Curt's Devotional

Those Who Cheat God Are Cursed

2011-08-29T07:45:00.009-04:00

Malachi 1:14: "`Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'and my name is to be feared among the nations.'"

It is so very important for us today to understand our relationship with God. Whereas so many people in our culture today want to view God as a passive, tolerant deity who tends to overlook any wrongdoings of His people, the reality is that God is the Sovereign King of the universe and expects that His creation submit to His Lordship.

The book of Malachi was written during a period (around 433 BC) when the people had become complacent and forsook their commitment to God as their Master. One of the ways that they demonstrated their contempt for the One True Lord was in their giving. Oh to be sure, they were quick to make promises that they would give their very best to God; however, they wouldn't follow through with what they had promised. When the time came for the people to demonstrate by their actions that they were submitted to the Lord and trusted that He would protect and provide for them, the people instead determined to keep the best of their livestock for themselves and give to God the leftovers . . . the animals that were injured, crippled, or diseased and likely would not live anyway. There wasn't much of a sacrifice to the Lord here, instead, they were just going through the motions of their religion.

Surprisingly, we find that the people had begun to believe the lie that they were not defiling the altar of the Lord with their contemptible sacrifices. They questioned God's accusation of their sacrilege by saying, "How have we defiled you?" This type of questioning response revealed a people who wanted to justify their wanton behavior. They were determined to live life their own way and did not wish to be held accountable to One greater than they were. In effect, they desired to be a god unto themselves.

One of the telling evidences that shows the thoughts of the people that led them down this path of sin is found in their views of God as recorded in 3:14. The people had believed that God had not been there for them, and they concluded that it was useless to serve the Lord. They believed that God had not blessed them for their prior faithfulness, and now they didn't want to waste their time anymore. This negative thinking began a downward spiral that would lead to their shallow form of religion that was all ceremony and no substance!

Of course, their abject denial of God did not change the reality that God was still Supreme over them. After all, He created them and commanded their respect and surrender. It was not that God was a tyrannical despot who just wanted to force them into submission. In fact, God shared at the beginning of the book of Malachi that He loved them [1:2]. Sadly, the people just would not accept the fact that God loved them and desired to pour out His blessings upon them if they would return to Him (3:7).

This is such a good word for us. We need to remember that God is the Lord and is due our best. Even in those times when we are in despair and wonder where God is, we need to continue our faithful obedience to the Lord, trusting that He is working out His purposes for His glory. We need not follow the negative thinking that God does not care or is not interested in us. He has promised that if we return to Him in a spirit of reverence and repentance, He will honor us with His presence. And we will be blessed by His communing with us.

Purpose and Perfection Through Suffering

2011-08-24T07:33:00.003-04:00

Hebrews 5:7: "During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him."

Suffering is never a desired experience. None of us wants to traverse the paths of difficulty; instead, we find deep within ourselves a hope that our life experience will be one filled with lots of blessings and happiness. Still, we recognize that a life immune from headaches and heartaches is just not reality. Though it will be packaged a bit differently for each of us, we all will encounter painful ordeals that truly test our faith.

For those of us who already have been to the brink of despair, we likely have asked the proverbial "Why" questions: "Why? . . . Why God would you allow this to happen? . . . Why am I the one that has to go through this pain? Why does it seem that others have a much easier life?"

From the above scripture, we see that God the Father took Jesus His Son down some very difficult roads, but it was not without purpose. We find that Jesus learned obedience through His suffering. As Jesus "grew in wisdom" (see Luke 2:52), He was instructed by the Father that His suffering was helping to better understand that God the Father was using the experience of rejection, alienation, persecution, and ultimately crucifixion to accomplish His Divine calling as the perfect, atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. And as Jesus "reverently submitted" to the will of the Father, He became the solely sufficient remedy for our justification . . . He alone paid our sin debt, thus turning away God's just wrath towards us!

Still, this did not mean that Jesus did not anguish in the midst of His ordeal, for the scriptures tell us that He "offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears." Jesus did not gloss over the experience, trying to be happy about his plot in life; rather, He was very real and transparent with the Father, knowing that if there were another way . . . He would seek the Father's deliverance. Matthew 26:39 tells us that Jesus "fell on his face to the ground and he prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.'" We know that God the Father heard Jesus' pleas; still, the cup of suffering would be poured out upon Him. It is not that God the Father didn't care; rather, He affirmed to Jesus His Divine work of love in offering the world hope through His death and resurrection. A greater and more glorious purpose was to be accomplished through suffering!

This is a good word for each of us. When life takes us through very dark valleys, it is most appropriate to cry out to the Lord for His presence with us and His deliverance of us. Still, we must submit to His divine will and purpose, even if such purposes result in our suffering. What we can be assured of is the fact that God will hear our pleas as we reverently submit to Him in the midst of our difficulty. We too can recognize that God is perfecting us as we endure our tribulation, for we know that our sufferings produce perseverance, character, and a longing for Heaven, when Jesus will make all things new (see Romans 5:3-4, Revelation 21:5). Suffering makes us aware of God, and it fosters a dependency upon Him. Suffering too heightens our intimacy with Him, as it orients our purpose to His glorious will. Ultimately, suffering makes us long for our eternal life with Him. To have such a disposition is EXACTLY where God wants us to be!

It's a Spiritual Stimulus that We Need

2010-10-11T08:49:00.005-04:00

Hosea 4:1b-3: "The LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: 'There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Because of this the land mourns, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the fish of the sea are dying.'"

There is no doubt that the global economy has been struggling over the past decade. Sustained market declines, failed corporations, increased unemployment, and mortgage foreclosures are mere symptoms of a deeper crisis that prevails in our nation. Whereas the government pumps money into the economy through its stimulus packages, these measures will never remedy our crisis; rather, it only sustains the system a little longer. Much like life support . . . it is not the cure!

