January 21

GENESIS 22
Early into the first year of my move to Portland to attend seminary, I found myself with no money, no job and no prospects of a job, a situation that continued for months. I was going to such extremes as to literally walk the streets going from business to business asking if I could fill out an application for work. Nothing. I wondered, "God what are you doing? I cannot earn money if I do not work. I cannot eat or go to school if I do not have money. Lord what are you doing?" The Lord began to show me that He would provide. Indeed I went six months without a sufficient job. After six months when UPS first hired me, I still wasn't getting enough hours to meet my family's needs, let alone pay for school. But by the end of my almost five years in Portland, neither I nor my family had ever missed a meal because of want of food, and I didn't borrow a penny for school expenses. God knew what He was doing, and He provided.
This is now the sixth time that God has appeared to Abraham. There is no other record of God appearing to Abraham. On the seventh day God rested. I think that is interesting trivia. I think it is significant that on this sixth occasion God provides a type for us to see His provision for our sin. He commands Abraham to sacrifice His Son. Abraham knows the promise. The promise is that through Isaac one of his descendents will be a blessing to all the earth. That is the covenant. Abraham has learned that God can bring new life even to a non-productive, dried-up, old womb. Abraham knows that God can do anything. Isaac is the son of the promise, and Isaac is a miracle child. Abraham knows that for Isaac to be the son of the promise, Isaac must live. Abraham instinctively believes God. He even tells the servants as the two go to Mt. Moriah for the sacrifice, "We will come back to you." But Abraham learned with Ishmael that God has His ways. It is best to follow them even when you don't understand His ways.
Not only do we see the faith of Abraham, but we also see the faith of Isaac. By this time Isaac is older. He is called a na’ar—usually translated a young man or servant or lad. The same word is used of the two servants that Abraham brings with him. He is probably of a large enough size that he should have put up a big enough struggle that Abraham would have had a difficult time subduing him if he could at all. The implication is that Isaac was willing. For the love and trust of his father, Isaac was willing. What a wonderful picture of the trust and love of the Son of God for the Father. Jesus for the love of His Father and of us was willing to endure the cross.
Moriah is also the place where David sacrificed to stay the hand of the death angel. Moriah is also the site where Solomon built the temple. Near Moriah is where Jesus was condemned to die. Outside the city gates of Moriah is Golgotha where Jesus, God's only begotten Son, was sacrificed. At the last moment He took our place. He died for us. Oh the symbolism is rich! Jesus is the ram in the bush. Jesus is our Isaac. Jesus is in our place! He is the seed of Abraham and Isaac in whom all the nations of the Earth are blessed! Sometimes we wonder what God is doing. But He has provided for us. Sometimes we must lay our Isaac down, knowing that He will raise him from the dead. But always He provides. We may not see it at the time, but looking back upon it, we see His provision. He is after all, Jehovah-Jireh, the LORD who provides! Isn't He glorious! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 21
John Piper said it best years ago, “God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him.” That thought rings through this Psalm. Do I come to God because He gives me good things? Well, to be honest yes. I like the good things He gives me. But is that the only reason I come to Him? That is what the book of Job is all about. It is a test to see if Job would still come to God if he were stripped of everything good thing that God could give him. Job grudgingly passes the test. He declares, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” What is it about God that we could do that? The Psalmist puts it this way, “You have made him (the king) exceedingly glad with Your presence.” If God allowed Satan to take away my house, my money, my animals, my children, my grandchildren, my health and even my wife, would I still be content with just His presence?
The few times that I have had a strong sense of the manifest presence of God have led me to trust that, “Yes His presence alone is enough.” Interestingly enough, the two times that I have felt the manifest presence of God the strongest were both times when I was under attack. They were times when the world would say, “You are not receiving the goodness of God.” Yet, I would not trade the reversal of the sense of His presence for a reversal of those adverse circumstances. He is good especially in adverse circumstance. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

NEHEMIAH 11
Am I insignificant? After all, I play such a small part in this community which is such a small part of this world. Am I insignificant? Our glorious God says, “No!” Where does He say that? This whole chapter shouts that God finds everyone significant. Why is this chapter here? I mean, “What does anybody care about the names of the priests, Levites, or the heads of the tribes who relocated to Jerusalem?” God cares! He cares enough to record them in His book. WE are significant because we are a part of the work that God is doing to build His kingdom. If no one else takes notice, He does. That is part of the glory of our God. Even the smallest person is significant in His sight! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MATTHEW 14:1-21
"Jesus certainly was a remarkable man, but we don't believe He was the Son of God." Such was the statement given to me at the end of a 3 hour discussion on the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. Why? It was easier for them to believe that the eleven men closest to Jesus:

1. stole His body from a tomb guarded by Roman Soldiers, while the soldiers slept,
2. then all eleven lived the rest of their lives spreading a tale of resurrection that they knew to be a lie,
3. then all died for a tale they knew to be false, ten of them in torture and martyrdom and the eleventh banished to a lonely isle in exile.

It was easier to believe those three things than to believe that Jesus rose from the dead. Why? The professor’s answer was because no one has risen from the dead. Hmm…
Herod had a similar problem. He had John the Baptist beheaded. Herod was convinced that Jesus was John resurrected. If Herod believed that Jesus was any more than the prophet resurrected, then the logical progression for him would be to declare Jesus to be the Son of God and to kneel to His Lordship. Herod certainly wouldn't do that. Such is the heart of man. If we won't kneel to the One who is Lord, then we will seek to dethrone Him mentally--"Oh He is a great man. . . but God?" What nonsense is in the heart of man!
Yet it was this God-man who, upon hearing of the death of His cousin, mourned by withdrawing to a lonely place. It was this God-man who was moved with compassion for the multitude--which had the same kind of heart as Herod--and then healed their sick. It was this God-man who was moved with compassion for the multitude because they had no food. It was this God-man who miraculously provided the food that the multitude needed. Five thousand men were fed plus women and children. There must have been ten to fifteen thousand people fed that day!
Yet I am sure that within that crowd there were many who rationalized away the miracle like Herod. Why? It is because the heart of man is rebellious, and we refuse to recognize the glory of the Lord Jesus. He is the God-man who is able to meet not just our need for physical food and health but also our deepest spiritual and psychological needs. But for those deepest needs to be met, we must recognize His glory and kneel before Him yielding our self-dependency to dependency solely upon Him. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

