of Satan at Paphos. The hand of the Lord blinds the opposition. The result is that the proconsul believes. The Lord is glorified. In Perga, Pamphylia the going gets rough and John Mark abandons them. In the synagogue of Perga, Paul addresses the synagogue. After a brief recitation of the history of the “Son of David”, he declares that Jesus is that Son as is demonstrated in His resurrection as foretold by David in the Psalms. It is the glory of the Lord to have enigmatically foretold what He would do a thousand years before He did it. Paul needed those preparatory years before and after his conversion to see it. And now, God is unfolding the glory of the Lord Jesus through him. Indeed we have a glorious King! Speak his glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

July 3

JOSHUA 5
As Jesse and I have walked around the neighborhoods here (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia), I have noticed a number of round concrete manhole type things protruding out of the ground next to the street. Occasionally the cover will be slid to the side. At first I thought that they were just utility manholes or storm sewer access holes. But then as we walked by one of them, a distinct outhouse smell wafted out and there was an overwhelming increase in the number of flies. My thought was, “If we were walking in the dark and did not see the opening, one could possibly stumble into the hole.” Now there is a nasty thought. One would become a reproach to all who came near. I thought of a National Geographic article that I read a number of years ago concerning the untouchables, the Dalit, in India who are used as human sewer line cleaners. They would indeed be revolting, a reproach to all.
Remember the event in Exodus 4?

4And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the LORD met him and sought to kill him. 25Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses’ feet, and said, “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!” 26So He let him go. Then she said, “You are a husband of blood!”—because of the circumcision.

Apparently, Moses’ wife, not being an Israelite, did not understand the practice. I would assume that she opposed Moses in the practice, and giving in to her, Moses did not circumcise his sons. The Lord was angry with him because he did not obey. Circumcision was given to the Israelites as a sign of their special relationship with the Lord. By not practicing it, it was like saying that he did not want his sons to be part of that special relationship. That was unacceptable! It was so unacceptable that the Lord sought to kill Moses probably by some sort of illness. He had become a reproach to God. Zipporah finally saw the importance of circumcision to the Lord. Moses was unable to perform the act. So, she performed it. As she did so, the Lord restored Moses.
The Israelites had not practiced the covenant sign of circumcision since they had left Egypt. Why? Maybe it had to do with the lack of water; maybe it had to do with their constant travel. Certainly it was disobedience. By not performing the sign, they had rejected their special relationship with the Lord. They had become a reproach. They were revolting in the presence of God. Now they have miraculously been delivered into the land promised to Abraham. They have crossed the Jordan in the spring (flood stage). They want to renew the covenant. They begin with circumcision. God rolled away their reproach. He made them clean. Gigal, by the way, means, “rolled away.”
Then they celebrated the Passover, another sign of the covenant. Then they ate of the fruit of the Promised Land. Then the manna ceased. Then the Commander of the army of the LORD appears to them. They were then ready to possess the land.
I was walking on my dark path. I stumbled into sin. The result was that I was covered with the stench of sin. I became a reproach to my LORD. I had no way to remove the stench which seeped from every pore. But Jesus came. He washed me in His own blood. I became whiter than snow. He clothed me in clean garments. He perfumed me with His own fragrance. I am now acceptable in the presence of God. I am now equipped to battle against the spiritual forces of darkness who seek to enslave me once again to the yoke of sin. This is all true because of what Jesus has done. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john


Driving north on the highway parallel to the Jordan river, here is the exit to Gilgal.


The Jordan River somewhere near the crossing.

PSALM 2
Yesterday I installed an antenna on my HD TV. For the first time in over 4 years, I have broadcast TV. I haven’t missed a whole lot; although, it is nice to have access to news and weather. I have to admit, it will be nice to be able to see OSU play football once or twice a year, especially today’s game. We watched an episode of George Lopez. George’s son’s dog was dying of a malignant tumor. His son manipulated George into praying for the dog’s healing. In his prayer George made a deal with God that if God would heal the dog, he would crawl on his knees for a mile at a cathedral in Mexico. The dog was miraculously healed. George was annoyed. He never really believed that his prayer would be answered. He was forced by his son and his conscience to keep his promise, which he tried every way not to keep. In one instance he quipped to his wife, “If God expected us to keep every promise, and we did not, then the world would be filled with wars and poverty.” Hmmm. . .
Are we like the kings of the earth who wrangle for power and wealth? We make promises and don’t keep them. If they even acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Being, they seem to think that the Lord will do nothing to stop them. Our world is filled with men seeking to gain preeminence over other men and nations. They are in total disregard of the Sovereignty of God. Yet are we any different? Maybe what we wrangle over are the same kind of things but upon a much smaller scale, like keeping promises. Am I trying to break the bonds of the purpose for which the Lord has created me? Have I identified who I am in His sight so that I may fulfill His plan?
If I really grasped that He does sit in heaven and scoffs at my plans of mutiny against His purpose, would I still follow the daily and moment by moment course that I follow? If I was really convinced that He will one day return to secure His throne as King of the nations, would my interests still lie in the same area in which they presently lie? Would I be more careful in making promises and more consistent in keeping them? Do I really understand how my life fits into His purpose and how my living that daily purpose fits into bringing Him back as King of kings and Lord of lords? Lord Jesus, let me embrace Your discipline and instruction so that I may fully live my life as one which fully trusts in Your plan for Me, those around me and the nations. Perform Your plan in me! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

