November 28

1 CHRONICLES 24-25
“Moreover David and the captains of the army separated for the service some of the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals.” How important is music in the praise of the Lord? In the Revival of David’s day, it was incredibly important. On the one hand, I do not see where the Lord instructed David to do this. On the other hand, the Lord did not stop him from doing this as He stopped him from building the temple. I think this reflected what the Lord desired. Music is incredibly important to the Lord in worship. It enables us to see more clearly the glory of God. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 148
I have had the privilege of having visited or lived in a number of places on this globe. I was born in Indiana, raised in Oklahoma, matriculated and graduated Seminary in Oregon, lived 13 years in coastal North Carolina, and now again in Oklahoma. I spent 6 weeks in Kenya, weeks in Germany and surrounding countries, ten days in Senegal, weeks in Mexico & Canada, one month in Mongolia, and ten days in the Middle East. I have seen a lot of things, swum in 3 oceans, climbed mountains in the Appalachians, the Rockies, the Cascades, Europe and the Middle East. I have traversed deserts in the SW USA, Mexico, Senegal and Mongolia. I’ve seen the wonders of the oceans, the deserts, the mountains, the plains the forests and the swamps. I have sat for hours looking at photographs brought to us by the wonders of Hubbell Telescope. If you have not seen them, check out this website: http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album/entire/pr2010013a/ . And yet, I have seen so very, very little in relation to what our Lord has created. The more that I see causes me to realize more that I have seen very little. And yet every ecosystem, every rock formation, every life form screams out at me that the Lord is a Lord of Great Glory!! I am, after all, but a tiny speck in the vast formation of His creation. With the exception of Humans, who are made in the image of God, they all cry out in praise of our God. What is our problem? It is our sin, NOT His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

ZECHARIAH 10
The Lord has a fierce loyalty to His people. He will draw them back to Himself, even after they wandered like sheep, even when the appointed shepherds don’t behave as shepherds. He still cares about and calls His people back to Himself causing them to wend their way home. This is His glory. Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

1 PETER 5

4and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. . . 10But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

There are two kinds of glory:

1. Very great praise or renown given by common consent to someone or something
2. The source or reason for giving praise or renown whether it is given or not.

There have been times when all of us have received praise. But it is always short lived. In the fifth grade, our class did a production of Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. I was cast for the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. We did the play for everyone in the school in first grade through seventh grade. I even had seventh graders telling me what a great job I did at acting the part. Now to a fifth grader-wow-I was soaking in the praise. I really thought I was something. At least everybody said so. Short lived praise. The next day I was the only one who remembered. Indeed here we are 40+ years later. I’d bet if we could locate those fifth grade class members (much less the audience) that a very small percentage could remember what play we did much less who played the leading role or even whether he did a good job. My point? Most praise or renown given by common consent is fleeting and indeed trivial. I mean really, who cares but me and the fifth grade class of 65/66 as to who played Scrooge or how well it was played? I don’t even care anymore. I just have this weird memory floating around in my head. Praise and renown given by common consent is often trivial and we don’t even recognize it.
So what good is glory? What makes it non-trivial? What makes it beautiful, just for beauty’s sake? Is the resplendent glory and beauty of the universe trivial? What if the Creator of it could destroy it in an instant and make an even more beautiful one? What if He could do that over and over again successively? Eventually we would say the first universe was trivial. What then really matters? Would it not be the source or reason for giving praise? And would it not be the Creator Himself? Would not glory emanate from Him and return to Him? This would be glory that would never end.
Peter says that Jesus is the source of that eternal glory and we can partake in it. This Creator became flesh. This Creator is not the divine watch maker who made and wound the clock and then left it to run down. But He is the shepherd of our souls. A shepherd must take careful interest in the welfare of his sheep if the sheep are to thrive and do well. But the sheep have to understand where the source of their welfare comes from. It comes from the Creator of their souls, not from themselves. The Creator invites us to share in His glory. But we cannot do that if we are fixed upon who played the part of Ebenezer Scrooge in a fifth grade play. We can only share in His glory if we are fixed upon Him. To Him be glory and dominion forever! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john, a has been Scrooge

November 27

1 Chronicles 23
I wonder what my last words will be. I hope they will be ones which promote or exalt the glory of the Lord. “For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above; 28because their duty was

1. to help the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts and in the chambers, in the purifying of all holy things and the work of the service of the house of God…
2. to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at evening;…
3. and that they should attend to the needs of the tabernacle of meeting, the needs of the holy place, and the needs of the sons of Aaron their brethren in the work of the house of the LORD.

Looking back over his life, David wanted a lasting legacy for the glory of the Lord. The LORD would not allow him to build the temple because he was a man of bloodshed. What could he do? Once blood is spilled upon the ground, it cannot be gathered back up and placed into the body from which it came. A life taken is a life taken. His last words were provision for worship of the LORD.
He did not want his legacy to be that he was a man of bloodshed. When we teach our children about the LORD from the life of David, what do we teach them? David and Goliath. As important a lesson that is, I don’t think that is the legacy for which he wanted to be remembered. He united the nation of Israel and took it to its apex in world strength. As great as that is, I don’t think he wanted to be remembered for that. I think he wanted to be remembered for directing people in worship of LORD. He has been called by many “The Sweet Psalmist of Israel.” When you think of David, is that what catches your attention? LORD, when I pass from this world let my legacy be that others were led into your glory because You shone through me. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 147
My kitchen sink is clogged. It is most annoying. I spent an hour working on it Saturday afternoon. I thought I had it unclogged. A bottle of drain opener and gallons of HOT water and it seemed to be flowing. Sunday afternoon it was clogged again. We tried a bladder controlled high water pressure. It didn’t touch it. I poured boiling water down the drain. It is still clogged. I guess grease is pretty good way of stopping up sink drains. Boiling water normally melts the grease. I am really frustrated. I guess I am going to have to call Rotorooter. I think there is a metaphor in here somewhere.
Like the residue of grease from daily washing of dishes, sometimes the residue of sin builds up in our lives freezing the flow of life-giving water causing the build-up life disabling activity. In our seasonal year, God sends beautiful snow, frost, hail and other curious weather phenomenon. They are beautiful when temporary, but in areas where the seasons do not change (Antarctica etc.), the cold becomes deadly and the environment barren. When sin builds up, we need something to melt it away. He sends forth His word and it melts it all. It makes the water flow washing away the caustic sin of my life. That is what is amazing about Him. He can unclog my life when I am frustrated and unable. He does it through His word. That is His glory. That is why I daily need His word. Lord use you word to melt my heart frozen by the build-up of greasy sin! Unclog my spiritual heart! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