January 20

GENESIS 21
As a graduation present from seminary, Laura painted a picture for me. It is my favorite painting. On the painting is a verse from the Psalms that says, “Through God we shall do valiantly.” It was a promise that the Lord gave us when we first arrived in Portland. It was the promise that we would accomplish what He had sent us there to do. The picture is a celebration of the promises of God. He enables us to do the impossible. Time after time we learned that in Portland. Sometimes we lapsed into trying to accomplish His purpose in the flesh. Sometimes we just rested in His promise. In the end He brought the accomplishment!
Jesus is the God of the impossible. A year earlier Sarah had laughed at the prospect that she would bear a son. Now she holds him in her arms and names him laughter (Isaac). Now she laughs for joy of what she once thought impossible. But now she holds the reality in her arms. God’s promises always come true.
But work of the flesh can never be silent in the presence of the work of the promise of God. It is always jealous. A few years after Isaacs’s birth at the feast of his weaning, Ishmael feels that his status as the delight of Abraham’s eyes is waning. He mocks Isaac. The flesh always mocks the delight found in the fresh work of the Spirit. Sarah wanted Isaac and Hagar out of there! That is understandable. But it also distressed Abraham. After all, Ishmael was his son. He loved him deeply. Forcing them out would likely mean their death in the hot desert climate.
But there is only one solution to the flesh life—separation/death. So, the Lord tells Abraham, “Separate from the lad. I will take care of him.” It was painful but Abraham obeyed. Dying to the work of the flesh is always painful. After all, it is our child. Usually the work of the flesh appears to be so legitimate. Ishmael was perfectly legitimate in the eyes of Abraham’s culture. But ultimately God produced the child of the promise and the child of the flesh had to go.
The glory of our Lord Jesus is that He accomplishes the impossible in us. But He will not allow the work of our flesh to share the stage with His glory. He is severely merciful upon our flesh works as He was with Ishmael. But His glory will always be center stage. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

PSALM 20
The Lord saves His anointed. This Psalm has all the earmarks of what David perhaps prayed over his men and himself before he went into battle with them. God calls us into battle today, not physical battle but spiritual battle. It is His glory to answer, defend, help and strengthen us in the midst of that battle. He seeks to grant our heart’s desire as we seek to fulfill His purpose for us in the midst of that battle. He fulfills our petitions as we rejoice under His banner. Prayer, individual and corporate, becomes the key element in realizing the victory of the Lord in our battle. Some trust in programs in advancing the kingdom of God. Ultimately, programs are like chariots and horses, the top military technology of David’s day. David used chariots and horses, but he trusted in the name of the Lord. We can use programs, but we had better not be trusting in them, rather we had better be trusting in the name of the Lord. True trust will exhibit itself in prayer, corporate and individual. Only in response to prayer is the glory of the Lord revealed. It is in the midst of prayer that His plan is revealed. It is in the midst of prayer that His program is claimed and received. It is in the midst of prayer that His glory is revealed. Lord teach me to pray! Lord teach us to pray! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

NEHEMIAH 10
“These joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes.” An interesting concept, should we do this? We certainly need to consider Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:33-37. There is a sense in which many people already do this to some degree. I went to a MLK Jr. celebration a few nights ago. On the wall of sanctuary was a large copy of Church Covenant. It was large enough for everyone to read it while sitting in the pew. I have seen such covenants in many churches. They used to be more common than they are today. As I read it, I thought, “Wow! If everyone did this, this would indeed be one dynamic church!” Did posting the covenant on the wall help move the church toward being dynamic? Since this is the only occasion that I have ever attended a worship service at this location, I am not in the least qualified to answer the question whether it helped the congregation that met there to be more dynamic.
Does entering into curses, oaths, covenants etc. really help us to experience the glory of God? Certainly Jesus said, “Let your yes be yes and your no, no.” So as a follower of His, when I say, “Yes I will do this,“ or, “No, I will not do this,” there should not be any difference in my behavior than if I were to take a curse, or an oath, or a covenant. But if I never say, “Yes,” or, “No,” then I probably will never do. So, at times an agreement with someone else to do something is valuable in our lives, lest procrastination set in and we never do. Personally, I think I would steer clear of curses. But sometimes radical denunciation of sin and embracing a course of seeking God are necessary.
So how does today’s passage tell us about the glory of God? Sometimes we come to the realization that we have ceased seeking the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and muchness. At those times we need to recognize our sin, confessing it and claiming forgiveness. Then we need to renew our commitment placing ourselves in a position where God may reveal His glory to us. Sometimes when we do that, it means committing together with other brothers and sisters who can help us do that. They should have permission from us to point out in our lives when we strayed from the Lord’s revealed path. It takes a tremendous amount of trust on our part to allow someone else to be so bold with us, but what are the benefits? God normally reveals Himself to those who seek Him with all they are. That means when change or repentance is needed, we are willing. But the benefit is a fresh revelation of Himself. It is in those moments where we experience His glory in life changing ways. I know I need that. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MATTHEW 13:31-58
The way God does things just isn’t the way any of us would do things. We all tend to think that the way we think things should be done, should be the way God thinks things should be done. If we were going to change the world, and we had God’s power, we would do this big flash in the pan thing where-poof-everything automatically changed and worked properly, and everyone did what they were supposed to do. It would be sudden and apart from our participation in it. But the Lord has determined to change the world in cooperation with us. He is all about using His mighty power and wisdom changing one life at a time. He uses those lives which are in the process of changing to spread the word about His wisdom and power. Consequently, the planting of the kingdom of God begins very small. It does not capture the imagination of most because its beginning is not flashy. We all want something flashy.
The problem is complicated because in addition to our individual sin natures, which have to be dealt with, we also have an enemy. This enemy is trying to enlist people, who have never experienced the initial life change of salvation, in the task of building the kingdom of God. Not long ago I was conversing with someone concerning spiritual things. He told me that he could not believe in Jesus because there were so many people who say they believe in Jesus but don’t do what Jesus says. He said He just couldn’t be that way. Funny, that is exactly how Jesus said it would be. In my mind that would tend to prove what Jesus says is true—not false.
The kingdom of God begins small in our lives. Sometimes that means the changes are gradual and consistent over time. Sometimes the changes come in leaps and bounds. Nevertheless they begin small; and eventually, they become large. Sometimes we are worshiping right next to someone who has not had the kingdom of God implanted in their lives. The enemy aids them in mimicking the life changes so that they look somewhat like the real thing, but they are not. Eventually the sin nature of the truly born again shows itself, or the sin nature of those who mimic change shows itself. The result is that everyone knows something is false, but no one knows exactly what it is. Some use that as an excuse to just forget the whole thing and discount the whole thing as false.
Funny, Jesus said it would be that way. Someday the world harvest will come. And to His glory, He will be able to determine where the true word of God has been planted in an individual’s life and where it was false. He can judge when we cannot. He can change us when we cannot change ourselves. Those who have never been changed, He will send into fire. Those who have been changed will have the sin nature completely removed and they will shine like the sun. It will all be His doing. In the meantime we have the privilege of cooperating with Him in the change. I think it takes greater wisdom and power on His part to get me to cooperate with Him in the changes than it would take for Him to just point His finger at me, speak the word and zap! All of a sudden, I am doing exactly what He wanted me to do without me choosing to cooperate with Him. No, it takes greater wisdom and power for Him to work patiently with me in order to get me to cooperate with Him in that change. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

