November 7

2 Kings 20
Do our prayers really affect the plan of God? If He really is sovereign, how can He allow His sovereign plans to be affected by our prayers? Greater minds than mine have honestly grappled with these questions, and they came up with mutually exclusive answers. I am not able to plumb the depths of how the sovereignty of God and the free will of man can both exist and do not infringe on each other. However, this is clear. God had determined that Hezekiah’s time on earth was done. He warned Hezekiah through Isaiah. Hezekiah immediately pled with God for healing. God immediately sent Isaiah back to heal him. Apparently, our prayers do somehow make a difference in the sovereign plan of God.
Maybe we should be careful about how we pray. Hezekiah lived another 15 years. He accomplished two things in those 15 years. Neither was good for the nation. 1) He became proud about the position the Lord had given him. So, he showed it all off, especially to the Babylonian ambassador. He did not brag about what God had done, but about what God had given him. 2) He fathered Manasseh and failed to bring him up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Manasseh was arguably Judah’s most morally corrupt and worst king. If Hezekiah had not prayed and received those requests, would the nation have been better off? Would God’s plan of showing the world the failure of the law been accomplished?
Part of the glory of God is that somehow He assigns the working of His sovereign plan to our participation with Him in prayer. That participation can result in either good or bad, but ultimately His plan is accomplished. That amazes me. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Psalm 127
As a freshman in college, I was taking too many classes, working too many hours and involved in too many activities. The combination resulted in too little sleep. I would study up on the fourth floor of the library in the religion section. Occasionally the Campus Crusade for Christ staff would have their morning devotions there. Frequently I would fall asleep at my study desk. On one of those occasions I awoke with a handwritten note on my open text book. It simply read, “It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep.”—Psalm 127:2. It was signed by one of the CCC staff women. I was confronted with the practical fact that it is the glory of the Lord to give his children sleep. If I order my life so that I am not getting enough sleep and that happens on a continual basis, then it demonstrates that I really do not trust that He will provide for me in such a way so that I will plan to take the sleep that is needed for good health. I wish I could say that I learned my lesson then. I had to relearn that lesson in seminary. As my age is catching up with me, I think that the Lord is forcing me to learn that lesson. I can no longer keep the schedules I used to keep and remain buoyant.
There is a similar lesson to be learned in relation to making the Lord the center of our families or cities. It is the glory of the Lord to provide the grace to build into our children’s lives. I really believe that some form of consistent reading of the word as parents with children is a necessary ingredient for allowing the Lord to build our families. Where else can our children see the glory of the Lord except when we read them diligently to our children, and talk of them when we sit in our houses, when we walk by the way, when we lie down, and when we rise up. Somehow they have to hear the word and see it lived out in our lives. It has to be something that God accomplishes. He does everything through His Spirit and His Word. That is how He shows His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MICAH 7
A couple of weeks ago, my sister had been going through some stuff at mom’s house and came across some pictures and gave some of them to me. One was of Laura and me as we sang at my sister’s wedding, which was 2 weeks before Laura and I married. As I looked at the picture and thought of our years together, I am reminded of how beautiful my wife is. I am blessed with an excellent wife. At the writing of this meditation, we have been married 38 years, 5 months and 3 days. Most of the time when there is tension in our marriage, it is mostly my fault. I’ve done a little marriage counseling in my 30 years of pastoral ministry. I’ve met a few men who couldn’t trust their wives, rightfully so. I’ve met even more women who rightfully couldn’t trust their husbands. I’ve been an observer of the pain they have inflicted upon each other, and I’ve wished I had a magic wand that could wash away the pain. I am proud of my wife. We are now approaching the last stretch of our lives, if not already in it. One might say that now is the harvest, and we have the privilege of gleaning the years of labor which produced the fruit around us. We have two married children, five living grandchildren, one son to be married soon, two other unmarried children, one of which is still in our home. We have good relationships together. One might say that it is a good harvest that we are beginning to enjoy and hope to have many more years of enjoying it.
Micah looks at the relationship between Israel and the LORD. He compares it to a harvest of summer fruit. Fruit was that last harvest of the year before winter came. It was supposed to be a time of great rejoicing for the abundance produced by the year’s labor. If the proper mix of tending the soil, the vines and trees, rain, etc. were faithfully executed during the year, then one would normally expect a good harvest. If one or more of the elements were missing the harvest would be proportionally decreased. Micah says,
Woe is me! For I am like those who gather summer fruits, like those who glean vintage grapes; there is no cluster to eat of the first-ripe fruit which my soul desires.
There is nothing to eat, no harvest for the fall, no dried fruit for the winter. It will be a very lean time, if he doesn’t starve to death. What is the fruit for which he is looking? It is faithfulness, faithfulness among brothers, faithfulness between the governed and the governors, faithfulness with friends, faithfulness between husbands and wives, faithfulness in families and ultimately faithfulness to the LORD. Now what does he find when the harvest has come? Nothing, he is left empty, and winter is coming. What does he do?
Micah determines that He will wait upon the Lord. The lack of faithfulness is due to years of sowing unfaithfulness to the LORD. Can it be remedied? Israel is like an unfaithful wife to the Lord. She has sown a summer of unfaithfulness. What can be done? At this point the only thing that can be done is to cast oneself upon the mercy of the LORD. What hope does Micah find there?

18 Who is a God like You,
Pardoning iniquity
And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?
He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in mercy.
19 He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea.

