June 19

DEUTERONOMY 24
Our God is a God who is just and yet full of mercy and grace. He wants those attributes to be seen in His people. Those attributes are made manifest in us in our relationships with one another. In the marriage relationship it is made manifest when the marriage vows are honored. Keeping our vows demonstrates that He is just. The most basic vow that most people make is the marriage vow. It should be honored. The KJV Bible Commentary says, “The custom of giving letters of divorce was probably adopted by the Israelites from the Egyptians because they had a practice of writing out contracts in relationship to every area of life.” God’s original desire was for the vow to be kept until the death of one of the partners. However, some people, for whatever reason, never seem to be able to keep their vow. What if the breaking of that vow was so heinous that it made the marriage untenable? Because of our inability to forgive, God, through Moses made provision for divorce. The higher road is forgiveness. But if the partner will not repent, the provision for divorce was available. The divorce provision, however, was not to be used to make promiscuity legitimate through a series of legal maneuvers. God wants his people to live in commitment to their vows.
Today’s passage also demonstrates the mercy and grace of our Lord in the way that we treat each other. At times it is necessary for those who have this worlds goods to lend to those who do not. If it is a loan, those who lend are not to take advantage of the situation by making life worse for those to whom they loan. I should not take anything as surety that the person to whom I am lending could not live without. This is the basis for our bankruptcy laws. The farmer was to leave the gleanings of the crops for the poor to gather for themselves. Food needed to be made available to the poor, if they were willing to work for it. This is grace. The farmer had no obligation to leave the gleanings. But He was to do so in order to demonstrate the mercy and grace of our God. Our God makes commitments to us. He keeps them. Our God extends grace to us. He is under no obligation to do so. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PROVERBS 19
When I married my wife, my father-n-law was unemployed. I paid for the wedding. I never really expected any great inheritance. To my surprise, when he passed away, we received an inheritance that more than enabled us to pay off our house. Indeed in our situation, the Scripture is true when it says, “Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers.” Thank you, Bill. On the other hand, I have a wife who is understanding and wise, or in other words, prudent. “But a prudent wife is from the LORD.” Yes, she is a gift from the Lord. Thank you, Jesus. Because of You, I have found her; I have found a good thing and obtained favor from You! Indeed you are glorious! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

JEREMIAH 14
As of May 23,2014 we had only received 2.75 inches of rainfall since January 1. I am happy to report that the last month has brought much more rain. We are up to 8.15 inches of rainfall since January 1. In the last month we have had twice the rainfall received in the first 5 months. Everything has turned green again. It is wonderful. Droughts are very unpleasant. I pray the rain continues at the same rate as this month for the next 6 months. That might restore our ponds, lakes and water tables.
The Lord told Jeremiah that He brought a drought upon Israel because of their sin. They had sought the idols of other gods. They had left their Maker. Clearly a severe drought was upon the land because they had left the Lord. The people then had a choice. They could repent and seek the true God, or they could listen to the false prophets, who promised them peace and prosperity. The physical drought was only a representation of the spiritual drought that was upon the land. Apparently, they chose to continue in their sin. The result was that the Lord instructed Jeremiah in verse 11 to not pray for the people. This is the fourth time that the Lord had instructed Jeremiah to not pray for the people (7:16; 10:25; 11:14; 14:11). They had reached a point of no return. There was no longer a remedy, only judgment. Is there glory for the Lord in judgment? Certainly there is as we have discussed previously. However, the Lord would prefer true repentance upon our part, but there does come a point of no return. They had reached it. His glory is revealed in the droughts which they had suffered.
The chapter ends with at least some of the people pleading for mercy from the Lord:
Are there any among the idols of the nations that can cause rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Are You not He, O LORD our God? Therefore we will wait for You, Since You have made all these.
It was too late for that generation. They had gone too far. They were doomed for destruction. Is it too late for us? There are many false prophets among us who preach that God’s desire for us is financial prosperity. Is that true? Is God’s first priority for us financial prosperity? While God certainly desires that our physical needs be met, there is a deeper need that He wants to meet. It is our spiritual need. Clearly at times He uses the physical realm as a teaching tool concerning the spiritual realm. He brings physical drought to call attention to our spiritual drought. Lord, thank you for bringing the recent rains, but as the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs for you. Bring spiritual rain upon me. Bring spiritual rain upon us. Restore our spiritual cisterns, ponds, lakes and water tables. Who else among the heavens can restore our parched souls? Therefore, I/we will wait upon You because you have made all these things. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Acts 4:23-37
It is the glory of Jesus, the anointed One, to become flesh, dwell among us, bear our sins in His own body on the tree as a ransom for our sin, to become sin for us, receiving the full wrath of God against sin to die, paying the full penalty due our sin, to rise again accomplishing the defeat of sin and death, acquiring the ability to give us life.
It is even a greater glory Jesus to give not only life to those who call upon His name in faith but to send His Holy Spirit to live in each of them, giving some the power to do signs and wonders through His name and filling all with His Holy spirit to speak the Word of God with boldness.
It is even greater glory to change those who believe to the point that they gave of their worldly goods and possessions to the point that they appeared that they shared all things in common. Some have said that this is communism. But communism forces the masses to share all things in common, destroying the motivation to excel. I say this is simply people who are so consumed with the glory of Christ that their worldly possessions no longer were something that they compulsively hung on to--just like Jesus leaving the throne of glory. His glory was not the adoration of heaven. It was who He is. The disciple's glory is not their possessions but by whom they are possessed--who Jesus is.
How much does the glory of Christ possess me? The glory of Christ is more than sufficient motivation to excel. Indeed our King is a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