From the above cited Biblical passage, we find that the LORD had removed His hand of blessing upon the Israelites for their perpetual rebellion against His Sovereign reign. Whereas God had promised that Israel would thrive as a nation if they only would follow Him as their Lord (see Deuteronomy 28:1-14), the Israelites of Hosea's day stubbornly refused to submit to God and His decrees. They had determined to live their own lives the way that they saw fit. They would not refuse to indulge in anything that their heart desired; and they shunned the Lord, daring Him to do anything about it. Rather than loving God, they loved themselves first. They cursed God and His decrees. They found that lying was expedient if it promoted their agendas. They were willing to take from others what they coveted . . . whether property, spouses, or even life itself. In effect, these people had made themselves into their own gods and sought to assert their own lordship over the One True God.

Of course, we see from this historical account the inevitable outcome. Due to their cosmic treason against the Lord, He in turn removed His hand of blessing from them. Everything in creation suffered because of the obstinacy of these wicked people. Their only hope would be repentance and surrender to the Lord.

Oh how we see similar tendencies within our own nation. People today are living very similar to the lifestyles of the Israelites 2800 years earlier. Since we know that God does not change (see James 1:17), we would do well to learn from these Israelites as to what we should not be doing if we desire God's blessings upon our nation. Rather than waiting for the debt-laden stimulus money from the government to rescue our abysmal economic circumstances, we should be on our knees asking God's forgiveness.

Sadly, if history repeats itself, then we will find our future to be rather bleak. Israel would not respond to the warnings of God through His prophets; therefore, the Lord brought a conquering nation (the Assyrians) to devastate the land of Israel in 722 B.C. It would take this level of punitive judgment from the Lord to get the Israelites' attention, and given our nation's similar ways of debauchery and rebellion, we should not expect anything less. God's extension of favor is with us now, so let us as a nation respond with repentance and obedience. This is the spiritual stimulus what will bring God's favor upon the land.

You Can't Claim Ignorance When Sinning

2010-10-04T08:22:00.004-04:00

Galatians 5:19-21: "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."

It seems that in our culture today, there are many who want to claim ignorance in matters of sinful behavior, or they will say that they could not help themselves while engaging in actions contrary to the will of God. One thing that we find in the above mentioned Scripture is that acts of the sinful nature are obvious. For the one who would challenge this Biblical truth, I would ask, "Why is it then that people attempt to hide their sinful actions? . . . Why are they subversive when perpetrating these sins? Why do they often engage in this activity in the dark? [See Jesus' response to this issue in John 3:20]. The answer can be found in the simple fact that God has created all men with a conscience that can recognize evil; the Holy Spirit also actively brings conviction to those walking in darkness so that they might respond with repentance (i.e. a turning from wickedness to obedience to the Lord). Thus, people cannot claim ignorance as an excuse to indulge their debased passions. They are guilty before the Lord and they know it.

Sadly, there are those who will perpetuate such wickedness to the point that their consciences are seared from the Lord's convicting Word of Truth. These are the people who brazenly celebrate their debauchery, though they never forget that such behavior is wrong and contrary to the expressed will of God. These are the people described in Job 15:25-26 who "shake their fist at God and vaunt themselves against the Almighty, defiantly charging against him . . ." Later in this chapter God decrees that such a person will not "escape the darkness . . . the breath of God's mouth will carry him away." God will not hold such a man guiltless for his treasonous behavior against His Lordship!

So, how should we respond to the Scripture cited above? We need to ever be conscious of any thoughts or behaviors that are contrary to God's decrees as expressed in His Holy Word. We need to be surrendered to the Lord and receptive to His word of admonishment when we engage in sin, and we must truly repent from such behavior. God will respond with forgiveness, and we will be blessed by finding His favior.

Let us not fall prey to the fallacious worldly notions that sin is beyond our awareness or ability to control. Let us respond to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit with contrition, confession, and repentance. By this, we bring glory to the One True Lord, which is our purpose in life!

Belief in God Is Not Enough

2010-07-25T14:18:00.004-04:00

I Corinthians 15:2: "By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain."

Salvation is more than mere assent to the reality of God, or the awareness of Jesus' death for our sins, or even a genuine feeling of remorse for our sins. To receive the gift of God's forgiveness and adoption into His eternal kingdom necessitates a response of surrender from us.

In effect, our response to Christ is to yield ourselves fully to Him as our Master, Savior, and Lord. This is seeing ourselves as a humble servant of the Living Lord, and desiring to follow Him in obedience by abiding by His commands as recorded in Scripture. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we hold firmly to the truth of the gospel and we consider our Lord so worthy of our allegiance, that we have an "I'm all in" mentality for the will of God. There is no room for duplicity here. We surrender to the yoke of Christ, which is not laborious . . . rather it is a delight (Matthew 11:30).

Therefore, this offering by Christ of redemption requires a response from us. Are we willing to relinquish our presumed right for our own glory and happiness? Will we renounce the exaltation of our wills to the will of God? Can we see ourselves as servants of the One True Lord? Truly, we were created for such purposes of surrender.

Jesus declares that the man who does not fall away in view of His Lordship will be blessed. Today, each of us is faced with a decision. Either we can capitulate ourselves to His rightful reign in our lives, or we can continue to perpetuate our selfish quest for lordship. Only the one who will profess and live a life yielded to the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:9). God's offering has been afforded to us through the death and resurrection of His Son. He now extends His grace to each of us who would receive it.

Being a Slave to All

2010-07-21T08:45:00.005-04:00

I Corinthians 9:19: "Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible."

The book of I Corinthians was written by the Apostle Paul in part to defend his calling by the Lord to be an apostle, whose responsibility was to herald the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the Mediterranean world. Paul had served with the church at Corinth for more than a year, but he had been apart from them for more than three years. These Corinthians began to despise Paul's simplistic message in favor of their newly acquired spiritual wisdom and their impressive display of spiritual gifts that they liked to showcase in public. They too were forming cliques and quarrelling with one another as to who was more spiritually refined.