I hope I have been as faithful to the LORD as my wife has been to me. But what if I haven’t? We have such a merciful God, but why do we waste the spring and summers of our lives in unfaithfulness to Him? It is His mercy to forgive us and cast our sins into the depths of the sea, but when the harvest comes, we still must live with the consequences of a lack of diligence in the spring and summer. Never-the-less I am thankful for His pardon. I delight in His mercy. I bask in his compassion. I revel in His subjugation of my iniquity! Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Hebrews 4
Well now if Jesus is able to give me victory over sin, what is the mechanism by which we claim His victory? Jesus uses His word, His Spirit and our faith. As we combine these three, we enter into His faithfulness and rest in our struggle against sin. Jesus’ word, partially given by Moses, is taken by His Holy Spirit and reveals the deepest issues and sins in our lives that need to be removed. He sees into every nook and cranny of our lives. But He does so to act as a High Priest not as a judge. As our sin is revealed our first inclination is to run and hide our sin from God, others and even ourselves. That is what the nation of Israel did at Kadesh Barnea, when they refused to enter the Promised Land.
But we have a High Priest in Jesus who can sympathize with our weaknesses. We should not run from our sin but rather bring it to our High Priest. After all He was tempted in every point just as we are and He felt the full force of that temptation. Yet, He triumphed and did not sin. He triumphed and died and rose again for our sin. When His Holy Spirit reveals our sin through His word, we must deal with that sin by coming to His throne of grace obtaining His mercy and grace and the empowerment and provision for overcoming temptation through the filling of His Holy Spirit. It is obtained by faith. He is compassionate toward us and gives us His victory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

November 6

2 KINGS 19
When I am up against a horrendous struggle, and it looks like I will be defeated, what do I do? Do I fret in prayer by sending a barrage of requests before the throne? Or do learn to quiet myself before God by resting in the knowledge of who He is? It never ceases to instruct me when I consider the recorded prayers of the people in the Bible. Whether they are in good times or difficult times, usually at least 50% of their prayers focus on nature and acts of God, and another large percentage focuses on how this situation will affect His glory. This certainly is the type of prayer that Hezekiah gives:

O LORD God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16“Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. 17“Truly, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, 18“and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. 19“Now therefore, O LORD our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD God, You alone.

The actual request is only the first half of verse 19. It is as though he is reciting before Him His glory. Does God need us to recite His glory to Him before He will answer our prayers? Absolutely not! Then why does God encourage that type of prayer? There are many answers to that question. One is that we are created to reflect His glory. To ask requests without reflecting his glory is to sidestep the purpose of our very existence. A second answer is that as we reflect upon His glory, we receive what we need to live victoriously in the midst of challenging circumstances.
Look at what he says. “The One who dwells between the cherubim,” what does that mean? The cherubim are placed in the Garden of Eden to defend the way to the Tree of Life. The cherubim are carved into images and placed on the mercy seat in the holy of holies. Ezekiel describes the cherubim as serving the purpose of magnifying the holiness and power of God, one of their main responsibilities throughout the Bible.* What is important about that? By declaring this Hezekiah is choosing to stand in the midst of the holiness and power of God. He is reminding himself of how great God is. He is reminding himself that as important as this struggle is in the history of Israel, it is nothing in comparison to the holiness and power of God. He then moves on to the fact that God is God of all kingdoms, even Assyria, even if they refuse to acknowledge it. He rests in the great power of God that He alone created the heaven and earth. He alone is God! What else can Hezekiah do but rest in what God will decide to do? Will I do that? Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
*Youngblood, Ronald F.: Bruce, F.F. (Hrsg.): Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary : An Authoritative One-Volume Reference Work on the Bible With Full Color Illustrations. electronic edition of the revised edition of Nelson's illustrated Bible dictionary. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1995
PSALM 126
The Glory of the Lord is that He sets the captive free. I do not know about you, but He has set this captive free. I was chained to sin; He broke the chains. I was a debtor beyond my ability to repay; He paid my debt. There are times of poverty, but He replaces them not with financial riches but with His riches. The principle is: Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. That is an aspect of His glory! I certainly want to exchange my poverty and slavery for His riches and freedom because it is all about experiencing His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MICAH 6
“Each blade of grass whispered to the other, “The king of Togo Togo has two horns!” You may have heard the old African fable which was used to teach children the value of keeping secrets. When God made His covenant with Israel, He used the covenant form of the cultural day. Part of that form was to call witnesses who would be able to come back later and witness both the covenant and its violation. He called the mountains and hills to be witnesses when He made his covenant with Israel. God is calling in His witnesses. The violation of the covenant can no longer be ignored. In the court room, He asks, “How have I wearied you?”
How could we ever be weary of a God whose glory is as great as our God’s glory? It is simple; we put our eyes on something that is not His glory. Oh we may think it is, but it is not. Someone I know who became a Christian as an adult said that one of the things that turns her family off toward the church is that it is “cheesy.” Why is it “cheesy?” maybe because it is that we have exchanged the glory of our Lord for a cheap imitation. Oh it has many of the right words, but the Spirit of power behind the words is not there because His glory is not preeminent.
He fills out the problem a little later on in the passage v.8, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” Inwardly, they had forgotten justice. Their material possessions were more important than their obedience to the Lord in dealing with the poor, the widows and the orphan. Outwardly, they showed no mercy or pity upon the destitute. Upwardly, they thought the outward performance of the commanded sacrifices made them right before God. How had God wearied them? He hadn’t. They settled for a cheap imitation and refused to come to the true fountain of life.
It is God’s glory that He stands with arms open commanding us to return. When we put our eyes on something else, we may be fooled, but the world smells a cheap imitation immediately, and the world whispers to each other, “The church of Jesus Christ has two horns.” Lord, let me not be fooled with the imitation. Keep my heart hot to pursue Your glory! I easily forget justice and abandoned mercy. I easily become proud before You. Forgive me Lord, and let Your glory shine in me! Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

HEBREWS 3
We are told to consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus. What is an Apostle? He was one who was sent on behalf of an Emperor and carried all the authority of the Emperor. What was a High Priest. A priest is one who is a mediator between God and man. The High Priest was the chief one in charge. Jesus is the One who was sent on behalf of God the Father with all His authority in order to mediate between us & God. He was completely faithful in fulfilling His duty. What was His duty? It was to build us into a temple to be inhabited by God. Jesus was faithful to take rebellious sinful people like us, remove our sin, give us His righteousness, reconcile us to God, join us together so that we become a house that invites God’s presence. The presence of God can now dwell in us individually and corporately.
Moses was faithful in building his house. The problem was that his house was only successful at revealing the sin of the people. He was unable to bring them into the rest of victory over temptation and sin. That is how Jesus contrasts with him. Jesus not only reveals our sin. He removes it. He gives us ability to be victorious over sin. What Moses accomplished was glorious but Jesus far outshines Moses. Jesus is indeed faithful in making me/us victorious over sin. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

