November 14

1 CHRONICLES 3-4
Ditto to yesterday. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 134
We would walk through the hallways in the dark feeling our way to the sanctuary. All the fears of the dark would come to my mind. During my high school years, we fairly regularly made the trip to pray together. My college-aged brother was somehow able to gain a key to the church building, but it was to the educational building, not the sanctuary. Hence, the long trip through the darkened hallways. The mental practice of walking through the dark hallways was somehow a good preparation of time of prayer in the sanctuary. The sanctuary had an all wood roof and ceiling construction, so the cooling off of the wood at night time brought on a lot of creaking and cracking noises that increased the hallowed atmosphere of the building. We left the lights off for several reasons: 1) We did not want our presence to be an added expense to the church. 2) We really did not want to be interrupted by members of the church who were driving by wondering why the lights were still on. 3) We just liked the atmosphere of praying in the dark. On occasion the presence of the Lord was such that it made the hair stand up on the back of my neck.
Currently, we don’t have a night guard at our church building. Of course, we lock our building up at night. There isn’t any interest in people coming to the building after midnight. The Law made provision for the Levites to stand guard at the tabernacle/temple 24 hours per day. One might suppose that the reason would be to provide protection against vandalism or theft. However, with the presence of the glory of God dwelling in the holy of holies, I am not sure that would have been necessary. It was definitely to ensure that no outsider entered the courts of the Lord. It might have been to provide protection for people who might ignorantly wander into the sanctuary and be struck dead by a holy God who does not allow the unholy in His presence. The law also gives an answer. The Levites were to ensure that the fire of worship never went out. The Levites cared for the ‘things’ of worship. Our Lord is worthy of 24/7 worship. See 1 Chronicles 23:25–32 for David’s job description for the Levites.
Interesting, other places in scripture indicate that the Lord is worshipped non-stop in heaven. Consider:

Revelation 4:8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”
Revelation 7:15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.
Revelation 21:24–26 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.

What would these who stand all night in the house of the Lord do? For starters, they made sure everything was ready for the early morning sacrifice. Second, they sang praise to our God. Third, they made known that the Lord was the maker of heaven and earth. Fourth, they lifted up holy hands in prayer. Wouldn’t it be awesome if every congregation had 24/7 praise ascending to our Lord? I know that with a congregation the size of mine, it would be a physical impossibility. There are not enough people to sustain it. However, in a small city of 50,000, (about the population of Jerusalem when this Psalm was written) we have enough professing Christians to sustain it. No one congregation could do it, but together we could. What a demonstration of unity behind our Great and Glorious King that would be. Hmmmm. . . There is at least one thing we could all agree on—the greatness of His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

ZEPHANIAH 1
Grandma was a godly woman. She had 20 grandchildren. We occasionally would all be out at grandma & grandpa’s farm for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or 4th of July. It was a great time together playing spoons or football or hunting or simply walking in the woods. I have two cousins that have both served the Lord as ministers of music, one also as a pastor. It is nice to have that common bond with them. I also have cousins that do not embrace the glory of our Lord. While I still love them dearly, it hurts not to be able to have that same bond in Christ that I have with other cousins. Just because we share the same godly heritage, does not mean that we share the same god.
Zephaniah was the great-great-grandson of Hezekiah. Josiah was the great-grandson of Hezekiah. I think that would make them 2nd cousins once removed. As part of the royal lineage, Zephaniah was also chosen by God to be a prophet. That could be either a good thing or a bad thing. Were Josiah evil as were his father and grandfather, then Zephaniah’s message would be ill received by Josiah. Jewish tradition informs us that Josiah’s grandfather had the prophet Isaiah sawn in half. Manasseh and Amon had left the nation in a religious mess. They had mixed the worship of Yahweh with the idolatrous practices of the Canaanite gods. The result was that the people were left with gods who did nothing, who were impotent, and the people knew it. The problem is that because the people had mixed the worship of Yahweh with their impotent gods, they could not distinguish the impotence of their false gods from the omnipotence of Yahweh, the true God (v.12). It was a crisis point for a vision of the glory of the Lord.
Into this context Zephaniah is called to speak God’s message of judgment upon Judah’s idolatrous defamation of God’s glory. Would the new king Josiah be open to the rebuke, or would he be like his father and grandfather? Did Zephaniah even know Josiah well enough to know how he would receive the message of the Lord? Zephaniah had a message of the glory of God and judgment that burned within him. Whether or not he was aware of how he would be received, it had to come forth! It was a message of judgment:

4”I will stretch out My hand against Judah, And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place, The names of the idolatrous priests with the pagan priests— 5Those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops; Those who worship and swear oaths by the LORD, But who also swear by Milcom;

Zephaniah’s message of judgment was delivered to his cousin and to the nation. How was it received? 2 Kings 23:5 informs us of how Josiah responded to the message:

Then he removed the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense on the high places in the cities of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem, and those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven.