ZECHARIAH 9
Our King has come to deliver us! He came riding upon a donkey’s colt. 550 years before it happened, Zechariah spoke of it. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day saw the obvious claim that Jesus was making as He rode into Jerusalem on that Palm Sunday. Their response? “It is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” But because Jesus submitted to the Father in this, He will one day reign from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. Upon a donkey He came to die to purchase the right to reign. Upon a mighty steed He shall return to tread out the fierceness of His wrath upon the nations who refuse to repent.
Because of the blood of His covenant with us, He comes to us who are bound in the slavery of our waterless pits and lift us out of the pits. We are set free to become prisoners of hope. We have genuine hope! It was for freedom that Christ set us free. We no longer are bound by the chains of sin. We can walk now as heirs to the throne of God. We have everything we need in Christ Jesus, for as we live and die in Him He raises us to walk in newness of life! Now that is hope! Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

1 PETER 4
A few years ago Reno family court judge, Chuck Weller was shot and wounded in the chest as he stood near a third-floor courthouse window. The suspect was Darren Roy Mack, who had appeared before the judge in a divorce case. It won't happen in our court system, but what if Mr. Mack had to stand trial for shooting Judge Weller and Judge Weller was the criminal trial judge for Mr. Mack? I don't think it would bode too well for Mr. Mack.
When Jesus was last upon the earth, He came to seek and to save the lost. He did not come as a judge--that time. But as Peter points out here, He is coming again to judge the living and the dead. Peter calls this coming the "revelation of His glory." When Jesus returns, He will eventually hold two courts, one a 'family court' and one a 'criminal court.' In the 'family court' He will judge His own household, His own family. As children of God we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and all our works will be tried. Those works deemed valuable by Him will be rewarded and those works deemed not valuable will be destroyed. But the person will not be destroyed. It will not be a divorce court. He will not be deciding whether to separate us from Him or not. He died to apply His death to our lives. We received His death and resurrection. He will not deny Himself. There will also be a second court, a 'criminal court.' All those whose names are not in His book of having received the benefits of His death and life will be tried there. They will stand before the One, who went to the cross in their place, who bore the load of their sin, who died for them, who was rejected by them as unworthy to kneel before and call upon His name as Savior and Lord. He will do what is right. However, it bodes not well for them.
Should we ever suffer because of the Name of Jesus, we must remember

1. He also suffered but overcame the suffering to receive great glory.
2. By suffering we may share in His glory.
3. It is His glory that at some point in time He will set all things right.

It bodes not well for those who do not delight in His glory now. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

November 26

1 CHRONICLES 22
Yesterday we saw how pride poisons our ability to see the glory of God. Yet God was doing more here than just pointing out David’s pride. He was doing something for all time. He was establishing the location of the temple. This is a significant place. Compare this passage with Gen 22:2 and 2 Chron 3:1. We find that this is the spot where Abraham was commanded to bring Isaac to sacrifice him. This is the spot which David bought from Ornan to sacrifice in order to stay the hand of the Death Angel. This is the spot where Solomon would build the temple. This is the spot where the second temple would be rebuilt. According to Hebrews, the temple typology speaks clearly of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was near this spot that He was taken outside the city walls and crucified in our place as a sacrifice for sin. He is the Son of the Father who is sacrificed in our place. He is the Ram hidden in the thicket that died for us. He is the altar of sacrifice where the oxen were slain for the pride of David. He died in our place to pay the penalty for our pride.
Here David makes preparation for Solomon to build the temple. Here he desires a sanctuary to the Lord our God to be built. His intent was for the house to be built for the LORD to be, “Exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all countries.” When the preparations were completed, he exhorted Solomon to,

Set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God. Therefore arise and build the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy articles of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the LORD.

The Glory of the LORD is such that we should build him a sanctuary that is exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all countries. His sanctuary today is His people. It is not buildings made of wood, stone, concrete, metal, and glass. It is my life and the lives of others through whom His glory can shine. Lord, use me and those who read this feeble writing to build your sanctuary! Build lives through which your glory may shine! Make it exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious for Your name throughout all the countries of the world! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 146
Most of the believers in the Lord Jesus Christ (at least the ones I know) were quite dismayed the morning after the election (2008 & 2012). Obama is antithetical to biblical mores in many areas. He is solidly pro-abortion, even to the extent of legally protecting the laws permitting doctors to kill a child who survives a late term abortion. He supports the enactment of more laws and proclamation promoting the redefinition of marriage and protecting the rights of gender confused people. During his first administration, the national debt has doubled. It appears it will double again soon. Clearly the Scripture states, “The borrower becomes the lender’s slave.” Our grandchildren are being enslaved. He has snubbed his nose at the head of state Benjamin Natanyahu. The word of the Lord clearly states concerning the descendants of Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.” So, many people, whom I know, were very dismayed by the election returns.
But you know what? We shouldn’t be. Our hope is not in a political leader, as verse 3 says, “Do not put your trust in princes, Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.” Ultimately our King is not of this world. Our help is from the Creator of the Universe. He made everything. He is truth. He executes justice and gives food to the hungry. He sets the prisoner free, opens blind eyes, watches over strangers, and relieves the fatherless and widow. Obama will only last 4 more years, but Jesus will one day return, and when He does, His throne will last forever. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