January 19

GENESIS 20
One of my favorite scenes in the movie Lady Hawk is when the hero finally grabs the corrupt bishop, holds the sword to his neck and says, "You're dead!" Yes! Good finally triumphs! Now that is fiction, so it is okay to cheer. But somewhere along the line in our culture some people have come to think that such a thing is awful. We have come to think that death is never good. It is true that death is not God's first desire for people. We should go to great pains to avoid it. However, death is necessary for justice. There are some that would read this passage about Abimelech and find it abhorrent that God would say to Abimelech, "Indeed you are a dead man, because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife." I have had people look me straight in the eye and say, "I cannot believe in a God that would condemn people to hell." Oh really? Such people don't really believe in justice either.
Did you know that there have been 150,000 unsolved murders in the U.S.A. in the last 20 years? That tells me that there are a lot of people running around the US that literally got away with murder. They took someone else's life and have received, as of yet, no human punishment for their act. Is that justice? Hitler's regime was responsible for the taking of over 18,000,000 people--6,000,000 Jews in cold blooded murder. Where is the justice? Of course some would say, "Well that is different. Mass murderers deserve to die." My question is, "At what number does a murderer become a mass murderer? Is it 2? 22? 222? 2,222? 22,222? etc.? At what point do we say, "This is deserving of death but this is not?" If we are left to judge, I think we would all say that it is somewhere beyond what we have committed. That is the rub. We do not really understand justice. The point at which sin deserves death is a point, which we have all already passed.
Now don't miss my point. I am not debating at what point man is allowed to take a person's life. My point is that because God is the author of life and because He is good, He has the right to take any man's life for we have all violated His justice and deserve to die. It is perfectly legitimate for the God of the Universe to say to Abimelech, "Indeed you are a dead man." Indeed it is His glory to take the life. Now that is tough thinking. Some would think that there is some kind of Law or Standard to which God must conform. But if there were a standard separate from God, then that standard would be greater than God. It would in effect become God, the Supreme Being. No, the Standard of Justice is rooted in God's own character. He is accountable only to Himself. If a man violates the standard of Justice, he violates the character of God. God's justice cries out for the punishment of that violation. If He never punishes it, then He is not good. But He is good. He demonstrates His goodness every time He judges.
But in His justice, He is also merciful. He informed Abimelech of his sin. Abimelech repented and God showed mercy. You know, God does the same thing with us. We are in need of mercy. He shows our sin. If we repent, we receive His mercy. Is that not marvelous? Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

PSALM 19
Wow! I could ramble on forever about the Glory of the Lord from this Psalm, and everything I would write would fall far short of His glory! Years ago Laura and I lived in the Portland, OR metro area. Just a half-hour drive from our house was Larch mountain. It wasn’t a tall mountain, but its summit had a rocky peak that the park service had put up steps and railing to make it safe and accessible. The peak platform was an area about as large as my office, but it had an un-obstructed-360-degree view. It was a breath taking sight. On a really clear day, you could see Mt. Rainer to the north (near Seattle), Mt. St. Helens, Mt Jefferson, Mt. Adams, Mt. Hood, Three Sisters etc. Wow! It just takes your breath away to think that our Creator made all of this. It gives a new sense of awe and wonder when you stop and see what He has made and know that we are so small. His glory pours forth day after day, if only we stop to look. Like the sun, it never stops. It is true of all His creation around us! But even more stunning is His word. His word is there to show us what He is like. In His creation we see His power; in His word we see Him. In keeping His word there is great reward. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

NEHEMIAH 9
Why did they do this? Why did they put on sackcloth and dust? Why did they do this as a corporate group? Wouldn’t it be appropriate to just handle it individually? Why did they stand and read from the book of the Law for one fourth of the day (at least 3 hours)? Why did they confess their sin for one fourth of the day (at least 3 hours)? Was this individual sin that they confessed, or was it corporate sin, or was it a combination of both? Why do the Levites in their ceremony recite the history of Abraham, the Exodus, the conquest, the judges, the time of the Assyrian kings (the exile)? After all, they were not even alive at any of those times. They were not the ones who sinned and brought on the exile. Why should they take responsibility for it? The Spirit of the Lord led them to do this.
This teaches us that the Lord holds us responsible not only as individuals but also as corporate entities. Don’t be misled by the terminology. I am not talking about business corporations. Corporate comes from the Latin corporātus a participle of corporāre. It means united or combined into one. Does God still hold congregations accountable as a group? The letters of Jesus to the seven churches in the book of Revelation would indicate to me, “Yes, He still does hold churches accountable as a group.” As a matter of fact, He tells us in Revelation 2:5 “Look how far you have fallen from your first love! Turn back to me again and work as you did at first. If you don’t, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. At least in this case, if we do not corporately repent, he takes the church out of existence.
The clear implication of this passage is that they considered their current trouble to be a result of their corporate sin, both sin of the current corporate generation and the sin of their previous generation. How is it fair that they should be held accountable for the sin of previous generations? I will leave it to those smarter than I to figure out the fairness issue. However, this I know; because Adam sinned, I have a sin nature. Because I have a sin nature, I have affirmed Adam’s sin. There is some sort corporate connection there. Because there was corporate sin, there needed to be corporate confession and repentance.
What does this say about the congregation, of which I am a part? Maybe some of the trouble that we experience is a result of corporate sin. Because I am part of this body, I am responsible. Whether or not I was even around when it occurred, is irrelevant. The body will not progress properly until there is corporate repentance. Hmm. . . maybe if we are experiencing a lack of power as seen in the NT church, maybe we need to explore the possibility corporate sin that needs a corporate confession.
What does all this have to do with the glory of God? Look at what the Levites said in the corporate ceremony:

But You are God,
Ready to pardon,
Gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger,
Abundant in kindness,
And did not forsake them.
Yet in Your manifold mercies
You did not forsake them in the wilderness.
You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them,
Moreover You gave them kingdoms and nations,
Yet when they returned and cried out to You,
You heard from heaven;
And many times You delivered them according to Your mercies,

These are but a few of the ways that the Levites glorified God in their prayer! When we are willingly repentant as a corporate body, it releases a great testimony to the community in which we live of the magnificent grace and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. May be we should investigate our need of corporate repentance. It could only magnify His grace! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MATTHEW 13:1-30
It is amazing what the Lord has done. He has made it possible that we can hear what He has to say to us. Imagine that, the One who created the universe has stooped to our level so that we can hear with understanding what He has to say to us. When I was in 7th grade science, we began studying the sun. We studied the nuclear processes involved in the sun that releases such tremendous energy of which we experience the benefits here on the earth. I have a brother 7 years older than me, who was a physics major in college. He carefully explained the process to me in a way that I could understand how it worked. He helped me have ears to hear how the sun could release so much energy.
It is even more amazing to me that the Lord, who created all that is, has condescended to speak to us in the flesh and explain His truth to make it understandable to us. He is so confident in His own word that He allows the enemy to sow right among us. His word is easily recognizable when it has matured. But what is that word? It is His call to us who are lost in our trespasses and sins to come to Him for healing, redemption and relief. It is to come to Him for Him. When we embrace Him, we find all that our hearts long for and need. Finding Him, we are changed. Finding Him, we bear fruit. All along, the simple word is there in front of everyone's eyes. All along. the simple word is in front of everyone's ears. Sadly, some never hear it at all. Some hear it, but before they can digest its meaning, it is gone. Many hear it and are confused by its simplicity. Many hear it and are repulsed by its demands.
He has made it easier to understand than nuclear fusion or fission. He has laid it out in front of us, in His person. It is simply, the Creator of the universe is just. We have violated His justice. He came and added to His person the nature of a man, the Lord Jesus Christ. As a perfect man, He took the just penalty of God upon Himself on the cross. He died in my place. He came to life again on the third day defeating my sin and my death. He now offers me as a gift His indestructible life. Will I trust Him to live His life in me? Will I cease my striving to be holy and trust Him? Simple, not complex, yet so profound that few really grasp it and it is more powerful than all the nuclear fissions of the universe combined. . Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

January 18

GENESIS 19
“You don’t feel comfortable here, do you?” It was a simple question that she asked me. I did not realize that it showed so much. I couldn’t lie, but she had hit the nail on the head. The time was Spring Break 1975. The location was a motel room in Daytona Beach, Florida. I was there with Campus Crusade for Christ. The plan for that evening was to move in very small groups from motel room to motel room looking for an open party. It was a common activity for college students during spring break. Basically the idea was that students were looking for fun through the consumption of alcohol, marijuana and one night sexual encounters. Our plan was to infiltrate the parties, befriend people and then witness to them. Veterans of the spring break outreach reported that while at the beginning of the week students were not very open, by the end of the week the guilt and emptiness of their activities were beginning to sink in. There was usually a marked increase in responsiveness toward the end of the week. No I did not feel comfortable. I am not sure whether it was a lack of love on my part for them, or was I feeling guilty for being in a place of immorality, or was it that I was just tormented by the immorality that was happening around me. Where is the glory of Christ in a place like this?
Yesterday we saw that Abraham quit bargaining with God when God said that he would not destroy the city for the sake of ten righteous people. Lot had sons-in-law, which means he had at least two married daughters—that’s 4. He had sons, which means he had at least two-that’s 6. He had two virgin daughters, a wife and of course himself. Add it all up and there were a minimum of 10 people in Lot's family. Yet the LORD did not find ten righteous people.
2 Peter 2:4-7 says,

"For if God . . . turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked. . ."

It would appear that Lot was the only righteous one in the family. Inundated by the sexual immorality that surrounded his family, he lost his family to the unrighteousness around him. His sons and sons-in-law thought it was all a joke. His wife longed to return to Sodom and was turned into salt because she looked back. His daughters, thinking that the whole earth was destroyed got their father drunk and . . . well, enough said. This family was dysfunctional to say the least. How Lot must have been tormented in this environment, especially as he saw that he was losing his family!
Where is the glory of Christ in a place like this? I think His glory is seen in that he came down personally to investigate before He destroyed it. What mercy! Even today that glory is extended as we reach out to those enslaved by sin. Through us He comes down to deliver them. Even though Lot left a dysfunctional family, yet the LORD used them. King David was the grandson of Ruth, a Moabitess, a descendent of Lot and his firstborn daughter. Our Lord Jesus is a descendent of David. Isn't His grace amazing? He uses Sarah whose faith was faltering and Lot who couldn't even get his own family to believe. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 18
I was dancing around with the money I had just counted. “Wow! Look at this! Eighty dollars!” I had been working and saving for it for a couple of years. That was a grand sum for an eleven-year-old in 1966. I was excited about my achievement. All of a sudden the atmosphere changed to one of fire and smoke as my dad angrily snapped, “You don’t even have enough for a down payment on a car!” To this day I am not sure why Dad was so angry about it, but I will never forget the negative electricity in the air. I can relate to the David’s statements about the anger of the Lord:

Then the earth shook and trembled;
The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken,
Because He was angry.
Smoke went up from His nostrils,
And devouring fire from His mouth;
Coals were kindled by it.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With darkness under His feet.
And He rode upon a cherub, and flew;
He flew upon the wings of the wind.
He made darkness His secret place;
His canopy around Him was dark waters
And thick clouds of the skies.
From the brightness before Him,
His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire.