November 5

2 KINGS 18
Of all the OT Prophets, Isaiah is probably the best know largely because of his many Messianic prophecies. But what most people do not associate with him is that many of his prophecies are spoken directly to his contemporaries. Many of his prophecies were encouragements or warnings to be faithful to the Lord and to not depend upon Egypt or any surrounding nations for their national security. Isaiah began his ministry in the year that Uzziah died. He endured the reigns of Jotham and Ahaz. Do you suppose that Hezekiah grew up under the teaching of Isaiah? He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. His father Ahaz did not. Hezekiah “trusted in the LORD God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him.” Why was Hezekiah different? It was Isaiah who had seen the glory of the Lord that is recorded in Isaiah 6:1ff. I think Isaiah spoke it to Hezekiah. Hezekiah wanted it more than anything. Because of that, he cut off anything that detracted from the glory of the Lord. He destroyed the bronze serpent that Moses had made. He stopped the idolatrous worship of the people of Israel!
Alas, he also learned from his father Ahaz. Ahaz had taken gold from the temple in order to hire the King of Assyria to attack Syria and Israel, so that he would get relief from them. When Sennacherib invaded, out of fear, Hezekiah took the gold from the temple in order to pay Sennacherib’s demands. Did he really need to do that? The enemy smells fear from afar. The gift of gold only served as the scent of fear to incite Sennacherib to greater demands. The enemy used Hezekiah’s good acts as leverage against him as the demands were laid out upon the wall in Hebrew in the hearing of all the people. The glory of the Lord was maligned by Sennacherib’s officers. What would Hezekiah do? Would he depend upon the Lord? Would he succumb to the threats of fear? When the enemy uses your good acts against you to create more fear in your life, do you depend upon the Lord? Or do you succumb to the threats of fear. Maybe at those times you need someone to speak the glory of the Lord into your life. Maybe someone today needs you to speak the glory of the Lord into their life. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 125
Last summer Jesse and I possessed the good fortune to stand in the midst of the city of David. It certainly is not the highest peak around. The Mount of Olives towers to the east. Mt. Moriah and Scopas tower to the north. Other peaks loom on the west. To the south reach peaks, which on the other side lays Bethlehem. I suppose that those mountains afforded some protection for the city of David. But I guess the issue is not how much protection the mountains provide, but that they surround the city. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people. He surrounds me.
Because He surrounds me, the rule of the wicked cannot remain in my life. He will not allow it. The wicked may touch and rule elements of my life briefly, but it cannot rest there, for evil cannot remain in His presence. He will cause the wicked to leave in order keep me from falling into his snare. Sometimes it feels like evil surrounds me completely, but if I look out into the distance, I see His peaks towering in the distance. He still surrounds me. He still is working to remove the scepter of the unrighteous from my life. He won’t let iniquity rest in me. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MICAH 5
Micah switches gears back to the future. In chapter 4 we began looking at the Millennium. Then he digresses back to the great battle which will usher in the Messianic kingdom where the nations that oppose the Messiah are crushed. Then in 5:1 he shifts further back to the future when Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem and finally strikes Zedekiah with a rod bringing a permanent end to the line of kings until the Messiah would appear. But He leaves Judah with hope. He catapults back to the future 582 years. Out of little Bethlehem, the birth place of David and only five miles from the temple in Jerusalem, he announces the birth of the last and great ruler. Out of you Bethlehem, a little insignificant town, a town so small that it is not listed in the list of cities conquered by Joshua. Its only significance is that when the nation was on the verge of subjugation to the Philistines a young man came forth to lead the nation into victory and lead the nation to the status of a world power of the time. But that was the past. Micah takes us back to the future when the world is on the brink of being destroyed by those who follow the powers of darkness. A ruler will step forth from Bethlehem, and he will intervene.
I felt compelled to consult a commentary on this passage and came across something of great interest to me. This phrase, “Yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel,” what does it mean, “shall come forth to Me?” Listen to this from the commentary:

Willis, while maintaining the MT, offers an unusual interpretation based on parallels: “From you [a city] will come to me [a person],” meaning that the Messiah will come out of Bethlehem as an inferior king to meet Yahweh, his superior king, in order to submit himself to him. Renaud (La Formation, p. 224) objects that, among other arguments, all of Willis’s invoked parallels are located in a clear context of surrender, whereas here the context is one of victory, not surrender. Besides, none of the parallels use “I.” (to)

I suggest that they are both correct as long as we understand that the words ‘inferior’ and ‘superior’ do not refer to quality of person but to the concept of submission. The result would be that unlike other kings of Judah, the Messiah, Jesus, comes out of Bethlehem to submit Himself to the will of the Lord which results in overwhelming victory! Thus Willis is correct in terms of submission, and Renaud is correct in terms of victory. Jesus’ path to victory is through submission to the Father.
This one who submits to the Father is the One who is from everlasting. Immediately the words of Moses in Psalm 90:2, “Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” He who submits to God the Father is God, God the Son! Clearly this is one of the mysteries of the Universe! God the Son eternally submits to the will of the Father, God the Holy Spirit eternally submits to God the Son and God the Father. The love of the Son for the Father is proven by His submission to His will. The love of the Holy Spirit for the Father and the Son is proven by His submission to their will. The love of God the Father for God the Son is proven by His exaltation to His right hand, being given a name that is above all names and given as His inheritance those for whom He died. What great glory is seen in this eternal love affair, of which He has made us part!
This all sounds very cerebral, but there is a very practical side to this. Jesus’ submission is plastered throughout the New Testament. He Himself said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be serve, but serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Who was He serving? Us? Yes. The Father? Yes. He said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does.” His submission was moment by moment and dependent upon the Father. His eyes were clearly fixed upon what the Father was doing.
His evening with the disciples before His crucifixion was filled with this, “So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” What was He doing? He was cleaning them. He was talking about spiritual cleansing. Jesus’ death brought the cleansing that they needed. One among them was not clean, Judas. Did Jesus wash Judas’ feet? Yep. He served the one whom He knew would betray Him. The others were clean, except. Except what? Except the dirt that had come upon them from living their daily life. Think spiritually.
How do we clean each other’s feet? Think spiritually. If cleaning each other’s feet is at all possible, it is only possible if we are in total submission to the Lord Jesus Christ and to each other. What does that look like? It looks like Jesus