In chapter nine, Paul reminds the church that he had been called by the Lord to be an apostle; in fact, he shares that he had actually seen the risen Lord . . . something that none of them could use as evidence for boasting. Paul was not using this argument to regain recognition for himself; it was not as if he were feeling insecure at the church's rejection of him and wanted to blast them for not venerating him in his position. Instead, Paul was reminding his hearers that he had been called as a messenger of the Lord and that their rejection of his word was a rejection of the Lord's commands to them.

What is so telling in this chapter is Paul's understanding of himself as a slave to everyone for their salvation and edification (9:20-23). Paul didn't want to use his position to vaunt himself above others and demand their praise and adulation; rather, Paul was willing to humble himself and assume the role of a slave so that they might be drawn closer to Jesus Christ. Though Paul could have asserted certain rights in being an apostle (see 9:14), he refrained from doing so in order to bless others. This is Christianity at its finest! This is the role that all of us in Christ should assume, no matter what position we find ourselves in the church.

Sadly, we find in our churches those who use their positions of power, status, and influence to draw attention to themselves. They work to secure the praise and respect of others, and they push their personal agendas for their own veneration. This is not the role that Christ expects of His true followers.

Let us re-examine ourselves in view of this example given to us by Paul. Let us strive to be slaves to each other, striving to minister to others before ourselves. Let us take on a spirit of humility and bless others without expectation of praise or reward, for we know that God above is well pleased with such a disposition.

How Can We Experience the Blessing of God in Such a Turbulent World?

2010-07-20T08:27:00.004-04:00

Psalm 1:2-3: "Blessed is the man . . . . whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields it fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers."

How can a person experience the blessed contentment in life when life is filled with such uncertainty, upheaval, and disappointment? How can a person have a focused, positive perspective when he loses a loved one to death or is himself diagnosed with a irrecoverable malady or is betrayed by his spouse, etc.?

I believe that the answer is found within these verses above; specifically, we find that the blessed man "delights" in the law of the LORD. The word used in the original language for "delight" means "chief desire." This is a person who is consumed with the choice morsels of God's WORD; he wants to feast frequently on the edifying, encouraging Words of God, from which the Holy Spirit enlivens the spirit of the reader as he stops to ponder its truths. This soul is strengthened in knowing that God is Sovereign and is in control. This man is reassured that God is working His purposes for His glory, which is always best . . . even though he may be going through a great tribulation and can't seem to make sense of his ordeal.

This man is like the tree that produces wonderful fruit, no matter the circumstances around him, for he is connected to the nourishing water of the adjacent stream. To be sure, this tree can have a dry, despondent desert around him, and yet he seems to radiate a beauty of produce because he does not permit his circumstances to dictate who he becomes. His perseverance and contentment is quite distinct from all other "trees" that seem to capitulate to the difficulties around them. This too is the man who because he is able to shine for the LORD in the midst of tribulation, is able to be an inspiration to those dying around him . . . possibly being catalytic in leading others to the "Living Water" (i.e. Jesus Christ).

So too his fruit is produced "in season." This is a man who through the power of the Holy Spirit is able to demonstrate constancy and dependability, both in good and bad times. When the time comes, his fruit bursts forth in a glorious display of beauty. He does not start to wither on the vine when the perilous times come his way. He does not become angry at life, or God, and renounce his allegiance to the Lord because things aren't going his way or because he doesn't seem to get the breaks/blessings that he sees others getting.

This is such a good Word for us to hear. In the uncertainty of this life, which is filled with pitfalls and heartaches and struggles, we need to tap into the nourishing strength of Christ. We need to move ourselves close to His life-giving water and rely on Him, even though we travail under the most abysmal circumstances. This is the only way that we will endure and press on with our lives. To fail to tap into Christ is to shrivel up and die, for we will lose heart and give in to our difficulties.

Let us press on, being dependable fruit bearers through the power of Christ working within us. Let us soak up the Water of Life within our veins and be transformed from within so that we can stand firm to that which is found around us.

Is It Ever Right To Do Wrong To Do Right?

2010-02-22T08:04:00.014-05:00

Exodus 1:15-21: "The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 'When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.' The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, 'Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?' The midwives answered Pharaoh, 'Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.' So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own."

Is it ever right to do wrong to do right? It certainly seems that way in the passage mentioned above. The Egyptian king had ordered that the Hebrew midwives kill all newborn boys, in order that the Hebraic slave population might be kept in check. Although these midwives were in dangerous peril for disobeying the edict of the king, they determined not to execute his command. These women feared the Lord and likely knew of His covenant commitment to their patriarch, Abraham, promising the blessing of many descendants. When the king found out that these midwives did not obey his command, he summoned them and asked why they had not followed orders. In reply, these midwives shared that the Hebrew women were "vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive." This may very well be a truth statement, as the Lord was blessing the Israelites with many children, and consequently the midwives were unable to get around to every birth taking place. Still, one may surmise that these midwives were not being completely truthful with the king. Could it be that these women were trying to give reasonable excuse in order that they might not abide by the decree of the Egyptian king? If anything, we find that the Lord was pleased with how they handled the situation and subsequently blessed them with families of their own.

This example brings to mind the example of Nazi Germany during the World War II era. I specifically am reminded of Corrie Ten Boom, who with her family in the Netherlands provided a Hiding Place for Jews attempting to avoid capture by the Gestapo. When these Nazi police would visit the home to investigate the harboring of Jews, Corrie and her family would deny that any Jews were being kept there. Sadly, Corrie and her family in 1944 would be taken to concentration camps in the Netherlands and Germany. Corrie's father would die just 10 days after arriving at his camp, and Corrie's sister would perish just a few weeks prior to Corrie's release in December, 1944. Interestingly (or should we say Providentially), Corrie was released due to a clerical error at the camp. One week after her release, all of the women in her barracks were executed.