ZECHARIAH 8
I didn’t realize how blessed I was to grow up when and where I did. Born in 1955, my parents moved to Glencoe, Oklahoma in the summer of 1962. Glencoe had about 280 people in the town limits. The whole school system, first grade through 12th grade had barely 200 students. It was mostly a farming community or people who had jobs in the “big city” (lol) of Stillwater about 15 miles away. I had two guys my age that lived in the town limits. We could play in the streets in safety and often did. If we were bored with the streets, we were less than blocks away from the countryside and woods. Life was relaxed. It was an idyllic world! In the summer of 1967, we moved to Stillwater. Although I could no longer play in the street (my parents lived on a major thoroughfare), it was, none-the-less, a pleasant place for me to grow up. With all the accouterments of a major university, OSU, it still had the feel of a small town. The main advantages were security and prosperity.
Jerusalem lost both security and prosperity when the Babylonians came. Indeed, she lost everything. Even under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua she was neither secure nor prosperous. But the Lord points to a time when she will have a King who will restore both. It will be under the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. He Himself shall reign in Jerusalem. His beauty will be so evident that people from all over the world will come there to pray and seek Him. Once again children will play in the streets. If we kneel before Him, He brings true peace and prosperity for eternity. Oh may that day come soon. This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the little bit of security and prosperity I enjoyed as a child. However, I am more thankful for the coming security and prosperity that will be when He returns! Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

1 PETER 3
I love Tolkein's stories of hobbits and the ring of power. I guess I identify with the hobbits because although they are not considered by anyone to be a mighty folk, they end up being the true heroes of the story. Frodo endures unimaginable suffering to achieve great glory. If the story were something we could enter into and I did not know the ending and I were Frodo on the plains of Mordor, I would probably give up the quest. But knowing the ending, the glory to be obtained, I think I could continue on. Some, like me, would want the glory, and some would give up anyway.
In the summer of 1978, after one year of marriage, Laura and I went to the Institute of Biblical Studies hosted by Campus Crusade for Christ at CSU in Ft. Collins, CO. We took four courses. One was Christian Marriage and Family. It was co-taught by two couples. One couple was Dennis and Barbara Rainey. Some of you may recognize that name from the radio show Family Life Today. We got a glimpse of what a true Christian Marriage should look like. One thing we learned is that it was going to take work. But we also saw a glimpse that a true Christian marriage could be a glorious thing. Something we both wanted. Is it not safe to say that unless one sees glory, they never want it? We see in 1 Peter the glory of Jesus through suffering.
I find it interesting that right in the midst of Peter's letter on how to live through suffering, how to live in the intersection of heaven and earth, that he takes time out to give instruction about domestic life. In 2:18 he begins by encouraging servants to be submissive to their masters. Now I can see the similar line of reasoning to the glory of Christ in that Jesus became submissive even to the point of death on a cross and a slave being submissive to a master. But here in chapter 3 he begins by saying likewise wives be submissive to your husbands. Then He commands husbands to live with their wives with understanding. Now get the flow of submission here: Jesus to death; slaves to masters; wives to husbands; husbands to understanding; Christians to loving one another. The second half of each of those implies that submission to them is a hard thing.
Now, I am a husband. I feel like I have been slammed at both ends. I mean, on one end it is implied that for Laura to be submissive to me is suffering for her. What am I a despot? On the other end it is implied that it is suffering for me to live with my wife with understanding. What am I stupid? Wait, don't tell me the answers to those questions. I don't want to hear it. Well, I think most men would agree that it is impossible to understand a woman. We usually throw up our hands with Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady and proclaim, "Why can't a woman be more like a man?" The truth is that if they were more like men, we wouldn't want to be with them.
Here is where the glory comes in. I may think I am not a despot. I may think I am not misunderstanding. But apart from Jesus, I am wrong on both counts. Only He is able to enable me to fulfill my responsibility on both counts. It takes the mighty act of God to break a woman's will so that she is able to truly submit to her husband as Jesus did to the Father. Only He is able to break the will of a man so that he is willing to day in and day out actively seek to understand the way his wife is thinking--not how she thought a year ago but how she is thinking now. Men like to conquer something and then move on to the next task. To live with a woman in an understanding way is an unending task. (By the way guys, Peter makes it clear that if we don't do that, our prayers are hindered.) Men are incapable of it. Ahhh, but Jesus is able. Nothing reveals the glory of Jesus like a couple where the wife is happy to submit and the husband consistently understands. When people see that glory, some want it.
Nothing reveals the glory of Jesus like an employee who gives his best for the benefit of his employer. Nothing reveals the glory of Jesus like a church where the people are of one mind, have compassion for one another, love each other, are tender hearted toward each other, are courteous toward each other, return blessing for evil. Only Jesus can enable us to do that. He can enable us because He has already done it Himself. That is His glory. When we focus on His glory, He changes us to reflect more and more of His glory. When people see His glory some want it. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

November 25

1 CHRONICLES 21
What’s the big deal about taking a census? It was a big enough deal that God chose to kill 70,000 men as a punishment. Also, even David himself admitted that he was the one who made the decision. Why punish the people for his decision? What’s up with that? Also, we saw yesterday that Chronicles did not even mention David’s murder and adultery. Most of us would think that adultery and murder were far more serious of sin than ordering the census. Yet 70,000 die for the census and David get’s his sin published in the Chronicles. What’s up with that?
The essence of David’s sin was pride. The purpose of a census in his day was mainly to assess his military strength. The last nationwide census was taken when the nation had finished its 40 years in the wilderness. It was time to begin the conquest of Canaan. They needed to know how many fighting men they had in order to assess how to organize their troops in order to prepare for battle. David had already reached the apex of his military strength without a census. How could a census aid him? It couldn’t. It was a matter of pride. Look at results of the census. He had 1,600,000 fighting men. Joshua only had 600,000. Wow! He had a million more men than Joshua! Sounds like pastors swapping statistics about their ministries.
Okay, so he was having a problem with pride. So why come down so hard on that? Pride seeks to rival the glory of God. God will not have a rival. It is worse than adultery or murder. It condemned Satan to hell. It barred Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. It transferred their kids, you and me, into a cloud of darkness. It clouds the glory of God. When we are proud, we cannot see Him. God will have nothing to do with it. Having a hard time understanding the justice of God? Having a hard time seeing the glory of God? It is pride. The more I catch little glimpses of His glory, the more I begin to see how horribly proud I am. Lord, help me to empty myself of my pride so that I may see your glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
P.S. What in the world were the Tabernacle and the furniture of the tabernacle (minus the ark) doing in Gibeon when David had moved the ark to Jerusalem? After his first misdoing with moving the ark and this experience, no wonder he was afraid of the Lord. Do our failures sometimes produce an unhealthy fear of the Lord?