June 18

DEUTERONOMY 23
“He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD.” I thought that was interesting wording by the King James version. It is interesting because were it not the word of God, it would be considered impolite at best in most American Christian circles. Why would the Lord have such stipulations? How does it relate to the glory of God? Basically the verse means that any male who is unable to procreate, cannot worship with the people of Israel. The next verse indicates that any person whose conception was outside of marital commitment could not worship with the people of Israel. (It even uses the “B” word.) Now, both of those stipulations would seem kind of unfair at first glance. I mean, what man in his right mind would choose to have his sexual organs crushed or removed? Given the choice, what person would choose to be born of rape or promiscuous lusters rather than of parents who are deeply committed to each other?
What really is at stake here is God’s original intent for His glory to dwell in mankind. Before He created Adam and Eve, He said, “Let us make man in our image.” After the creation He charged them with, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” God’s original intent was for the earth to be filled with His glory through the Godly image of His highest creation-man, male and female. Since that image was marred by sin, God is about restoring and reclaiming the image—for His glory. In that restoration and reclaiming, He is creating one nation to reflect His glory. If they could not properly reflect that image in reproducing, then they could not worship with the people of that nation.
Hmmm. . . What implication might there be for members of the church today? In the church today, we are supposed to be making disciples of Jesus of all nations. We are supposed to be reproducing. And as we are reproducing, it is supposed to be done in a godly manner. Do not mistake me. I am not now talking about physical procreation; although, that also has clear implications here. As members of His church, are our spiritual stones or privy members cut off? Or if not cut off, are we using them in ways that produce bastards of the faith? His glory is at stake! Have we sought our own glory? Have we resorted to illegitimate means to reproduce the faith? Or are we so in love with Him that He delights in releasing His spiritual seed in us producing legitimate spiritual births. Hmmm. . . weird thoughts and analogies, but I think it should be pondered. After all we indeed serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PROVERBS 18
I remember my sister relating a story that happened to a friend of hers. Her friend was coming out of a building in a city. It was evening and she was alone. It was summer, so the windows in her car were down. As she was starting her car, a man walked up and reached through her window and grabbed her wrist. Obviously she was terrified. Almost instinctively she called out, “Jesus!”-not as a curse word but as a prayer. The expression on the man’s instantly changed from menace to fear. He let go of her wrist, turned and ran. “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.” The name of the Lord is always a place of safety in the long haul. Granted, sometimes the Lord does not deliver His saints in such a manner. Just look at the high number of martyrs not only throughout the centuries, but especially today. But even in those cases, in the long haul, he brings His loved ones safely home to his presence.
Contrast this with the person who trusts elsewhere for their protection. In America, where might that be? America was the wealthiest society that world had ever seen. Oh there were other societies that were wealthier, but none had wealth spread as much across the board of the populace as the USA until a few decades ago. The last three decades has seen a dramatic increase in the USA between the wealthy and the impoverished. The divide has grown greater while the middle class has been shrinking. The number of people with “golden parachutes” has steadily grown. To share the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ with the wealthy and see a corresponding response of repentance and belief is very rare. Why? It is because the rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own esteem. He has been ensnared by the glory of riches. He sees no need for the glory of the Lord.
Such pride! The minor prophets had much about which to warn the wealthy. Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty—so it is with the wealthy and their wealth. But in the long haul of things, before honor is humility. Nothing has been dramatically demonstrated than that. It was made clear in the Lord Jesus Christ. He had the riches of heaven. He was constantly adored by all the creatures in heaven. He had a perfect relationship with God the Father. Yet He gave up that position to become a servant. As a servant He became our sin on our behalf and endured the wrath of the Father. On the cross He thought Himself forsaken and smitten of God. Dying on the cross, He was buried and rose again the third day. God the Father has now exalted Him to His right hand on high and given Him a name above every other name that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! His name is a strong tower. When we run into it, we are saved. Oh, there may be a few crosses on the way, but in the long haul, we are saved. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

JEREMIAH 13
At the cost of many lives we invaded Iraq and toppled the government of Saddam Hussein. We then had the problem of, “How do we extricate ourselves from this situation and leave a government that can righteously take care of its citizens, remain friendly to us and protect itself from insurgents.” We thought the job was accomplished, and we pulled our troops out. We were wrong. What is my point? Simply this, the area is unstable. It is virtually impossible to establish and maintain a democratic republic where the grassroots of a people are not firmly committed to Jesus.
It was no different for the theocratic monarchy of Israel in 605 B.C. The Lord’s intent for Judah was that they should become, “My people, for renown, for praise, and for glory.” Josiah had attempted to bring about a revival that would restore the glory of the Lord to Israel, but alas, the revival was only skin deep. The people would not hear. When Josiah died, the Egyptian replacement Jehoiachin and his mother Nehushta were carried off to the Euphrates as spoils of war (2 Kings 24:8–12). Israel was subjugated to the will of the Babylonians, their neighbors to the far north.
What dramatic symbols of what God and Israel were doing! First he makes Jeremiah make the 1,000+ mile round trip to the Euphrates to bury a beautiful linen sash which he had purchased. Can you imagine Jeremiah leaving with the exiles to Babylon showing off his beautiful new sash to everyone as they journey along. Hear the people saying or thinking, “Jeremiah, what a beautiful new sash. It looks so good on you! You must have spent a small fortune on it.” It increased his glory. Arriving at the River, he buries it. After many days, God tells him to go dig it up. His beautiful new sash is filthy, rotting, molded, stained. It would not bring even a homeless man any glory. Everybody says, “Jeremiah, what happened to your beautiful new sash? It is rotten, filthy, moldy and stained.” Jeremiah replies, “The sash to me is as our nation to Yahweh.” We are rotten, filthy, moldy and stained. We are not suitable to reflect His glory.
God tells Jeremiah to tell the people to, “Every bottle shall be filled with wine!” It is a well attested archaeological find that the wine industry was a thriving industry in ancient Israel. At times Israel was a major world exporter of wine. The industry seems to have thrived right up to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D. So when Jeremiah tells the people, “Every bottle shall be filled with wine,” their natural response would be, “Of course it will. That’s what we do!” But the Lord adds a new twist of judgment to it. Their bottles will be filled to cause drunkenness even in the royal family. The drunkenness will bring shame upon the nation. Like when a harlot is exposed and shamed in public, so Judah will be exposed and shamed. She who should have been a symbol of the glory of God will become a symbol of rottenness to His bones.
As Judah was created to be a beacon of the glory of the Lord, so too, we believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are created to be a beacon of His glory. We are His sash. We are His bride. We are His glory in the earth. He has created and redeemed us for His pleasure. He wants to take us out of our filth that has brought rottenness and ruin, and by His death and resurrection He wants to restore us to a pure spotless bride not drunk with wine but filled with the joy and fruit of His Spirit. That is what increases His glory. Only He can take my ruined life and make it shine for His glory. Lord, I hand you all that I am, giving it to You. You take it and make it what You want it to be for your glory and praise! Extricate me from the unstable rotten government of my own life and recreate me and Your church for Your own glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

ACTS 4:1-22
Peter was in love with a glorious Lord. Peter was convinced that his Lord was glorious. He knew that the crippled man was made well not because he had great faith but because he had a great Lord. He was consumed with the knowledge that Jesus permitted himself to die at the hands of men in order to save those men who killed Him. There was no questioning the fact that Jesus is the only way that salvation may come to men. Because Peter was so consumed with the glory of his Lord, He was able to be positive and bold even when arrested by those men who had killed His Lord. This same Peter who at one time was ashamed of his Lord, now is consumed by the great glory of his Lord. Why? Because he had been with Jesus. He had spent three years of his life living physically with his Lord. Then Peter denied Him. Jesus loved and restored him. Jesus filled him with His Holy Spirit. Peter was no longer awed by just the awesome power of Jesus, but now, he is also awed by the awesome love of Jesus. He is also filled with the Spirit of Jesus. He can share in the literal power of his Lord. With a Lord like that how can one help but speak of Him to others? When commanded to cease speaking in the name of Jesus, there was no question in Peter's mind. The glory of his Lord consumed him. It did not matter what any human thought of his speech about Jesus. It did not matter what anyone did to him because of his speech about Jesus. How could one help but speak the glory of a Lord like that? Am I consumed with His glory? Are you consumed with His glory? What glory there is in the Name of Jesus! Indeed our King is a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