JEREMIAH 28
When the signal was given the pair of draft horses immediately sprang into action. They were bred for this. They were trained for this. They were eager for this. Often times their eagerness to pull the burden is so great that they fault at the start and lose the competition. If you have ever been to a draft horse pulling contest, you know exactly what I am talking about. Laura loves to watch the beauty of the horses as they are yoked to pull together in competition. Consequently, I often take her to the county fair to watch this event. It always amazes me that these horses have such a strong desire to pull these awesome amounts of weight. They are eager to do it. They are passionate about it. Are you passionate about the work of the Lord Jesus?
The Lord had clearly stated through Jeremiah that the nation was to submit to the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar and that Jeconiah would never come back from Babylon. But in the wave of nationalism in Jerusalem, Hananiah could not resist the thought that Jeremiah was not speaking for the Lord. He announced that within a few short years, Coniah would be returned and the yoke of Babylon would be broken. Hananiah was making the people trust in a lie. He died within the year as a punishment for speaking that lie. What was wrong with the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar? It just did not square with their nationalism.
There is a yoke that the Lord has called us to. It is recorded in Matthew 11:28-30. He said,

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

When a rabbi called a young man to be his disciple, he would call him to take his yoke upon him. For those of you who are not familiar with the agrarian setting, a yoke is an apparatus used to link a beast of burden to a plow or some implement or wagon for the purpose of accomplishing a laborious task. Often two or more beasts of burden would be yoked together in order to perform tasks greater than which one beast could perform. When training a new animal, it would be yoked to a stronger well trained animal until the new animal was fully trained. Before we find Jesus, we are under the burden of sin. When we find Jesus, He sets us free from the burden of sin order that we can share in His yoke. He does not save us from work but for work. It is a work in which we are yoked with Him, for Him and by Him. He enables us to do our part and trains us. His burden is easy, and His yoke is light.
This July 4th I wonder, “Are we eager to be in the yoke to which He calls us? Or like Hananiah do we prefer the yoke of nationalism?” Are the comforts and values of our country more important to us than the job to which He has called us in the establishment of His kingdom? It would seem that there are many voices that beckon us to lay aside the yoke of the Lord. Some of the voices even come from trusted spiritual leaders. Are we more passionate about our nation than we are His work? It is the glory of the Lord to yoke us together with Himself to accomplish the work of His Kingdom. Are we passionate about our part in that Kingdom? After all it is for His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

ACTS 12
From a human perspective, it was a dark day for the glory of our Lord. James the brother of John had been put to the sword. And then Peter was arrested. One would be tempted to roll over and play dead. However, verse 5 has a very important little word, ‘but’ and then follows the clause, ‘prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.’ As a result of the death in the last outbreak of persecution, the Lord accomplished the salvation of Saul. What would he do this time? The church knew that the glory of the Lord was on the line, as well as Peter’s life. They went to prayer.
God never seems to work in the same way in similar situations. He always seems to do a new solution for each problem. He dispatched an angel. The angel set him free. Do you ever notice we often don’t believe the answer to our own prayers? When Peter showed up at the prayer meeting, held on his behalf, they didn’t believe he was at the door. On the one hand, we shouldn’t be amazed when He does things like that. On the other hand, that’s part of what makes it glory—it’s amazing.
God still wasn’t finished with just setting Peter free. Herod wasn’t done either. He had the guards put to death. I sure wouldn’t want to have been a guard back then. Note what happened when he took what should have been God’s glory. He was eaten by worms and died. What an awful way to go. God is jealous of His own glory and the glory of His Son. Surely we need to speak much and often of the glory of Jesus. Indeed we have a glorious King! Speak his glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