Today we live in a nation which has mixed the glory of the Lord with our idolatrous gods. The result is an impotent church. We are satisfied with it. As long as our programs continue along to produce what they have always produced-lukewarm Christians, we are satisfied. It matters not to us that the programs produce nothing of eternal value. We are satisfied with a God who does neither good nor evil. I need cousins who will settle for nothing less than the glory of an omnipotent God who judges evil and rewards those who seek Him with mercy and His presence. Will you be that cousin? Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

HEBREWS 10:19-39
Because of the provision of His body, His law is written in our hearts. It is not a standard outside of us. But it is in us. That is part of the reason a carnal Christian is often more miserable than the non-Christian. The Christian has the law on their hearts. They know they are disobedient. They know the Spirit is not in control. It makes them miserable. That is a mercy of the Lord so that we will be driven back to Him. His body was prepared to take care of our sin. He dwells now in the heavenlies before God the Father so that when we have had enough of our misery, we can enter the holy place through Him. When we have dealt with the sin (repent), we can once again draw near. His blood sprinkles us clean. His water washes our evil conscience.
However, if we refuse to deal with our sin (repent), it is an indication that we really do not think that sin is so evil so as to bring death. If we do not think that sin is so evil so as to bring death, then we are implying that the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ is of little value. After all if our sin is not so evil as to bring death then we could have saved ourselves--who needs a specially prepared body? That is a dangerous accusation to make of the living God who gave His life for us. If we have that attitude toward sin, He will indeed be terrifying to us. He hates sin and won't let us dwell in it. Our dwelling in sin is tantamount to saying that His blood is useless.
That is why we must speak the glory of the Lord Jesus to one another. That is why we must exhort one another to love and good deeds. That is why we cannot forsake the assembling of ourselves together. That is why we must be open to others speaking the glory of the Lord to us. When we stand in His glory, we sin our sin, then we can repent. He is indeed holy and effective! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

November 13

1 CHRONICLES 1-2
What can be seen of the Glory of God in a genealogical list? Since He included it in His book, it must be an indicator that He cares about where we have come from and where we are going. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 133
I remember walking to grade school in the fall. The long hot summer was over. As the weather changed, so did the dew points. The grass was drenched with the early morning dew. There was something refreshing about it. The dry heat of summer was gone; a new, cooler, moister and more pleasant weather pattern had finally arrived. Believe me; after some of those more brutal Oklahoma summers, the dew of fall and its typical rainstorms were very welcome
The first brothers fought, and Cain rose up and slew Abel. In only ten generations, violence so filled the earth that God used a flood to wipe it clean. Within 5 generations Nimrod arose as a mighty ruler in Babel. Legends, if they can be trusted, indicate that he enjoyed using leopards to hunt other men. Ishmael mocked Isaac; that is when Abraham sent Ishmael away. Their rivalry remains in their descendants to this day. Jacob bested Esau in the conflict for the family birthright and the family blessing. Joseph’s ten brothers sold him into slavery. The history of the human race apart from the grace of God is a history of brother against brother. It is like a long, dry and hot summer. Sometimes one wonders if it will ever end.
Jesus came in order to reverse the curse, to destroy the effects of sin. One of the plagues of sin is the lack of brotherly love. He came to reverse that curse. He felt so strongly about it that on the night in which He was betrayed, He said,
John 13:34–35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
One of the most obvious displays of His glory is when His children love each other. It graphically displays that the long hot summer of human discontent and hate is now coming to an end. How pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It glorifies His name! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

HABAKKUK 3
Habakkuk gets a vision of the glory of the Lord. He says that it covered the heavens and the earth was full of His praise. The first part of the vision is very disturbing. It almost describes the night we had a few nights ago when we experienced lightning, thunder, hail, torrential rain, tornados and earthquake all at once. It almost sounds like he was caught outside in it. But after experiencing the glory, he sums it all up by saying,

17 Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls— 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 19 The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills.

Hmmmm. . . As fearful was His vision of the glory of the Lord, there was just something about it that made utter economic ruin and famine to become not fearful because the Lord was with him. Do I have that kind of vision of my Lord? Lord, may it ever be, and may it ever increase! Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

HEBREWS 10:1-18
The body of the Lord Jesus Christ was prepared for the specific purpose of being offered as a sacrifice to God the Father to pay the wages of sin and death in our place. To be a suitable offering He had to be perfect and He had to be able to pay for all time, the holy demands or our righteous God. It was God's will that Jesus do this. It was prophesied 1000 years before His birth that this was the purpose of His coming (Psalm 40:7,8). Through His death Jesus justified us.
It was not only for our justification that Jesus' body was prepared. It was also for our sanctification. Sanctification, among other things, is the working out of His holiness in our lives. It results in our obedience. Because He obeyed the will of God in doing the impossible, so also, we, through His body, are able to do the impossible. He did it once and for all. One of the things I hate about cleaning is that it has to keep being done. In His sanctifying work, Jesus cleans us up. The provision for that impossible outworking in our lives was done once and for all. It is all His doing. He is indeed holy and effective! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