In Corrie's example mentioned above, we find that she and her family intentionally refused the truth to the authorities, because such information would have led to the death of a number of Jewish people being harbored there. We can see that the telling of a lie in this instance is morally preferable to telling the truth, due to the devastating consequences. As we reflect upon the Biblical story or the story of Corrie Ten Boom mentioned above, we must not quickly impute culpability to those who are forced to make such decisions under duress. There is a hierarchy of values that must be considered; and in both instances, the value of life supersedes the importance of telling the truth. The sin is not to be ascribed to those who are forced to tell a lie, but to those who would force others into such perilous decisions.

Therefore, there are those rare instances in which it may be right to do wrong to do right. The context of the situation, filtered through the commands of the Lord as observed in the Holy Scriptures will be the key. Caution, however, is in order here. These examples mentioned above are anomalous and cannot be used to exonerate inappropriate behavior in a majority of cases.

Receiving a Covering from God

2010-02-17T08:28:00.012-05:00

Genesis 3:21: "The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them."

This early account found in Genesis, recalls the Lord's decree not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and Adam and Eve's subsequent rebellion against the Lord's edict. Adam and Eve desired to be like God, and they craved the forbidden fruit to satisfy their own wanton lusts, even though it was directly in defiance to their calling as faithful servants of the One True Lord (Genesis 3:5-6).

Even with God's responsive curse upon Adam and Eve for their rebellion, the Lord would provide garments of skin for them to hide the shame of their now recognized nakedness. To be sure, Adam and Eve knew that they were exposed before the Lord, and they had sewed fig leaves together to make garments; still, the Lord knew that man's efforts at a covering for sin would never suffice. Therefore, the Lord would take the skin of a sacrificed animal to clothe them and cover their shame. We can see even from this early historical account that God was using the imagery of "sacrifice" and "shed blood" to teach the fallen that He ultimately would provide a Sacrifice to cover their sins, if they would respond with faith, repentance, and obedience.

We specifically can see beautiful imagery of Jesus Christ in this story. He is our Passover Lamb that has been sacrificed for our sins (I Corinthians 5:7); and with His death, we have the opportunity of being clothed with Him in Righteousness (Romans 13:14). If we respond with faith and surrender to His offering of forgiveness through His sacrifice, we can be freed from the shame that comes from our wickedness. Our sins are pardoned, and we experience the blessedness of imputed righteousness. Our sins that once were red as scarlet, now have become white as snow (Isa. 1:18).

Maybe this is why there is so much emphasis upon the righteous receiving white robes to wear in eternity (see Revelation 7:9, 14). They are wearing robes that have been purified by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ! God desires to use the imagery of a "covering" to remind us that he has given to His bride (i.e. the Church) a garment that not only protects and identifies her as His betrothed, but it also proclaims to us that we never have to see the shame of our sin. God's redemption offers the gift of His righteous covering that forever will remind us that He has purified us from all of our sin. Take time today to thank the Lord for His "covering."

Watch Out for the "False Christs"

2010-02-15T08:26:00.004-05:00

Mark 13:21-23: At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect-if that were possible. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time."

If there is one thing that the Evil One is noted for, it is his deception. Scriptures refer to Satan as the "murder, not holding to the truth . . . [speaking] lies, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44). Jesus in one of His last conversations with His disciples just before His crucifixion, warned His disciples of deceivers who would attempt to sway allegiance to themselves. Whereas, these "false christs" who would come, appear to be genuine; in reality, they are instruments used by Satan to deceive followers of Christ.

We must remember that Satan's strategy is not as provocative as one might expect. He is more clandestine in his measures, in order that he might soften the opinions of people toward him over time. We can see such ideologies being purported over a number of recent decades . . . like the theory of evolution, the global spiritual union of all peoples, the acceptance of alternative lifestyles, the propagation of moral and religious relativism, etc. With these prevailing philosophies in our culture, we are seeing the fulfillment of the prophecy that "many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other . . . . because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold." There seems to have developed even among those who would profess "Christianity" as their religion a cold indifference to the commands of the Lord, clearly communicated in the Holy Scriptures. There also has developed an self-centered hedonism, in which satisfaction of self has become preeminent, even over surrender to Christ as Lord. Jesus anticipated this, and this is why He added the warning, "But he who stands firm to the end will be saved." Jesus again in Revelation 3:5 confirms this warning by saying, "He who overcomes . . . I will never blot his name out of the Book of Life." We cannot merely profess faith and believe that our words will find the Lord's salvation; rather, our lives must demonstrate that we truly have been transformed. Fruit is the evidence of true redemption (Matthew 7:16-20)

Let us not fall for the deceptive enticements that the Evil One would throw our way; rather, let us stand firm in the true faith, even though it might not be the popular thing to do. Let us not fall prey to those who would espouse diabolical ideologies that we know are contrary to the Word of God. Let us press on in our allegiance to the One True God and stand firm, knowing that the Lord will save those to endure to the end. We will never have to question when Jesus Christ makes His triumphal return, for He will split the heavens and appear with His heavenly hosts in brilliant light much like lightning (Matthew 24:27). As our Lord repeatedly commands of us until that time, we much keep ourselves focused upon His return and be ready. We must live our lives as if it is our last, and we must renew our minds as to our ultimate purpose: to submit ourselves to the One True Lord as our Master and Savior and serve Him faithfully.

Don't Mess Around With People Who Are Not Faithful

2010-02-12T08:23:00.005-05:00

Proverbs 25:19: "Like a bad tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in times of trouble."