June 17

DEUTERONOMY 22
Why does God care whether the people of Israel mix a woolen garment with a linen garment? Why does God want tassels on the four corners of their covering garment? Why is it an abomination to God that a woman should wear a man’s garment, or a man a woman’s garment? Why is it an abomination to God that sexual morality reflect one man, one woman committed to each other in a marriage relationship, and no other relationship? He really does not explain Himself.
Maybe looking at the creation of humans and seeing God’s purpose can yield an answer. After He created all the animals and spiritual beings, and before He created humans, He said,
Genesis 1:26–2:24 26

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; . . . 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. . . .18 And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” 19 Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. . . . But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. 21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. 23 And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Unlike the animals we are created in God’s image. Theologians have argued for years on what it means that we are created in in the image of God. Whatever it means, the context demands that it include that we are male and female, that we are different from the animals, and that we as male and female are to become one flesh without losing our distinctiveness.
God is one! The thought rings through the Scripture. Yet through the Scripture we find that Jesus claimed to be Yahweh and yet differentiated Himself from the Father. Through the Scripture we find that the Holy Spirit is considered to be God and yet He is differentiated from the Father and the Son. How do we explain these thoughts? We do it by describing God as one in essence, yet eternally existing in three persons. Try wrapping your mind around that!
If God were one and having only one person within His essence, if He were love, to whom would He express His love. He would need someone outside Himself to whom He could express His love. God, by definition, needs no one and no thing. He could not be love unless He had a way of expressing love within Himself. It would be similar to the old question, “If God is all-powerful, can He make a rock big enough that He cannot pick it up?” Admittedly it is a silly question, but similar. If God is love, can He exist without someone to love? If He is one in essence, but eternally existing in three persons, then He does not need someone else in order to love. Rather than need, He chooses to love, so He creates.
Part of our design is to love. We are made male and female in order to love. In loving we reflect His image. As male and female, we come together in one flesh. This becoming one flesh reflects what He is like. The occasional result of becoming one flesh is the reproducing of another human life, another life with the capability of reflecting the image of God. God is forever united as one. He does not divorce Himself. He forever loves Himself. We are to reflect that as His image. So to resort to any other path than the created order is to disparage His image. There should forever be oneness with distinction, just as it is with Him. To divorce is to mar that image. To have multiple sex partners is to mar that oneness. To seek to be one with the same sex is the deny the distinctions. To cross dress is to blur the image. To seek sex with animals is to deny our image. Frankly I do not understand the wearing of two different types of clothing. Perhaps it is that He wanted His covenant people to be reminded of the special image they bear by wearing only one clothing type. Perhaps the tassels on the four corners of the outer garment were to be reminders of their special relationship with Him as image bearers.
He is one. He loves. He is three persons who love. They are one. His love for us is born out of choice not necessity. He chose to create to enlarge the circle of love. We are made to reflect His image. We are made to love in oneness out which springs new life. That is indeed glorious. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PROVERBS 17
For many years I have been seeking to focus daily on the glory of the Lord. When it gets right down to the bottom line of life, does it really matter? Practically speaking, how does focusing on His glory help life right now? Does it really produce anything of value?
Wouldn’t it be better to spend that time seeking to better my life and my situation than to waste in meditation on His glory? As I have meditated, I look back on events of life that would have at one time put me over the edge in emotional turmoil. Instead of turmoil, yes there is pain, but instead of turmoil there is more often a lightening of the load, a peace that comes. I can only conclude, “Better is a dry morsel with quietness, Than a house full of feasting with strife.”
Wouldn’t it be better to avoid completely situations that test the integrity of my heart? But standing in the furnace of His glory, I am drawn to His fierce love. He lures me into the glory of His molten purity, in order to burn away the dross of my heart. It is not pleasant; the dross is not pretty, but the glimpses of His purity are worth every bit of discomfort. Yes, “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests the hearts.”
Rather than minister to the poor, wouldn’t it be much more productive to minister to those of a higher socio-economic status? After all, it is the wealthy who will have the resources to provide for the poor. But as I gaze at the wealth of the glory of the Lord, I gain a conviction that, “He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.”
Wouldn’t it be better to protect my ‘rights’ so that no one harms me, or be sure that I am always vindicated? When someone does something that causes me discomfort, rather than bringing an accusatory finger, do I try to find out why the person did what he did and help them know how not to do that again, or do I rail against them in order to protest my injury. When shown the error of their transgression and they repent, can I become their friend? The glory of the Lord is that He has covered my transgression against Him. As I gaze upon that wonderful deed, I learn that He changes me toward His glory, so that I too, can cover those who transgress against me. He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends. Sometimes covering a transgression is one-sided.
When in a disagreement with others, would it not be better to beat them to the punch? Jesus loves me even when I am feuding with Him. He reconciled the Father toward me before I began to reconcile toward Him. When my face was turned against Him, He brought peace into the relationship so that the war might cease. Gazing at His glory makes me see that and causes me to do the same toward others. “The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts. . . A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.”
These are all things that He has done for/toward me. As I gaze at His glory, I see those things. Gradually it begins to free me so that I can and will do the same. Daily spending time gazing at his Glory is time well spent. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

JEREMIAH 12
I have had a number of people to whom I have ministered who have asked me to accompany them to a court case in which they were involved. I presume that they just wanted me there for emotional support for I have been in enough court rooms now to know that the judge usually doesn’t give a whit or even care that I am there. It has been my observation that judges in America are treated like gods. One dare not speak out of turn or unbidden. As a matter of fact, it has been my observation that if I were to say anything in the court room without being invited by the judge, then the judge would take it as an affront to himself and to the system of justice, and it would not go well for me. I particularly sense that if I were to speak up uninvited and say, “Judge, I don’t like the way that you have ruled in this case and this is why. . .” It wouldn’t be long before the judge would instruct me to be quiet, and if I did not obey then I would probably be removed from the room by the bailiff.
Here we are in the court room of the Cosmic Judge, God Himself. Jeremiah has the audacity to say, “Let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously? You have planted them, yes, they have taken root; They grow, yes, they bear fruit.” Now, in Jeremiah’s defense, he really does have a good question. God has called Jeremiah from his youth to speak for God Himself. Most commentators think that the prophecies up to this point of the book are uttered during the reign of Josiah. Josiah forced the nation to follow the Lord. It appears that while the nation obeyed Josiah, their hearts were far from Him. For whatever specific reasons are behind this, Jeremiah sees through their façade. Thus, he says, “You are near in their mouth but far from their mind.” Essentially Jeremiah is accusing God of not being just. He genuinely feels that these people should be punished. He is wondering why they are not. He is accusing God of letting them get away with murder! Very few judges in the USA would put up with that kind of speech in the court room.
That God does not blow Jeremiah away because of this kind of talk is testimony of the mercy of our Lord, and an invitation to really let God know what is on our hearts, as long as we say it to Him respectfully, as has Jeremiah. God mercifully responds to Jeremiah in verses 5-13. “Jeremiah, if you are wearied by the footmen, what are you going to do when the real flood comes?” Every year with the spring snow melts of Mt. Hermon and the spring rains, the Jordan River would overflow its banks. If you have ever had the experience of being in a swift flowing river that is out of its banks, then you know this metaphor. Keeping in step with the march of the footmen in the army is easy, but what are you going to do when the army marches into the current, and it sweeps you off your feet? How are you going to keep step then?
Essentially this was the best time of Jeremiah’s life from a human perspective. Jeremiah was already upset with God’s seeming lack of judgment. Pain and persecution against Jeremiah will only increase in the future for Jeremiah. God is calling Jeremiah to consider how he would respond in the future when the judgment comes. We Americans have it so easy, yet we complain so much about the lack of justice. This is an invitation to come and know the heart of God. He is just! He is merciful. He calls us to rest in His mercy and grace. Yes we must speak out against injustice, but we must speak out against the human side. We must understand that in His time God will judge the wicked, and in time the flood against us from the wicked might become multiple times worse, but ultimately we must rest in the fact that it is part of his glory to punish the wicked in His timing. In the meantime it is also part of His glory that receives our complaints toward Him as long as they are respectful and obedient. It is His glory to receive us. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