November 12

2 KINGS 25
God is severe. Yes, I said it, severe. It finally has happened. Judgment began with the household of God. He had told the people as far back as Moses that if they deviated from seeking His glory that he would curse them and move them out of the land. He told them in the days of Manasseh that He would wipe them like one wipes a dish. Only the repentance of Josiah postponed the destruction. Now, king Zedekiah experiences the full brunt of the wrath of the Lord through the wrath of the Babylonians. They killed Zedekiah’s sons before him, and then they put out his eyes. The next to last sight that Zedekiah would remember for the rest of his life would be the execution of his sons. That is severe. Others were executed as well. Most were deported. The temple was robbed. The city was looted and burned, and the walls were destroyed. That is severe.
Is that glory? Hmmm. . . What would the innocent people who were slaughtered under Manasseh and Amon say? What would the angels who have been observing this cosmic drama say? What would those who see the largest picture say? I know they would say, “Yes, that is glory for His justice is revealed. How sad it is that, like Josiah, they could also have experienced the mercy of the Lord if they had repented. Will God discipline His children if they do not repent? He certainly will. Doing so manifests His glory. Will God show mercy to His children who repent? He certainly will. Doing so also manifests His glory. Lord, Help me live a lifestyle of repentance! I want your mercy! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 132
Does God get tired? This Psalm implies it, but is that what it means? It would appear that this Psalm was written by Solomon near the time of the dedication of the temple. The core of the psalm can be found in 8-9 & 13-14 concerning the resting place of God upon the ark of the covenant:
8Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. 9 Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, And let Your saints shout for joy. . . 13For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: 14“This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.”
How is it possible that the Eternal God needs a place to rest? It isn’t. The concept of resting comes from the wilderness wandering experience. In Numbers 10:35-36 find the explanation of how the Children of Israel knew when to break camp and to make camp. When the pillar of cloud/fire (the visible manifestation of God’s glory) rose off of the ark/tabernacle, the people would know that it was time to break camp. When the pillar came to a standstill, the people knew that it was time to make camp. The people knew that they could now rest. Soon Moses began the practice of poetically pronouncing what was happening:

35 So it was, whenever the ark set out, that Moses said: “Rise up, O LORD! Let Your enemies be scattered, And let those who hate You flee before You.” 36 And when it rested, he said: “Return, O LORD, To the many thousands of Israel.”

With the building of the Temple, there was no longer a constant wandering of the ark, but rather there was a permanent home. God’s people no longer wandered around, but could build homes and rest from their journey. But there was more symbolism than that! The ark is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Hebrew word for ark translates as “ark” 195 times, “chest” six times, and “coffin” once. Consider that! The word could also be translated as “coffin!” The Ten Commandments were placed in the ark, the coffin. On top of the ark was placed the golden mercy seat. Once a year on the day of atonement, the blood of the sacrificial goat was sprinkled on the mercy seat. When the blood was sprinkled on the seat, His people received mercy. When Jesus went to the cross, our sin was placed upon Him. God’s wrath was poured out upon Him against our sin. His blood was shed on our behalf. When we trust in Him, His blood brings us mercy from God.
It is in the presence of the living ark, the Lord Jesus Christ that we experience the presence of God. And He gives us rest. This is the way into true rest. This is the way into victory. This is the message of the Bible. Our great God became flesh to give us rest. Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Him. Now that is glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

HABAKKUK 2
“I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected!” Can I say that? I am convinced that most of those in the USA, who name the name of Christ, cannot say that. But, can I say that? Can I daily stand in His word looking to see the glory of the Lord. Do I wait in His word looking to see what the Spirit will say to me through His word? What will I do when I am corrected? Will I bring myself into obedience with His teaching, or will my stubborn will win out insisting that I was “right” that I was “justified?” Like it or not, one day, “The earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea.” When that day comes the only thing of value that will remain is that which acknowledged and submitted to the glory of the Lord. Lord enable me to crucify that flesh which wars against Your Spirit. Enable me to truly stand my watch and do what you say to me for I wish to enjoy Your glory and not fear it! Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

HEBREWS 9
The first covenant with its high priests and tabernacle and ark was a holy thing. Indeed anyone who did not treat it as holy was judged by God Himself. Take for instance Nadab and Abihu the sons of Aaron were instantly struck dead for offering strange fire. The Philistines who captured the ark of the covenant were struck hemorrhoids and infertility for their act. When David improperly transported the ark and Uzzah put his hand upon the ark to steady it, God killed Uzzah. When Uzziah (not Uzzah) was king, he proudly sought to take the role of a priest upon himself and burn incense in the sanctuary. Eighty priests opposed him. Uzziah became angry with the priests. In the midst of his anger, the Lord struck him with leprosy. The priesthood, the tabernacle and the furniture of the tabernacle were holy things. Trust in the sacrifices was able to procure temporary covering for sin. These things were all shadows or pictures, if you will, of Christ. They were not the real thing. They were simply teaching tools to tell of the sacrifice that Christ would do for our sin.
If these things were holy and effective, how much more effective is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ? He did not enter into a physical sanctuary made by human hands. Having died and received the judgment of God against all the sins of the world upon the cross, He has now entered into the heavenly throne room of God. There He applies His own blood to the lives of those who trust him. His blood is so powerful that He need not do it time and time again. He does it once. That application is useful for all of our sins, past, present and future. When we die, we will be judged. The first standard of judgment will be, "Has the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ ever been applied to my life." If it has been applied, then we enter into His presence and at His judgment seat, we will be rewarded for the good works we have done. His blood is indeed powerful! If it has not been applied, then judgment awaits at the Great White Throne and after that, hell and the lake of fire. His wrath is indeed terrifying! He is indeed holy and effective! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

November 11

2 KINGS 24
I can’t help but see the same cycles which Judah experienced occurring in our nation today. In 1973 we permitted the taking of human life in the womb for the sake of not being saddled with the responsibility of raising unwanted children. Since then, we have lurched from one president to another who each seem to be opposites on their stand to the taking of human life in the womb. With each cycle we seem to move a little more toward a president who is more permissive of the murder of children in the womb or partially born or in some cases infanticide. Last spring president Obama addressed Planned Parenthood. He proudly announced his support of preserving ‘women’s rights’ to privacy of their own bodies. The code words take the focus of what is being destroyed onto what is supposedly being preserved. But if we are indeed destroying innocent human life, then what kind of rights are we preserving? We are preserving the right to destroy a human being who is created in the image of God. We are lashing out at the Creator who made us.

