Genesis 41
Where were you 13 years ago? In February of 1997 we were living on Oak Island, NC. We still owned property in Norman, Ok, which we couldn’t sell. All of our capital was tied up in that property. Consequently, we were unable to purchase property in NC. It seemed like such a waste to keep pouring money into someone else’s rental. However, by May of 97 we realized that there was nothing we could do about it until the Oklahoma property sold. But through a series of unique circumstances, which we did not initiate, the Lord provided for us a home to purchase. Five years later we were finally able to sell our house in Norman. In 2007 the house, which we purchased in NC, burned down. It was a pretty amazing thing, which I really don’t have space to write about in this writing. However, the Lord was making it clear that it was time to move back to Oklahoma, which we did when we finally settled with the insurance company. Thirteen years is a long time. We lived a lot of life during that time.
Can you imagine spending 13 years first as a slave and then in jail? To top it off, you were innocent of any crime worthy of slavery or jail. Wouldn’t it seem like a lot of life would have been wasted? Wouldn’t you be at least a little bit bitter? In verse 46 we learn that Joseph was now 30 years old. He was 17 when sold out by his brothers. Joseph had had his hope rise three times: 1. When he had risen to the top of Potiphar’s house, 2. When he had risen to a place of responsibility in jail, 3. When he thought that he might have a friend in Pharaoh’s court. Each time he probably felt abandoned when things did not happen as he expected. After being disappointed so many times, wouldn’t you wonder if God really was with you? But I think Joseph knew that God was with him. That is why he faithfully continued. You see there is not anything that we cannot endure when we know that God is with us. That is His glory. When we have His presence, we don’t have to have the comfortable house, the fast or luxurious cars, or even sumptuous meals . His presence is enough. Oh I don’t claim to be one who doesn’t want a comfortable house or sumptuous meals. I love to eat, and I like my house; however, looking back over the last 13 years, I can truthfully say, “His presence is sufficient for me.” Why? Because His glory is so great! I believe that is why Joseph was so faithful through those 13 years. The presence of the Almighty was all that he needed. Why? Because His glory is so great! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Matthew 24:29-51
There is an old joke told about the rivalry between OU and OSU. It seems OSU got a government grant to send a man to the moon. OU was jealous so they sent one of their engineers up to OSU to spy out their progress. The Sooner was recognized by the Cowboy and the spy plans were foiled. The Sooner said, "It doesn't matter anyway. We're raising enough money to outdo your project with our own project."
The Cowboy replied, "What could possibly be better than sending a man to the moon?"
"Oh, we're going to the sun." said the Sooner.
"The sun! You'll burn up!" guffawed the Cowboy.
The Sooner replied, "You stupid Cowboy. We've got it all figured out. We're going at night."
One day the sun will no longer give its light. It is a physical impossibility by anything we currently understand. But the Lord will make it happen right before He returns. How will He do it? I have no idea. I only know that it shows His unbelievable power. He will come in His power and glory. He will come to claim what is His own, for those who also claim Him as their own.
Few are preparing themselves for His return. Why? Because they do not really believe in His glory. If they did, they would drop everything else except that which would prepare them for His coming. The person focused on His glory does not abuse his fellow servants. The person focused on His glory does not put self pleasure before His pleasure. the person focus on His glory watches and longs for His return and works to hasten it. Why? Because they have glimpsed just a little of His glory and the long for more. They want Him to return. Indeed we serve a glorious serving King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Monday, February 8, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Genesis 39
Look at these verses in chapter 39:
2The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand.
21But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. 23The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.
Do you suppose the Lord is trying to make a point to us here? The phrase is repeated four times. Do you ever think:
Excuse me, The Lord was with him? Joseph was almost killed by his brothers; he is sold into slavery; he is falsely accused of rape; he imprisoned without hope of parole because of the false accusation. You are telling me that the Lord was with him? I’d hate to think what the Lord does for people whom He hates.
Yes, the Lord was with Him, and it seems that Joseph realized it. Perhaps for Joseph, the mere knowledge of the presence of the Lord was worthy compensation for the crummy circumstances. I have had times when I have been falsely accused. I have had things done to me that I would rather not have had done. I have had the rug pulled out from underneath me. But in those times I can say that I have experienced the presence of the Lord in ways that I did not experience Him in the good times. That presence is so sweet that if He required it, I would choose the bad times again just to experience His sweet presence. You see, that is the glory of His presence. It far exceeds the worst circumstance. He is the One who is there, and His presence is our exceeding great reward. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Matthew 23:23-39
From time to time, I come across a street preacher who constantly denounces the sin of people. I guess there is a place for that kind of ministry. My sons tell me of the activity of Preacher Bob at the campus of OSU. He apparently can get pretty caustic with the students in condemning their sin. One difference is that Preacher Bob seems to be addressing the wickedness of those who do not even seem to be attempting to meet the righteous standard of God. Another difference is that he seems to delight in the condemnation of other people. These woes in Matthew 23 at times rub me the wrong way. Part of the reason is they remind me of street preachers like Preacher Bob. I don’t want to think of Jesus like that.
But then I must remember, Jesus was denouncing a false self-righteousness. The scribes and Pharisees really thought they could make themselves righteous by doing the law. They refused to see their need for Jesus to make them able to meet the law. Jesus can and will forgive any sin, if we are willing to recognize our need and come to Him in repentance and receiving His forgiveness. Another thing I see here is that when Jesus was done denouncing them, He wept over their unwillingness to return to Him. He wanted them to come to Him. He compares His love for them to that of mother hen for her chicks. It was not a problem of His unwillingness to receive them but rather, their unwillingness to come. I have never seen a street preacher weeping over the stiff-necked unrepentance of his audience. But Jesus did.