This is commonly called the Dome of the Rock. It sits upon the location which some believe the temple once sat. In the basement is the bedrock which Muslims claim that Abraham sought to sacrifice Ishmael. Muslims believe that the Jewish and Christian Scriptures have changed the story. They say it was Ishmael whom Abraham was commanded to sacrifice and not Isaac. Muslims also believe that Mohammed made a miraculous night journey here, where he ascended to the highest heaven and had a conversation with Allah. All three religions believe that this temple mount is where Abraham sacrificed a ram in the place of his son and where David sacrificed oxen to stay the hand of the death angel. Christians believe that outside of the Temple Mount gates, Jesus was sacrificed in our place. The first two sacrifices were types of what would happen with Jesus.

PSALM 145
“If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?” It is that stupid question which people, who play with definitions, enjoy asking. But it does have some merits to it. Growing up, we would visit my grandfather’s farm located on the Cimarron River at the dead end of a county road about midway between Yale and Cushing, Oklahoma. He only had 58 acres but he also leased some more acreage from the Indian tribe next door to him. I have spent hours scouring his acres and exploring his land. Even though the land is no longer in the family, I still enjoy exploring it from google earth. If a tree fell on his land, would it make a noise? Well, if you define noise as vibration of molecules in the atmosphere or ground, then of course it made a noise. The laws of physics would indicate that the same vibrations would be there whether or not a receptor was there. But, if you define noise as the reception of those vibrations, and no one was there, then of course there was no noise. There was no one there to receive it or observe it. In my exploration of Grandpa’s farm, I found many a broken dead limb and fallen tree lying upon the ground. Did they make a noise when they fell?
As I searched the land, I found all sorts of life forms, vegetation, insects, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds. The variety of life was awesome! The things out of which life sprang were also varied. A good portion of grandpa’s land was good arable soil. About a third of the land was rocky, hilly and covered with blackjack oaks. It led up to the edge of his land, which was a beautiful bluff overlooking the Cimarron River. He had a couple of small ponds kept his cattle watered. A shallow well provided water for his garden, laundry, washing dishes, bathing etc., but for drinking he preferred distilled water brought in from town. Yes, there was much to receive and observe upon the farm. I could spend paragraph upon paragraph describing in much more detail the wonders of things I found on his farm as a grade school kid. If I had never had opportunity to explore, would they have still been there? But, then I would have been oblivious to its existence.
If God exists in eternity, and there is no creation to observe Him, does He still exist? Of course He does, but He would be the only One who would care that He exists. But there is a creation. But what if some of that creation does not have opportunity to explore the wonders of their Creator? Then they would be oblivious to His existence. There are only two ways that we can know His majesty: He can somehow communicate what He is like to us, or we can study what He does and guess what He is like.
Psalm 145:5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works. Two things give us much material upon which we may meditate:

1) the splendor of His majesty and
2) His wondrous works.

What is the difference? The splendor of His majesty is what would be true of Him even if we had never experienced any of His wondrous works. His wondrous works are what we experience because of what He is like, revealed in what He has done. Certainly, that is a fine difference, but nonetheless, it is a difference.
What is He like? He has a name that should be blessed and praised forever. His greatness is unsearchable. He is good all the time. He is compassionate, slow to anger and merciful. He is powerful. He is righteous, gracious and near. All of these things would be true of Him whether or not I ever experienced an act of His that would reveal this as true of Him. I can only learn these things of Him as He reveals them in His word.
But what if I have opportunity to experience His works? Ahh! Then I should make it a point to explore, examine and meditate on His works! I can examine what He has done for others and what He has done for me. One of the most important sources of learning is from the previous generation. It is such a privilege to pass on my stories of God’s works to my children! I love to hear stories from other generations about God’s provision for them, especially stories demonstrating His compassion, goodness and mercy. For me to be able to pass on those stories it is important that I learn the art of meditating on His works so that I will know the significance of the acts when they happen. Sometimes when I sit down and begin exploring the acts of the Lord in my life, it becomes a little overwhelming. I see that it is true that when my eyes are on Him, He opens His hand and I am fed. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

ZECHARIAH 7
In Ezra 2:28 we learn that 223 exiles had settled Bethel (House of God). The better translation of verse 2 is, “When Sherezer came with Regem-Melech and his men from Bethel, to pray before the LORD.” These men came with a legitimate question. Jerusalem was breached and burned in the fifth month, and Gedeliah, the provisional governor was assassinated in the seventh month. Without the instruction of the Lord, they had been observing these fast days for over 76 years to commemorate these events before the Lord. Some Orthodox Jews still observe these fasts to this day. Now that they had returned and the temple was in the process of being rebuilt, was this fast necessary?
What seemed like a great idea receives a surprising answer from the Lord. Verse 5 “Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me?’” Sometimes our focus leads us to make decisions that are full of zeal but misguided. Fasting can be a very empowering discipline, but the Lord is not so concerned about some of our outward disciplines as He is the attitudes of our hearts. Part of the sin that had sent the nation into exile was their attitude toward the disadvantaged in their society. The exile seems to have cured them of their blatant idolatry, but it did not change their attitude toward the poor. Fasting is supposed to demonstrate our mourning over sin, not the discipline brought to correct us of our sin. They simply didn’t get it. They were like children who mourned being spanked not mourning that they had done wrong.
The Lord’s answer was simple. He just wants us to execute true justice showing mercy and compassion to everybody. What is playing out before us is a very real example of the Lord’s parable of the unforgiving servant. It is really pretty simple. But they would not hear it. The Lord just wanted them to reflect His true justice, mercy and compassion. Is that so hard? Apparently it is because we never get it right. They walked away in disobedience. As a result, the Lord refused to hear them.
The glory of the Lord is that He wants to display His true justice, mercy and compassion through us. Is that not incredible? Should we not then be the most just, merciful and compassionate people on the face of the earth? If we are reflecting His image, we are. Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