2 Kings 24:3–4 Surely at the commandment of the LORD this came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, and also because of the innocent blood that he had shed; for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which the LORD would not pardon.

What is the ‘innocent blood’ which Manasseh shed? Is it God’s glory that He would not pardon it? Manasseh had led the nation in sacrificing children to Molech. He even made his own sons pass through the fire. While Manasseh repented of it later, the damage was done. He made it culturally acceptable in his time. His repentance did not carry over to all of the people. Yes, there was a temporary revival under Josiah where the people seemed to repent, but inside rebellion was rife. As soon as Josiah died, and his evil son was on the throne, the people returned to their old ways. The Lord would not pardon, and rightly so. If there is not repentance, how can there be pardon?
Thousands of year later in a land far away, our land, we still sacrifice our offspring to the god of our own pleasures. Even if president Obama were to repent, I fear it is too late. We may postpone the judgment of God by a temporary revival, as did Josiah, but judgment is coming. Too much innocent blood has been shed. The judgment will bring glory to God, but men will not recognize it. The souls of innocent slain in heaven will recognize it and give glory to Him, and so will I. Yes, forgiveness is available to individuals who repent and trust in the Lord, but corporately, I do not think He will pardon. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Taken from the western end of the Hinnom Valley looking through the length of the valley to the East. In the distance modern Silwan is seen where the Hinnom meets the Kidron Valley. Manasseh sacrificed his sons to Molech in the valley. The nation followed suit. After the exile the nation turned it into a garbage dump where garbage was constantly burning. By Jesus’ day the valley had become called Gehennah, a corruption of the Hebrew, Ben Hinnnom. Gehennah became a metaphor for Hell because of its constant smoldering and rotting garbage. Judas was buried at the Eastern end of the Valley, the Potters Field. Today it is kind of a park and pleasant to walk through, although its cliffs are riddled with tombs and graves.

Psalm 131
When our oldest was a couple of months old, Laura and I went to my grandfather’s farm for the afternoon. Plenty of aunts and grandmas were there so we took advantage of the time went for a walk in the woods with some of my cousins. I guess we were gone too long for the baby. He was throwing a fit, and he did not want the backup bottle. I never will forget the look on the face of one of my aunts as we walked up to the house. It was a look of simultaneous desperation and relief. His crying had caught everyone’s attention for the last 15 minutes because no one could quiet him.
In a culture where baby bottles, formula and sippy cups did not exist, this Psalm probably made a lot more immediate sense. But anyone who has raised children from birth can relate to this. A new born has only two ways to communicate to his mother that he is hungry. He can root around with his mouth looking for a place to latch on, or he can cry until he gets fed. Weaning came a little later in Biblical times, often around three years of age. By that time a child had gained the ability to eat solid foods, and the ability to wait until the appropriate time to eat. Meals were more laborious to prepare than in our society. Snacks were not as common, and refrigerators non-existent. When an un-weaned child wanted food usually only one person could satisfy him. Woe be to those watching the child until she is available to satisfy him! The weaned child, however, has learned not to be so demanding. Physically he does not need to be fed on demand. He can quiet himself just by being held by his mother. He knows that food will come at the appropriate time. If he needs comforting, his mother’s embrace is enough.
As you know, the New Testament likens our spiritual life to being born again (John 1:12; 3:1-18; 1 Cor. 3:1; Heb. 5:13; 1 Peter 2:2). When we receive Jesus, we need the milk of the Word to cause us to grow. Receiving the milk on a regular basis enables us to grow. When the growing pains of the hunger of life tie our spiritual stomachs in knots, it is the milk of the Word that comforts us. But it is sad when something happens to a child so that he never grows up. We need to be weaned. We need to learn to eat solid foods:

For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Hebrews 5:13,14

Using the milk of the Word, application, enables us to eat the meat of the Word which is a discernment of good and evil in relation to Scripture because the Holy Spirit has empowered us to obey the Word. Consequently, when hunger pains of life assault our stomachs, we can come to the Lord and quiet our souls in Him knowing that the appropriate time is coming when those pains will be relieved. We have experienced His glory enough to know that only He will satisfy, and He will satisfy at the appropriate time. We need not be frantic when life does not roll as we think it ought. We learn to be comforted by just His presence. Nor should we be frantic when spiritual babes are crying their heads off for milk. We just take them to the milk of the word, and try to help them understand how to use it in their situation. That is His glory! He causes us to grow and to be quieted in the pains of life! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