Now that’s glory. He holds a high standard and lowers it for no one. He dies in our place when we cannot make the standard. He comes to live in us to enable us to meet the standard. He weeps over those who will not come to Him. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Look at these verses in chapter 39:
2The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand.
21But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. 23The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.
Do you suppose the Lord is trying to make a point to us here? The phrase is repeated four times. Do you ever think:
Excuse me, The Lord was with him? Joseph was almost killed by his brothers; he is sold into slavery; he is falsely accused of rape; he imprisoned without hope of parole because of the false accusation. You are telling me that the Lord was with him? I’d hate to think what the Lord does for people whom He hates.
Yes, the Lord was with Him, and it seems that Joseph realized it. Perhaps for Joseph, the mere knowledge of the presence of the Lord was worthy compensation for the crummy circumstances. I have had times when I have been falsely accused. I have had things done to me that I would rather not have had done. I have had the rug pulled out from underneath me. But in those times I can say that I have experienced the presence of the Lord in ways that I did not experience Him in the good times. That presence is so sweet that if He required it, I would choose the bad times again just to experience His sweet presence. You see, that is the glory of His presence. It far exceeds the worst circumstance. He is the One who is there, and His presence is our exceeding great reward. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Matthew 23:23-39
From time to time, I come across a street preacher who constantly denounces the sin of people. I guess there is a place for that kind of ministry. My sons tell me of the activity of Preacher Bob at the campus of OSU. He apparently can get pretty caustic with the students in condemning their sin. One difference is that Preacher Bob seems to be addressing the wickedness of those who do not even seem to be attempting to meet the righteous standard of God. Another difference is that he seems to delight in the condemnation of other people. These woes in Matthew 23 at times rub me the wrong way. Part of the reason is they remind me of street preachers like Preacher Bob. I don’t want to think of Jesus like that.
But then I must remember, Jesus was denouncing a false self-righteousness. The scribes and Pharisees really thought they could make themselves righteous by doing the law. They refused to see their need for Jesus to make them able to meet the law. Jesus can and will forgive any sin, if we are willing to recognize our need and come to Him in repentance and receiving His forgiveness. Another thing I see here is that when Jesus was done denouncing them, He wept over their unwillingness to return to Him. He wanted them to come to Him. He compares His love for them to that of mother hen for her chicks. It was not a problem of His unwillingness to receive them but rather, their unwillingness to come. I have never seen a street preacher weeping over the stiff-necked unrepentance of his audience. But Jesus did.
Now that’s glory. He holds a high standard and lowers it for no one. He dies in our place when we cannot make the standard. He comes to live in us to enable us to meet the standard. He weeps over those who will not come to Him. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Friday, February 5, 2010
February 5, 2010
Genesis 38
Her face glowed with joy. Joy just seemed to ooze out of her. I met her for the first and only time at a Bible Study. The leader of the Bible Study told me that she had only been saved a week. He said that she looked 10 years younger now, than what she looked like the week previous. She had been a drug addict and prostitute. When she met Jesus, she not only left the world’s oldest profession, but she also was instantly delivered from the drug addictions that held her in bondage. Jesus always seemed to have a soft spot in his heart for prostitutes. After all, Tamar resorts to prostitution to get what she wanted. Rahab was a harlot. These are both mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus. Many of His acquaintances were prostitutes or at least very promiscuous. Does that mean that Jesus approves of sexual promiscuity or harlotry? No, not at all. It just magnifies His glorious mercy and grace.
What a pathetic family line Jesus comes from! Tamar does some rather unconventional acts in order to get what conventionally should have been hers. In her culture children were the conventional form of social security for a woman. Why didn’t Judah provide what should have been a right, according to her culture? Does this incident mean that the Lord approves of the behavior in the story? No, not at all. But it does show us the magnitude of His grace. Does this mean that we can presume upon His grace? We had better not! Even as recipients of grace, there are still consequences of sin in the family, just look at Tamar’s family. But it is a great reminder of His awesome grace.
Wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin.
How shall my tongue describe it.
Where shall His praise begin.
Taking away my burden.
Setting my spirit free!
Oh the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me!
Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Matthew 23:1-22
I remember my football coaches. They came up with all kinds of schemes to make us stronger and more agile. It wasn’t because they were lazy but because they wanted to produce the best in us. Some of you may know what I am talking about when I mention a blocking sled. We had a two man blocking sled that he would stand on while we had to hit and drive the sled all over the playing field. He would have all kinds of comments as we drove it, especially if we were not doing as well as he thought we ought to be doing, which was most of the time. But he never came down and helped us drive it. He just yelled a little louder.
The Scribes and Pharisees had many rules that they had come up with to “help people gain the righteousness of God.” They ranged from memory cards strapped to the forehead, to special greetings, to beautiful flowery prayers, to special evangelism techniques, to special rules for tithing, to special oaths which were breakable and oaths which were not breakable. They were kind of like my football coaches who stood on the blocking sleds. They kept calling out cajoling and criticizing, maybe encouraging. But they never came down and helped someone keep the burden of the law. They were an ever reminder that one could not meet the righteous demands of the Law. Yet they gave the false illusion that the demands of the Law could be met, when actually, they couldn’t.