1 PETER 2
Everyone wants to be part of something big. Andy Stanley tells of an early mentor in his life who used to ask him, "Whatcha got goin' 'big'?" At that stage in his life, the question bothered him. At that point in Andy's life the biggest thing he had going was getting 20 youth group members to the amusement park and back without losing any of them. Churches in the USA don't grow unless you've got something 'big' going on. One would think that if you are following the Lord of the Universe that one would be part of some impressive things. One would think that following the Lord of the Universe would be like moving from one massive victory to another.
Peter is speaking to people who are undergoing persecution because of their faith in the Lord of the Universe. They were not seeing anything 'big' going on in their lives. Consequently they were beginning to drop out. He writes to encourage them to be faithful in the midst of the persecution. He reminds them that Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone. We've looked at the cornerstone quote before in Matthew 21:23-46 and Luke 20:1-26. In the midst of persecution and seeming smallness, Peter recalls Jesus' words as encouragement. The ironic thing is that history demonstrates that when the church is persecuted, that is when Jesus does some of His 'biggest' building.
Remember a cornerstone is one from which the rest of the building gets its orientation. It is the main stone in the foundation. You pick the best quality for that stone. It is usually massive and perfectly shaped. By uniting two intersecting walls, a cornerstone aligns the whole building and ties it together. Jesus says that He is the stone the builders rejected. He became the chief cornerstone.
The wall of heaven and the wall of earth intersect. Ever since the fall of Adam the human cathedral was falling. It collided with heaven's wall. The human wall was crooked and never fit. God gave some instructions to the Jewish nation concerning how to build. Imbedded within that instruction were prophecies concerning the Cornerstone. This is a quote of Psalm 118:22, 23.
The glory of Jesus is that He uses living stones. We are not some dead cathedral that never changes. We are a living organism that continues to grow and change but ever into a more beautiful reflection of Him. We are part of an organism that is so 'big' that we cannot see even a small portion of it. But He is building it one cell, one stone, at a time. In shaping the stones sometimes the mason has to cut or break off the unwanted edges of stone. Since we are living stones, that hurts. Since we cannot always see the whole living cathedral of which we are part, we feel isolated. That is why we must look at His glory. He also suffered. He bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed. That's the way He fits living stones together. He's got something goin' really big. We are part of it. I cannot think of anything bigger than being part of a living wall that intersects heaven and earth! Let's participate in His work. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

November 24

1 Chronicles 19-20
Most scholars consider the Chronicles to be the priestly version of Israel’s history. It is compiled from a priest's view point. Hence, we have all the genealogies and especially details related to the temple. I find it interesting that as the priestly account, the record does not address David’s adultery and murder. In today’s passage we find that David stayed home from battle, 20:1. 2 Samuel tells us that this is the time that David succumbed to adultery and murder. Chronicles does not even mention it. Why? A priest offers up sacrifice to cover the sin of the people for whom he is representative to God. From a priestly perspective, the sin of adultery and murder, which David committed, is covered by the blood of the sacrifice. Since those sins do not relate to the temple, the priestly account of David does not even mention it because it is covered by the blood of the sacrifice.
Jesus is our sacrifice. His blood not only covers our sin, but it washes it completely away. Once we have repented of our sin, Jesus never again mentions it. If I am suffering from guilt over past sin, I need only true repentance and confession. When that happens, it is under the blood. I am forgiven. It is gone. Jesus never throws it in my face again as a condemnation. If that is happening, it is not from Him. He is my High Priest. He cleansed me with His own blood. I am free. I walk in that marvelous light. It is nothing that I have done, but it is all of Him. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

This picture is taken from the balcony of our hotel in Amman Jordan. In the top center of the picture is the northwest corner of the Roman wall of ancient Rabbah. Left center is a tunnel for cars to go under the mountain. You can see that the slope going to the top is quite steep making the fortress at the top much easier to defend. We walked to the top to visit the ancient city which is now a park for the residents to enjoy. Much of the area has been preserved along with a museum to give a history of the various periods of growth. Zooming in with the camera from the same point, here is a close up of the walls. While these are Roman walls and younger, the part of the city dating from Joab’s is over the other side from here along the southeastern edge of the ruins. With the steep slope, it must have been a very difficult siege to take this city.

