Philippians 2:1-11 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Does this look anything like our church, or the church in America? Where is the submission to one another? We approach church from a consumerism mentality. Does this church meet my needs or my family’s needs? Oh, I will take this entrée from this church, this dessert from this church, this fruit from that church. But am I committed to the people of this congregation? What if this congregation does not have a menu which I like? If they do not, then I will just go to one that has the right menu. Lord forbid if someone should point out my sin! If they do, then I’ll just go to another congregation. Am I lowly minded enough that if my brother points out my sin, I won’t be defensive? Will I truly consider his point? Submission to one another is a forgotten concept much less work.
Yet, this is the glory of Jesus. He submitted to the Father. He calls us to do the same and to submit to each other, and in so doing, we reflect His glory. Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

HEBREWS 2
The glory of the Lord has been attested to by signs, wonders, miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit. And yes, they still happen today. They do not happen every day or we wouldn't view them as miracles. We would view them as every day events. I have met and know people who have attested to having personally received miraculous healings apart from medical science. I can personally attest to numerous occasions where the Lord has miraculously provided finances for me, especially in my seminary days. For example, one morning in seminary I had zero money in the bank, zero money in my pocket, no food in the refrigerator or cupboard and no prospect of receiving money in the near future. I got up and walked to the seminary library and sat down at a study table to have my quiet time. As I was reading God's word, another student, whom I had only met the week before and barely knew his name, got up from his study table, walked over to me and handed me a $20 bill. In 1980 dollars that was a lot of money. He said, "I don't know why but the Lord told me to give this to you." We ate that day because of a miracle of God. That student did not know my need. He had little money himself. It was a sacrifice for him to give. Yet God spoke to him. He listened and obeyed. And I am sure God made up the difference for him. There were several miracles that occurred in that provision: the student heard, the student obeyed, my need was met without me telling a soul and my faith was strengthened. My seminary days had many similar events.
What is man that God is mindful of him? Yet it is the glory of God that He became a man that He could meet our needs. By the grace of God He endured the suffering of death on the cross for us. Now that is glory! He destroyed the one who had the power of death! Yes, death and sickness reign for a little while, but they flee when Jesus comes and He is coming to ultimately defeat sickness and death. But before He returns He gives us aid. He is able to give us aid because in all things He was made like us. He knows our temptations. He is an ever merciful and faithful High Priest for us. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

November 4

2 KINGS 17
Anger is often thought of as a sinful emotion. Yet the Scripture tells us that the Lord was angry with Israel because of their sin. If I am going to have a full view of God, then by necessity, I must understand and appreciate His anger as part of Who God is. If I truly understood His anger, would that not play into my motivations as I am faced with temptations to pursue other gods? If I fear Him because He gets angry when I pursue other gods, wouldn’t that be part of a legitimate motivation to pursue Him? I should hope so. The message that is credited with starting the greatest revival that North America has ever seen was entitled Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Often Jonathan Edwards is parodied as a wild-eyed preacher. In actuality eye-witness accounts state that he read his sermons in a monotone voice, but the power of God was so strong on the congregation that people literally fell on the floor wailing in sorrow over their sin and begging forgiveness of the Holy God, against whom they had transgressed. Most of Jonathan Edwards sermons dealt with the beauty of the Grace of God. They knew His Grace. When they were faced with the reality of His anger, they had a balanced view of His glory. His anger against sin is every bit as much of a part of His glory as is His mercy. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 124
We always wanted Steve on our side. When dividing up sides in grade school for football or baseball, it was always advantageous to have him on our side. He was strong, athletic and fast. Usually, whichever side had Steve was the side which won. What a contrast to myself. I remember clearly times in ninth grade basketball when we would divide up sides to scrimmage; a groan was usually let loose by the team when they found that I was to be appointed to their side. Anyway, it was always good to be on the side of the talented and able guys.
Isn’t it good to know that we can be on the Lord’s side? I want the Creator of Heaven and earth to be on my side when I am in the midst of a Hurricane Sandy. Then I know that I will either come through it victoriously, or I will be heaven with Him. No flood or wave can defeat me. No emotional turmoil will overcome me. Yes, it will be hard, but He will save me. After all, His very name, Jesus, means Yahweh saves. I will hide in His name, because there I will find salvation! If He can make heaven and earth, He can save me. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MICAH 4
How refreshing! When Jesus returns to begin the Millennium, we will be able to go to Jerusalem and let Him teach us His ways. There will not be anymore Afghanistans. There will be no more corruption. We can look forward to seeing His Glory! O sigh, in the meantime we are here. His glory is obscured. But we have the privilege of shining His glory into this dark world. Shine in us Lord Jesus! Let this dark world see You! Let us give our lives for Your Glory! Let us die to ourselves and this world! Raise us up so that Your glory beams the blinding light of Your presence! O come, Lord Jesus! Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