ACTS 3
Jesus. The power of His name can heal the lame. Yesterday I was at the body shop with Brice. The owner was standing with crutches next to a wheelchair. "What happened to you?" I asked. He recounted the story of being struck down by some auto-immune syndrome that completely paralyzed him in December. He will eventually regain 90-100% of his previous abilities but it will take a lot of time and therapy. He has lost a lot of muscle tissue and weight due to atrophy--non-use. He recounted how for six weeks he lay in a hospital bed and could only slightly move his head. His fingers began to curl from non-use.
This man at the gate called Beautiful was lame from his mother's womb and daily carried to the gate to beg. Surely, His muscles were severely atrophied. He had never learned to walk. Peter spoke the name of Jesus and the man walked. He who had never walked before not only walked but also leaped! He had the muscle mass, tone and coordination to do this immediately! What glory there is in this healing!
But, was he not there when Jesus passed by so many times before the crucifixion? Yet, Jesus never healed him then. Why did Jesus make him wait so long to be healed? Sometimes Jesus doesn't heal because he plans on glorifying Himself in some other fashion. This case was because He wanted to glorify Himself through His disciples. Think on this. Peter and John were simple fishermen, poor fishermen at that. They had given up their trade to follow Jesus. When asked for a simple alm by a beggar, they didn't have it to give. Yet, they had Jesus. They didn't have medical degrees or drugs or therapies. Yet, they had Jesus. They spoke the Name and the man was instantly healed.
The amazing event triggered a crowd. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, took advantage of the situation and preached a sermon explaining the meaning of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. As we will see tomorrow, Peter and John were arrested for this--but not before 5,000 men repented and believed in Jesus.
For whatever reason, God does not heal as instantaneously as often as He did in those early days of the church. Yet, I have met several people who have been instantly healed. Many of you are experiencing prolonged illnesses. Why? I don't know. But this I do know, He expects us to keep our eyes on His glory, to seek His face with all that we are. In the proper time He will heal us. Focus on His glory!
What glory there is in the Name of Jesus! Indeed our King is a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

June 16

DEUTERONOMY 21
Outside of the one of the public buildings of Davie County, North Carolina, in Mocksville stands a tall granite monument. On the one side of the monument is engraved the names of all the county sons who died in the Spanish American War, WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam. On the other side are the names of all the county sons who died in the Civil War. The Civil War side of the monument is filled with names. The other side has many blank spots and gaps between the different war lists. My great grandfather, Charles Stanley Chaffin fought in the Civil War. He was 19 when he entered the ranks of the Army of North Carolina in 1864. Obviously his name is not on the monument, but there are a couple of Chaffins on the Civil War side. They must be cousins. There are no Chaffins at all on the other side. Somehow my Grandfather avoided being drafted in WWI. My Dad was in the Navy in WWII. My uncle was in Korea. My brothers missed the draft during Vietnam by being students. I turned 18 in 1973 when we pulled out of Vietnam. My son spent 15 months in Iraq. He lost a number of fellow soldiers. We are so grateful that he came home safe. I am not aware of any relatives that have ever been murdered. I guess my family has been preserved from violent deaths. I cannot think of a more unsettling thing to happen than to lose a loved one due to murder or war.
Bloodshed must be a very serious offense in Scripture. From Abel on God has held accountable those who spill blood. Even in this chapter, which deals with various kinds of bloodshed, we find that when a murdered corpse is found, God holds the nearest village accountable. He even required a blood sacrifice and a public declaration of innocence by the village elders. But tucked away in these verses on how to deal with the problem is verse 5, which says, “Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister to Him and to bless in the name of the LORD; by their word every controversy and every assault shall be settled.” In the very midst of our inhumanity toward each other, while holding us accountable for sin, He still desires to bless. In the midst of terrible injustice, He seeks to bring us back to Himself and to bless us. All he requires is truth and repentance. I think this reveals the greatness of His heart. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PROVERBS 16
I thought that I had it all planned out. The Lord spoke clearly to me in high school. He made it clear that He wanted me to go into some sort of ministry. Many denominations call it a “call to ministry.” Because of that call, I knew that there were certain plans and preparations which I needed to make. In general it would mean college then seminary. While in college I became deeply involved in Campus Crusade for Christ. Upon graduation I married. My bride had one more year of college, so I postponed future plans so that she could finish her degree. Upon her graduation, we felt certain that the Lord was calling us to minister on lay staff with CCC for three years. Then we would go to seminary. The application process for CCC included spending 2 months in Ft. Collins, CO—6 weeks at their Institute of Biblical Studies and 2 weeks of Staff training. At the end of IBS, the personnel people called us in, “After consideration of your application, psychological exams, interviews, and financial situation we have determined that we no longer feel that you are a good fit for CCC ministry. We withdraw our invitation to staff training.” Ouch.
We had put everything into that plan, financially, emotionally, and spiritually. We had believed that was the direction in which He was taking us. Now the door was shut. Not only that but we had spent all our financial resources on IBS. We had enough money to drive home, but it wasn’t enough to move to seminary and start school. Indeed we had to live with my parents for two weeks while I worked to earn enough money for rent and deposits, etc. I felt like a failure, but it was a teaching time from the Lord. One of the biggest lessons was what these verses from Proverbs 16 have in common:

1 The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. 9 A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. 16 How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. 25 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. 33 The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD.