HABAKKUK 1
13 You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours A person more righteous than he? Obviously, Habakkuk does not mean literally that cannot see evil; otherwise, He could not judge it. Clearly, the meaning Is that God does not look upon evil with favor. Yet why does it always seem that the wicked get away with their evil? That is the point of this little book. The answer is simply, “God’s eyes are indeed too pure to behold evil.” He will eventually judge. We just have to wait and be patient. His waiting on judgment is giving us time to repent. If I think about it that way, then wow, He is really merciful, even in His justice. Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

HEBREWS 8
The writer of Hebrews now clearly reveals the main point of his letter and it is simply this: the glory of Christ as our High Priest. The priesthood and tabernacle, which were brought into existence through Moses, were simply copies and shadows of what Jesus would be, become and do in order to rescue His defiled creation from the sin that we chose to bring upon ourselves. His ministry is much better than any of the ministries of the Jewish priests. His ministry is much better than any pastor's ministry today. His is the real thing. Ours only give partial glimpses at what He is doing. His covenant is much better than the covenant God made with the nation of Israel. The covenant God made with Israel had blessings and curses. If the people obeyed the covenant stipulations, the law, then they would be blessed and could live in the land. If the people disobeyed the covenant stipulations, the law, then they would be cursed and driven out of the land. The law was written on stone tablets for the people to observe and to try to obey. His covenant has a law that is written on our hearts. When His covenant (inaugurated in His blood) comes in its full force (at His return), my job will be obsolete. No one will teach or exhort another any more to know the Lord. We will all know the Lord. Our sins and lawless deeds He will remember no more. He will take away even the very presence of sin. What a High Priest! He brings a real change to our lives with our cooperation! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

November 10

2 KINGS 23
Josiah was an amazing king. Born the grandson and son of the most pagan kings Judah had ever experienced, he led one of the most amazing revivals the world has ever seen. The Word says this of him:

Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him.

In order to accomplish this revival, Josiah literally destroyed the works of his father and grandfather. Can you imagine the moral courage it took for him to demand this not only of himself but also his people? Jesus calls us to the same level of moral commitment.
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.” (Matthew 22:37,38)
For Josiah this meant turning his back on everything that his grandfather and father had built and encouraged in the people in a religious sense. This means that he was going against 53 combined years of cultural and religious pursuit of false gods led by his fathers.
God calls us to the same commitment. How can we pursue the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind? Certainly we will need to see His glory on a daily basis. We will always pursue what we set our eyes upon. That may mean that I need to tear down some of my false gods, my idols such as financial security, fancy houses, cars, clothing, food, entertainment, even family, anything that stands between God and me. If my eyes are always on those things and not upon the glory of the Lord, how could I ever desire to let those things go? But if my eyes are fixed upon His glory, how could I ever convulsively hang on to those things? He is worth letting all things go. Yes, He is worth letting even life itself go. Lord, I so frequently grab after those other things. But they are not worth anything compared to you. Enable me to let go of those things and gaze at and desire only your glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 130
“It’s a hole where you put people to forget about them.” What’s that? If you have ever seen Labyrinth, you might recognize that definition. It might not be an exact quote, but it is close. It is the definition of an oubliette. If I remember correctly, it is a French word, and its etymology does come from a word which means to forget. Apparently they were holes chiseled in rock in the bottom of French dungeons. The only door was in the floor of the dungeon, the ceiling of the oubliette. They would literally drop the inmate into the oubliette. It was the very depths of the dungeon, and there was no way out. One could cry out for help in the oubliette, but the only ones who could hear were the inmates above. Alone, no light, no help, left to sit in your own waste, maybe you would get some bread and water, maybe not. The people of the middle ages indeed had some cruel and unusual punishments.
Ever felt that you were in a spiritual oubliette? Ever been times when you felt spiritually and emotionally that there was absolutely no light or help to be had? Ever felt that the only ones who heard you were other inmates, who were better off than you but powerless to help? “Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD; Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.” The glory of the Lord is that He will come to us in those situations. He will be our light, our life, our perfume to take away the stench, our bread to satisfy our hunger and our water to quench our thirst. Though we be in the depths of the oubliette, He will come to us. He will hear our voice; He will forgive our sin out of which our oubliette is carved. He will bring His morning light and with it redemption. Physically the oubliette may remain, but spiritually He is with us with His light. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

NAHUM 3
What a contrast between the ending of Micah and the ending of Nahum! Micah ends with hope as a promise of the forgiveness of sins is extended. Nahum ends with despair:

Your injury has no healing,
Your wound is severe.
All who hear news of you
Will clap their hands over you,
For upon whom has not your wickedness passed continually?

Micah was addressed to Israel and Judah. Nahum was addressed to Nineveh, Assyria. Both were accused of spiritual harlotry. God seems to frequently compare our sin to harlotry. What God values in us is that we reflect what He is like. There is such an unbreakable bond in the essence of the Godhead that if it were broken, the very universe would unravel. He created us in His image. Male and female he created us. Our marriages are to reflect the oneness of God in the oneness of our marriage union. When we break that covenant relationship, we mar part of the image of what He is like. That is one of the reasons that fornications and adulteries should be shunned among those who call upon His name. Our failure mars the image of God. It keeps people from trusting in Him.
The church is to reflect what He is like. The oneness of Him is to be reflected in us. That is why love and loyalty among the body are so crucial for the world to believe the witness that we profess. It is a witness that we are in communion with Him. Our disunity mars the image of Him. It is the result of spiritual harlotry, and it is spiritual harlotry. Our failure mars the image of God. It keeps people from trusting in Him.
Why was Israel granted repentance and Nineveh not? Part of the answer lies in the purpose and providence of God. Part of the answer lies in will of man. Nineveh chose not to repent. Israel partially remains today, and one day will occupy the land in belief. Nineveh was destroyed in 612 B.C., as prophesied by Nahum. Its destruction was so complete that for many years some scholars even questioned the existence of Nineveh. It was discovered by archeologists in 1845–1854. It is a silent testimony that those who curse Israel will be cursed. It is also a silent testimony that spiritual harlotry leads us to death both individually and corporately. God will display His glory either in love and compassion leading to life or in judgment leading to death. Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