July 2

JOSHUA 4
“Heap of Birds,” now there is an unusual name. That was the last name of a guest lecturer that the OSU art department had on campus. I wonder, “What is the significance of that name?” “What is the glory behind it?” Here at the crossing at Gilgal, Israel created a heap of stones. There intentionally was glory behind it. It was to be a reminder to generations to come of how the Lord caused them to cross the Jordan on dry ground. It was a memorial not only for Israel’s generations but also for all the peoples of the earth. It has significance even for me for I am one of those who in the flesh are not part of the descendants of Israel. It speaks to me of the miraculous provision of the Lord. It speaks for all ethnic groups for here is a heap of stones that speaks to an event which transcends the cultural biases of all ethnic groups. It is simple and clear, “The Lord delivers His people.” Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 1
Is pleasure a choice? Dictionary.com states that pleasure is, “1) The state or feeling of being pleased. 2) enjoyment or satisfaction derived from what is to one's liking; gratification; delight.” I often fall into the trap of thinking that pleasure is more or less a spontaneous state that arises as a response to my experiences. While pleasure can be that, the deepest pleasures are something more. Back in the 70’s there used to be a T-shirt that said, “Candy is dandy, but sex won’t rot your teeth.” It was the age before the eruption of AIDS and the multitude of STDs. It was an age of the pursuit of pleasure for the sake of pleasure. It was an age that at times professed sex as being little different than any other bodily function. I even remember it as being equated to drinking water. I also remember Josh McDowell quipping, “Let me tell you, there is a whole lot of difference between drinking a glass of water and experiencing sex.”
We are now culturally and corporately reaping the rewards of pursuing that short-term pleasure gratification. More than half of our young people are infected with STDs. Abortion remains unabated. The greatest contributor to poverty is single parent households. We no longer understand what marriage and family should be. Culturally, we have walked with the ungodly; we have stood in the path with sinners; now we are sitting in the seat of scoffers. Marital union (sex), marriage and family were meant to reflect the image of God and to reflect the marriage of Christ and the church. What was meant by God to be a pleasure and a delight of the deepest kind has become a confusion and battleground. What happened?
The allure, the delight, of pleasure varies greatly according to many factors. In many ways, the pleasure experienced is directly proportional to the choices one makes on the road to the experience. In many ways the deepest pleasures are the result of many choices that postpone an immediate shallower pleasure for a deeper longer lasting pleasure at a later time. Hebrews 11:25 tells us that Moses chose to ‘suffer affliction with the people of God’ rather ‘than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.’ Why would anyone choose affliction over pleasure? Moses knew that a greater pleasure awaited him down the road if he chose affliction now. He had to lose his position in Pharaoh’s court, experience 40 years of living in the desert herding sheep and goats, 40 years of leading a stubborn and rebellious people. He chose that to experience communion with God. During the last 40 years of his life, he had occasion to enjoy the pleasure of speaking with the Lord face to face as a man speaks with his friend. Indeed, Moses is currently experiencing unimaginable pleasure in the presence of the Lord.
I like that famous quote of C.S. Lewis found in The Weight of Glory, and Other Addresses:
It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.
The Lord calls us to take delight in His Law, to meditate upon it day and night. Meditation takes effort and work. There are many other things that might promise greater short term delights. Watching television takes less effort than meditating upon the Lord, and in that sense, it promises to bring greater short term pleasure, but it is passing. The Lord requires us to make the choice to meditate upon his Law. We make it a delight. Yes, pleasure in the Lord is a choice. As Moses made the choice for a present affliction in order to receive a future pleasure, so too, we choose meditation upon/with the Lord as a delight in order to receive the pleasure of speaking with Him face to face and the eternal pleasure of His presence.
Would I choose to turn down the alluring propositions of the most beautiful Hollywood actress? Absolutely! Why? Because the long-term benefits of pursuing pleasure with my wife are so much greater. Should I choose focusing upon the needs of my wife above my own needs? Absolutely! Why? Because the long-term benefits will bring greater pleasure to me, because in so doing I am bring Glory to God, because that is what He does. Pretty self-centered isn’t it? Yes, but that is the way God designed it!
Yes pleasure is a choice. The deepest pleasures always require postponing a present pleasure for future reward. It requires the ability to see the future. It requires the ability to spend time in His law. Those who say that they do not have time to spend daily reading and meditating upon the word of God are lying to themselves. What they are really saying is that they prefer the passing pleasures of the present above the eternal reward of His glory. What they are really saying is that they have time to walk in the counsel of the ungodly but not the Lord. What they are really saying is that they have time to stand in the path of sinners but not with the Lord. What they are really saying is that they have time to sit with the scorners but not the Lord. Yes pleasure is a choice, let us pursue a pleasure of the deepest kind, the pleasure of His presence. Let us find Him in the word! Let us put off lesser pleasures that keep us from pursuing Him! For His presence and glory are greater and deeper! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

JEREMIAH 27
For almost one hundred years the USA has been, if not the top world power, then one of the top world powers. Certainly from the time that I was born until recently, we have been the most powerful nation on earth. It is the glory of God to appoint the boundaries of the nations and to declare who can live within them. But God brings an end to all nations. He humbles them all at the appropriate time. That is part of His glory. What if He came to us through a prophet to tell us that we must submit to another nation? There would be a great uproar against that prophet!
The Lord gives Jeremiah a horrible task. He gives him the mission of going to the king and telling him to submit to the king of Babylon. It is nothing short of sedition! But Jeremiah knows the greatness of the Lord. He is steadfastly submitted to the lordship of his Lord. After all, He is the One who made the heavens and the earth. He is the One who set the boundaries of the seas. By His great power and outstretched arm He gives whatever He wants to whomever He wants. Why then am I so focused on my boundaries, or my housing, or my wealth, or my health? It is all under His control anyway. Jeremiah was so focused on the glory of the Lord that most of the time he could not but help the horrible tasks assigned to him. It was the only way to continue to experience the glory of the Lord. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