When Dad was angry, the whole room was filled, as it were, with “smoke and devouring fire.”
The glory of the Lord is that at times His anger is terrifying. Is it right for the Creator of the Universe to exhibit such anger? Let me ask you this, “If you were unjustly being pursued by a murderer who was hell bent on killing you, would you want a just God to be angry about the murderer’s intent?” I would. At what point should God cease being angry with sin? Is it just murder? Is it adultery? If I lust after a woman in my heart, but never do anything about it, is God still just in being angry with me? Is it lying? If I tell a lie in order to protect someone, is God still just in being angry with me? If I covet the world’s goods so that I dance around rejoicing in what I have earned, while my brother goes without, is God just in being angry with me? At what point. . . .
Lest you think that my concept of God is a Supreme Being who is always angry, consider the rest of the Psalm. The anger was against the murderer, Saul, who was pursuing David to kill him. Now look at it from David’s perspective. He is helpless before his earthly king who is hotly pursuing him to end his life.

He sent from above, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me,
For they were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the LORD was my support.
He also brought me out into a broad place;
He delivered me because He delighted in me.

This Psalm drips with the mercies and lovingkindesses of the Lord. The glory of the Lord is that He does intervene in order to rescue us. If there were no anger against sin, would He intervene? So, is the intervention of God somewhat a function not only of His mercy but also of justice? “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” Lord thank you for your justice, and thank you for your mercy, and thank you that mercy triumphs over judgment! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

NEHEMIAH 8
Who is this God who makes us weep and then joyful? When the people heard the law read, they wept. Why? They wept because they understood the depravity and depth of their sin. They understood that they had offended the Holy God. For the first time they began to understand the magnitude of His holiness. They began to understand the purity of the law. They began to understand the depths of their sin. It brought godly sorrow to their hearts. What were they to do? In some cases the Law required death for their many transgressions. In some cases the Law required that they should be cut off from the people of God, yet they are the people of God. They had offended God in so many ways in their failure. When was the last time that I wept over my sin? Or is it that I defend my sin? They wept.
Who is this God who makes us weep and then joyful? What an amazing response by Ezra, Nehemiah and the leaders.

Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. 10Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our LORD. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” 11So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them

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Why were they instructed to not grieve? Because their weeping was clear evidence of repentance. Once repentance is achieved, it is time to walk in the lavish grace of God. This is the God we seek. He demands nothing less than perfection out of us. When we realize how far short we have fallen, if we truly are repentant, it produces great grief. He then ladles, pours, yes even floods us with His grace, which abounds in joy! But we cannot reverse the order! Without true repentance, there cannot be true joy. Lord, help me not to be defensive when my sin is pointed out, but let me repent for I need your joy.
Today’s people think it hatred to speak concerning sin. But if I don’t speak concerning sin, then repentance will not come. Until I/we repent, God does not fill us with His joy.
Who is this God who makes us weep and then joyful? He is the God who tells us the truth about the offensiveness of our sin for the purpose of leading us to repentance. After repentance, He floods us with Himself. He is joy! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MATTHEW 12:22-50
I had a classmate in High School who was super strong. If my memory is correct, he could bench press 400 lbs. He was a wrestler in the 148 lbs. class. He took the state championship in his junior year. Most of the reason he did so well was because of his strength and quickness. He frequently walked out on the mat and by his great strength pinned his opponent in a matter of seconds. During his junior year, he was unbeatable. His senior year he became proud and thought that he didn’t even need to show up for practice. The coach dismissed him from the team.
There is a strong man loose upon the face of the earth. He has pinned people through out the ages in the bondage of sin. His strength is indeed mighty. But he became proud. Not only did he not understand the crucifixion, he thought he was orchestrating it. The result--he was pinned by a dead Man. That is the glory of our Lord! Even in His death He was stronger than the strong man, who was keeping us pinned. Is there anything in which Satan has you bound? Jesus is stronger. Nothing can stop Him! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

January 17

GENESIS 18
One mid-July we were in the midst of trying to do Backyard Bible clubs in three different locations in our community of Southport, NC. Southport’s summer day temperature highs are between 95 and 100 with humidity registering between 95 and 100%. We were trying to do one in my neighborhood in the morning and in my son's neighborhood in the late afternoon. At my house we had a nice shady spot under the tree house picked out. But no one showed up. The afternoon club had four boys show up. It was fun but it was in the heat of the day. It was okay in the shade, but game time was out in the sun. By the time it was over, I was cooked, hot and tired. When I am hot and tired, I tend to be more susceptible to discouragement.
Most non-western cultures that have a "heat of the day" take some kind of a break or siesta during the heat of the day to keep from over exerting life. So too it was with Abraham, particularly when he was pushing 100 years old. I have been in plenty of tents in the heat of the day, and I can tell you that I'd rather be under a tree. So Abraham was sitting under a tree and Sarah in the tent (I wonder if they had had an argument?). These three men came to visit. In their culture to entertain a visitor was a high honor and responsibility. Abraham hurriedly prepared a feast for the visitors. As he visited with them, he began to realize that they were messengers from God. As the conversation continued, he realized they were God Himself (hmm. . . is the Trinity represented here?). This is now the 5th time that God has revealed Himself to Abraham.
It was the heat of the day. Heat tends to make me think less objectively and more negatively. The LORD reiterated that Sarah would have a baby at the same time next year. Sarah laughed at the thought. When challenged by the LORD for her laughter, she denied it. When the baby was born, she named him Isaac, which means laughter. From then on whenever Sarah called Isaac's name she was reminded to believe God whenever He promised the impossible, even when it came in the heat of the day.
But the LORD was not finished. He told Abraham of His coming plan of destruction upon Sodom (from which we get our word sodomy) and Gomorrah because of their "very grave" sin. Abraham's nephew lot was living in Sodom. So, Abraham bargained with God to stay the destruction, if God can find 10 righteous people in Sodom. Abraham let God go at that point because he knew there were at least ten members in Lot's family.
In the heat of the day or battle, when things look bleak, He comes to visit us. Is your life right now like the heat of the day? Are you weary and discouraged? Are you thinking negatively? Is it difficult to think objectively? Does it seem like the promises of God seem long forgotten? Remember Sarah, remember Abraham, remember the glory and grace of our Lord. He often visits us in the heat of the day when we are too exhausted to do anything else. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