HEBREWS 7
The power of an endless life--now that's the stuff movies and legends are made of. It is the dream of some, the nightmare of others. Subconsciously we often think we have it. Most of us live like this life will never end. But only One Person has it, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now that is glory! What would you do different if you knew you had the power of an endless life? Would you take more risks? Would those risks be for your best end or for others?
Jesus uses His power of an endless life for our benefit. He uses it to become our High Priest. Now a really strict interpretation of the law would have said, "Wait! Jesus is from the wrong tribe. He is from the tribe of Judah. He cannot be a priest! Priests can only come from the tribe of Levi. Ahh but! There is this unknown character in Abraham's life, found in Genesis 14:18-20:

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said:

“Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
And blessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”

And he gave him a tithe of all.

Melchizedek means king of righteousness. Salem, which means peace, is perhaps Jerusalem. So this Melchizedek is either the literal king of Salem, Jerusalem, or perhaps this is another appearance to Abraham of Jesus in a fleshly state before He became flesh. Abraham recognized that he was a priest of the Most High God. He also recognized that Melchizedek was of greater rank than he because he gave him a tenth of the spoils from his victory over the 4 kings of Mesopotamia. Now, no lineage is given for Melchizedek. In the Hebrew mindset lineage was very, very important to establish the right to serve as a priest. Yet Abraham, the father of the Hebrew nation, gave tithes to him without establishing that right through a lineage.
David in writing his Messianic Psalm 110 says in verse 4 that the Messiah is a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. What is that order? At the very least, it is an order that is not established by having the proper physical lineage. So the Hebrews writer uses David's Messianic Psalm to claim the proper glory for the Lord Jesus Christ. He has the power of an endless life and He has eternal office and right to intercede for me.
Now comes the application of that glory--He always lives to make intercession. He has no need to offer a sacrifice for Himself before a holy God because He Himself is holy, innocent, undefiled separate from sinners and the highest authority of all of creation. He always lives for the purpose of interceding for us! When I bring my needs and concerns before our Holy God, He talks to the Father for me. When Satan brings His accusations against me before the Father, most of which are probably true, He says to the Father, "My blood was shed for that sin. I have washed John Chaffin clean. Your wrath has been satisfied in my death upon the cross. John has confessed that sin. Let's clothe John in my righteousness. Let's give him all that he needs for godliness and righteousness, peace and contentment." He teaches me to pray and He intercedes for me! What power of an endless life! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

November 9

2 Kings 22
“We have found the book of the LORD!” Can you imagine the Word of God being lost to the whole country for two whole generations? Yet that is exactly what happened because of the evil reigns of Manasseh and Amon. They must have even controlled the priesthood so that the Word of God was never read! But are we any different? We have a multitude of versions of Bibles at our fingertips to read. Enough Bibles have been printed so that there should be several in every home. Yet we have a generation that is growing up that knows nothing of the Word of God! Why? Is the Word of God read in our homes? How can we see the glory of God if we do not open His book? Let us pray for a revival where men will once again take responsibility for their household and read the word in their homes! Let us pray that God will show us something of His glory as we read His word. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Psalm 129
The amount of persecution against the cause of Christ in this world is truly staggering. This morning I noted that the president has come out clearly in favor of promoting and supporting same sex marriage. To me, the timing would appear to be a reaction to North Carolina passing the marriage amendment. The current president has repeatedly made comments and supported actions that repudiate his alleged profession of being a Christian. Consider this paragraph from the Manahattan Declaration of Oct. 2009:

We see this, for example, in the effort to weaken or eliminate conscience clauses, and therefore to compel pro-life institutions (including religiously affiliated hospitals and clinics), and pro-life physicians, surgeons, nurses, and other health care professionals, to refer for abortions and, in certain cases, even to perform or participate in abortions. We see it in the use of anti- discrimination statutes to force religious institutions, businesses, and service providers of various sorts to comply with activities they judge to be deeply immoral or go out of business. After the judicial imposition of "same-sex marriage" in Massachusetts, for example, Catholic Charities chose with great reluctance to end its century-long work of helping to place orphaned children in good homes rather than comply with a legal mandate that it place children in same-sex households in violation of Catholic moral teaching. In New Jersey, after the establishment of a quasi-marital "civil unions" scheme, a Methodist institution was stripped of its tax exempt status when it declined, as a matter of religious conscience, to permit a facility it owned and operated to be used for ceremonies blessing homosexual unions. In Canada and some European nations, Christian clergy have been prosecuted for preaching Biblical norms against the practice of homosexuality. New hate-crime laws in America raise the specter of the same practice here.