In my ministry position, I council with a lot of people who are grieving because they have been hurt by people who are unfaithful to their commitments. These undependable people make great promises up front; however, they never seem to follow through. It might be an unfaithful husband/wife, an uncommitted business partner, or even an undependable church member . . . these people reveal by their duplicity that they are people of little character. I always have said that true character is revealed over time, especially in times of adversity. These unfaithful ones are only willing to remain committed if they perceive some benefit for themselves. When better opportunities lie elsewhere, they will bail in a heartbeat!

The Word of God warns us about being too involved with people like this. Specifically, God's Word tells us that if we rely too much on unfaithful people, we will find ourselves in a lot of pain and without much progress in times of trouble. The Scriptures use the imagery of a bad tooth and a lame foot to describe such relationships. We know that a bad tooth is quite painful. With each pulsating throb, we are reminded of the tooth's dreadful presence; and we never seem to gain relief until it is extracted. So too we know that such association with an uncommitted person will continue to hurt and frustrate us until we determine to set boundaries with that person (in effect extracting their ability to further hurt us by their lack of dependability).

One thing that we know about a lame foot is that when we need it, it doesn't provide us with the mobility that we need to move about. Whereas we want to be able to walk and do what needs to be done, we find ourselves frustrated that we cannot get accomplished what needs to be accomplished. So too it is with relying on unfaithful people. If we depend too much upon such duplicitous people, then we permit their hallow promises to inhibit us from doing what we know we should be doing to glorify the Lord. Again, the remedy for those who have been hurt by such people is to set clear boundaries to prevent such disappointments from ever happening again. Of course, the one thing that manipulative, controlling, unreliable people do when others set boundaries with them is to press to break down the walls. They don't like not being able to wield their influence upon others; and in their frustration, they will pull out all the stops (and make a lot of promises) to re-establish their dysfunctional relationships of control. Be warned! Character is not found in what a person tells you, but how that person lives his life [which can only be discerned over time]. Make it a point to observe this person in times of tribulation and temptation; this is when you particularly can see the person who resides within.

Make no mistake about it. The unfaithful are self-centered, ego-centric, self-idolizing persons who will promise things in order to use people to benefit themselves. They are people with whom we should have very little contact.

True Love Never Fails

2010-02-10T08:37:00.000-05:00

I Corinthians 13:7-8: "Love always perseveres. True Love never fails."

There are few instances in our lives, when someone shares a word of blessing with us that is so incredibly impacting and inspiring to us, that we know that we will carry those words with us for the remainder of our lives.

One such event happened with me just last evening. The phone conversation with my father started as any normal conversation that I would have with him, when our discussion gravitated to the memory of my mother, who passed away 10 years before. I have fond memories of the beautiful marriage that my mother and father had. I remember as a young boy watching my mother and father flirt with each other with hugs and kisses in the kitchen. Whereas I thought at the time that such displays of affection were "yucky," I remember that they were genuine. My mother and father truly loved each other, and they selflessly ministered to each other . . . putting the needs of each other before themselves. There never was a doubt that my parents were committed to each other, for their relationship (though not perfect) was filled with evidences of love and faithfulness. They always went above and beyond the expected to bless each other and to do whatever they could to be a source of enrichment for their mate.

When my mother, who was the bastion of health and fitness, was diagnosed with terminal cancer at 54, it truly was a devastating time for the entire family. Still, my dad loved his bride, and he cared for her at home. I remember my dad carrying her to the restroom, when she was too weak to walk, and I remember him changing her diaper when she became bedridden. As she lay continually in bed, my dad would not permit his lovely bride to develop bed sores, so he made it a regular regimen to apply lotion to her body. He too would lie in bed and hold his wife, even when she was lapsing into a comatose state.

Just before my mother's passing, I remember visiting one weekend and being awakened in the middle of the night by my dad, who told me that my mother had opened her eyes. Ten years later as I reflect upon my dad's calling me, I suspect that he was sitting next to her, just looking at his bride and tenderly loving her, even though she was unresponsive to his presence.

Just one day after our middle-of-the-night encounter with my mother, my mother died. For three months my father displayed such profound love to his wife of 35 years. But the thing that so blessed me last evening in my phone conversation was finding out "the rest of the story." When the funeral home staff arrived at the home, they invited my father to step outside the room in order that they might prepare the body for transport. This my father would not have. He loved his bride, and he wanted to carry his love in his arms to the vehicle. The funeral home staff were shocked. They had never seen such a display of love before. As he carried his wife out of the bedroom, down the hallway, and across the threshold for the last time, my father was loving and honoring his wife. I can just see him showering his bride with kisses as he held her close to him one last time. And as he lay his bride in the vehicle, he kissed her good-bye, sharing with her that he looked forward to the day of their reunion before our blessed Lord. This folks is love at its finest!

Even as I share this story, I can't hold back the tears. There is not much more that can be shared, other than to say "True Love Never Fails!"

Lack of Fruit Brings God's Curse

2010-02-09T08:22:00.000-05:00

Mark 11:13-14, 20-21: "And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, 'May no one ever eat fruit from you again.' And his disciples heard it . . . . As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, "Master, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered.' And Jesus answered them, 'Have faith in God . . . . "

This passage gives account of Jesus returning to Jerusalem from Bethany on the east side of the Mount of Olives in anticipation of His death and resurrection. As Jesus and His disciples walked westward across the mountain on the way to Jerusalem, Jesus approached a fig tree to see if any fruit might be found on it. The tree from a distance seemed as if it would have something on it; after all it gave an impressive, outward display with lots of leaves. But as Jesus drew closer to the fig tree, he noticed that it had no fruit on it. Again, the tree gave a good external presentation, but it failed in fulfilling its purpose and potential.

In response, Jesus would curse the tree, in effect bringing judgment upon that which did not bring glory to the Lord. That next morning, when the disciples passed by again the spot where the tree was, they saw that the tree had withered to its roots. For the disciples to discern that the roots were impacted, they likely would have gone over to inspect the plant. Peter then would confirm to Jesus that the tree was in fact dead, to which Jesus responded that they must have faith.