HEBREWS 1
The Lord Jesus Christ is the heir of all things. Someday it is all going to be His. (Actually it already is His.) Somehow we think that we and/or others own the things around us. Perhaps we feel like we will have them forever. Not so, it all belongs to Him. And it should belong to Him. After all, He made all the worlds.
The Lord Jesus is also the visible manifestation of God the Father. When we have seen Him, we have seen the Father. He is the express image of the Father. There is only one way that I can see the Father, and it is through Jesus. But Jesus is no longer here. That is why the Word and the Holy Spirit are so important. As we hear, read, study, memorize, meditate upon His Word, we find Jesus. His Holy Spirit begins to take the word and reveal Jesus to us spiritually. We can see Him through the eyes of our hearts. His glory begins to become real to us. It is so vital that at those times, when His glory is becoming real, that we speak His glory to one another.
What holds the atoms together? We say things like the electrical charges of the protons, neutrons and electrons. What holds them together? We can talk about things like quarks. But ultimately there is only One that holds all things together. The Lord Jesus upholds all things by the word of His power. Wow! I admit it! I really don't understand that. But this I realize, if He chose to let go, everything would cease to exist.
This Creator, this Powerful One became flesh and purged our sins. Amazing! He is now seated at the right hand of the Majesty. One day every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. His name is above any other. He even has a name that we cannot even grasp! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

November 3

2 KINGS 16
When I was 5 or 6, my brother and I received a joint Christmas gift. It was a record player. My brother thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I on the other hand could not have cared less. He also received one of those cheap plastic doctor’s kit. I really thought that the doctor’s kit was great. He really wanted to be the sole owner of the record player. So he traded me the doctors kit for my half of the record player. Monetarily speaking, the record player was of much greater value. When I grew a little older, I realized that I had really made a dumb deal. It just did not make sense.
Often times people just do not make sense. Ahaz did not do right in the sight of the Lord. Not only did he not do right, but he made his son pass through the fire. He was a spiritual adulterer. He ran after many other Gods. So when God sent Syria to punish him, he viewed it as Syria’s attempt to join with Israel to force them into an alliance against Assyria rather than the discipline of the Lord. Instead of repenting and turning to the Lord, He took the Lord’s gold and used it to buy an alliance with Assyria. Assyria came and defeated Syria. Ahaz’ plan worked. He decided to go to Damascus, the capital of Syria, defeated by Assyria. There he visited the temple of the god of the Syrians. In the pagan temple he sees an altar that he likes. He sends a description of it to Jerusalem and has the Lord’s altar moved and a new one like the pagan altar put in its place. What is more; the high priest of the Lord fully cooperates with him. They replace the altar of the Most High God with the altar of an ineffectual god. Why?
I can only assume that it was because Ahaz did not know the glory of the Lord. That is why it is so important that I see the glory of the Lord. If I don’t see it, I am bound to trade it for something worthless. I must continually ask myself, “Do I really see the value of the glory of the Lord?” Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 123
The summer before my eighth grade school year, I went to a one-week-long Christian youth camp. The Holy Spirit began to convict me there that the Lord wanted me in a relationship with Him, not just my compulsory church attendance. I determined then that that was what I wanted. I did a thing that the Baptists call, ‘rededication.’ As much as I knew how at that age, I offered myself to our Lord. I knew that I should somehow be a witness for him, but did not know how to do it. So I began carrying my Bible with me to school as a declaration that I was a follower of Jesus. (I would have benefited much more if I would have read, studied and applied it as much as I carried it.)
The result was that among my peers, I developed a reputation. From a few it was a reputation of admiration. Most could not have cared less. Others held me in contempt. Some found ways to express their contempt by the statements they would make. Generally that contempt expressed itself in being ignored by those who did not want to follow Christ. It could be that they felt condemned by me. I hope not. I can honestly say that was never my intention. However, Friedrich Nietzsche, (a man whose philosophy I hold in contempt) said: “Man is more sensitive to the contempt that others feel towards him than to the contempt that he feels towards himself.” Perhaps that was true of me. I really don’t know. I hope it wasn’t true. One of the side benefits of that reputation was that I was never tempted by a peer to join in their immorality. Sometimes downside was a feeling of isolation. How should a follower of Jesus handle the contempt that Jesus and Paul said is bound to happen to a Christ follower?
Dictionary.com defines contempt as:

1. the feeling with which a person regards anything considered mean, vile, or worthless; disdain; scorn.
2. the state of being despised; dishonor; disgrace.