Not so with Jesus. He still holds a high standard for the Law. As a matter of fact, He raised the standard presented by the rabbis of the day. But unlike the rabbis, He got off of the sled. He took the weight of the sled, the Law upon Himself. What we could not fulfill, He did. He did it vicariously upon the cross and in His resurrection. But He didn’t stop there. When He ascended into heaven, He sent His Holy Spirit to live within us so that through Him we might have the power to live out the Law’s demands of righteousness. He drives the sled through us. He doesn’t stand on it cracking a whip and yelling about our deficiencies. He calls us to yield to Him, to take His yoke upon ourselves. Now that is glorious! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Her face glowed with joy. Joy just seemed to ooze out of her. I met her for the first and only time at a Bible Study. The leader of the Bible Study told me that she had only been saved a week. He said that she looked 10 years younger now, than what she looked like the week previous. She had been a drug addict and prostitute. When she met Jesus, she not only left the world’s oldest profession, but she also was instantly delivered from the drug addictions that held her in bondage. Jesus always seemed to have a soft spot in his heart for prostitutes. After all, Tamar resorts to prostitution to get what she wanted. Rahab was a harlot. These are both mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus. Many of His acquaintances were prostitutes or at least very promiscuous. Does that mean that Jesus approves of sexual promiscuity or harlotry? No, not at all. It just magnifies His glorious mercy and grace.
What a pathetic family line Jesus comes from! Tamar does some rather unconventional acts in order to get what conventionally should have been hers. In her culture children were the conventional form of social security for a woman. Why didn’t Judah provide what should have been a right, according to her culture? Does this incident mean that the Lord approves of the behavior in the story? No, not at all. But it does show us the magnitude of His grace. Does this mean that we can presume upon His grace? We had better not! Even as recipients of grace, there are still consequences of sin in the family, just look at Tamar’s family. But it is a great reminder of His awesome grace.
Wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin.
How shall my tongue describe it.
Where shall His praise begin.
Taking away my burden.
Setting my spirit free!
Oh the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me!
Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Matthew 23:1-22
I remember my football coaches. They came up with all kinds of schemes to make us stronger and more agile. It wasn’t because they were lazy but because they wanted to produce the best in us. Some of you may know what I am talking about when I mention a blocking sled. We had a two man blocking sled that he would stand on while we had to hit and drive the sled all over the playing field. He would have all kinds of comments as we drove it, especially if we were not doing as well as he thought we ought to be doing, which was most of the time. But he never came down and helped us drive it. He just yelled a little louder.
The Scribes and Pharisees had many rules that they had come up with to “help people gain the righteousness of God.” They ranged from memory cards strapped to the forehead, to special greetings, to beautiful flowery prayers, to special evangelism techniques, to special rules for tithing, to special oaths which were breakable and oaths which were not breakable. They were kind of like my football coaches who stood on the blocking sleds. They kept calling out cajoling and criticizing, maybe encouraging. But they never came down and helped someone keep the burden of the law. They were an ever reminder that one could not meet the righteous demands of the Law. Yet they gave the false illusion that the demands of the Law could be met, when actually, they couldn’t.
Not so with Jesus. He still holds a high standard for the Law. As a matter of fact, He raised the standard presented by the rabbis of the day. But unlike the rabbis, He got off of the sled. He took the weight of the sled, the Law upon Himself. What we could not fulfill, He did. He did it vicariously upon the cross and in His resurrection. But He didn’t stop there. When He ascended into heaven, He sent His Holy Spirit to live within us so that through Him we might have the power to live out the Law’s demands of righteousness. He drives the sled through us. He doesn’t stand on it cracking a whip and yelling about our deficiencies. He calls us to yield to Him, to take His yoke upon ourselves. Now that is glorious! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Thursday, February 4, 2010
February 4, 2010
Genesis 37
Where is the glory in this? If I did not already know the end of this story, I would see very little of the glory of Jesus in this. But I do know the end. And you probably know it as well. First, we have what would appear on the surface a very snooty little brother with some kind of leadership delusions. Second, we have envious older brothers who cannot stand the sight of their younger brother because he is their father’s favorite. Third, we have a very dysfunctional household because we have four women, all who are essentially married to the same man, at the same time, living in the same household. That is a recipe for disaster in any culture.
Where is the glory? Somehow Joseph learns to know that God is with him. (You ought to hear Andy Stanley’s sermon on this. It is really good.) Do you suppose being Israel’s favorite that he conversed with his father concerning the Lord’s appearances. Do you suppose he grasped the message of learning wait for the blessing of the Lord rather than trying to force it to happen? How do you suppose sharing his dreams with his brothers and parents fits into that concept? Perhaps sitting in the pit waiting to be sold as a slave by his brothers, he had time to dwell upon that concept. Hmm. . . It is the glory of the Lord that he takes our pits and turns them into His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Matthew 22:23-46
OK, I admit it. I am a slow thinker. When confronted with a question for which I have not spent recent time thinking about how to answer it, I usually go blank. Like Bilbo Baggins when pressed for an answer I feel like calling out, "Time! Time!" Except, I am not so lucky as to have accidentally blurted out the answer to the question by calling for time. I often end up answering the question poorly and later being held accountable for something I didn't quite mean. It seems there is always some old knight like in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, who is standing in the shadows ready to say, "He chose, poorly."
Not so with our King! The Sadducees, Scribes and Pharisees had planned in advance their questions to entangle Him in His talk. But He is completely wise. He didn't miss a beat, three questions, "How sovereign is God?" "What about the resurrection?" and "Which is the greatest commandment?" He handled each question with magnificent precision which astonished the people because not only was it well answered, but it revealed that Jesus knew their hearts.
But He wasn't content with just answering their tricky questions wisely. He desired to reveal to them the evil intentions of their own hearts. You see, they refused to receive Him as the Son of the King of the Universe. They would not prepare themselves for the great wedding feast to come. He asked them a simple question from Scriptures that they had often debated, Psalm 110:1, "Whose Son is the Christ?" Psalm 110 was widely recognized as having been written by David. It was widely accepted that Psalm 110 spoke of the Messiah. It was widely accepted that the Messiah was the Son of David. Yet David calls his Son, "Lord." To give the correct answer would have forced them to consider Jesus as the answer. They could not answer the question without giving recognition to the real identity of Jesus as the Son of the King of the Universe. With that recognition they would be obligated to receive Him as the King and to celebrate in His arrival for the wedding feast. They could not answer. They would not answer. They are willfully rejecting Him. That is the reason for Jesus' harsh words for them in the next chapter.