PSALM 17
Laura and I have a friend who has lived in poverty most of her life. She told Laura the other day that she is convinced that the Lord does not love her. She equates God’s love with adequate food and being able to pay the bills. She has given up on God. Hmmm. . .
What if all in the space of one year you lost your job, your house, your spouse? That happened to my cousin. He is currently in a mental institution. Furthermore, what if you were listed as public enemy #1 so that all the law enforcement officials were looking for you? What if you were reduced to hunting and gathering (poaching) as your only means of eating? Would you feel that the loving kindness of God was upon you? What if your only companions were those disgruntled with government, the political and economic rejects of the country? What if many others spoke ill of you saying that you deserve the harsh circumstances that the Lord has placed you in? Would you feel that God was just? Would you need some kind of vindication? All of these things had happened to David. It is the context of this Psalm. David had lost his job as one of Saul’s top military leaders. He had lost Michal, his wife, Saul’s daughter. He was forced to flee for his life from his house. Saul had his army searching for him to kill him. The only companions David had were the unwanted of the land. His only means of eating was off of the land. He had no flocks, herds, lands or crops. All of this was simply because God had chosen David to be the next king. He lived in this fashion for probably a decade.
Does this sound like loving kindness of God to you? How would you handle this adversity? David asks this, “Show me Your marvelous lovingkindess by Your right hand. . . Keep me as the apple of Your eye. . . As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” Can we be satisfied with just that when everything is going wrong? David was. He had tasted and seen the glory of the Lord. For that reason he could be satisfied when He awoke in the likeness of the Lord. That loving kindness really cannot be described. It can only be experienced. It is better than any physical comfort. I am convinced that He lets those who wait upon Him experience it. We just cannot give up on waiting. He is worth the wait and the poverty. He is too rich! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

NEHEMIAH 7
The walls were finished. God met their need. Nehemiah found a scroll that recorded who had returned to Judah in the first return. A total of 42,360 people had come back to Judah. He also lists the number of animals that they brought with them. Why? There were 42,360 people who made the trek. There was a total of 8,136 beasts of burden that made the trip. That is about 1 beast of burden for every 5.2 people, or one beast for every family. It was at least a 750 mile trip from Persia to Jerusalem. Can you imagine moving your family 750 miles (on foot) with only one beast of burden to carry all of your worldly goods to a land where you would take up a new life. Indeed it must have been a hard existence. Their God indeed met their need. He met their need in the first return. He met their need in the second and third returns. He met their need as they finally finished building the walls. He meets our needs as well, if we seek Him first. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MATTHEW 12:1-21
I still remember the first time I entered a grocery store on a Sunday. I probably wouldn’t have done it, but I was with my pastor. He had invited me to lunch with him. He was short on a few items. So we drove to Stillwater (the nearest store) and bought them. Then, we drove back and had lunch. It used to be that the governments had laws closing stores on Sundays (supporting what was considered to be the fourth commandment) as well as the other 9 commandments.
Jesus was with His disciples on the Sabbath. They were hungry. They picked the grain, rolled it in their hands to get the husks off and then ate them. This was by definition work. Work was by definition a clear violation of the fourth commandment. It outraged those who were serious about their religion. How could a holy man do such a thing?
It once again demonstrates His glory. He is the Lord of the Sabbath. He made the Sabbath. He controls the rules for the Sabbath. He made the Sabbath for our benefit. We need a day when we focus upon His glory rather than focusing upon our needs and desires. The rules for the Sabbath were made to help us know how to focus upon Him rather than our needs and desires. They were not made to be rigid rules, the keeping of which made us holy. If we have a basic need on the Sabbath, He allows us to take care of it. But He desires our hearts to focus upon Him. The disciples were able to focus upon Him and pick the wheat, roll it and eat it at the same time. It is okay to buy a loaf of bread on Sunday. But we should seek to plan our Sundays such that we can spend the majority of it focusing upon Him. His glory is too great to miss! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

January 16

GENESIS 17
I spent a summer on project with Campus Crusade for Christ. CCC goal was to train the students for leadership back on the campus. We were trained intensively in witnessing, leading small groups and Bible Study. It was one of the greatest summers of my life. We regularly went to campgrounds and beaches as small teams to share our faith. It came my turn to lead an outreach into one of the campgrounds. We had a set of procedures that we regularly followed that helped make things flow smoothly. To make the story short, we had done the procedures enough that we just did them without much prayer. The result in this case was a total disaster. Once the smoke cleared we were asking each other, "What went wrong?" I will never forget one of my roommates saying, "What comes to my mind is Jesus' words, 'Abide in Me and I in you for apart from Me, you can do nothing. I think we became so adept at doing this that we just quit seeking the Lord. We weren't abiding in Him." That is a hard lesson that I keep learning over and over.
This is now the 4th time that God appears to Abram. He appears to him in Chapter 12 when Abram is 75 years old and tells him to leave Haran and his family. God there promises him a Land, a Nation and a Blessing. Then after the Egyptian debacle and when he finally separates from Lot, God appears to Him again reaffirming the covenant. That is found in chapter 13. Then after Abram delivers Lot and pays homage to the Lord through Melchizedek the priest, the Lord appears again and makes the covenant unconditional. That is found in chapter 15. So on this fourth time that God appears to Abram, the LORD changes their names indicating Abraham and Sarah will become the parents of a host of descendants and making circumcision the sign of the covenant.
By now, Ishmael is 13 years old. Abraham is quite attached to him. He pleads with the LORD to consider Ishmael to be the son of the promise. It was unacceptable in God's sight. He refused to use this child to bring the promised seed. God would use a method by which all would know that He produced the child. Abram was 99 now and Sarai was 89. Both were considered too old to have children--not just by today's reckoning but also by the reckoning of their day. God appears to Abram and tells him, "Yes I will take care of Ishmael, but the child of the promise will be born to Sarai next year." And God changes their names to reflect that promise. Can you imagine that? That is definitely a "God thing." He chooses to do nothing which brings glory to us instead of Him.
That is the glory of Jesus. He wants to do great things in us. But He wants to do them so that He will receive the glory, not us. Maybe the difficult circumstances that we endure are ones that He has engineered so that when He finally does His work, we will know He did it, not we ourselves. That is the glory of our Lord Jesus. It is a lesson Abraham learned over and over, guess I am in good company. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