What is noteworthy is that Jesus performed this sign during a period when the people in Jerusalem had received Jesus into the city with shouts of "Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" (Mark 11:9). They had placed their garments and leafy branches before Jesus has he rode on a colt into the city. Jesus however knew that their shouts of praise were filled with expectation that He would fulfill their purpose as a political revolutionary who would rid them of the Roman occupation. They too liked His miraculous healings and provisions of food. Therefore, these people were not yielded to Him as Lord; rather, they were opportunists who saw potential in Him to meet their own needs.

Within a week, many of these people would turn on Jesus with shouts of "Crucify Him!" because He no longer fulfilled their expectations. For Jesus to reply to Peter and the disciples that they must have faith would tell them, that they must not want Him for what they might get from Him; rather, they would have to trust that He is the One True Lord of hosts, who is worthy of our surrender, our allegiance, and our faithful obedience. This necessitates capitulation of self-centered agendas for the purposes of the Lord. Only then will a person produce much fruit for the glory of God, through the power of Christ (John 15:5). Otherwise, we will be spiritually barren and subject to eternal condemnation.

Let us not merely give a good display of "spirituality." Rather, let us be genuine in our faithful allegiance to Christ as Lord. Let us produce the fruit of righteousness, as we take upon ourselves the yoke of submission to the Lord, permitting His power to radiate in and through us, leading to glorious spiritual produce. It is then that the Lord will be pleased and will desire to bless us for our faithfulness to Him.

Stop Comparing Yourself

2010-02-02T08:52:00.000-05:00

2 Corinthians 10:12, 17: "We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits . . . . Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

Paul's letters to the Church at Corinth were follow-up responses to a church that permitted its pagan culture to infiltrate its walls. This church thought itself to be impressively refined by its appreciation of the finest philosophies of the day. Sadly, this church permitted very debased immorality to permeate it, thereby presenting itself as an entity not noticeably distinct from the immoral world around it. This church also had a bad habit of comparing itself with others. Rather than keeping their eyes on the Lord, these church members would formulate opinions of others; and as might be expected, those whom they evaluated never seemed to measure up to their status and their accomplishments.

So too, the church at Corinth believed Paul not to be a respectable philosopher comparable to the wise men of the day. Paul would fall prey to their comparative habits, and he lost credibility for not measuring up to the impressive displays of other philosophers around them.

In response, Paul warned the church that such patterns of behavior were not wise. He too reminded them that their boasting ultimately should be in the Lord, not in their perceived accomplishments relative to what others were doing.

This is such a good word for us. How often do we fall into the trap of comparing ourselves with others? How often do we find ourselves smugly prideful because we are able to do things better than others? How often do we shun those who don't measure up to our expectations that are vainly formulated? When we do such things, we reveal our sinister nature of self-centeredness. The Scriptures tell us that such behavior is not wise, for our eyes are upon ourselves rather than upon God.

Paul demonstrates Godliness even in the way that he dealt with this church. Paul loved these people, and he did not shun them because they were not impressed with him. Paul approached them in a spirit of meekness and gentleness (2 Corinthians 10:1). Let us find ourselves with the same disposition of love, for this is the way in which God truly is glorified in and through us.

Introspection Is Seldom Painless But Always Beneficial

2010-01-28T08:05:00.000-05:00

2 Corinthians 13:5: "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you-unless, of course, you fail the test?"

I have always said that introspection is seldom painless but always beneficial. When we peel away the exterior facade to peer into the true person within, we then are getting to the place where our true identity is found. And whereas we might be apt to present ourselves as moral, good people, who are we when we look deep within ourselves? Do we find a person who, though not perfect, is surrendered to Christ as Lord and is following Him in obedience? Do we find a person with sinister intent to assert his own quest for lordship above all other persons and things?

The Apostle Paul warns us of the importance of examining ourselves to see "whether you are in the faith." For Paul, this involves a testing. Whereas Paul did not explicitly say what the testing is, the following verse suggests a holding fast to allegiance to Christ even in the midst of challenge and difficulty. I often have said that true character is revealed in times of tribulation and temptation. Who you are under those difficult circumstances is a good indicator of who you really are. Particularly, when you face those situations, are you steadfast in your loyalty to your Master and Savior? Do you capitulate to the circumstances that come your way? Do you sense the convicting power of the Lord and do you respond with repentance and resolution to do what is pleasing to the Lord? Or do you enjoy the way that you respond selfishly to the situation and have no intent of changing your response, because in reality it's your own lordship that you are pursuing.

These are not easy questions to answer, but they are of utmost importance, for we do not want to find ourselves before a Holy God one day unable to present ourselves as the beneficiaries of God's grace through Jesus Christ. Test yourself through introspection. Though this is likely not to be a pain-free experience, it is the best thing that you can do to determine who you really are.

Don't Believe Everything You See and Hear

2010-01-27T07:56:00.000-05:00

2 Corinthians 11:14-15: "Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve."

If there is one certainty about Satan, it is that he is one who is crafty and deceptive. And as the great 16th-century reformer, Martin Luther, exclaimed, Satan is "armed with cruel hate." He truly hates the followers of Christ and his goal is to inject havoc and confusion into the Church by masquerading as an angel of light. His primary resources at his disposal to accomplish his bidding are his followers. They present themselves as people of righteousness, only to reveal their sinister nature later. How many times have we seen a person assimilate within a church and cause havoc within its walls? How many times have we seen a person exclaim their allegiance to Christ, only to reveal later by their actions that they are pursuing a clandestine, destructive agenda and are looking for followers? How many people have we observed in our society label themselves as Christian, but propagate ideologies that clearly are in defiance to the precepts found in God's Word? Such people are deceptive and vain; they are instruments of the Evil One to cause dissension and confusion for the Church. The Church must discern such apostates and keep clear of their influences; otherwise, heartache is the natural consequence.