As a believer in the USA, it is really the major kind of persecution that I have experienced for the name of Christ. The Psalmist is feeling that kind of contempt. He says, “I will lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the Heavens.” The one place that he can gain relief from the contempt of His peers is gazing into the face of the Lord of glory. It is only in lifting up our eyes upon Him that we get the relief we need or desire from the contempt of others. Does that mean that He will take their contempt away? No! It means that when I have gazed upon His glory it changes me! Their contempt becomes a mute issue in comparison to the sweetness of His glory.
I have four dogs. Occasionally I feed them from what I am snacking on. Whenever they realize that I am snacking on something, they will surround me. Their eyes will be intently focused on the food in my hand. Wherever my hand goes, their eyes are following. They know that if they watch long enough and closely enough that they might receive some tasty morsel. When we are wounded by the contempt of others for the name of Christ, it is time to stare intently upon His glory until we receive the mercy we need from Him. When He reveals His glory to us, its sweetness causes all contempt of others to melt in comparison. Oh, He is sweet! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MICAH 3
Because the Lord is just, he has set a chain of command in place in this corrupt human race. It is the duty of the leaders of a society to protect the poor, the innocent and the righteous. When the leaders corrupt their God-given role to twist it to their advantage, the anger of the Lord is engaged. The Lord is so furious with the leaders of Israel that he uses the simile of a butcher to describe the heinousness of their works. He describes them as cannibalistic fiends. As if they were preparing for a meal feasting on those whom they were charged to protect. Were they really doing this? Only in the most perverted of cultures does this ever happen. But the Lord is attempting to give greater impact upon the foulness of their works. Yet it appears that they did not heed the Lord’s warning.
Indeed they are unaware that the Lord no longer is among them. Happy with the money that they receive for ruling, teaching or prophesying, they continue on keeping up appearances that the Lord is among them, when He is far removed. But the Lord will not allow such nonsense, especially in His household. His glory is to plow them like a field. What do you do with a field that is unfruitful at the end of the season? You plow it under and start again attempting to use the appropriate seed, herbicides, pesticides, fertilizer, and irrigation in the next growing season. And so, the Lord does with His people. It is part of His glory.
Lord enable me to uproot any foreign seed in my life. Uproot any foreign seed in this congregation. Make us fit for growing the fruit which You desire. Make us a field that displays the pleasant aspects of your glory rather than the justice that brings recompense to our evil deeds! Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PHILEMON
Jesus puts good things in us (v. 6). A good thing that Jesus placed in Philemon was a changed heart toward his property. He no longer grasped on to it as his own. But he recognized that everything he owned belonged to the Lord. Philemon was from Colossae and was a wealthy slave owner. Paul had lead Philemon to the Lord perhaps while in Ephesus. But perhaps he made a diversion to Colossae on his way through Phrygia to Ephesus on his third missionary journey (Acts 18:23; 19:1). Paul writes this letter to Philemon from jail in Rome. Apparently Philemon's slave, Onesimus, had run away to Rome. Somehow in the providence of God, Paul and Onesimus met up in Rome. Onesimus became a Christian. Paul was able to disciple Onesimus enabling him to grow in the Lord. Finally, the time came when the matter had to be dealt with. Legally, Onesimus was the property of Philemon. Spiritually, Onesimus was Philemon's brother. Paul did not command Philemon to free his brother. Rather he appealed to him on the basis of the good thing that Christ had put in Philemon's life. It was not a matter of law but a matter of love. How can one love his brother and treat him as a slave? You cannot.
Jesus also placed a good thing in the heart of Onesimus. Onesimus willingly went back to Philemon carrying this letter and the letter to the Colossians. He was willing to submit to an unjust authority. It is unjust that one man should own another man. But because of the 'good thing' Jesus placed in the life of Onesimus, he was willing to submit to the legal code of the Romans and return to Philemon. Philemon had the legal right to treat Onesimus in any manner that he desired, including death. Yet, Onesimus submitted to the legal authority of the government in which he lived. That Onesimus submitted, speaks volumes concerning the glory of our Lord.
Our Lord has placed every 'good thing' in you that you need. The question is do you realize it? I'm sure it took a while for Onesimus to realize it in himself. It took a while before he was willing to risk returning to Philemon. And Paul could have commanded Philemon to receive Onesimus as a brother. But he trusted in the glory of Christ that the 'good thing' was indeed planted in Philemon and Onesimus and their 'good deeds' (v. 14) would be out of willingness and not compulsion. Am I willing to endure or do anything for the sake of Christ? If I am, then it can only be because I have realized the 'good thing' he has placed in me. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