Our King is wise. He knows the right answers without having to think them through before hand. He can reveal hearts by just asking questions. There is no slow thinking with Him. He knows He is being rejected by them. He asks questions to help them see their own heart. He never chooses His words poorly. They still reject Him. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Where is the glory in this? If I did not already know the end of this story, I would see very little of the glory of Jesus in this. But I do know the end. And you probably know it as well. First, we have what would appear on the surface a very snooty little brother with some kind of leadership delusions. Second, we have envious older brothers who cannot stand the sight of their younger brother because he is their father’s favorite. Third, we have a very dysfunctional household because we have four women, all who are essentially married to the same man, at the same time, living in the same household. That is a recipe for disaster in any culture.
Where is the glory? Somehow Joseph learns to know that God is with him. (You ought to hear Andy Stanley’s sermon on this. It is really good.) Do you suppose being Israel’s favorite that he conversed with his father concerning the Lord’s appearances. Do you suppose he grasped the message of learning wait for the blessing of the Lord rather than trying to force it to happen? How do you suppose sharing his dreams with his brothers and parents fits into that concept? Perhaps sitting in the pit waiting to be sold as a slave by his brothers, he had time to dwell upon that concept. Hmm. . . It is the glory of the Lord that he takes our pits and turns them into His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Matthew 22:23-46
OK, I admit it. I am a slow thinker. When confronted with a question for which I have not spent recent time thinking about how to answer it, I usually go blank. Like Bilbo Baggins when pressed for an answer I feel like calling out, "Time! Time!" Except, I am not so lucky as to have accidentally blurted out the answer to the question by calling for time. I often end up answering the question poorly and later being held accountable for something I didn't quite mean. It seems there is always some old knight like in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, who is standing in the shadows ready to say, "He chose, poorly."
Not so with our King! The Sadducees, Scribes and Pharisees had planned in advance their questions to entangle Him in His talk. But He is completely wise. He didn't miss a beat, three questions, "How sovereign is God?" "What about the resurrection?" and "Which is the greatest commandment?" He handled each question with magnificent precision which astonished the people because not only was it well answered, but it revealed that Jesus knew their hearts.
But He wasn't content with just answering their tricky questions wisely. He desired to reveal to them the evil intentions of their own hearts. You see, they refused to receive Him as the Son of the King of the Universe. They would not prepare themselves for the great wedding feast to come. He asked them a simple question from Scriptures that they had often debated, Psalm 110:1, "Whose Son is the Christ?" Psalm 110 was widely recognized as having been written by David. It was widely accepted that Psalm 110 spoke of the Messiah. It was widely accepted that the Messiah was the Son of David. Yet David calls his Son, "Lord." To give the correct answer would have forced them to consider Jesus as the answer. They could not answer the question without giving recognition to the real identity of Jesus as the Son of the King of the Universe. With that recognition they would be obligated to receive Him as the King and to celebrate in His arrival for the wedding feast. They could not answer. They would not answer. They are willfully rejecting Him. That is the reason for Jesus' harsh words for them in the next chapter.
Our King is wise. He knows the right answers without having to think them through before hand. He can reveal hearts by just asking questions. There is no slow thinking with Him. He knows He is being rejected by them. He asks questions to help them see their own heart. He never chooses His words poorly. They still reject Him. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
February 3, 2010
Genesis 35-36
What’s in a name? In the Biblical context the name is very important. The name speaks of the attributes of a person. Most Europeans don’t put a whole lot of thought into the meaning of names. I have noticed that Native Americans give, what is from a European perspective, unusual names. I observed in Monday’s News Press that a Native American artist would be lecturing at OSU. His name is Edgar Heap of Birds. Right across the page from that announcement was an obituary of a man about my age. He was given the Native American name Ski-Chne Lugela meaning Little Plays Lightning. Now, I obviously do not understand how the meaning of names plays into the naming of Native American peoples, but I can only surmise that the meaning is significant in someway. ‘Lighting’, was he quick? Was he bright? Was he playful? Then I think about my name, John. I looked it up in Strong’s Guide to Bible Words. The name can be traced back into the Hebrew, and it means Jehovah favored. Now, I’d like to think that I am favored by Jehovah; however, my mother told me that I was named after her father, John Miller.
My daughter Elizabeth asked me what her name meant. The only Elizabeth in the Bible is in the New Testament. She was John the Baptist’s mother, and she was the wife of Zachariah. Being a good Jewish woman, Elisabeth is probably a Greek corruption of the name Elisheba, which means God of the Oath. Zachariah means God Remembers. Put them together and you get God remembers His oath. What an excellent name for the parents of the forerunner of Jesus, the Messiah. God was remembering His oath to Abraham that One of His seed would bless the whole world. I can say to my daughter that she is to be an example to the world of how God keeps his oath.
But, here we are in Genesis with Jacob/Israel. If you remember from 32:28 when Jacob wrestled with God who appeared in the form of a man, the man changed Jacob’s name. Once again God meets with Jacob/Israel at Bethel, where Jacob began this 20+ year journey. Jacob has learned a little about waiting upon the Lord to receive His blessing rather than forcing it to happen. The Lord very strikingly reminds Jacob of His name change. He is no longer Jacob, which means ‘heal catcher.’ By extension it means a supplanter, one who trips others to take advantage of them. That name spoke volumes of Jacob’s life until he wrestled with God. Now God gives him the name, Israel, or he will rule as God. Hmm. . . God gave him the authority of His name.