He is the Eternal God who is able to minutely manage every plan of every person who has or will exists, if He so desires. That in itself is mind boggling. If I remember that, then I can loosely hold my plans in my hands knowing that He might have a different and better plan. Sometimes, because of my inability to hear Him, He allows me to make a plan, but if I remain pliable, He will change the steps in mid-course of my plan. In retrospect the path I travel is much more satisfying than had I had my own way. Because I went to Colorado first, my life and my family’s life made a drastic course correction that would not have happened otherwise, and that has made a fantastic difference. His after all, He is the Eternal God, and He knows what He is doing even when I think that He is wrong. That is part of His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

JEREMIAH 11
We live securely in a day of unprecedented persecution of those who follow our Lord. If the Lord loves us, why does He permit this? Here is a similar question, “If the Father loves the Son, why did He ask Him to die for us?” During His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Son looked into the cup of what was about to happen. He saw the extent of the depravity that He was to become. He saw the extent of the wrath of the Father that would be meted out upon Him. He grappled with the extent of the eternal pain that would be applied to Him. He still chose to love the Father. He still chose the Father’s will. Because of the cross, throughout eternity we will view the extent of the love that exists between Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Because of that great love we are drawn to Him. Because of that great love for each other, He loves us.
In a world where our sins hide the face of God from us, how can anyone see the love of God? Sometimes the only way some people can see the love of God is when we joyfully and willfully lay down our lives for our persecutors. Jeremiah could easily have escaped the persecution, which he experienced. All that he would have had to do was quit giving the message which the Lord placed in his bones, but He couldn’t. He cried out to the Lord. The Lord said:
Behold, I will punish them. The young men shall die by the sword, their sons and their daughters shall die by famine; and there shall be no remnant of them, for I will bring catastrophe on the men of Anathoth, even the year of their punishment.
Jeremiah escaped the wrath of his hometown buddies, but it was only to live in constant derision and persecution. Why? So that we might see in him that anything is worth the love which courses like fire in our bones when we choose Him.

With our hands lifted high to the sky and the world wonders why, we’ll just tell them we’re loving our king.*

What else is there? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
*a song by Dennis Jearnigen

ACTS 2:22-47
Peter had become a changed man. In 50 short days he went from being a confused coward to one who could stand before thousands, who had 50 days earlier murdered the Lord, and tell them, “You have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death.” What made the change? It was the Spirit of God and the knowledge of the glory of Christ. What is that glory that so changes hearts?
The glory of Christ is this: He became a Man and was attested by God by miracles, wonders and signs which God did through Him. According to the purpose and foreknowledge of God, He was crucified and died. He was raised from the grave as was prophesied by David 1000 years before it happened, Psalm 16:8-11. He is exalted to the right hand of God. Being exalted at the right hand of God, He sends His Holy Spirit to live in those who repent and trust in His name. As they are filled with the Holy Spirit, they proclaim the glory of Christ to those around them and exhort those around them to repent and be baptized.
Indeed our King is a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

June 15

DEUTERONOMY 20
In 2009 I had an English Composition student who was in the Oklahoma National Guard. He sometimes would miss class because of his Guard duties. In one of my discussions with him he told me that he had volunteered for active duty in Afghanistan. I asked him, “Why?” He said, “Because I really want to defend my country.” We have all heard stories of men and women who have done things like that because they love the glory of their country. That young man was rare.
As I think about this chapter, how is it that the Lord could give so many opportunities for a man to get out of serving in the army and Israel would still be able to field an army? Look at the reasons listed which would keep a man out of the army: If he just built a new house, if he just planted a new vineyard, if he just got engaged, if he is afraid, all of these disqualified him from serving in the Lord’s army. Is there really anyone who is not afraid before going into combat? What drives a man to not be afraid? Certainly there are a number of factors that can subdue fear so that a man might not sense it. Adrenaline can do that, but you already have to be in the heat of battle to get the adrenaline. Hate can do that. One can be so overcome with hatred for an enemy that fear is funneled into the hate making the desire to kill, maim or destroy become even stronger. Fear is lost in a surge of hatred. Another thing that can drive a man to not be afraid is a strong sense of invincibility. What could cause a man to have a strong sense of invincibility? What is invincibility? Invincibility is that from of an eternal viewpoint, I know I will be better off eternally than I am now, no matter what happens between now and then.
What would give the men of Israel a sense of invincibility? Would it not be that one understood that in the sight of the Eternal, Infinite, Almighty, All-compassionate God, one is fully loved and accepted, and that He is with me? It has much to do with His glory. My concept of God really does shape my emotions and my sense of security. What good would be a god who is not any of the things I just listed? Then again if I fully understood that He is all those things but was not convinced that I am fully loved and accepted and that He is with me, then what good would that be to me? The glory of Jesus is that the Eternal, Infinite, Almighty, All-compassionate God became flesh like me so that I could become fully loved and accepted to Him. When I become fully loved and accepted to Him, He is always with me. When I fully begin to grasp those things, it begins to give me a sense of invincibility. Wow! I can endure anything!
Even so, I don’t think I will volunteer for Afghanistan, but I will volunteer for service in the Lord’s army! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PROVERBS 15
Clint and I were seniors. We took World Geography (a sophomore level class) because we wanted an easy schedule our last year. Clint liked to talk. We were constantly being corrected by the teacher because of talking. One day I was in an annoying mood, so I kept quietly pestering him. He finally got tired of it and turned around to slug me. I held up my clip board. When he hit it, it went flying. The teacher had looked up at just the right moment to see him do the dastardly deed. She immediately gave him detention, and I got off Scott-free. (Where does that term come from?) Anyway, I felt guilty. . . for about two minutes. We laughed about it later. I haven’t talked with Clint since 1973. I wonder if he ever held it against me. I’ll have to look in the phone book and see if he is still around. It really wasn’t completely just for him to be punished for something that I provoked him into. But then, he was a free moral agent; he could have handled it in another manner, and as he said, “I get detention all the time.” . . .
Most of the time in the human world, there is no one there to view what really happens, so justice is rarely served. Not so with the Lord. Proverbs 15:3 says, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good. Later on in verse 11 it says, “Hell and Destruction are before the LORD; So how much more the hearts of the sons of men.” Our teacher would probably not have seen me pestering Clint, even if she had been watching. The angle of how we were sitting from her location was wrong for her to see from where she was standing. However, if she could have seen our hearts, perhaps I would have been the one in detention, and Clint may have walked away with just a reprimand.
Yes, justice is rarely served in this world, but He keeps watch on the evil and the good, and our hearts are before Him. We cannot hide our evil or our good from Him. One day we will stand before the Lord; He will reveal the thoughts and intentions of our heart as it related to every deed. He will judge with just judgment in our every intention and deed. Now there is a scary thought, but there is one comfort in the midst of that. He removes all our sins and lawless deeds if we repent and believe in Him. When it comes to that point in our trial, there will be missing minutes in the tape because they are under the blood of the Lamb. Justice will have already been served on the cross. Wow! Such mercy! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
P.S. Here is what Ask Yahoo says about the term “scot-free”.