We must remember that not everyone who espouses Christianity is in fact a true follower of Jesus Christ. Their fruit, observed over a period of time, will reveal their intent. Of course, the Lord will not be mocked by such rebellion. As the Scripture says above, they will receive in the end what their actions deserve.

Again, it can not be reiterated enough. When these "wolves in sheeps' clothing" infiltrate our assemblies, we are not to be swayed by their vain philosophies and charismatic personalities; rather, we are to remain steadfast in our allegiance to the Lord and His will as communicated to us in His Word. To Christ we must find our foundation, otherwise we will fall into the trap that the Evil One continually lays before us, through his emissaries that he sends our way.

When Trickery is Love

2010-01-26T08:13:00.000-05:00

2 Corinthians 12:14-17,19: "Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less? Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent you? . . . . Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening."

If there was a church to which the Apostle Paul endeared himself, it was the church at Corinth. Paul had visited with the church several times, and most assuredly it was a momentous task of ministry for him. This church struggled with the wayward, immoral influences of the pagan city in which it was found, and Paul lovingly and repeatedly confronted them with these issues (see I Corinthians 5 & 6).

These Corinthians also had fallen prey to the prevailing opinion that great philosophers were ones who spoke with great oratory and would never stoop to working for income. Sages of the day would expect their community to remunerate them for their sagacity. Of course, Paul was just the opposite of this. He did not speak in the stylistic eloquence of the philosophers (1 Cor. 2:4); instead, he only desired to preach the simplicity of the precious gospel of the Lord (1 Cor. 9:16). Paul also did not exploit his position to gain materially from the people; instead, he worked among them to provide for his necessities (1 Cor. 9:15). Ironically, such behavior caused the Corinthian church to question his status as a philosopher (for no good philosopher would stoop to such measures). And as a result, they withheld their affection and appreciation from him (2 Cor. 6:12). They also would demand proof that in fact God was speaking through him (2 Cor. 13:3).

Paul would respond to them by saying that he did not want to be a burden to them by using up their possessions; instead, the apostle loved the people, and he was willing to give all that he had (including himself) for their benefit. Paul also mentioned that he was a crafty man who engaged in trickery. This was not designed to deceive the people; rather, Paul wanted to share the precious Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to his hearers. Whereas it appeared that Paul was attempting to defend himself, he used such opportunity as a platform to get God's truth to those who needed the Light of life for their strengthening against the enticements of the Evil One.

This is a wonderful depiction of a loving spiritual leader who endeared himself to those he loved. Though the Apostle Paul was not as impressive as the philosophers of the day, he made a tremendous impact on the people because he truly cared for the people and wanted to see them shine for the Lord. Paul was willing to give everything in order that God would be glorified through the church's surrender and obedience (1 Cor. 9:22). As we live our lives, may we have the same sense of purpose in being a conduit through which God might pour out His truth and love to those around us.

Godly Sorrow Versus Worldly Sorrow

2010-01-21T08:27:00.000-05:00

2 Corinthians 7:10-11: "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this Godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter."

There truly is a difference between Godly sorrow and worldly sorrow.

Godly sorrow is sadness at one's offense against God.
Worldly sorrow could care less if God is offended.

Godly sorrow brings determination to change one's sinful ways.
Worldly sorrow is only upset at the consequences.

Godly sorrow understands that one is to be surrendered to Christ.
Worldly sorrow sees self as the one on the throne.

Godly sorrow brings an earnestness and longing to do what's right.
Worldly sorrow is the product of one who hates he got caught.

Godly sorrow brings indignation toward sin in the future.
Worldly sorrow would never be sorrow if the person could get away with the action.

Godly sorrow brings the Lord's forgiveness which leads to salvation.
Worldly sorrow brings eternal death.

May we all examine ourselves to see the type of sorrow we have, when we sin against the Lord.

Unhealthy Alliances

2010-01-20T08:44:00.000-05:00

2 Corinthians 6:14-17, 7:1: "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? . . . . What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore come out from them and be separate,' says the Lord. 'Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.' . . . . Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."

These verses have been the preeminent ones to warn true followers of Jesus Christ from entering into marital relationships with unbelievers. It is true that entering into the holy covenant of marriage with an unbeliever is not a wise thing, for that unbeliever is not yielded to Christ as Lord and is not directed by the conviction and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Rather, he is directed by his own sinful, selfish ways that are contrary to the will of God. This type of union most assuredly leads to disaster.

Still, when one references the Old Testament passage that Paul cites in these verses above, we find that the book of Isaiah is quoted. Isaiah lived 700 years before Paul, during an era when the people of Israel and Judah had assimilated with the pagan Canaanites of the region. As a result, these chosen people of God had become a "sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt . . . forsaking the Lord and spurning the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 1:4). They were a despicable sight . . . propagating their own carnal wills over submission to God's will, and they would not hear the prophetic warnings of God's prophets, calling them back into intimate fellowship with the Lord. Still, God would offer salvation to those who would come out from those unholy alliances and be a separate people, surrendered and obedient to the One True Lord (Isaiah 55:10-11).

In the 2 Corinthians passage, Paul reminds the church that it is not to be tethered to pagans in unholy alliances; for, the apostle writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, understood that those associations would tend to lead to the "contamination of the body and spirit." Those associations likely would cause the follower of Christ to compromise convictions and standards, leading to chronic rebellion against the Lord.