ACTS 11:1-30
Well ministry to the Gentiles isn't secure yet. There are still tens of thousands back in Jerusalem, who did not see the vision of either Peter or Paul. Yes they had probably heard about Paul's conversion and commission by now. But, they probably chalked it up to the ravings of a madman, especially since Paul had left the area and had been gone for over three years now. They hadn't heard about Peter's vision or Cornelius' vision, or about the evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit at Cornelius' conversion. All they knew was that Peter had entered the house of a Gentile! And, gasp, he ate with them. This goes against 1400 years of tradition on how God had worked with the Children of Israel!
It’s a good thing Peter was backed against the wall (see yesterday's comments). He would have caved otherwise. But it is the glory of our Lord to demonstrate His desire so that for all times it might be demonstrated that it is not about tradition. It is about His glory. It is His glory to bring people of all culture and subcultures to make them one, to bring people of one generation and another generation to make them one. It is His glory to change them so that they cease complaining about their brothers and sisters who are different. The church today has much to learn from this. Anyway, as I was saying, Peter was backed against the wall. He was being called on the carpet for breaking tradition. All that He could do was recount what the Lord had done. None of what had happened had been of his initiative. Having heard the story, most of the cooler heads in the group saw the Lord was in it. The church approved the ministry to the Gentiles. The glory of Jesus has prevailed. 1400 years of tradition is broken. Now that indeed is amazing.
But publicly announcing the possibility of breaking tradition and actually doing it are two different things. Almost everyone is still afraid to do it. But there were some men (funny, they're un-named) who grew up in Cyprus and Phoenicia (they grew up playing with Gentiles) who took bold steps. Horror of horrors they spoke the glory of Christ to Gentiles in Antioch (a long way away from Jerusalem). And the glory of God fell upon them, the hand of the Lord was with them. Barnabas, ever the son of encouragement, put 2+2 together. He traveled all the way to Tarsus, found Paul who had been commissioned to go to the Gentiles and brought him to Antioch to begin teaching the Gentiles about Jesus. Somebody finally got it right.
After a year of ministry, the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ was so great among the Gentiles of Antioch that the non-believing Gentiles began to call the believers, "Christians," which means little Christ or of Christ. The glory of Christ was so great upon them that others recognized Christ in them. O that Jesus would do that in us!
God has a sense of irony. He warned and sent a famine to Judea. Apparently many of the Jewish believers in Judea were in dire straights. And the Jerusalem church was too impoverished to help each other. How did God provide for them? He used the Gentile believers of Antioch to send relief. Those people, with whom the Jews would not eat because their tradition said it would make them unclean, God sent by their hands food for the Jewish believers to eat. And He used Saul/Paul of all people to deliver it. That is ironic. That is also glorious. Our Lord breaks down barriers that divide people! In the words of Randy Matthews, who was rejected by the church for his contemporary music, "It took a carpenter to tear down my walls, it took a stronger hand than mine." Jesus is glorious in the way He tears down walls. Indeed we serve a glorious king! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

July1

JOSHUA 3
“By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and. . . “ Imagine that—the living God among us. Is that not what we long for? Is that not what Utopian dreams are all about? That the God who spoke the universe into existence should desire to commune with us is incredible! That He should want to dwell among us is beyond the wildest dreams of any science fiction, fantasy or romance novel. But it is not fiction. It is reality. But there is a problem in Utopia. We are sinners in front of a God who detests sin.
In the New Testament the crossing of the Jordan is considered to be a type of rest, spiritual rest. The Lord promised to be with them to defeat the enemy. In the NT the enemy is the sin that towers above us toying with us as an evil slave master. The Lord promises to drive out that slave master who is over us. By this we know that the living God is among us; He without fail breaks and cancels the power of Satan, sin and death which holds sway over us. Yes we still have to deal with the flesh and the world. but we do it in His victory. We exchange our meager abilities for His life, His victory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Here is what the Jordan looks like near the crossing in modern times:


PROVERBS 31
Laura has told me on a number of occasions that this is one her ‘unfavorite’ chapters of the Bible. (I hope I am not in trouble for revealing that, but then I suppose that this an ‘unfavorite’ chapter for a lot of women. It holds an incredibly high standard for the virtuous wife. Certainly, if I were a woman, I would not be able to meet the standard.) But let us look beyond the literal meaning of this chapter to a different level. Since the theme of the Bible is the restoration of the Kingdom of God, what does that look like as we illustrate it? One of those illustrations is marriage. Our marriages are to reflect the marriage of God and humanity. When the kingdom was train wrecked with Adam and Eve’s sin, the marriage of God and humanity experienced a postponement, a divorce; Jesus became a widower. The theme of Scripture is not only the restoration of the Kingdom of God; it is also the marriage of Christ and His resurrected bride.
As Lemuel’s mother gives him instruction for being a king, she tells him to not give himself to ways that destroy kings, particularly giving his strength to women. There are many other things that he should do as king, avoid intoxication, uphold and pursue justice, plead the cause of the poor and needy. All of these things Jesus has done and does. But Lemuel’s mother’s greatest instruction is to find a virtuous wife. Could it be that one of Jesus’ chief goals in His interaction with humanity is to find a virtuous wife? Certainly that would be the indication of Ephesians 5:22-33 and Revelation 19:1-10. When the whore who sought to supplant the bride is judged, and the preparation of that virtuous wife is complete, we see the coming forth of the Bridegroom to destroy those who resisted Him by resisting His bride (Revelation 19:11-21). So we see that it is the intention of the Lord to raise up for Himself one great bride. He will not give Himself or waste His strength of the whore of this world.
So what does this bride look like? I think that Proverbs 31: 10-31 could be a metaphor for what Jesus desires in His bride. As we fulfill that metaphor, we bring glory to Him, just as this virtuous wife brings glory to her husband. Jesus trusts in His wife because she is constantly seeking to do Him good and bring Him gain (v.11). She searches the world over to bring Him riches (missions v. 12-14). She works tirelessly to provide food for household (v.15). The glorious bride, the church, provides a rich diet of the word of God for her household. She girds herself with strength (v. 17). Where does our strength come from but from the Spirit of God? She helps the poor and needy when the needs of her own household have been met and because that is the work of her husband the King (v. 20-21). Her husband is made known in the gates because of her proclamation and work (v. 23). As the church proclaims the Gospel of the Kingdom, we are making the name of Jesus known in the world. She is dressed in fine linen (v.25), the righteous acts of the saints (Rev. 19:8). Her husband praises her (v. 28). We shall one day stand before the bema seat of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:9-17). Our works shall be judged by fire. The good works shall remain, and we shall receive the praise of our Lord and husband. He shall say, “Well done, you good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your master.” Great, attractive and entertaining programs of churches are deceitful and passing, but a congregation that fears God shall be praised by Him (v. 30).
You see, when we are this kind of wife, we bring glory to His name. When we are not, we bring shame to Him. It is all about His glory, not ours. Our marriages are to reflect this. Proverbs 31 is a goal for women to reflect what the church should be like. Men, we should reflect what Jesus is like. He “loved the church and gave Himself for her.”(Eph. 5:25). Proverbs 31 demands a great deal out of wives; Eph. 5:25 demands more. Men are we doing it? When we do, we bring glory to Him. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Be His glory in your marriage today!
--Pastor john
P.S. Laura, my darling, in my mind you fulfill Proverbs 31, even though you do not think you fulfill it. You are my virtuous wife! You are marvelous, and I am so proud that you are my wife!

JEREMIAH 26
Observe the mercies of our Lord! He sends messenger after messenger to us warning us of His wrath against sin. How is it that so many are so adept at resisting His mercy? He sent Micah to Hezekiah warning of the wrath that was coming. Hezekiah repented! The destruction of the temple was postponed! He sent Urijah to Jehoiakim to proclaim the need for repentance. Jehoiakim sent his special ops people down to Egypt to kidnap Urijah and bring him back to Jerusalem to execute him. The Lord sent Jeremiah to Jehoiakim to proclaim the wrath and mercy of the Lord. The people arrested Jeremiah immediately. Why were they so intent on resisting the mercy of the Lord? The Lord raised up one to intercede for Jeremiah, but He raised up no one to intercede for Urijah, why? Urijah was executed; Jeremiah lived on. By the way, Ahikam, who interceded for Jeremiah, was part of the delegation that Josiah, decades earlier, had sent to the prophetess, Huldah, to inquire of the Lord concerning the possibility of revival. Ahikam was also the father of Gedaliah, whom Nebuchadnezzar appointed Governor of Jerusalem after its destruction and protector of Jeremiah. Gedaliah was assassinated by Jewish nationalists led by Ishmael. Talk about resisting the mercy of God!
It is easy to point at Jehoiakim or Ishmael and talk about them resisting the mercy of God, but what about us? Do I resist the mercy of God? Hmmmm. . . . maybe that is hitting too close to home. If someone points out my sin, do I welcome their pointing it out? If you are like me, probably not. Hardly anyone wants to be told that he is wrong, but if one is really wrong, should he not welcome correction? Is it not a mercy to be told I am wrong so that I might have opportunity to correct the wrong? God in His mercy sends us correction through His word and through others. It is all about His mercy. Can I see the mercy of God even when I am corrected? I probably need correction more than I am willing to admit. When the correction comes, do I see it as the mercy of God. When I see the mercy of God revealed, do I see it as part of his glory? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

ACTS 10:24-48
It is unfortunate that I can't hear Peter speaking to Cornelius. Upon the first reading, I hear the intonations of Peter implying, "I really don't want to be here, but God made me come. What do ya want?"
Actually, I am too harsh with Peter. That probably wasn't his intonation. Most likely Peter was just expressing his surprise that God wanted him to actually enter the house of a Gentile and that God wanted Gentiles to know Him. To the Jewish mindset, they had always been God's special people. God just didn't consort with Gentiles--according to their mindset. I don't think we even begin to imagine the cultural contempt of the Jews toward Gentiles; therefore, we miss the contempt which Peter and the whole church had for Gentiles. Yet it is the glory of our King to unite the two groups into one and to use the ones who held the greatest contempt to reach the group that held the least contempt. Peter gives a very simple explanation of the Good News of Jesus with which he ends, "To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins."
While Peter was still speaking those words, the Holy Spirit fell upon the Gentiles evidenced by tongues--just like Pentecost. The Lord Jesus made sure that there was no question about His desire to reach the Gentiles. Peter did not teach them to speak in tongues. He didn't even get to lead them in the sinners prayer! He just spoke the words and they were born again. Why? Two reasons:

1. Anyone, anywhere, who really wants to know Him, God will move heaven and earth to reveal His glory to them. But He always sends people to explain the Gospel. We have to go. These people wanted to believe in Jesus they only lacked knowledge and when the knowledge came, it was received with out a verbalized prayer. Yes we can believe in Jesus without a verbalized prayer. It is a commitment of the mind, will and emotions. We ask people to pray because it helps focus on the commitment.
2. God wanted for all time to make clear that He receives Gentiles and that the church was for both Jews and Gentiles. Pouring out the Holy Spirit, even before Peter had a chance to even say anything about the Holy Spirit, was proof that this was from God and not a trumped up event.

Peter is backed against the wall. The glory of the Lord Jesus is shining clearly in the Gentiles! A new era has begun! Praise the name of Jesus, that glory still shines today to all who yield in faith to the indwelling presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. He still wants to take His glory to all peoples of the earth. Indeed we serve a glorious king! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

June 30

JOSHUA 2
“For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, . . . And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath” Is it not interesting that when some hear irrefutable evidence concerning the Lord that they believe, but others, when they hear, choose not to believe and fight against Him. Is it not interesting that frequently those who hear and believe are the despised and rejected of society as opposed to the rich and the powerful. Here the woman who believed was a woman who regularly sold her body for the pleasure of men. She chooses to trust in the Lord. The Lord receives her faith. She is listed in the genealogy of Jesus. She is listed in both Hebrews 11 and James 2 as a woman of faith and works. What grace and mercy! And it is available to us all from the God in heaven above and on earth beneath. What about those who do not believe? They become vessels of His wrath. Their end is destruction. In them we see His justice displayed. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john



PROVERBS 30
Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Apart from Jesus, there are only two men in Scripture who ascended into heaven, Enoch and Elijah, but they never descended (unless you consider Elijah’s appearance at the Mount of Transfiguration as descending). There is One man who has both descended and ascended into heaven. Speaking to Nicodemus, Jesus makes the claim of descending in John 3:13. One thousand years before it happened, David prophesied of the ascension of Jesus in Psalm 68:18. The apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:9&10 recognizes that prophecy and explains it of Jesus.
Who has gathered the wind in His fists? How can one gather wind in His fists? Yet Jesus has done this on at least two occasions. In Exodus 14:21 “Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.” Once again in Joshua 3:16–17 we find:

That the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.

He used the wind in His fists to part the Red Sea to provide the salvation of Israel (a type of our salvation). He used the wind in His fists to part the Jordan River to provide access to the Land of Canaan (a type of our rest). He will one day (in the Millennial Kingdom) use the wind of His fists to dry up the Nile River Isaiah 11:15. “The LORD will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt; With His mighty wind He will shake His fist over the River, And strike it in the seven streams, And make men cross over dryshod.” Can you do that?
Who has bound the waters in a garment? The Lord appeared to Moses on Mt. Sinai clothed in dark clouds, I would say that that is having bound the waters in a garment. Exodus 19:9 And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.” The Psalmist says in 104:1-3,

“You are clothed with honor and majesty, Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind,”

In Matthew 26:64 Jesus said, “Hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” In Revelation 1:7 John says, “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.” Jesus not only binds water in a garment but He also binds them into modes of fancy transportation. Can you do that?
Who has established all the ends of the earth? Well obviously, Jesus has established the ends of the earth! listen to John 1:1–5,

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

In Acts 17:26 Paul says,

“And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings.”

Can you do that?
There is one who can do all of these things. What is His name? It is Yahweh. What is His Son’s name? It is Yahweh Saves, or better known in English as Jesus. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

JEREMIAH 25
Today the Supreme Court struck down Obama’s health care requirement that employers had to provide health insurance which pays for abortions when the employer held a deeply religious conviction that abortion was wrong. It is the first time that the high court has declared that businesses can hold religious views under federal law. Social media, newspapers, TV, and radio are ablaze with hot fuming words especially against the ruling. Unfortunately even a former parishioner of mine is spewing her verbiage on Facebook about how terrible it is that Hobby Lobby is cramming its religious views down its employee’s throats. It is indeed sad that my former parishioner feels that way.
Last March I visited the Killing Fields outside of Phnom Penh. One of the most moving places was the killing tree. It was a tree where soldiers took babies by the heels and swung their heads against the tree crushing their skulls to kill them. In some cases one soldier would throw the baby up in the air while another would catch the baby with the point of his bayonet. The world was out raged, and so was I, when we learned of these atrocities. Why are we outraged when the Supreme Court rules that a religious company not be compelled to pay for abortions by providing insurance for its employees who desire to kill their babies?
What does any of this have to do with the glory of God? Does not something cry out within us when we learn of the atrocities of the killing fields that says, “Where is the justice of God?” Of course it does! The answer is seen in today’s passage in Jeremiah. Previously God had told the nation through Jeremiah and other prophets that His long suffering had come to an end. Manasseh had spilled much innocent blood, and because of this, God was going to destroy the nation. Manasseh had led his people to sacrificing babies on the altars of Molech. Are we any different when our government leads us in sacrificing babies upon the altars of pleasure, in the abortion chambers of America? When is God going to bring an end to this government? I see little difference between the killing tree of Cambodia and the abortion chamber of the USA and the altars of Molech in ancient Israel. I know this that God will be just when He destroys this country. For Him not to do so would make Him unjust. So when Jeremiah records the following words, it reveals the glory of God!