You know, the Bible speaks a lot about how the Lord exalts His own name and how He expects us to honor His name. Yet, it also speaks of how believers can become children of God. We receive His name. I received my maternal grandfather’s first name and my father’s surname. But those names don’t even compare with the new name that my heavenly Father has given me; it is His name. It is given to me that I might honor Him. At one and the same time it is an awesome privilege and an awesome responsibility. If you know Jesus, He has done the same for you. What glory He permits us to share in. Oh that I might not sully His name! Oh that I might only add to the glory of His name! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Matthew 22:1-22
Weddings are one of the few places where we celebrate in our lives. My wedding was held in my in-law's back yard. We borrowed folding chairs from the funeral home, made fabric flowers, hired a flutist. My father-in-law built a shed in his back yard that was almost the size of a small garage. We put the wedding cake and food table in there. We had a lot of fun. Even though it was outside, everyone still dressed up in their wedding garments.
I can't imagine any of our friends or family having made light of the occasion and ignored it. Yes, I had a lot of family that lived over 1,200 miles away and just could not be there. But they would have been there had it been closer. As it was, I had my parents and two brothers who greatly sacrificed to come because they wanted to be there. Neither can I imagine, given the festive nature, that any of them would have shown up in clothes that would have demonstrated that they did not want to celebrate with me in one of the happiest days of my life. And it was indeed one of the happiest days in my life. Only one exceeds it--the day I met Jesus. Five others rival it--the birth of my children. Nothing else compares, not even graduation from Seminary.
The Kingdom of Heaven is like. . . Jesus uses that several times to compare unseen things with what we know and experience. In this parable God the Father is the King. He is the sovereign. His Son is the Prince, Jesus, heir to the throne. We know from other places in Scripture that the bride is all those who are born again to a living hope, the church, the redeemed. He is molding and making us into something really beautiful such that when He presents us to Himself, the Lord Jesus, as a man, can say, "This is the happiest day of my Life!"
There were those in Jesus' midst who rejected Him as the Prince, the Son of the Great King. They made light of His wedding. Even today there are those in our midst who make light of Him and His wedding. They refuse to either come or prepare themselves for the celebration. They are invited to join in. But they won't. They even join in to try to trap Jesus, thinking that He is not the sovereign One--"Is it lawful to pay taxes?" The Sovereign One answers, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
Our Sovereign One is calling us to Himself. One day we will stand before Him as He presents us all to Himself as His spotless bride. It will be for Him, as a man, the happiest day of His life. There is no question that for us, it will be the happiest day of our lives also. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
What’s in a name? In the Biblical context the name is very important. The name speaks of the attributes of a person. Most Europeans don’t put a whole lot of thought into the meaning of names. I have noticed that Native Americans give, what is from a European perspective, unusual names. I observed in Monday’s News Press that a Native American artist would be lecturing at OSU. His name is Edgar Heap of Birds. Right across the page from that announcement was an obituary of a man about my age. He was given the Native American name Ski-Chne Lugela meaning Little Plays Lightning. Now, I obviously do not understand how the meaning of names plays into the naming of Native American peoples, but I can only surmise that the meaning is significant in someway. ‘Lighting’, was he quick? Was he bright? Was he playful? Then I think about my name, John. I looked it up in Strong’s Guide to Bible Words. The name can be traced back into the Hebrew, and it means Jehovah favored. Now, I’d like to think that I am favored by Jehovah; however, my mother told me that I was named after her father, John Miller.
My daughter Elizabeth asked me what her name meant. The only Elizabeth in the Bible is in the New Testament. She was John the Baptist’s mother, and she was the wife of Zachariah. Being a good Jewish woman, Elisabeth is probably a Greek corruption of the name Elisheba, which means God of the Oath. Zachariah means God Remembers. Put them together and you get God remembers His oath. What an excellent name for the parents of the forerunner of Jesus, the Messiah. God was remembering His oath to Abraham that One of His seed would bless the whole world. I can say to my daughter that she is to be an example to the world of how God keeps his oath.
But, here we are in Genesis with Jacob/Israel. If you remember from 32:28 when Jacob wrestled with God who appeared in the form of a man, the man changed Jacob’s name. Once again God meets with Jacob/Israel at Bethel, where Jacob began this 20+ year journey. Jacob has learned a little about waiting upon the Lord to receive His blessing rather than forcing it to happen. The Lord very strikingly reminds Jacob of His name change. He is no longer Jacob, which means ‘heal catcher.’ By extension it means a supplanter, one who trips others to take advantage of them. That name spoke volumes of Jacob’s life until he wrestled with God. Now God gives him the name, Israel, or he will rule as God. Hmm. . . God gave him the authority of His name.
You know, the Bible speaks a lot about how the Lord exalts His own name and how He expects us to honor His name. Yet, it also speaks of how believers can become children of God. We receive His name. I received my maternal grandfather’s first name and my father’s surname. But those names don’t even compare with the new name that my heavenly Father has given me; it is His name. It is given to me that I might honor Him. At one and the same time it is an awesome privilege and an awesome responsibility. If you know Jesus, He has done the same for you. What glory He permits us to share in. Oh that I might not sully His name! Oh that I might only add to the glory of His name! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Matthew 22:1-22
Weddings are one of the few places where we celebrate in our lives. My wedding was held in my in-law's back yard. We borrowed folding chairs from the funeral home, made fabric flowers, hired a flutist. My father-in-law built a shed in his back yard that was almost the size of a small garage. We put the wedding cake and food table in there. We had a lot of fun. Even though it was outside, everyone still dressed up in their wedding garments.