PSALM 144
Why does evil exist? That is a good question for which the Scripture has only one clear answer, “It is allowed to reveal His glory.” But how does allowing evil to exist show His glory? I mean, wouldn’t it be better if He just never allowed it to exist? That way, when anyone thought about evil and asked, “Why doesn’t evil exist?” the answer would clearly be, “Oh evil does not exist because we have such a glorious God. He would never allow such a thing.” Hmmm. . . But if everything but God is finite (Is evil finite? Can evil exist outside of time and space?), then how would we even begin to think in terms of something which we had not experienced? My mind becomes severely twisted when I start trying to think these things through. Physicists talk about the fabric of space. I don’t quite get that. I think of space as nothing. How can nothing have fabric? I guess space is something, but if nothing is something then it is not nothing so it can’t be something. If evil did not exist, how could finite beings think of it? I think I am going into an existential spiral and getting intellectual motion sickness. Before Adam and Eve partook of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, I do not think that they really understood what evil was. They only knew that God said, “Don’t go there.” Eve took the fruit because she did not understand what it was. When Adam saw her with the fruit, he immediately ‘knew’ what evil was because he saw her doing it. He knowingly chose to take the fruit from her because he desired her more than God. In an instant evil became experienced and entrenched. It was no longer a question of, “What is it?” but, “What do we do about it?”
Enter death. Apparently death is the infinite God’s only solution for evil. How would He apply the solution? I don’t think I can adequately explain why evil exists, but even my opponents in explaining the answer would agree with me in this, “Evil exists.” No one can deny that evil exists! To deny that is to deny existence! To deny that is to deny all reason!
So if this infinite God hates evil, then does He not hate evil infinitely? If He hates it infinitely, then He will always be about eradicating it. If He is about eradicating it, and He is infinite, then surely He is able to eradicate it instantly. Then why does/did He not do it instantly? When God first warned Adam and Eve, He said, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” I am told by the Hebrew experts that the language could be literally translated, “Dying you shall die.” It became a process, not instantaneous. Certainly that matches with reality. Why did He choose a process for the finite world? I am beginning to sound like a child, “Why? Why? Why?” I am not sure that I can give adequate answers for the discerning mind, but this I know, “The eradication of evil is a process. It does not happen instantly.” This matches Scripture and reality.
This infinite God, who has permitted evil, who is bent on eradicating it, who has chosen to use a process rather than doing it instantly, this God has also chosen to have us participate with Him in its eradication. Therefore, He trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle. He has chosen to have us partner with Him in the eradication of evil. Now it is obvious from Scripture that this is going to mean different application for different people at different times, but the metaphor of the training for battle remains constant through time. It is in the training for battle and war that we learn His hatred of evil. But it is also in the training and war that we learn His lovingkindness and protection. Apart from the contrast of war and loving kindness we would never experience the depths of either.
Wiki Answers says the average life expectancy of the “D-day” soldier was 1-2 seconds. I cannot begin to get my mind around such carnage. That is evil. But those who survived should have a greater appreciation for experiencing lovingkindness and protection. The life of the average soldier on that day was literally like the passing of a shadow. But what is the length of my life in comparison to Eternity? It is like the passing of a shadow. I am 57 years old (2012). In some respects I still feel like I am only beginning life. The average life expectancy of a male in the world is 64.52 years, in the USA it is 75.6 years. I have 7 to 18 years left according to the averages, just a shadow. In my 57 years I have enjoyed much of His lovingkindness and protection. I have experienced a little of the ravages of His war on evil, but mostly His lovingkindness and protection. I am experiencing the blessings of His lovingkindness and protection. I am privileged to see my sons and daughter to grow up and produce fruit and become ‘pillars’ in society! But there is yet much evil to be eradicated, and I have only a shadow left!
O God of glory will you come down out of heaven in Your awesome glory and eradicate evil! Continue to use my hands and fingers in the battle for the eradication of evil! Do it in a way that brings You the most possible glory! Keep me from falsehood! Give me new songs to sing to you! Glorify Yourself in delivering Your servant from evil! Lord, I have family, friends and neighbors whose lives are entrenched in evil. Use my hands and fingers to set them free from the bonds of evil! In so doing, glorify Yourself! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

ZECHARIAH 6
“Behold the Man!” I cut short the full quotation from Zechariah; however, they are the same words that Pilate used when he presented Jesus as the King of the Jews. The crowd demanded His execution. Interesting is it not that when Zechariah is using the words that he is referring to the chief priest and is placing a crown upon his head. The crown is the symbol of a king, and yet Joshua is a priest. It is interesting that the name Joshua is the Hebrew form of the Greek name, Jesus. Jesus is our priest and king. He is called the branch. As Joshua rebuilt the temple in Zechariah’s day, Jesus is rebuilding His temple now. We are being built upon Him as the chief cornerstone. He desires to sit upon His throne and rule as a priest over us. One day His rule will be supreme. He will rule from a literal throne and judge the nations. Right now He rules over His church. Let us be responsive to our priest and king! Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

1 PETER 1
The glory of what we have seen of the Lord is great. The glory that is to be revealed at His coming is greater still! What is the glory that has been revealed? His abundant mercy has not checked but satisfied the mercy of God. A body He prepared for us! His body He prepared for us. He sacrificed His body for us. He died to remove our sin. He rose to defeat that sin and death! He gives us hope, a living hope! Our hope can't be killed. He defeated death. We can be killed. But we shall live again because of Him! What power there is living in us because He is living in us! Simply because we believe!
In the movie Polar Express the boy receives a bell from the sleigh of Santa Claus when he learns to believe. His parents could not hear the bell because they did not believe. One by one his friends ceased to hear the bell because they ceased to believe. We enjoy the movie because it distracts us from reality and goads us to believe that there is good in this world that is full of bad events. It is a dead hope because deep inside we know it is make believe. We force ourselves to believe in spite of the facts. It is indeed a dead hope.
Not so with Jesus ! He is the only true hope. We do not base our hope on make believe, which we force into reality by the power of our faith. That would indeed be a dismal hope. Our hope is in His resurrection. The resurrection is securely attested to by history. It was produced by the power of God for our salvation. Our faith does not produce it; it merely secures what is already there for our own.
Faith is important. Without it we cannot receive His provision. But the provision is there whether or not we believe. Our faith merely enables us to realize it. That is why focusing on His glory is so important. His glory increases our faith. Remember His glory is a living hope! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