First off, let's set the record straight on the expression itself -- it's actually "scot-free." And contrary to popular belief, it has nothing to do with Dred Scott or the Scottish. Sceot is the Old English for "a tax." Scot and lot was a medieval municipal tax levied on residents. Someone who managed to avoid paying this medieval tax got off "scot free." Eventually, the word evolved to describe getting away without any kind of punishment, fiscal or otherwise. Kids who fake fevers get out of school scot-free. Cagey adults escape jury duty scot-free. And dogs with remorseful eyes get off scot-free from just about any wrongdoing.

JEREMIAH 10
Tornadoes have been abundant lately. ‘Fraidy holes’ (tornado shelters) are abundant in Oklahoma. Last night a thunderstorm swept through. I lay in bed and enjoyed the thunder and lightning. At times I wondered if a tornado was coming. I never heard the CD siren so I wasn’t too worried about heading to my safe room. There is something exciting about the raw power in weather that produces tornadoes. I know they cause great grief when they hit homes and kill people. These horrible tragedies happen frequently in Oklahoma. Nevertheless, I revel in the power of the storm. It reminds me of the greatness of our God. I rest in the fact that my days are numbered by Him. If I am walking in obedience, I won’t exit this world until He is ready for me to exit. He can control the path of the tornado. I just need to obey Him and use the wisdom He gave me. The storms remind me that

The LORD is the true God;
He is the living God and the everlasting King.
At His wrath the earth will tremble,
And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.

Ultimately they remind me that there is only One whom I should worship.
Jeremiah informs us of the process that the people of his day had used to make idols. Asherah poles were common idols of the people of Judah in Jeremiah’s day, and this is probably a description of their formation. Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary says this:
The goddess Asherah (1 Kin. 15:13; 2 Chr. 15:16; Asherahs, Judg. 3:7) was portrayed as the wife of El (or sometimes Baal) in Canaanite mythology. Asherah was a favorite deity of women. Some of the wives of David and Solomon worshiped her (1 Kin. 15:13), as Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, also probably did (1 Kin. 16:31–33). King Asa suppressed the worship of Asherah (1 Kin. 15:13), and King Josiah destroyed “the articles that were made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven” (2 Kin. 23:4). Recently discovered inscriptions at Kuntillet Ajrud and Khirbet el-Kom seem to indicate that the goddess Asherah was sometimes worshiped as if she were the wife of the Lord Himself—a pagan abomination of the worst possible sort.
The word asherah also refers to a wooden pole, or cult pillar, that stood at Canaanite places of worship—perhaps the trunk of a tree with the branches chopped off—and associated with the worship of the goddess Asherah.
The pole itself was a phallus symbol, and served as a means of invoking the gods to grant fertility and hence wealth. At the peak of its use, great immorality was associated with the worship practices. Jeremiah juxtaposes his description of God’s creative power (including rain storms) to the futile construction of idols. It shows the utter futility of worshiping other gods. At first reading the chapter might seem interesting reading but too far removed from us to be of value. But think about it. The worship of Asherah was to increase fertility-human, animal and vegetable. In an agrarian society fertility was wealth. In a post-industrial society we still worship wealth, but fertility is considered a threat to our wealth. So with what have we replaced the worship of Asherah? Maybe it is or financial portfolios. Maybe it is the use of our time as we see fit. Maybe it is our personal health. Maybe it is a certain relationship. When the stock market trembles and loses value, do you suppose that God is once again juxtaposing His power with our idol? When He places us in situations where our time is sucked from us, do you suppose that God is once again juxtaposing His power with our idol? When God permits our health to crumble, do you suppose that He is juxtaposing His power with our idol? When our personal relationships collapse in a shambles, do you suppose that He is juxtaposing His power with our idol?
O LORD, I know my way is not in myself; it is not in me to direct my own steps. O LORD, correct me, but with justice; not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing. Blow down my idols, but protect me in the midst of the tornado! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

ACTS 2:1-21
Having established that it is His glory to fill and empower His people with His Holy Spirit, the Lord now does exactly that. This is a first time event. So, the Lord had planned long ago this event. Indeed, the prophet Joel had spoken of it (Joel 2:28-32) more than 850 years before it happened. The Lord brought accompanying signs, a sound from heaven, the appearance of a divided tongue of fire over each one filled, the ability to speak human languages they had never learned. It is possible (but not necessary) that there was a blood moon that had occurred on the Passover when Jesus was crucified. The events caused the people of Jerusalem to question what was going on. Peter pointed right to the word of God (what the prophet Joel had predicted) to explain the event. He was bringing out the fact that this is God's doing. When God does something, it brings glory to Him, and those through whom He performs it always point to Him. He wants to fill us with His Spirit, not to glorify the person whom he fills or to glorify the Holy Spirit, but to glorify Himself. He wants to fill you and me to glorify Himself through powerful witness of Himself.
Indeed our King is a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

June 14

DEUTERONOMY 19
The dispensation of justice in this world is a difficult thing. We are all aware of folk stories of the Hatfields and McCoys. Generally it runs that one family begins to feel wronged by the other family, so they retaliate. The retaliation is a little bit stronger than the original offense in order to communicate to the other that they should not be messed with. Gradually or suddenly the retaliations explode until the acts toward each other are indeed horrendous. History is full of examples of this cycle as one nation rises up against another. Palestinian and Israeli confrontations are ones that are constantly in the news now. What really surprises me is that the media vociferously attacks Israel as an aggressor, when often (not always) Israel’s damage upon the aggressors is less than the Palestinians and is more surgical in hitting a military target than the Palestinians, and almost always in response to a Palestinian aggression. This passage addresses justice. Justice is a balance of the scale where moral acts are equal. Justice requires equality. The terms ‘life for lie’, ‘eye for an eye,’ and ‘tooth for a tooth,’ are examples of equality. For justice to be dispensed, it must not be more than or less than the equivalent act. Under the rule of law, justice must be equal. Israel was to be a country under the rule of law. They were to be sure that as such, justice was equal.
Jesus refers to verse 21 in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:38,39, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. As followers of Jesus, we are to understand that justice was carried out upon our sin but not upon us. In as much as He Himself bore our sins upon Himself, “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness— by whose stripes you were healed.”-1 Peter 2:24. Justice was carried out, but it was carried out upon Him in our place. We who have repented and believed in Him have received mercy not justice. Because we have received mercy, we likewise are to extend mercy to others. In so doing we reflect His glory in our lives. His mercy endures forever. May it also do so through us! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PROVERBS 14
It is the longing of our hearts for good to triumph. It is the stuff movies are made of. Strangely enough it partially what sometimes drives us to war. The Proverb tells us, “The evil will bow before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.” Hmmm. . . That is exactly what is going to happen. Philippians 2:9–10 tells us, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth.” It will happen. I will drink from the glory of this well on a daily basis. I will bow my knee now, so that on that day He will call me friend. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