I can't imagine any of our friends or family having made light of the occasion and ignored it. Yes, I had a lot of family that lived over 1,200 miles away and just could not be there. But they would have been there had it been closer. As it was, I had my parents and two brothers who greatly sacrificed to come because they wanted to be there. Neither can I imagine, given the festive nature, that any of them would have shown up in clothes that would have demonstrated that they did not want to celebrate with me in one of the happiest days of my life. And it was indeed one of the happiest days in my life. Only one exceeds it--the day I met Jesus. Five others rival it--the birth of my children. Nothing else compares, not even graduation from Seminary.
The Kingdom of Heaven is like. . . Jesus uses that several times to compare unseen things with what we know and experience. In this parable God the Father is the King. He is the sovereign. His Son is the Prince, Jesus, heir to the throne. We know from other places in Scripture that the bride is all those who are born again to a living hope, the church, the redeemed. He is molding and making us into something really beautiful such that when He presents us to Himself, the Lord Jesus, as a man, can say, "This is the happiest day of my Life!"
There were those in Jesus' midst who rejected Him as the Prince, the Son of the Great King. They made light of His wedding. Even today there are those in our midst who make light of Him and His wedding. They refuse to either come or prepare themselves for the celebration. They are invited to join in. But they won't. They even join in to try to trap Jesus, thinking that He is not the sovereign One--"Is it lawful to pay taxes?" The Sovereign One answers, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
Our Sovereign One is calling us to Himself. One day we will stand before Him as He presents us all to Himself as His spotless bride. It will be for Him, as a man, the happiest day of His life. There is no question that for us, it will be the happiest day of our lives also. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
February 2
Genesis 34
Where is the glory in this chapter? Sometimes such awful things happen that we cannot help but think, “Where is the Mighty God of Israel?” He certainly does not seem to be active in this episode! Their little sister is raped. Their father is doing nothing about it. Hmm. . . They will take care of the problem. Why didn’t Jacob/Israel do anything? Maybe he was finally learning to wait upon his mighty God for a solution rather than plowing ahead with his own. However, years of Jacob sowing his own seed of applying his own solution have take root in his sons. They are every bit as deceitful as he once was. They take it a step further and add murder to their sin.
One of the things that strikes me concerning the veracity of the Scripture is that it never paints its heroes as morally perfect. It is interesting to me that the one who is called honorable in all this is Shechem. But how can we see the glory of Christ in sordid mess of rape, lying and murder? I think it is that the Lord can take this sordid mess a mold it in order to bring a Savior through the line of these rotten people. Indeed, as old men, these men seem to come to an understanding that when God blesses, He adds no sorrow. If the Lord can bring glory out of this mess, there is hope for me. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Matthew 21:23-46
Over thirty years ago I visited my brother Eugene who lived in Karlsruhe, West Germany. He took me on a boat ride on the Rhine River. Thirty years has taken its toll on my memory. I don't remember the exact city. It think it was Speyer. We stopped to look at this gigantic Cathedral. For a country boy from Oklahoma where no massive buildings were built until after 1889, this 12th century cathedral was indeed impressive. We are not talking about steel and glass that is slapped together with modern technology. We're talking massive stones, shaped and put into place using hand tools. It was simply beautiful. The spire was taller than most buildings in Oklahoma. Most of the original buildings built immediately after the land run of '89 in OK are no longer in existence. They were often built of the native cottonwood trees, which are not known for their long-term durability. After 50 years they tend to sag and fall apart.
I understand that old buildings like the cathedral in Germany have a cornerstone from which the rest of the building gets its orientation. It is the main stone in the foundation. You want to pick the best quality for that stone. It is usually massive and perfectly shaped. By uniting two intersecting walls, a cornerstone helped align the whole building and tie 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 intersects. 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. Indeed, Jesus is quoting Psalm 118:22,23.
Apart from Jesus our lives are badly splintered. They sag. Our walls are crooked and lack orientation. We have difficulty connecting and aligning with others. But when we submit to Him, He takes our feeble cottonwood structure and turns us into living stones and begins fitting us into His building. Properly yielded to Him, we come into alignment, and we become part of something greater and more beautiful than we could ever imagine. Those who do not yield are ground to powder by His massive weight. We are becoming a beautiful living building for His habitation. We won't stand for just a few hundred years, but rather, for eternity.
Not yielding to Jesus is like wanting to build a cathedral out of cottonwood. When I look at the strife going on in the world and yes even in the church, I would despair except for this, "He is the Chief Cornerstone and builder. He will accomplish a great work, and you and I are privileged to be part of the materials that He is using. When finished, we will be more beautiful than anyone can ever imagine! It will all be to His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious serving King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Where is the glory in this chapter? Sometimes such awful things happen that we cannot help but think, “Where is the Mighty God of Israel?” He certainly does not seem to be active in this episode! Their little sister is raped. Their father is doing nothing about it. Hmm. . . They will take care of the problem. Why didn’t Jacob/Israel do anything? Maybe he was finally learning to wait upon his mighty God for a solution rather than plowing ahead with his own. However, years of Jacob sowing his own seed of applying his own solution have take root in his sons. They are every bit as deceitful as he once was. They take it a step further and add murder to their sin.