PSALM 16
It was the week of the last game of my senior year in high school. Bill Platt (at that time the radio voice of the OSU Cowboys and the Stillwater Pioneers) had made a habit of doing an interview with 2 seniors per week before the game. Being one of the least talented seniors and not having played very much, I was the last choice. He asked me a question that I will never forget. "Have you enjoyed your experience of football at Stillwater High School? Will you miss it?” I knew what he was driving at. I had very little playing time during the games. I started three games during my years there. They were the first two home games and the last home game of my senior year. During the first two games the coach removed me from playing because of my inability to perform. The last game I played very well, much to everyone’s surprise, but that was the game yet to come. Mr. Platt was nicely asking, “Why put yourself through all the pain of practice if you rarely get to play in a game?” I enjoy playing. Even now I do not watch much football. I’d rather be playing. It pleases me to participate, not to watch. I am a pleasure freak. I want nothing more than to be pleased. Then why do I do things that I do not enjoy? I was willing to put up with the conditioning drills, wind sprints, sled driving and other things because I enjoyed the competition with the other guys. I enjoyed the challenge. I don’t remember exactly how I answered Mr. Platt. But I do remember his summary. He said, “It’s kind of like my Army experience. I am glad I did it, but I am glad it is over.” Basically it is that I will endure a present pain for a future pleasure. I enjoy playing not watching.
The Psalmist says, “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Do I believe that? How much pain will I put up with right now if I know that it will lead to a future pleasure? It is interesting that on the day of Pentecost, Peter quotes this Psalm and applies it to Jesus, “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” Paul also quotes it in his sermons in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch recorded in Acts 13. Jesus endured the cross in order to receive pleasures in the presence of His Father with us. That is part of His glory. He endured horrible wrath in order that He might have the joy of exquisite pleasure which it would produce. He calls us to die with Him so that we might be raised with Him. Are we willing to endure horrible pain in order that we might have the joy of His exquisite pleasure? When we are, we are giving testimony of His great glory. Exquisite pleasure is found in His presence. We can participate in His life, not just watch or be told about it. But death to self must come first. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

NEHEMIAH 6
“And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.” It is the glory of the Lord that He does His work in people. When it is finished, it brings a holy awe upon those who have seen it, even if they do not submit to it. During the accomplishment of that work, it could be a confusing and fearful experience for the people through whom He is working. Nehemiah’s life was threatened. He was not always sure who was a friend and who was an enemy. But God gave Him the assurance of His presence. Nehemiah clung to that and the task which he had been given to accomplish.
Is anything about the task God has given me unsure? Is it confusing or fearful? Is my God-given task clear? Pursue it! Don’t get sidetracked! Hang on to the end! God is doing something to reveal His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MATTHEW 11
He was billed as “Holy Hubert” (a nickname given to him in derision by his enemies). He came to campus when I was in college at OSU. He reputedly had memorized the entire Bible in the King James Version. Now that is impressive. I went out to hear him. What did I go out to hear? I don’t know. But I guess I was expecting somebody who looked really intelligent, maybe like my older brother. (I have three of them so I’ll let them debate over to which one I am referring.) I guess one would expect a certain awe or glory to surround him. If appearance was what I was looking for, well, I was disappointed. He definitely did not look like an egghead. He did live up to his billing though. You could give him any reference location in the Bible and he could pick up there and start quoting it. Pretty impressive!
The glory of Jesus can be deceptive at times. John was expecting that glory to show itself in something other than what he saw. To John’s credit, he was in jail. Some of the prophecies of the Messiah speak of a great king who would execute justice. John was in jail for preaching against the unrighteous lifestyle of the king. Why hadn’t Jesus done something to remove the unrighteous king, especially when that unrighteous king imprisoned righteous prophets of God.
John wasn’t the only one who had a problem. Jesus said the generation of His day was like children who insist upon you playing just like they want you to play. So His generation had their picture of the glory of the Messiah, yet He, the true Messiah, did not fit that picture. So too with Chorazin and Bethsaida, Jesus’ glory did not fit their picture of the glorious Messiah. (By the way Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum all lie in ruins today.)
The gates of ancient Bethsaida
Ruins at Capernaum
A little of what is left of the synagogue of Chorazin
His glory at that time was not the picture of a ‘strong leader’, who commands and orders people around and they listen. Part of His glory is that He invites the weary and heavy laden to take His yoke with Him. That means to pull the plow with Him. The work continues, but He is the power. He promises those who enter the work with Him, rest for their souls. Hmm. . . maybe that means that if I am tired in my soul, then maybe I am working in my own yoke and not His. Maybe I have my picture of His glory and not a true picture of His glory. Hmm. . . rest sounds good right now. I think I’ll take a nap. Now. . . what was I really expecting when I put on His yoke? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