30‘The LORD will roar from on high, And utter His voice from His holy habitation; He will roar mightily against His fold. He will give a shout, as those who tread the grapes, Against all the inhabitants of the earth. 31A noise will come to the ends of the earth— For the LORD has a controversy with the nations; He will plead His case with all flesh. He will give those who are wicked to the sword,’ says the LORD.” 32 Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Behold, disaster shall go forth From nation to nation, And a great whirlwind shall be raised up From the farthest parts of the earth. 33 “And at that day the slain of the LORD shall be from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall become refuse on the ground.

There are times when enough is enough and justice must be served. There are times when God gives mercy, and there are times when He gives justice. It is His glory to do both. Those who fume against not forcing companies to pay for abortions are walking close the justice side of God. They should be careful to repent soon lest they end up receiving justice instead of mercy for it is the glory of the Lord Jesus to dispense both. For their sakes, those railing against the right of Hobby Lobby not to pay for insurance which pays for abortion, I hope they will repent soon so that they may receive the glorious mercy of the Lord and not His justice. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

ACTS 10:1-23
At this point in the book of Acts it has been an undetermined number of years since Jesus ascended and Pentecost came. With over-conservative certainty we can say that by now the church numbers more than 20,000 men, women and children. Certainly that is a healthy number for a city the size of Jerusalem. But the church is mostly Jewish believers in Jesus, including a number of the priests and Levites. When are they going to start making disciples of the nations? They had given their stamp of approval on the Holy Spirit's demonstration upon the half-Jewish Samaritans. But they have not made any concerted effort to reach outside their Jewish culture with the good news of Jesus. Why?
They were still trapped in their turn-of-the-millennium-Jewish world-view. Any consorting with Gentiles would render them unclean. From their world-view, Jesus may be the Messiah, but the Messiah was for the Jews. If the Gentiles want Jesus, they needed to first convert to Judaism. How does the Lord of Glory communicate the need to depart their world-view and begin making disciples of all ethnic groups? He arranges a series of circumstances to coincide with two different visions given to two different men. As we will see tomorrow, He will then confirm the meeting and visions with the outpouring of His Spirit. Without this vision Peter would never have left his world-view, even though he had heard the command of our Lord to make disciples of all ethnic groups. Without Peter going to Cornelius, there would never have been the auditory and visual confirmation that Gentiles could be saved with out first becoming Jews. Without this confirmation Paul's ministry would have been rejected by the church. Our glorious Lord orchestrated all of these events to push and confirm to His church that we are to make disciples of all ethnic groups. His ability to orchestrate the details of our lives in order to accomplish His purposes is amazing! Indeed we serve a glorious king! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

June 29

JOSHUA 1
It was 30 hours of traveling including the time spent waiting in airports. I dozed on occasion, but I had no good rest. Additionally, I crossed 13 time zones. I was tired. As tired as I was, I still could not get the proper rest that I needed. My body was out of sync with the new time zone. Even though I needed rest, it took me several days to get it. My body had to adjust to the new rhythm of sleeping. Arriving at a new country required a little bit of courage. It was a bit disconcerting. My luggage did not arrive with me. By the time I had filled out a baggage claim with a clerk who did not speak English and passed through customs, the airport was shutting down. There remained only a handful of airport employees and a few taxi drivers. My ride was not there yet. I had no Mongolian money, and no phone that would work in Mongolia. The lady at the information desk seemed to have limited English and little desire to help me find and use a phone. I needed rest and courage.
You know what? The Lord eventually gave it. This is what the Lord our God gives us: rest and courage. What is it about Him that He would do such a thing? Well, He is a God of great glory. He gives rest and courage, but we must seize it as He gives it. And He does give it! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PROVERBS 29
Verse 7 says, “The righteous considers the cause of the poor, But the wicked does not understand such knowledge.” Why would an outgrowth of righteousness be to consider the cause of the poor, and why would failing to understand such knowledge be an outgrowth of wickedness? Certainly righteousness finds its root in the very character of God. Does that mean that it is part of the character of God to consider the cause of the poor? Jesus himself said that we would always have the poor with us. Does this mean that as God considers the poor, He thinks that it is a good thing that poverty never ends? Obviously from all the Scriptural teaching about poverty, that cannot be true of God. What is the meaning of poverty? What is the source of poverty? What does a righteous God want to do about poverty as He considers it?
Poverty is more than just a lack of financial resources. I recently co-facilitated a Getting Ahead Circle for a small group of people in poverty. The main thrust of the investigation of the circle is that poverty is a lack of resources in one of many different areas, not just financial. One can lack resources in many areas, financial, social, educational, familial, mental, emotional, spiritual, physical, etc. Usually, one in financial poverty is experiencing a lack of resources in many areas. The lack of financial resources is a multifaceted problem. Just throwing money at it will not alleviate the problem. It will give temporary relief but not long term relief.
So when God contemplates our poverty, what does He consider? Apparently, His primary concern is our spiritual poverty. When Jesus came, His primary thrust was not to reshape economic systems, although that has been a by-product in times past of His reshaping cultures. His primary thrust was to restore man to his rightful position. His primary thrust is to give us the revelation that He alone can restore us to that position, and that position is true riches. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