It would appear that the president has added one more link in the chain that will eventually, if left unchecked, lead to further curtailment of religious liberty and eventual persecution of believers in the USA. Perhaps a good dose of persecution is what the Laodicean Church of the USA needs in order to cure it of its carnality.
“Let Israel now say, . . .” This is a corporate song referring to the corporate experience of God’s people. We really do not know when it was written. Quite probably it was around the time of the return from Babylon. The Babylonians cruelly treated Israel in her destruction by them. In cruel circumstances many are prone to respond by asking, “How could a righteous, loving God allow this to happen to me/us?” Clearly the implication of the question is that God is either not righteous or not loving. But in contrast Israel is called to declare that the Lord is righteous, because He does bring deliverance by cutting the chords of their captors. Israel then asks for equity upon their non-repentant persecutors.
What a contrast with the attitude of Jesus upon the cross and Stephen while being stoned, when they asked God to forgive the ones killing them! Or is it? When Jesus and Stephen uttered those words, they were in the process of dying. Jesus and Stephen died in shame as criminals. Israel was kicked out of the land in shame as criminals. If this Psalm was written upon their return to the land, then their persecutors are long since dead. Their persecutors no longer have a chance to repent. Within the watching crowd of Jesus’ and Stephen’s death were persecutors who would one day repent. Notably, Saul was among the Stephen crowd. Their prayers were literally answered. Many in the crowd later repented and found forgiveness.
But one day, Jesus will return. He will not return in shame as a criminal. When He returns, He will bring with Him Stephen, those who were persecuted and all those who have believed. At that point there will be no more opportunity for repentance and forgiveness. There will be no more opportunity for blessing from the Lord. Only righteousness and justice will be dispensed. Fortunately for me and hopefully you, I have already claimed the righteousness of Jesus, which He has so freely given me. Consequently for me, the justice of the Father and Son will have already been carried out upon the cross. But those who refused the forgiveness of the cross will be condemned. They will receive the curse laid out at the end of this Psalm, and rightly so for they rejected the offered sacrifice and forgiveness of the King. He would be unrighteous not to condemn them. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

NAHUM 2
When God becomes our enemy, our demise is certain and unavoidable. So it was with Assyria. This is part of His glory. He defeats His enemies thoroughly and certainly. I must remember that when I am tempted to think that He will not prevail. Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Hebrews 6
When we were back in Titus 1 we found that God cannot lie. In Hebrews 3-5 we found that Jesus is a faithful High Priest. Not being able to lie and faithfulness are similar concepts. One phrase approaches the concept negatively the other word approaches it positively. Today we see one of the practical outworkings of that faithfulness. Because Jesus is a faithful High Priest, because He promised us eternal life if we repent and believe, He will do whatever it takes to get His children to enter the promised land. When He led them out of Egypt to Kadesh Barnea, they refused to cross over and take the land. They wanted to go back to Egypt. They wanted to go back into bondage. He would not let them. He let them die in the wilderness rather than go back into bondage. He promised them the land. If they would not receive it, He certainly would not let them go back into Egypt. His faithfulness was on the line.
So also with us, He desires that we enter into His rest. We often balk and refuse. But He is faithful. He will do whatever it takes to get us to enter into His rest. If we continue to refuse, His discipline becomes more severe until we co-operate. It is like a farmer's field that has a weed or pest infestation. In Biblical days they did not have pesticides and herbicides to spray on the fields. A field that had a problem was often burned at the end of a growing season if it did not produce. The burning would kill the pest or weed infestation. Then he could replant with fresh seed. Perhaps he would obtain a good crop. So also, with us, the weeds and pests of the flesh, the world or the devil infest our lives. We refuse to follow our Lord. But He has promised to lead us into His rest. His faithfulness is on the line. He will not allow us to go back to Egypt. He will do whatever it takes to bring us to the land. If we persist, we might even get burned--severe discipline to destroy the sinfulness in us. If we continue in rebellion, it might even result in being taken out of this world.
Why? Because He is faithful. He has promised to lead us into the land. He cannot lie. What He does, He does for our good. He has promised to give us rest for our souls. We cannot experience that rest if we hang on to sin. He is immutable (He cannot change). So, we have this promise from Him. It is His glory to fulfill it. That gives us hope! It is an anchor for the soul in times of hardship or of discipline. We can enter His presence behind the veil because He is a faithful High Priest! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