November 2

2 Kings 15
More than half a century of history is covered in this chapter. Azariah, better known as Uzziah in 2 Chronicles, reigned 52 years. The Kings record only devotes a total of 7 verses to describe those 52 years. Funny, David reigned only 40 years and he received 39 chapters; 24 were from his reign as king. Uzziah must have had a pretty stable and powerful administration to have lasted 52 years. Humanly speaking, he must have been an incredible king. Because of his longevity, the kings of Israel are dated according to his reign. Isaiah dates his call to ministry to the year that King Uzziah died (Is. 6:1). Yet, only 7 little verses. The Lord was not too impressed. When we get to 2 Chronicles, we will have more to say about Uzziah then. But for now we could sum it all up by saying, “What shall it profit a man if he gain the praise of the whole world, but lose the glory of God?” I am not in the least implying that Uzziah went to hell, but rather I am saying that Uzziah had potential to elevate the glory of God beyond compare. Instead, he chose his own glory. He lived out the tail end of his life as a leper because he was only concerned about his own rights. Sad. But am I any different? When I am given the choice of pursuing my own rights as opposed to obedience to the Lord, which do I choose? The world is filled with Uzziahs. Lord, keep me from being one. Lord, let your glory exceed, multiply and fill my life! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Psalm 122
I learned something about Israel last week that I guess I already knew, but I had just never heard that comparison before. “The modern state of Israel is about the geographic size of the panhandle of Oklahoma.” Like the panhandle, a good portion of it is dry. Hmm. . . How could such a little state be the focus so many world events? It wouldn’t seem that such a little country would matter in the affairs of the world. How many times has its capital, Jerusalem been destroyed and rebuilt? How many nations have surrounded its walls? Since David captured Jerusalem around 1000 B.C. these nations have sought to control its gates: Egypt, Ethiopia, Edom, Moab, Ammon, Syria, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, the Seleucids, Rome. That was only the first thousand years. From the time of the Muslim conquest to the present it has been the recipient of waves of conquerors, Muslim and/or so-called Christian. Why is it the site of so much upheaval? Simple, it represents everything that Satan detests—the rule and reign of God.
The Psalmist states it in a positive way in the last verse, “I will now say, ‘Peace be within you.’ Because of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.” For whatever reason, God has chosen Jerusalem to be the focus place of His redemptive plan. It would seem to me therefore that to act in aggression against Jerusalem, without the direct instruction of God, would be to act in aggression against God’s redemptive plan. Jerusalem was the place that God set to place His presence in order to redeem the human race. To act in aggression against Jerusalem without the direct instruction of God would be to act in aggression against God’s presence. Jerusalem was the place where God chose to set His name. To act in aggression against Jerusalem without the direct instruction of God would be to act in aggression against God’s Name. Jerusalem was the place where God chose to set His glory. To act in aggression against Jerusalem without the direct instruction of God would be to act in aggression against God’s glory.
For these reasons we must pray for the peace of Jerusalem, all the while realizing that true peace will never come until the Prince of Peace reigns upon His throne there. If I really understand praying for the peace of Jerusalem, my prayers go beyond physical peace. It is a prayer asking for the return of the Prince of Peace. He said that the end would not come until the Gospel of the Kingdom was preached as a witness to all nations (ethnic groups). I am convinced that praying for the peace of Jerusalem includes praying for the completion of the Great Commission. Yes, it includes praying for physical peace right now, but ultimately physical peace will never come until Jesus returns physically and comes to destroy those who destroy the earth. Then His glory will shine like the sun, and all shall see it. Then the nations will stream to Jerusalem to worship Him and bring the glory He so richly deserves. Then the nations will see and experience His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MICAH 2
Stillwater is an interesting place to live. Because it is a University community, the economy is not quite as affected by the ups and downs of the economy. Yet, because it is a University community, unless one works for the University or one owns one’s own business, it is difficult to find a way of making a living here that pays more than subsistence living. As a result, our county is the third poorest county in Oklahoma and has a reported poverty rate that is currently around 24%. On the other hand, one would think with that kind of a poverty rate that property values and rents would be rather low. On the contrary, rents are rather high. Landlords know that there is a high demand for housing because of the student population. Consequently, affordable housing for single families who make poverty level salaries does not exist. Even two wage earners in a household where both make minimum wage do not make enough money to live comfortably in our community. It is almost as if (but I know there is not) there is a conspiracy against the working poor to keep them poor.
There is a definite trend in all cultures of all times that the people who owned the land were the people who were independent and free in relation to other humans. The rich recognize this. It was no different in Micah’s day. Listen to what he says:
Woe to those who devise iniquity, And work out evil on their beds! At morning light they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand. They covet fields and take them by violence, Also houses, and seize them. So they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.
Because of their wealth, they were able to work ruthlessly to obtain more land which would bring more wealth. It is the same today, hence the old saying, “It takes money to make money,” Don’t get me wrong. I am not against the wealthy, but I do sometimes wonder about the ethics of say Donald Trump when he uses bankruptcy to his advantage in the accrual of his fortune. What we see here is a systemic problem with covetousness. But the problem does not find its limitation in covetousness. In order to hide their covetousness, they desire to keep the prophets quiet, or at least in agreement with themselves. They seek to hide the fact that Yahweh is a defender of the widow and the fatherless, the most defenseless of the poor. When the rich un-righteously keep everything in control for themselves, who can intervene for the poor? Our King will do it! This is why we long for His return. He is the Good Shepherd. He will break through the walls and become a gate for His sheep. He will lead us out of the bondage for He is the gate. He is the way, the truth and the life! That is His glory, and it cannot be taken from Him! Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Titus 3
Jesus is kind. What does it mean to be kind? Webster says it means to be sympathetic, friendly, gentle, benevolent, generous etc. Let us start with the first one, sympathetic. Do you ever stop to think that the One who created the Universe is sympathetic toward you? Bill Clinton is famous for the oft used line in his speeches, "I feel your pain." Whether or not it was true, it struck a very solid note with a lot of people. People want to know that someone who might have the power to do something about their situation feels their pain. If that person feels their pain, then they might be inclined to do something about it. Jesus, our Creator and Sustainer, feels our pain. That is part of why He became a man. As a human being, He felt every human emotion to its fullest extent, yet without sin. But kindness goes further than just feeling another's pain. It does something about it. It is benevolent. It is moved to bring relief to the pain.
That is why Jesus showed us mercy. Our pain was caused by that which kept us from Him, our sin. Our sin demanded justice, death. But in His kindness He took our sin and death upon Himself so that justice might not destroy us. Then He regenerated us. There is a lot of talk about stem cells. He is the original stem cell. He goes back to life without sin. He is able to regenerate a new life in us. He makes us new. He washes away our sin. The old is gone. The new is come.
We are now heirs with Him. An heir has an inheritance. What is His inheritance? It is us. What is our inheritance? It is Him. My first thought is that we got the better end of the deal. But then, remember He is the stem cell. What He is making us into is something that He puts on the level of us being His bride. He is not going to marry some ugly old maid. I tell you that the day my wife walked down the isle to marry me, she was the most beautiful woman in the world (and still is). I often tell her she is gorgeous. She usually responds that I have something wrong with my eyes, but it is okay for me to think she is gorgeous. Jesus has nothing wrong with His eyes. He has regenerated us and is renewing us day by day. When that day comes when we will be presented to Him, we will be radiant and without spot or blemish. We will be the perfect bride for the King of the universe. And it will all be because of His power. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