November 23

1 Chronicles 18
“And the LORD preserved David wherever he went.“ Why did the LORD do that? I know that David is our hero. We love the stories of David the shepherd boy, of David and Goliath, of David being unjustly pursued by Saul, but when you get right down to it, David had some major problems. You certainly did not want to cross David. Consider Nabal as a case in point. Nabal did not ask David to protect his men. David’s method with Nabal seem somewhat similar to the method of organized crime in large cities. If God had not intervened, David would have killed Nabal. It seems to indicate that God approved of David’s methods. Really? Take today’s passage for instance. David has become the aggressor toward the neighboring countries. Sure Gath (Philistia), Moab and Edom were historic enemies who had repeatedly invaded Israel. It seems necessary to subdue them for the peace of the region, but to go all the way to the Euphrates (verse 3)? And yet the Lord preserved him wherever he went. Sometimes he seems cruel in what he did. His army routinely hamstrung horses. Wouldn’t it be more humane to kill them? To hamstring is to cut the back tendon of the foot of a horse to make it useless for battle, but would not the horse then be useless for anything? Not necessarily. The animal could still be used for food by the non-Jew. So in a way, hamstringing the horses, significantly weakened the enemy’s army but still left them some resource rather than destitute.
David indeed “administered judgment and justice to all his people,” but what about other people? Does God support David’s subduing the nations around Him? God had long ago promised in that the descendants of Israel from the River of Egypt to the Euphrates. Perhaps David was just claiming the promises of God. At a minimum, He preserved David. Also, God is doing something in His plan for the world through the nation. Why preserve David? At some level David was genuinely a man after God’s own heart. He was a murdering, adulterer who genuinely sought God. Because he sought God, God preserved him. I do not think that means that God approved of everything David did, but it does mean that God preserved him. Hmmm. . . Does that mean that if I really pursue God, He will preserve me? It means that I need to consider how I fit into His plan. Preserving me might not be part of that plan. But I do believe it means forgiveness. That is His glory; He can and will forgive a murdering adulterer if there is true repentance. Wow! There is hope for me, for all of us! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Psalm 143
I am sure that by now (2012) most everyone who reads this has heard the news of Tom White’s (leader of Voice of the Martyrs) death. Tom had been accused of inappropriately touching a young girl. Whether or not he was guilty, Tom apparently could not live with what was about to happen, so he took his own life. Hmmm. . . what does this tell me about the glory of the Lord and our own lives?
Apart from the Lord, I am faithless (v1), unrighteous (v1), powerless (v5) and unmerciful (v11). David makes it very clear that this is true of himself, and sadly I see myself there too (and you). Yet the Lord is the opposite of each of these negative attributes. David makes it abundantly clear in this Psalm that he is distressed over his lack of power to deliver himself from these sins. Any student of David’s life is aware of the coarse cruelty and sexual promiscuity of which David was capable. We are acutely aware of David’s unfaithfulness, unrighteousness, at times powerlessness to do the right thing and at times unmercifulness. Yet the Lord at one time called him, “A man after His own heart.” (1 Samuel 13:14)
Why would the Lord call this flawed man this? Because this flawed man recognized his flaws. Whenever the flaws flared up, he pressed back into the Lord to remember His glory, to receive of Him the life change he needed. What does David see as he presses in? He sees faithfulness in the Lord in contrast to his own unfaithfulness. If any of us had been God, when David exhibited his unfaithfulness, we would have left David hanging by his own rope. Yet God remained faithful. Because of His faithfulness, David returned to the Lord. David sees righteousness in God. If any of us had been God, when David exhibited his unrighteousness, we would have instantly judged him and given him what he deserved, death. Because David sees righteousness in God, he returns to him. David muses on the works of God’s hands. One cannot do that and not be overwhelmed by the vast power of the living God! David would see his own powerlessness in his own sin. So he would return to the living God to beg His power to walk as he ought. David rejoices in the lovingkindness and mercy that he finds at the throne of God. Consequently, he returns to receive, to drink long from that well! His own failure teaches him how dried up and thirsty he is. Only at that well can we be restored! It is the well of His Holy Spirit. That is why he is called a man after God’s own heart.
There is hope for me and you if we press into drinking of the glory of the Lord. Only by drinking of the faithfulness, righteousness, power, lovingkindness and mercy of the Lord can we be restored. That is His glory! That is His desire! I don’t know why Tom White took his own life, but I suspect that it was somewhat related to not being able to drink of the well of the glory of Christ. Somehow Tom’s own glory gained preeminence over the Glory of Christ. All the more reason for me to press in to the heart of the Lord to see His Glory, for I am sure that Tom White was a better man than I! After all, it is all about the glory of Christ, not mine or Tom’s. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

ZECHARIAH 5
God’s imagination in His communicating to us often times amazes me. I mean, “flying scrolls,” and “women in baskets.” If this were not so serious, I would almost think that He is writing a comedy here, but God is serious here. The flying scroll speaks of the swiftness of the judgment that is coming. The contents of the scroll speak of the sin. In this case the sin is lying and theft. The woman in the basket is representative of wickedness. The basket is an ephah, the largest grain measurement of Israel. The harvest of wickedness is come and it is to be carried off to Babylon for the judgment where it will reside permanently.
I am reminded of 2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” We become His when we repent and believe. The result is that we should depart from iniquity, pretty simple concept. He supplies the grace to do it. So He is glorified when it happens. Lord, keep me from lying, theft and iniquity. Let’s do it! Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

James 5
The might of the army of the U.S.A. lies in several places. One is our technology for warfare, which is far more advanced than any other nation. Two is our experience in warfare is far more prolific than any other nation. Three is our economic industry for warfare is far more massive than any other nation. Four is our population is larger than most providing a host of warriors greater than most nations. Five is that in general our motivation for war is self-defense of liberty rather than aggression of economics. We believe right is on our side.
James calls Jesus the Lord of hosts. The implication of that name is that He is mighty, the Lord of a vast number of warriors who support Him. The Lord does not need technology to be mighty. He designed the principles of physics and science upon which all of our technology is based. To think that any could oppose His infinite knowledge is indeed laughable. The Lord is from beyond time. His experience is unfathomable. His wisdom in running the universe is beyond our ability to conceive. The Lord owns all that is. His riches make our grasping at our paltry millions of dollars seem more laughable than a child's clinging to a penny when his father owns more than Bill Gates. The hosts of the Lord are greater than the stars of the sky which are greater than we can even count. Our Lord is a just judge He never makes a mistake. President Bush may have erred in depending upon the intelligence that he received concerning Iraq and Sadam Hussein. But our Lord's justice is impeccable. He never errs.
This Lord of ours is returning. He is coming to judge. Those who will not believe Him will find their judgment swift and severe. Those, who have not trusted Him for salvation but have clung to their riches rather come to the aid of others, will suffer the loss of reward at His judgment. Those who endure, will understand His compassion and mercy and proclaim His greatness now and at His coming.
Why did Sadam proudly resist the might of the U.S. Army? Who knows! Why do we resist the might of the Lord of Hosts? Who knows! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