JEREMIAH 9
At mid first semester in seventh grade I switched schools from Glencoe to Stillwater. School work had always come relatively easy for me so it wasn’t much of a problem. At the end of the first semester my grades were good enough for the honor roll except for one class, PE. I made a “C” in PE. How can anyone make a “C” in PE? I went to the coach and asked. He said that he graded on improvement. I just hadn’t shown enough improvement in my half-semester there to warrant anything better. I was aghast. There were a number of things he tested, 440, rope climbing, jump rope etc. The idea was to increase incrementally from one level of achievement to the next. Coming at mid-semester, I had wanted to prove that I was just as good as anyone else in the class. I was already in pretty good shape. I did the very best that I could in every event. If you are being graded on improvement, you want to do your very best on the last time you are tested and your very worst on the first time. But one event in particular had always stymied me. The gym wall had a wooden board attached to it. In the board were two pegs at the bottom and a number of corresponding holes going to the top. The idea was to go from the bottom to the top by using the pegs and going from hole to hole until one reached the top. I never could make it to the hole just above the bottom one.
Sometimes known as the weeping prophet, Jeremiah wishes for buckets of tears to shed for his people, who are being slaughtered. Why are they being slaughtered? Look at what verse 3 has to say:

And like their bow they have bent their tongues for lies.
They are not valiant for the truth on the earth.
For they proceed from evil to evil,
And they do not know Me,” says the LORD.
They are not valiant for the truth. They proceed from evil to evil.

“Evil to evil” now there is an interesting phrase. What exactly does that mean? It is similar in construction to “faith to faith” (Rom 1:17) and “glory to glory” (2 Cor. 3:18). In Romans the phrase is all about revealing the righteousness of God in us. In 2 Cor. The phrase is all about revealing the image of God in us. In Jeremiah it is all about revealing the deceit in our hearts. It is going from peg to peg. They go from evil to evil, peg to peg. What does it reveal? It reveals that they did not know Him.
He takes it to an even lower level in verse six, “Through deceit they refuse to know Me.” This is a consistent thread in Jeremiah in relation to our own hearts. We are so capable of self-deception. We tell ourselves that we know the Lord, and yet the pride of our lives is in our accomplishments and not in the knowledge of Him. How does one know that the pride of one’s life is in one’s accomplishments? If I were stripped of all my accomplishments and the reputation of my accomplishments, would I still be content with the mere fact that I know Him? Ultimately, that is exactly what Jesus did. He emptied Himself of His right to be worshipped as God by taking the form of a bond servant and going to the cross and dying for my sin and shame. He did it simply because He knew and loved the Father, and He knew and loved me.
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight,” says the LORD.
I am hanging in the middle of a spiritual peg board. I have no strength to go up from glory to glory. I only have ability to go down from evil to evil. I can only do one of two things. I can enter into a relationship with Him, where in getting to know Him, I learn how to allow His lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness to flow through me. In doing that, He strengthens me to go up the board from faith to faith, from glory to glory. In which case, I can only glory in my knowledge of Him, for He is the One working in me enabling me to do all righteousness. Or I can deceive myself and listen to the lies that I have been telling myself about what I deserve. The result is only the ability to descend down the peg board from evil to evil. The sad thing is, I don’t even realize that I am going down.
Who is this King who enters my life exercising lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness? He is my only claim to fame. He is my King of glory. In this I will boast! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

ACTS 1
Luke says that Jesus appeared to the disciples during the forty days between His suffering/resurrection and His ascension speaking things pertaining to the kingdom of God. The Prophets had envisioned the Kingdom of God as a glorious Kingdom in which the Messiah would reign and Israel would be the head nation of the earth. All nations would come to Jerusalem to worship Yahweh.
Yet the only thing that Luke records of what Jesus said concerning the kingdom of God, is that in not many days they would receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Then the disciples asked Him if it was at that time that He would restore the Kingdom. His reply was significant but a little cryptic in relationship to the kingdom of God.. He said,
It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

He was then gloriously lifted up into the clouds and some angels appeared to the disciples and told them that Jesus would return in the same manner in which he saw them leave. The glory of Jesus in the time being is that we should be filled or clothed with power from the Holy Spirit. Having been endued with power, we are to make disciples of all nations, building His church until the end comes. Right now, the glory of Christ is seen by the world only in His people who are filled with His Holy Spirit and are busy witnessing by their words and actions, making disciples, building His church.
Indeed our King is a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

June 13

DEUTERONOMY 18
Do you remember these words from Exodus 20:18–19?

Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”

The event happened right after the giving of the basic stipulations (the ten commandments) of the Law. They apparently have not yet even heard the ten commandments; they have only seen the manifestations of the glory of God, and they change their minds. In Exodus 19:6 God was calling them to be a kingdom of Priests. Initially they agreed and said, “Whatever the Lord says, we will do!” But now after experiencing first hand His glory, they weren’t so sure. True Glory is frightening. So instead of everybody being priests, only one family line and one tribe served.
Additionally, the Lord would send prophets to correct and restore the Word of God. Isaiah, for example, is one of those upon whom God came to speak His word to the nation, “I have put My words in your mouth; I have covered you with the shadow of My hand, That I may plant the heavens, Lay the foundations of the earth, And say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’ ” Is. 51:16. All of the true Old Testament prophets were in a line of succession from this promise. But ultimately this promise is fulfilled only in Jesus. Peter says in Acts 3:22, “For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you.” Jesus is simultaneously the living Word of God and speaks the words which God has given Him. The result is that He has restored the priesthood of the believer to His people. His church, His people now are the ones who receive and distribute the word of God as He said in John 17:8, “For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.” He in turn has sent us to speak His word and glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PROVERBS 13
Woody Guthrie of Okemah, Oklahoma, is well known for his folk ballads and social activism. One of his best known songs was “This Land Is Your Land.” I remember being in school viewing an old film of him leading social protests for workers’ rights and unions. He was definitely presented as a socialist. One of his more scathing protests was against organized religion. He certainly was an influence on Pete Seeger’s “You’ll have pie in the sky when you die.” I guess it was a commentary on the action of the fundamentalist church of the 30’s, which distanced itself from the social gospel and capitulated the ministry to the poor to the liberal church and eventually the government. He envisioned Jesus as preaching a gospel of mandatory giving up of all earthly material goods. You can hear his song at this site http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDS00Pnhkqk. (Woody might have been an acclaimed song writer, but I don’t know how anybody could stand his voice. Must be why he and Bob Dylan got along so well.)
“There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches.” At least that is how the NKJV & the Authorized put it. All the others say “pretend to be.” It is an interesting nuance, but an important one. Which is correct? I don’t know. But ultimately there is one example that applies to the principle of this proverb. Paul told us in 2 Corinthians 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” What riches He had in heaven before He became flesh! He was constantly adored by the hosts of heaven. His praise literally shook the heavens. Then He left that throne room to add the nature of a man to his person. Born in the place where people kept animals, he was despised. His parents were put there because they were thought unclean, and therefore there was no room for them in the kataluma (Inn or guestroom). While He ministered, He had no home or bed of His own. He was literally homeless. He really was poor in the world’s wealth and reputation. He was not just pretending.
He did it to purchase with His own blood His bride. In so doing He became wealthy in true wealth, not silver, gold, land, or power. He bought a beautiful bride. It is to be the marriage of the human to the divine. We are His bride, His riches. Somehow when I look at us, I think He got the short end of the stick. Yet I must remind myself that He is not finished cleansing and transforming us yet. It is indeed a process, and when He is done, it will mean great riches for Himself I’ll take it by faith. But we can come alongside Him in building His riches. We do it by becoming poor, just like He did. We let go of everything. When we do, He makes us rich. Lest I am misunderstood, it is not the riches of this life. I am infinitely richer than Bill Gates because I have Jesus, and to my knowledge, Bill Gates does not have Jesus. I am rich because of the great glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. The most economically poor person on this planet, who has Jesus, is as rich as I am. That is because of His great glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