November 1

2 Kings 14
Sometimes drought comes. 2011 and 2012 set new records for not enough rainfall in Oklahoma. We actually had less rain fall for a two year period than any other two year period in recorded Oklahoma history, including the Dust Bowl years. In one of those years we were declared the hottest state in the nation according to the National Weather Service. 117 degrees is hot no matter what the humidity is. Our ponds dried up. A few lakes dried up. There was a picture in the daily Oklahoman of boats sitting on dry lake bed at Lake Hefner in OKC. Wild fires sparked by the dry conditions were very common. We were beginning to get desperate. Churches even began praying in the public services for physical rain. I know ours did. In January and February we asked for good long gentle rains. God gave them. But the gentle rains were not filling up the ponds. So we asked for ‘toad stranglers’. They came, and the tornados came with them. But were we as desperate for spiritual rain as we were for physical rain?
A spiritual drought brings dryness for seeing the glory of the Lord. In those seasons the word of the Lord is rare, even among those who name His name. In general, Amaziah did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet he did not remove the high places that the people had built. His whole reign seems to be void of any occurrence of the glory of the Lord. Why? Perhaps because even though he did right in the sight of the Lord, he was still focused on his own glory. He probably did not stand up to the people to remove the high places because he was afraid how he would be seen by his own people. After some success in defeating the people of Edom, he thought himself strong enough to defeat Israel. Why would he even desire to defeat Israel? He wanted more glory for himself. Was the drought for the glory of the Lord result of Amaziah’s desire for glory for himself? Or, was the desire for glory for himself the result of the drought of the glory of the Lord? Or, were they both intertwined in a vicious tightening cycle that spiraled Amaziah down to defeat? Honestly, I am not sure that I can accurately separate them to clearly delineate cause and effect. But this I know, “At anytime Amaziah could have broken out of the cycle if He wanted it bad enough. Do I want it bad enough? Do I really want to see the glory of God? Or, do I just want to be comfortable. Do I really want to see the glory of God, or do I just want to my own glory to be seen? Oh God help me come to the end of myself before I spiral into defeat! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Psalm 121
At the beginning of the Civil War, the Native Americans who had been displaced to Oklahoma began to discuss among themselves as to which side they should align themselves. Many of them wanted to be aligned with the southern Confederacy. Many others felt that it was a white man’s war, and they should just stay out of it. It began to appear that a majority would side with the South. Many felt that it would not go well with them if they sided with the south or if they sought to remain in Oklahoma among those who desired the break-up of the union. They gathered their possessions and relatives and followed the Creek leader, Opothle Yahola. They had had some communications with the Union, asking that the Union honor the treaties by giving them protection from those who would attack them. But the Union was spread too thin, and it would not send the needed support until years later. Opothle Yahola sought to move his band of loyalists to an area where they could live peacefully. Col. Douglas Cooper of Texas took about 1400 men to bring Yahola’s band under submission or to drive them from the area. On November 19, 1861 He caught up with them probably near what is now called the twin mounds, east of Stillwater, near the intersection of SH51 & SH18. While the Southern cavalry was driven back, Yahola knew that his band could not stay. They broke camp during the night and fled. Eventually Cooper drove the group of men, women and children into Kansas.
When Yahola’s group finally reached the military fort in Kansas, it was in the middle of a blizzard. The military was either unable or unwilling to help them. That winter many died from exposure. They had looked to the U.S. Government for help, but they did not receive it. It was another fine example of the U.S. reneging on one of its treaties with Native Americans.*
When the Psalmist needed help, to where did he look? If he needed to be kept from harm, or preserved from spoiling, to where would he look? The old Jebusite city of Jerusalem was built on an outcrop of rock south of Mount Moriah. The site was picked because of its steep inclination. It was perfect for lining the top with walls. An invader would be forced to scale a steep hill or cliff before scaling the city walls. The only way that David was able to conquer the city was through sneaking through the water tunnel to gain access to the city. From the old city, one had to look up to Mount Moriah. It was there that Abraham was told to sacrifice Isaac. It was there that David bought the field from Araunah the Jebusite and offered the sacrifice that stayed the hand of the Death Angel. It was there that Solomon built the first temple. Just outside of the city gates, northwest of the temple, Jesus was crucified, buried and rose again. Where does the Psalmist look for help? From the old city of Jerusalem, he had to look up to the hills, to Mount Moriah. It stands for eternity as the place of God’s sacrifice in order to deal with our sin.
When I need help, to where do I look? I look to the cross. The government will fail me as it did Yahola. The church will sometimes fail me. My family will sometimes fail me. Even I will fail me, but Jesus never fails. He will preserve my soul, and that is only one of the things that are glorious about Him! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
*THE SITE OF THE BATTLE OF ROUND MOUNTAIN, 1861, By Angie Debo http://digital.library.okstate.edu/Chronicles/v027/v027p187.pdf

MICAH 1
“Don’t make me come in there!” Perhaps you have heard your parents say that to you, or perhaps you have said it to your children. We or they were doing something that was really offensive. The threat is real in order to get the child to change his behavior. On occasion the behavior did not change, and the parent was forced to intervene. When the parent did arrive, oh my, the judgment fell.
Is God a god of judgment? It certainly is politically incorrect to take that position in our culture right now. What then are we to make of this passage in Micah? Israel has reached the height of her adulterous idolatry. In fact in Micah’s lifetime, Israel will be destroyed as a nation and Judah will be severely threatened. Does the One who created the un-counted galaxies each populated by un-counted stars really care what happens in this one little Earth? Is our idolatry really all that significant to Him? Look how Micah portrays Him!

3 For behold, the LORD is coming out of His place;
He will come down
And tread on the high places of the earth.
4 The mountains will melt under Him,
And the valleys will split
Like wax before the fire,
Like waters poured down a steep place.

He is upset-enough to leave His place, come down and invade our place. Why? What is so upsetting about what is going on here? It is in the special creation that He has made us. We, as humans, bear His image. Were it not for His image, He would not care. We marred that image. He raised up the nations of Israel and Judah to be the people among all the peoples of the earth through whom would come the Anointed One who would restore His image. Those people Israel and Judah were mixing His image with pagan images which detracted from what He is like. We must be clear on one thing, “What is God like?” Instead of clarifying the issue, Israel and Judah were greatly obscuring the problem and leading the rest of the world away from His true image. He wants His children to reflect what He is really like. He has warned them for generations before, “Don’t make me come down there!” Their obstinacy is irremediable. Down He comes for judgment. I submit to you that that is glory. To be otherwise is spineless. His judgment is hot! Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Titus 2
The glory of Jesus has appeared to all men. Now, that is a bold statement! Indeed it has appeared. God's grace was revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ when He became flesh and went to the cross and rose again on the third day. That historical event is available to be seen by all who would desire to see it. I can already hear the objection of some who might say, "What about those people who live in lands where the gospel is not allowed to be preached?" My reply is that even there the grace of God has appeared, especially to those who would see it.
I am reminded of an article in a recent A Life issue. The article was written by a worker in country which does not allow the gospel to be preached. At the end of their language training in the country, his language teacher told him, "About 4 months before you came to our country, I had a dream that a man approached me with a sword and offered it to me. You were that man in my dream. What was the sword that you were offering to me?" The worker was able to present a Bible to the language teacher and say, "This is the sword that I offered you in the dream. It is the word of God." You see, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ has appeared to all men. It is available to all through the reading of His word.
It is also available for all to see in us when we receive that grace and let it do its work of teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldliness and to live holy lives. His grace has appeared it is seen in His word and in our lives. His glory is visible! One day Jesus will appear visibly to all. For those who have received His grace it will be a glorious day because we will see Him in His fullness. For those who have not received His grace, it will be a glorious day because they will see Him as the great coming judge. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john