One of the things that strikes me concerning the veracity of the Scripture is that it never paints its heroes as morally perfect. It is interesting to me that the one who is called honorable in all this is Shechem. But how can we see the glory of Christ in sordid mess of rape, lying and murder? I think it is that the Lord can take this sordid mess a mold it in order to bring a Savior through the line of these rotten people. Indeed, as old men, these men seem to come to an understanding that when God blesses, He adds no sorrow. If the Lord can bring glory out of this mess, there is hope for me. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Matthew 21:23-46
Over thirty years ago I visited my brother Eugene who lived in Karlsruhe, West Germany. He took me on a boat ride on the Rhine River. Thirty years has taken its toll on my memory. I don't remember the exact city. It think it was Speyer. We stopped to look at this gigantic Cathedral. For a country boy from Oklahoma where no massive buildings were built until after 1889, this 12th century cathedral was indeed impressive. We are not talking about steel and glass that is slapped together with modern technology. We're talking massive stones, shaped and put into place using hand tools. It was simply beautiful. The spire was taller than most buildings in Oklahoma. Most of the original buildings built immediately after the land run of '89 in OK are no longer in existence. They were often built of the native cottonwood trees, which are not known for their long-term durability. After 50 years they tend to sag and fall apart.
I understand that old buildings like the cathedral in Germany have a cornerstone from which the rest of the building gets its orientation. It is the main stone in the foundation. You want to pick the best quality for that stone. It is usually massive and perfectly shaped. By uniting two intersecting walls, a cornerstone helped align the whole building and tie 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 intersects. 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. Indeed, Jesus is quoting Psalm 118:22,23.
Apart from Jesus our lives are badly splintered. They sag. Our walls are crooked and lack orientation. We have difficulty connecting and aligning with others. But when we submit to Him, He takes our feeble cottonwood structure and turns us into living stones and begins fitting us into His building. Properly yielded to Him, we come into alignment, and we become part of something greater and more beautiful than we could ever imagine. Those who do not yield are ground to powder by His massive weight. We are becoming a beautiful living building for His habitation. We won't stand for just a few hundred years, but rather, for eternity.
Not yielding to Jesus is like wanting to build a cathedral out of cottonwood. When I look at the strife going on in the world and yes even in the church, I would despair except for this, "He is the Chief Cornerstone and builder. He will accomplish a great work, and you and I are privileged to be part of the materials that He is using. When finished, we will be more beautiful than anyone can ever imagine! It will all be to His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious serving King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Monday, February 1, 2010
February 1, 2010
Genesis 33
I awakened to Laura’s scream and to the sight of snow covering the windshield. It was around 2 in the morning. I had been sleeping. Laura was driving on I-70 in Indiana when we hit black ice. Later she told me that when she hit it, the car immediately went into a spin. In front of us was a semi and behind us was a semi. She said it was like somebody just took the steering and guided it into a snow bank. Gathering my sleepy thoughts, I realized that steam was pouring out from under the hood. My next thought was, ”Oh no, the engine block cracked. I had a very difficult time getting out of the car for the snow was packed around the car half-way up the door. Getting out and popping the hood, I observed that the impact packed snow up into the engine compartment and completely surrounded the engine. The steam was from the melting snow. A highway patrolman almost immediately drove up, got out his shovel and helped dig me out. He helped push me back up onto the road, and then said, “There is an exit in 2 miles. You need get off there and check into the motel and wait till late morning to finish your trip.” He got back into his car and drove off into the night. Later I realized what an amazing thing it was that our car was removed from spinning at 55 mph between two semis and strategically landed in a deep snow bank cushioning our stop (no brakes were applied) so that there was absolutely no damage to either our car or our bodies. Most times we attribute such happenings to coincidence. I have too many such “coincidences” to think of them as just coincidences. I find it harder to believe in coincidences than that the might power of God was involved.
For those who have walked with God for some time, there come moments when you look back and have this overwhelming realization about the mighty power of God. It is not only that He is mighty, but it is also that he has used that power on your behalf. Such was Jacobs experience upon arrival at Shechem. It motivated him to build an altar and call it Elelohe-Israel which means mighty God of Israel. What prompted this building of an altar? I think he was reflecting upon where God had taken him the last 20+ years. He left Isaac penniless, single and a fugitive from Esau. He is now returning, married, twelve kids, wealthy, and reconciled to Esau. Only the power of God could change Esau’s attitude. He claimed that mighty God for himself. His time wrestling with God the night before meeting Esau and the evidence of God’s completed promise in Esau’s reconciled attitude wrought a change in Jacob’s attitude. Jacob/Israel had received more than just a glimpse of the glory of the Lord, and it changed him. How about you? Have you seen the mighty God of Israel. More important, have you seen the mighty God of __________ (insert your name in the blank.) That is when it begins to make a difference in us. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Matthew 21:1-22
JFK's presidency is often referred to as the age of Camelot. I was almost 6 years old when he was inaugurated. So I can't really say that I emotionally grasped the euphoria of the age of Camelot. But I do remember his famous speech where he said something to the effect of, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country." Why is Camelot idealized? Why is JFK idolized? I often wonder if JFK had not been assassinated, would he still have been idolized?
Camelot is idealized because Arthur was a king that broke the mold. JFK is idolized because he was a president that seemed to be breaking the mold. Arthur fought to establish right as might. Kings (at least from an American viewpoint) are thought of as powerful men who yield to their subjects only if it increases their own power. We view it as though they only care about their subjects, if it increases their control over them. Cynically, we also view our politicians the same way. JFK brought a young perspective to the presidency that inspired many young people to service. Arthur brought relief to the monarchy that inspired many knights to serve their country rather than themselves.
What's this got to do with Jesus? He is the epitome of the righteous King. He came to serve. Even as He presented Himself to the people as a King, He did so riding upon a donkey. By this time in His ministry, He could probably have organized His admirers to obtain chariots and bands and made quite a parade to enter Jerusalem to present Himself as Israel's King.