November 8

2 Kings 21
Moving from Oklahoma to Portland, Oregon, during the winter time, we decided to take the southern route—I-40 to California, and then up I-5 to Oregon. As we crossed Mt. Shasta in northern California, near the Oregon border, the view was spectacular! Descending down into southern Oregon, we could see what looked like clouds in the valleys below us. As we approached Medford, Oregon, we entered the clouds, or more aptly put, the fog. Visibility dropped to almost zero. I was becoming a nervous wreck because I could see neither in front of me nor behind me. Since it was late afternoon, early evening when we entered Medford, we decided to find a motel and spend the night in hopes that the new day would bring better visibility. After checking in, we went to eat at a restaurant (within walking distance). I noted the local newspaper headlines in the newspaper box as we entered the restaurant, “5 STRAIGHT DAYS OF FOG!” The front page had a picture of a school bus driver exiting her bus in tears as she finished her route. The stress of the responsibility of driving the children in dense fog had taken its toll upon her. The story said that the weather man did not see any let up in the fog. I suddenly felt like I had made a poor decision. We spent the night, waited until almost noon the next day and decided to inch our way to Portland. After about an hour of driving, the fog began to slowly lift, and we could begin to drive normally again. But those were some hours of white knuckle driving constantly scanning and looking for what might or might not be in front of me. I have never since experienced such poor visibility.
The Glory of the Lord was wonderfully visible during the reign of Hezekiah. The visibility of the glory of the Lord reached an all-time low in Judah under Manasseh. It was like the Medford fog. He “seduced them (the people of Israel) to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.” Now that is quite a statement. Can you imagine that? They did more evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before them. As a result God said that He would wipe Jerusalem like one wipes a dish. O LORD, let me be a channel of your glory. Let me not be a fog, one who hides your glory with my pride. Let it shine through and beyond me. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Psalm 128
I spent the morning with a man who is estranged from his wife and children. His life is not very pleasant right now. Granted he has his faults and probably does not love his wife like Jesus loved the church, but His estranged wife has also not dealt faithfully with him. I am so appreciative of the fantastic woman that God gave me. She is truly a gift from Him. She makes it a joy being home. She is better than the finest wine. And my children, they are great! I am not sure why I would want a lot of olive plants in my house, but I guess in David’s culture that is a reference to intrinsic riches. If that is what the Psalmist means, then O Lord, I am so glad for the riches which you gave me in my children!
This is another Psalm of Ascent. In other words, it was a Psalm sung while going up to Jerusalem to worship. The OT festivals were family affairs. The whole family would go together whenever they were able. Consequently, they probably would have traveled with other families, perhaps one huge extended family. This Psalm, like 127, is focused on the family. Can you imagine looking others, with whom you are traveling, in the eye and singing this? All of a sudden, it becomes, or should become intensely personal.
Somehow it seems a little foreign to me to think of turning to one of my brothers in the Lord and saying to him, “Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your table.” It just seems a little weird, but why? Maybe it’s the metaphor. Maybe it’s that there is something wrong with me. Maybe it is that in our culture men do not often express delightful desires for other men in relation to family. At least, I, for one, do not have any memory of any other man expressing to me that he hopes my wife will be like a fruitful vine and my children like olive plants in my house. Honestly, I think if another man wished that for me, my initial reaction would be to laugh.
Why would I laugh? The essence of humor is a pleasant unexpected circumstance. That is why timing is everything in being a good comedian. If another man wished me that about my wife and children, it would be unexpected, and it would be pleasant, maybe even uncomfortably pleasant. But it is the glory of God that we should genuinely desire such pleasantries for our brothers, and that we express it to them. Otherwise, I don’t believe He would have put this in His word. It is God’s glory that we desire the best for our brothers and this is a best. So for all you guys out there who might be reading this, “May your wife be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your table.” When that happens, know that it is from our glorious Lord! My Lord is glorious. I see His glory in my wife and children and my children’s children. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

NAHUM 1
What a contrast is today’s reading compared to yesterday’s final chapter of Micah. On November 5, 2011, as the fans were beginning to leave the football stadium after OSU’s narrow victory over Kansas State, we felt the rumbles of a 5.6 magnitude earthquake, the strongest earthquake on record in Oklahoma, and whose epicenter was 40 miles southeast of here. Today we read:

The mountains quake before Him,
The hills melt,
And the earth heaves at His presence,
Yes, the world and all who dwell in it.
6 Who can stand before His indignation?
And who can endure the fierceness of His anger?
His fury is poured out like fire,
And the rocks are thrown down by Him.
The LORD is good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble;
And He knows those who trust in Him.

Yes, judgment and justice are coming. But it is good to know that in the middle of it, the Lord is good. He is our stronghold in trouble. He knows when we truly trust in Him. Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Hebrews 5
One of the great glories of Christ is that He did not glorify Himself. In our age it is natural for a leader to glorify Himself. In a democracy where people vote for their leader, glorifying oneself is the natural demand of the political machine. If you do not glorify yourself, your opponent will glorify himself and the people will vote for the one who does the best job of glorifying himself. After all, you are not going to vote for someone in whom you have no confidence. If you have no confidence in yourself, no one else is going to have confidence in you. In a dictatorship the dictator rules by the absolute authority He wields over the people. Part of that absolute authority is obtained by the image the people have of you. Therefore many dictators are given to excessive boasting as part of their way of producing the image that keeps that sense of absolute power over their subjects. In general, Jesus did not glorify Himself. When necessary or pushed, He declared who He was. But most of the time He let His works (done in the power of the Holy Spirit) or His Father glorify Him. And glorify Him He did! The Father has called Him His Son. The Father has made Him the High Priest.
Another of His glories is that learned obedience by suffering. Imagine that! The Eternal Son of God learned obedience as a Man. As a man, He suffered in order to obey the Father. The suffering was greater that any that you or I will ever experience. Beginning in the Garden of Gethsemane until the resurrection morning He endured unimaginable agonies. He did it partially out of obedience to the Father. There are times when you and I are suffering innocently. Remember He suffered innocently to a much greater extent. His glory is our shining example of how to endure suffering when undeserved. He succeeded and offers His life and glory to you, so that you may share in His glories! But part of the glory is learning obedience when suffering innocently. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john