JEREMIAH 24
Are you a bad fig or a good fig? The Lord seems to have classified the people of Jerusalem into two categories, good figs and bad figs. Josiah’s Kingdom fell apart upon his death in battle against Pharoah in 609 B.C. Jehoiakim was eventually put in power by Pharaoh. After a few of years he switched his allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar who had won a decisive battle against Egypt at Carchemish. Later Jehoiakim rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was replaced by Coniah, who after three months was carried off to Babylon. Along with Coniah, Nebuchadnezzar carried off the best of the land to Babylon. It is this exile to which Jeremiah is speaking. The salvageable people are referred to as good figs, and the unsalvageable are referred to as bad figs. Am I a bad fig or a good fig? How about you?
In the midst of this the Lord says of the good figs:

For I will set My eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land; I will build them and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up. 7 Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart.

This is a general principle about God, and it can be applied to me and you. He desires to give us a heart to seek Him. There comes a point when that offer is no longer available. We have become bad figs. But what incredible grace He gives us that we should be given by Him a heart to seek Him! That is the whole issue of meditations on the glory, men & women in the word, families in the word etc. Are we seeking Him? We need each other to spur each other on to seek the Lord! He gives us the heart; He gives us the grace, but we must choose to seek Him! Lord Jesus I choose to receive the heart to seek You that You have given me. Increase my knowledge of You. It is You I crave and need. It is You who salvages my filthy life! Your glory is all I want! ! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

ACTS 9:23-43
Sometimes the glory of Jesus is really hard to believe. It seems impossible to believe that Jesus could change someone who once hated Him supremely into someone who couldn't quit talking about Him. But, that is what happened. It happened instantly. None of the Jerusalem believers, save Barnabas (the son of encouragement) believed. But why not? They had seen people healed, raised from the dead, miraculous deliverances from prison. Indeed a few days hence, Jesus through Peter would heal a lame man in Lydda (about 20miles NW of Jerusalem). Then Peter would go to Joppa (modern day Haifa) and raise a woman from the dead. Why not believe Saul had been converted? To believe would mean they would have to love and trust Saul. Past experience had taught them that this would lead to their imprisonment and perhaps their death, if they were wrong, if Jesus really hadn't changed him. This required them to put their faith on the line. This is a test of faith for the Jerusalem believers that was as strong as Peter's request to walk on water, only Peter requested to walk on water. This test was thrust on the Jerusalem believers by the Lord. True to form, Barnabas, always the son of encouragement, passed the test.
Was it sin for the Jerusalem believers to not trust the glory of the Lord in the conversion of Saul? I really don't know. But this I know, Jesus did not convert Saul in order to add him to the Jerusalem church. He had a big plan for Saul, soon to be Paul. But Saul needed a little down time first, to sort things out. The Jerusalem believers were having a hard time "Going" as Jesus had commanded them to go. (Now that is a consistent problem with the church throughout church history. We enjoy huddling but hate going.) Jesus used the unconverted Saul to force the Jerusalem church to scatter when they had become enamored with their holy huddle. Jesus now had plans for this Jew of Jews to go through the Roman empire to the very heart of Rome preaching the Gospel and establishing churches among the Gentiles. Now that's glory! He takes a man who found all Gentiles to be an unclean thing and changes him to be the foremost missionary among them.
Why doesn't Jesus do that all the time? Certainly, Jesus did not change everybody 2000 years ago, who believed. Obviously He doesn't change everybody today. We still deal with husbands who don't love their wives even though they profess the name of Jesus. We still deal with people who continue to get drunk, even though they profess the name of Jesus. We still deal with people who fornicate even though they profess the name of Jesus. I could go on and on and get really negative here, but you know what I mean. What makes the difference? First it is the exchanged life. We will not lay down our lives for the life of Christ. Second it is a matter of focus. We are focused on our glory rather than the glory of Jesus. Because of that, we won't lay down our life for His. From a human perspective, Saul's hatred for Christians before his conversion was partly because of his passion for the glory of God. Once he saw the glory of Jesus, the exchanged life was a no-brainer. Paul was forever pursuing God's glory. That meant he had to pursue the glory of Christ. Indeed we serve a glorious king! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John