He entered the temple. He could have presented His plans to make Herod's temple even greater if He was recognized as King. But He drove out those who were profiting from religious corruption. He called the people back to humble prayer before God in the temple. The blind and the lame had been banned from the inner courts of the temple. The outer courts had been consumed by religious corruption. Obviously, this is the first time in a long time that the blind and lame could come in to worship. He healed them there in fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy of 35:5,6. He served even the least of the people.
He looked for fruit from His nation. But He found none. In one great prophetic act, He cursed the fig tree that bore no fruit for Him. It withered. He used it as a teaching point for the disciples. Whatever you ask in faith, believing, you will receive. Faith in what? Believing what? Faith in Him as King. Believing in Him as King. Here is this serving King. He calls His servants to serve one another even as He serves. He doesn't tell us one thing while He does another. He served and called us to follow suit. Then He equips us with the promise that whatever we need to serve, ask for it trusting Him, and then we will receive it.
Now, I call that glory! It is a glory that far exceeds Camelot. It far exceeds any of the euphoric expectations of JFK's days as president. It is a glory that is the only true reality. It is a glory that will one day cover the whole earth. Let us hasten that day by serving, by proclaiming the glory of our King. Indeed we serve a glorious serving King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
I awakened to Laura’s scream and to the sight of snow covering the windshield. It was around 2 in the morning. I had been sleeping. Laura was driving on I-70 in Indiana when we hit black ice. Later she told me that when she hit it, the car immediately went into a spin. In front of us was a semi and behind us was a semi. She said it was like somebody just took the steering and guided it into a snow bank. Gathering my sleepy thoughts, I realized that steam was pouring out from under the hood. My next thought was, ”Oh no, the engine block cracked. I had a very difficult time getting out of the car for the snow was packed around the car half-way up the door. Getting out and popping the hood, I observed that the impact packed snow up into the engine compartment and completely surrounded the engine. The steam was from the melting snow. A highway patrolman almost immediately drove up, got out his shovel and helped dig me out. He helped push me back up onto the road, and then said, “There is an exit in 2 miles. You need get off there and check into the motel and wait till late morning to finish your trip.” He got back into his car and drove off into the night. Later I realized what an amazing thing it was that our car was removed from spinning at 55 mph between two semis and strategically landed in a deep snow bank cushioning our stop (no brakes were applied) so that there was absolutely no damage to either our car or our bodies. Most times we attribute such happenings to coincidence. I have too many such “coincidences” to think of them as just coincidences. I find it harder to believe in coincidences than that the might power of God was involved.
For those who have walked with God for some time, there come moments when you look back and have this overwhelming realization about the mighty power of God. It is not only that He is mighty, but it is also that he has used that power on your behalf. Such was Jacobs experience upon arrival at Shechem. It motivated him to build an altar and call it Elelohe-Israel which means mighty God of Israel. What prompted this building of an altar? I think he was reflecting upon where God had taken him the last 20+ years. He left Isaac penniless, single and a fugitive from Esau. He is now returning, married, twelve kids, wealthy, and reconciled to Esau. Only the power of God could change Esau’s attitude. He claimed that mighty God for himself. His time wrestling with God the night before meeting Esau and the evidence of God’s completed promise in Esau’s reconciled attitude wrought a change in Jacob’s attitude. Jacob/Israel had received more than just a glimpse of the glory of the Lord, and it changed him. How about you? Have you seen the mighty God of Israel. More important, have you seen the mighty God of __________ (insert your name in the blank.) That is when it begins to make a difference in us. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Matthew 21:1-22
JFK's presidency is often referred to as the age of Camelot. I was almost 6 years old when he was inaugurated. So I can't really say that I emotionally grasped the euphoria of the age of Camelot. But I do remember his famous speech where he said something to the effect of, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country." Why is Camelot idealized? Why is JFK idolized? I often wonder if JFK had not been assassinated, would he still have been idolized?
Camelot is idealized because Arthur was a king that broke the mold. JFK is idolized because he was a president that seemed to be breaking the mold. Arthur fought to establish right as might. Kings (at least from an American viewpoint) are thought of as powerful men who yield to their subjects only if it increases their own power. We view it as though they only care about their subjects, if it increases their control over them. Cynically, we also view our politicians the same way. JFK brought a young perspective to the presidency that inspired many young people to service. Arthur brought relief to the monarchy that inspired many knights to serve their country rather than themselves.
What's this got to do with Jesus? He is the epitome of the righteous King. He came to serve. Even as He presented Himself to the people as a King, He did so riding upon a donkey. By this time in His ministry, He could probably have organized His admirers to obtain chariots and bands and made quite a parade to enter Jerusalem to present Himself as Israel's King.
He entered the temple. He could have presented His plans to make Herod's temple even greater if He was recognized as King. But He drove out those who were profiting from religious corruption. He called the people back to humble prayer before God in the temple. The blind and the lame had been banned from the inner courts of the temple. The outer courts had been consumed by religious corruption. Obviously, this is the first time in a long time that the blind and lame could come in to worship. He healed them there in fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy of 35:5,6. He served even the least of the people.
He looked for fruit from His nation. But He found none. In one great prophetic act, He cursed the fig tree that bore no fruit for Him. It withered. He used it as a teaching point for the disciples. Whatever you ask in faith, believing, you will receive. Faith in what? Believing what? Faith in Him as King. Believing in Him as King. Here is this serving King. He calls His servants to serve one another even as He serves. He doesn't tell us one thing while He does another. He served and called us to follow suit. Then He equips us with the promise that whatever we need to serve, ask for it trusting Him, and then we will receive it.
Now, I call that glory! It is a glory that far exceeds Camelot. It far exceeds any of the euphoric expectations of JFK's days as president. It is a glory that is the only true reality. It is a glory that will one day cover the whole earth. Let us hasten that day by serving, by proclaiming the glory of our King. Indeed we serve a glorious serving King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
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