JEREMIAH 8
We often refer to them as our finest. I speak of course of our military personnel. Why do we call them that? I have a friend who told me that when he was in the Navy, and anyone asked him what he did for a living, he said, “I’m a professional killer.” Well, that is true, and it is not. His actual job in the Navy was related to nuclear power on a nuclear aircraft carrier. He did not personally kill anyone, but his unit was hired to defend our nation, and that defense always involved being ready to destroy things and kill people. In a real sense our finest are professional killers. Now granted, when we were in Iraq, after our initial tumbling of the Saddam regime, our finest did their best to rebuild the infrastructure of Iraq. They sought to rebuild water, sewer, electrical systems and rebuild schools. But never-the-less our finest were professional killers as well. Why do we call them our finest?
We call them our finest because there is by necessity a need for a hero to protect us. They laid their lives on the line for us. The ones who lay their lives on the line for us should be called our finest, even if they are professional killers; after all, that is what we send them to do. Is there anything wrong with slaying the evil doer? I would say, “No, as long as the evil doer is truly evil, and the one who does the slaying truly has the authority to slay. If the one slain is not truly evil, and the one slaying does not have the authority, then it is an unrighteous and evil act.”
So what does that have to do with today’s passage? There are times when the justice of God is terribly beautiful. For justice to exist it must be terrible toward evil. It is just that we never want to think that we are evil because we do not want terrible justice to happen to us. Such was the case with Israel. Were they truly evil? They had sacrificed their children to other gods. They had worshipped other gods with a passion. Their sincerity and passion for the other gods reached a climax when they sacrificed their children to those gods! Yes, they were truly evil! If no justice were carried out, we would say that it was intolerable! Does God have the authority to dispense justice? Authority originates in Him, and He is not subservient to it. Certainly if He does not have authority, then no one does. So in a sense there is beauty in His dispensation of justice.
That is His glory! He is our hero! He comes to destroy the evil one and to dispense justice! If He did not, we would cry out against Him! Yes, His description is gross, but all taking of life is gross. Does He take pleasure in the death of the wicked? Well in the sense that justice is served, yes. However, He would much prefer that the wicked repent so that He might forgive them. Consider that we are the wicked. We are truly evil apart from Him. He became a man and took our place so that He could carry out His justice upon a perfect man, Himself. If he does that to provide a way of escape for the wicked, and they still refuse Him, what else is there to be done but let the wicked have their way? What else is there, but to let the non-repentant receive what they have chosen, eternal separation, eternal death. It is gross and beautiful at the same time. He would not have it any other way; neither would we.
Now to those who will receive Him, He does not stop there! He rebuilds our infrastructure. Where we once could not help but sin, now He sends His Holy Spirit to enable us to live holy lives! When we cooperate, He flushes out the sewer of sin in us. He causes the flow of the water of the Spirit of life to flow out of our inner-most being! He enables us to renew our minds! He makes us clean so that we may know Him. He makes us clean so that we can love others! He makes us new so that we can lay down our lives for others as He did for us. How can I know that I have entered into such a life? I know when I can truly love not only my brother but also my enemy. Now that is glory! He is our finest! Yes, He kills the evil one, but He would prefer to rebuild their infrastructure. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

JOHN 21

I have been revived.
For the first time in my life I am alive.
Since I looked into Jesus,
I found me a friend
And I'll never go back to that old way of life ever again.

So went the chorus of a song sung at a Dawson McAllister Student Conference back in the late 80's or early 90's. I tried to find the author, but I couldn't locate it on Song Select. So it must not be registered with CCLI. I've always liked the sentiment/declaration of the song. It represents a decision we all need to make. But truthfully, it doesn't happen. Even the best of us sometimes turn back to the old way of life. That certainly was true of Simon Peter, who was thought to be the boldest and most out spoken of the 12 who accompanied Jesus.
Peter had a particularly difficult time understanding the death and resurrection. He denied Jesus three times at the trial. Paul says Jesus appeared first to Peter. Now I assume that means first in time. Although, it could mean first in priority of importance. Anyway, Peter was having difficulty believing the resurrection. He disobeyed the Lord's command about going to Galilee after the crucifixion to meet Jesus there--even though it seems Jesus appeared to Peter before anyone else. The Lord had to appear to the apostles several times before they got up the gumption to leave Jerusalem for Galilee. Finally, it appears that Peter went more out of going back to the old way of living than anything else. He told the others, "I am going fishing." It was his old occupation.
Jesus had told him, "Follow me and I will make you a fisher of men." Peter left everything and followed Jesus. Where did it lead him? It led to a cross and a tomb. Even now, that the tomb was empty, Peter was having a difficult time believing that Jesus wanted him to be a fisher of men. Peter had denied Him. How could Jesus use him to catch men? Perhaps in Peter's mind there was probably no longer a call upon his life. How could Jesus love him after this? The best thing to do was to go back to the old way of life. He went fishing.
We all know the old saying, "You can't go home again." Peter went fishing all night long and caught nothing. This was the design of Jesus to remind Peter of Jesus' call upon his life. Jesus showed up after a fishless night. Suddenly they caught more fish than they could handle. He brought them back to the shore. At breakfast Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me more than these?" He was probably pointing to the fish. At least Peter was honest. He said, "Lord, you know I am your friend." Jesus explored that and for each time that Peter had denied Him, Jesus asked concerning Peter's love and then affirmed His call upon Peter's life. The first two times Jesus uses a word that means ‘do you love me supremely?’ Peter answers with a word that means I love you like a friend. The third time Jesus uses Peter’s word, ‘do you love me like a friend?’ Appealing to the omniscience of Jesus, Peter says, ‘You know that I love you like a friend.’
Peter went away a changed man. And on the day of Pentecost after the coming of the Holy Spirit, Peter stood in the midst of the crowd that had asked for Jesus' crucifixion and preached Jesus. That day three thousand souls trusted Jesus. Peter had become a fisher of men. Oh we know from the Apostle Paul that Peter still blew it on one occasion. But Jesus always brings us back. The old way of living can never keep its hold upon us when we have truly met Him. Because of us? No! It is all because of Him. That is part of His glory. He draws us back to Himself. Indeed our King is a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john