November 22

1 CHRONICLES 17
One of the problems of writing a thing called Meditations on the Glory is that it is both presumptuous and pretentious. It is presumptuous in that it presumes that I can say something of accurate significance about the glory of God. I have a great ability to be presumptuous, and I guess that I have an ability to say something accurate and of the glory of God, but only as it is revealed to me by the Holy Spirit through the word of God. You see, there is none like God. There really is nothing to which I can compare him. So apart from His self-revelation, I really cannot accurately know anything about Him. How do we receive this self-revelation of God? It is by His Spirit and by His Word. It is also pretentious. A child is said to be pretentious when he or she attempts to be older in behavior and thought than they really are. Perhaps I am being pretentious in hoping to explain something of the glory of God. How can I explain anything about the One to whom nothing can be compared?
Somebody has once said that we cannot know God completely, but we can know him truly. He is the infinite God. We can truly know some aspect of Him. But since we are finite, we cannot know Him completely. To know Him completely, we would have to be infinite. Similarly since anything to which we might compare Him is finite, there is none like Him. But He has chosen to enter our lives to deliver us from our sin so that He might make a name for Himself. If He were not the infinite God, that would be very prideful. But since He is the only infinite Creator, it is only right for him to enter. We are most delighted and fulfilled when we find our delight in enjoying some small or new aspect of what He is like. There is none like Him! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 142
The title says it was David’s prayer in the cave. At least a couple of times, David hid in caves from Saul’s army. Here was a young man who had tasted great military success. He had singlehandedly defeated the Philistine champion. Over the years he went on to lead portions of Israel’s army in successful fight after fight against the Philistine. During the time, he learned vital military skills in leading men into battle. He had become Israel’s champion. The people sang his praise, “Saul has killed his thousands, but David his ten-thousands.” He had accomplished all that King Saul had asked him to do, including marrying Saul’s daughter with its attendant bride price of 200 Philistine foreskins. He had even been secretly anointed as King by the prophet Samuel. Saul’s son Jonathan had recognized that David would be king in his place, and he was fine with it. But David’s meteoric rise to power and the promises that came with it were nowhere on the scope of fulfillment without some sort of mutiny. Mutiny against the Lord’s anointed did not exist in David’s theology.
So here he sits in a cave with his men. He is hunted as a criminal. Instead of leading Israel’s finest, He is leading Israel’s disenchanted. Instead of receiving recognition and adulation of the people, He is receiving scorn and rejection. From a strictly human perspective, this is a hopeless situation. He felt as if no one cared for his soul. The walls of the cave began to close in and shut like the bars of a prison. His physical problems were not the major problem. He was in a prison of the soul. How does one break out of such an impenetrable prison?
David cries out to the Lord. He declares his trouble before him. He complains to the Lord. Wait a minute! He complains to the Lord? Did not the Lord kill thousands of people in the wilderness for the sin of complaining? Yes He did, but their complaint was of a different order. Their complaint was against the Lord and His leadership. It arose out of an unbelief that the Lord loved them and would bring a good resolution to their complaint. David’s complaint is of an altogether different sort. David’s complaint is on the one hand recognizing the realities of his awful situation, and on the other hand, recognizing the realities of who God is and then submitting to His leadership.
Look at how he holds this tension before him. When his spirit was overwhelmed he says, “Then You knew my path. In the way in which I walk, they have secretly set a snare for me.” He does not discount the problem at all, but he declares what he knows to be true of God in this situation. God is omniscient and this difficulty did not in any way catch God by surprise. God knows beforehand the traps that our enemy sets for us. Declaring such truth enables David to begin the process of relaxing in the face of death. The only physical refuge that David had was the cave with all of it amenities, snakes, spiders, bugs, scorpions etc. David brings back to mind that God made the cave, “You are my refuge.” He brings back to mind that God provides his needs, “You are my portion.” A complaint given to the Lord in belief also looks beyond the complaint to a time of greater fulfillment. David says, “You shall deal bountifully with me.” I once was told that a component of maturity is being able to endure a current deprivation in order to obtain a future reward. That doesn’t mean that I have to like the current deprivation.
So the glory of the Lord can be seen even in the worst of circumstances. It is His glory to welcome our complaint of the present as long as we are focused upon Him. Focusing on Him enables us to see His omniscience, His protection, His provision and His reward. We can see that even in the midst of great problems! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

ZECHARIAH 4
There is no light at the end of the tunnel. When I was in seminary, the administration told us that the hardest time of the years was in the middle of the program. If you took a full load each quarter, the M.Div. program was three years long. After a year and a half, the excitement of beginning a new thing was definitely worn off. There was still no light at the end of the tunnel. It was still another year and a half or two years until the toil was finished. A lot of guys became discouraged and quit at that point. For them it was a mountain that could not even be climbed, much less moved.
Zerubbabel had been building the temple for ten years. It was a monumental task. It probably seemed that it would never end. The Lord comes alongside him to encourage him. Mountain moving is a specialty of the Lord; after all, He made them. The Lord wanted him to know that only His Spirit could accomplish such a task.

6 So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts. 7 ‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’ ”

The Lord gives us the grace to complete the tasks which He gives us. Grace is the unmerited favor and ability to accomplish what God designs for us to do.
We are designed to build the temple, His church. It is a life-long task. Often times it seems as if there is no light at the end of the tunnel. Weariness can easily set in, but our Lord is mountain mover. Sometimes He is a tunnel digger, and always He is the light in the tunnel. In the toil and in the darkness, He calls out, “Grace, grace to it!” He gives us what we need. That is His glory! Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

JAMES 4
Part of the glory of Jesus is that He is jealous of us. What would I do if some man began making advances (that she did not want) toward my wife? You'd better believe that I'd be in His face pretty quick. But what if she wanted his advances? I would probably still be in his face. But I would also have to address the reason she wanted his advances. Would the reason she wanted his advances be because of a deficiency in me or a deficiency in her or a combination of both?
With Jesus there is no deficiency. When we give in to the advances of Satan, the world or the flesh, it is because of a deficiency in us, not in Him. He yearns for us, but not at the expense of His holiness. Receiving the advances of others is an indication of pride. After all, He is our Creator. We are receiving advances of a created thing over the love of the Creator. What unbelievable pride! Humility is understanding His glory and yielding only to Him. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john