January 15

GENESIS 16
It was emotionally devastating. I knew I wasn’t very good at batting. However, I was on the team because I wanted to play not watch. I was on the best team in the Stillwater 14 & under baseball league. That was something to be proud of; except, all I did was keep the bench warm. We had an “A” squad and a “B” squad. The coach arranged extra games for the “B” squad so that he could develop their abilities for the next year. I understood not being allowed to play in the “A” squad games. After all, I did want the team to win. My playing could have an adverse effect upon the outcome of the game. But it was too much when we had our last double header for the “B” squad and I was not allowed to play in either game. Following the game, the coach gathered us all together and assessed each of our abilities. When he came to me he said, “Chaffin, you’re as good of player as anyone on the team, but, I swear, if I rolled a basketball to you on the ground, you couldn’t hit it.” I wasn’t a happy camper that night. I really felt like an outcast. Let’s travel forward in time 10 years. Now I am 23. Laura and I had recently returned from a summer in Colorado. We thought we had gone there in order to join staff with Campus Crusade for Christ. But at the end of 5 weeks of study, we were informed that was not going to be an option. Benched again, this time by God. Does God really see?
This time Abram has once again blown it. He and Sarai could not produce any children. Sarai had reached the age where women normally do not have children--even back then. Attempting to bring about God's promise by using a conventional method, Abram produces a child through Sarai's handmaid, Hagar. (Believe it or not that was a conventional method in their culture in their time. If a woman could not produce children for her husband, she could take a slave and give her to her husband, and the child she produced would legally be considered her own. Weird huh?) Abram & Sarai did a culturally acceptable thing. But it was their own work not God's promised son. God saw it.
Hagar, the slave woman, resented the legal convention, but at the same time, she gloated towards Sarai because she could give a child to Abram. Sarai was resentful toward Abram about the whole situation. When Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. Sarai received permission from Abram to treat Sarai harshly. God saw it. Hagar decided to leave. God saw it. He dispatched an angel to minister to Hagar’s need and to cause her to return home. Hagar experienced the LORD. She knew that the LORD had seen her in her need. That was all she needed. She named Him, the LORD-Who-sees. She returned to her mistress.
Yes, He sees. Looking back on my earlier experiences, I see now that He saw then, and He was working. It just took time to realize it. Shuffling down the way to Shur, I am sure that Hagar thought that God had forgotten about her and that He did not see any of the recent events. Do you feel like God does not see you, that he has forgotten you? Like you are in an oubliette (that’s a dungeon where you put someone to forget about them)? Take heart; the LORD has not forgotten. He sees. After all, He is the God who sees. That is the nature of His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 15
“Can I come over to your house?” I heard that a few times when I was a kid. Usually I was delighted with the prospect of a friend coming over. However, I remember one occasion when a friend came over. It was fun at first, but for some reason he kept purposely doing things that he knew would irritate me. I would tell him to quit, but he would ignore it. Finally, I had enough. I told him to get out of my house and go home. We still played together, but not at my house. Who can come to my house? Those who don’t purposely do things to irritate me may come.
Who may dwell in the tabernacle of the Lord? This Psalm is basically a list of what it means to walk uprightly. Those who walk uprightly may go to God’s house. The problem is that, as we saw in Psalm 14, none of us does any good. We all walk not-uprightly. (Would that be downrightly, or upwrongly?) We all at one point or another purposely do things that irritate the Lord. Usually those irritations are directed at other people. Once again we are reminded of the wonderful mercy of our Lord. Although we do not deserve to go to His house, He cleans up our walk. His grace changes it from a downright walk to an upright walk. By His power we can become people that He enjoys dwelling in His house. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

NEHEMIAH 5
The call was a collect call from the county jail. A man to whom I had been ministering had been taken back to jail because he was accused of parole violations. He explained the situation that precipitated it. If he was speaking honestly, then he probably should not be in jail. I doubt that I was hearing the whole story. He wanted me to co-sign his bail bond. I asked how much it was. I quickly calculated that it was more than I could afford to give away if he were to not show up in court. There is a Biblical principle involved in loaning money or co-signing loans. If you can’t afford to pay it yourself, don’t co-sign. Similarly, if you can’t afford to pay it back, don’t borrow. If you can’t afford to give, don’t.
The children of Israel had been forgiven a great debt by the Lord. They had been returned to the land and given a great opportunity to make a new life for themselves. Yet they were forced into a situation by their brothers in the Lord where they had to borrow money in order to feed their families. Were their brothers from whom they borrowed showing the glory of their Lord when they lent and charged exorbitant interest? Were those who borrowed showing faith in the Lord when they borrowed? I think not. So what should have happened. Those who were able to give, should have given in such a way that it enabled their brothers to become dependent upon only the Lord. That is when His glory shines the most.
What did I do with the man who wanted me to sign? I gave to him in other ways. But in this way, I let him trust the Lord. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MATTHEW 10:21-42
I just came from a MLK Jr. Day celebration function. I have been participating in these for about 11 years now. One of the things that always impresses me when I hear testimony of blacks of what life was like for them in the 50’s and 60’s is the impact of the glory of Jesus on black culture. It was the impact of Jesus’ glory that prompted MLK Jr.’s teaching on love, service and non-violence. As I hear the testimonies of those who lived the experience, I am convinced that were it not for the Black Church, this country would have experienced a racial civil war of blood shed and violence that would have equaled or surpassed the blood shed in South Africa and produced more hatred and racism. Yet these men and women who stood for the principles of love and service because of the glory of Jesus were beaten, jailed, run out of town, rejected by so-called fellow white Christians, and even killed. Some of the black leaders did it for Jesus.
Where’s the glory? Jesus allows and even expects His disciples to be hated, persecuted, run out of towns and yes even killed because they follow Him. Where’s the glory in that? One would think the glory of the Eternal God made flesh would cause Him to seek better things for His people. He does seek good things for His people. However, there are different arenas of glory and different timing. Remember Satan’s response to God’s inquiry concerning Job? Satan answered:

Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!

Satan did his worst to Job’s possessions. He took Job’s property and children. But Job did not curse God. Again God inquired of Satan concerning Job. And Satan answered:

Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!

Satan did his worst. Job lost his health and his wife turned against him. Job did not even have the luxury of knowing that he was being observed by all the spirit world. Nor did he know that this was only a temporary test and that if he remained faithful that the Lord would double his wealth and family. It is one thing for the disciple of Jesus to follow him because the Lord of glory gives him wealth, health and prosperity. It is another thing for the disciple of Jesus to follow Him and worship and adore him simply for the pure pleasure found in His glory. Even in the midst of pain and suffering, the glory is so much better than the pain and suffering that the disciple continues on. Now that demonstrates to all the greatness of the glory. Satan can no longer experience the fullness of joy of that glory because he has determined to strive against it. But he can see it demonstrated in us as we keep our eyes on His glory in the midst of our pain. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John