On occasion, I will hear this response: "But aren't we to be in the world, to show the light of Christ to it? I believe that I can be a positive influence in his/her life." In most instances, this response is shared in the context of a dating relationship. My reply ALWAYS includes Paul's remarks in I Corinthians 15:33, "Do not be misled. Bad company corrupts good character." Whereas we are called to live in the world and are to witness to others the Truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, no where will one find that we are to enter into unholy relations with those who are not surrendered to Christ as Lord. This was the problem with the Israelites of Isaiah's day. At first, their associations were seemingly "innocent"; however, the more they lived among the Canaanites, the more they yearned for the debased, immoral lifestyles of these pagans. This assimilation began a downward spiral of rebellion by the Israelites, who again would not hear the warnings of God's ordained prophets. And it would not be until God enacted His judgment through the Assyrian and Babylonian invasions that the wickedness of the Israelites would stop.

This is a good word for us. We are called to live in the world, but we are not called to be a part of the world. God has summoned us out from the wicked associations with pagans. He has called us to "purify ourselves from everything that contaminates both body and spirit" (7:1). And out of our reverence for Him, we set ourselves apart for His glory. This is what holiness is all about.

Bearing Up Under a Trial

2010-01-12T08:29:00.000-05:00

I Corinthians 15:58; 2 Corinthians 1:3-5,8-11: "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain . . . . Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows . . . . We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many."

In our Single Adult Bible Study, we have been working through a series by James MacDonald, entitled, "Turning to Trials into Gold." It has been a powerful discussion in which we have learned that trials are an inevitable reality for humanity. This is because we live in a fallen world, which is subject to calamities of all sorts. No one is immune from the painful ordeals that come our way, though we know that God allows such events in our lives in order that we might grow in our dependence on and intimacy with Him. No trial is permitted by the Lord, unless He desires to use the difficulty for the ultimate good . . . to demonstrate the all-sufficiency of a life lived in surrender to God and His purposes.

The above mentioned passage reminds us that we are called to "stand firm, letting nothing move us as we give ourselves fully to the work of God." It is SO easy to falter when calamity befalls us. We want to fold under the pressure, or escape it to better circumstances. God tells us instead that in the midst of trial, we are to stand firm. And God tells us that we are able to remain steadfast in our full work for the Lord by knowing that our efforts are not in vain. One can see that God has in view His eternal redemptive plan, that will reward those who are faithful to Him in this life. Even in those circumstances that seem to have no evidence of ever improving, we know that they ultimately will be transformed for the better in eternity. God will bring full restoration, and it is to this certainty that we are to put our trust. It's the only way to press on in life, especially when our circumstances look rather abysmal.

We too must remember that God has not left us alone in the midst of our difficulty. Rather, he is the "God of all comfort, who comforts us in ALL our troubles." Never can we say that God has overlooked us in a difficult situation. God has promised to provide us His loving comfort, no matter what the circumstance is. This of course suggests that if we are not experiencing His loving peace and presence, we need to look to see if we in fact have asked for it (see James 4:2). But what we are commanded to do with His peace and comfort is not to hoard it for ourselves; instead, we are to share this wonderful gift with others who are struggling through a painful trial. We are to be a conduit of blessing to others, showing the love and peace of Christ that we have received from Him.

The Apostle Paul in the above passage mentions that He struggled with some very difficult persecutions . . . even to the point of wanting to see an end to his life. In hindsight, Paul was later able to see that God was allowing such events so that Paul would become even more dependent upon God, the All-Powerful One. Clearly, if God can "raise the dead" as Paul exclaims, then God can take care of us in our difficulties. One can almost see the hope in Paul's words, knowing that His deliverance ultimately comes through the One True Lord of Hosts! Paul also recognized that God had permitted these painful circumstances to give opportunity for others to offer prayers to the Lord in his behalf. In effect, Paul's difficulty was being used by God to draw others into a greater dependence upon Him, and Paul noted that God's miraculous response in the matter would result in many giving thanks to the Lord for His "gracious favor granted in response to the prayers of many." It was because of the pain of one, that many were drawn closer in intimate fellowship with the Lord.

This is such a good word for us. We must see that our trials are opportunities for God to show us His great love even more, bringing us into a closer intimacy than ever before. He is using the trial to reorient our understanding of this life in view of eternity, and He is educating us to understand that our lives will only find satisfaction and fulfillment the more we understand our dependence upon Him.

God too wants to use our difficulty to impact the lives of others for His glory. As others see the way that we handle our trial and as they are blessed by our passing His comfort that we have received to others, then they will be drawn closer to Him.

Therefore, let us not see our trials only for the misery that they might bring; rather, let us see the opportunity that the Lord is using our difficulties to do some truly incredible works for His kingdom. This is not to belittle the pain that might be associated with the trial. Still, we as followers of Jesus Christ are able to have better perspective . . . that truly God is using our trials for an even greater good. Let us not give up on the hope that in the end, He will make all things new. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.

Do Not Defy the Redemptive Work of God

2010-01-07T07:51:00.000-05:00

Obadiah 4: "Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down."

The book of Obadiah is one of those seldom referenced books of the Bible. It is nestled in the Old Testament among the other minor prophetic books; still, it is an invaluable Word from the Lord to which we must look to find important truths. These truths of God aid us in living lives of obedience to Him as our Sovereign Lord.

Not much is known about the prophet Obadiah other than he was a prophet devoted to God and assured that God would vindicate the righteous and judge the wicked ones who would attempt to thwart His redemptive work.

The book is specifically addressed to the Edomites. This tribe of people were descendants of Esau, and they lived in the region southeast of the Promised Land/Judah on the other side of the Dead Sea. Their land was much more barren as compared to the land God gave to the Israelites, as it was filled with red sandstone soil that did not yield much fruit.

These Edomites were constantly warring against their distant relatives, the Israelites, over land and preeminence in the region. In Numbers 20:21, the account is given of the Israelites under the leadership of Moses moving from Egypt to the Promised Land. The land of Edom was one of the last territories that the Israelites had to pass through to reach their final destination and experience the redemptive work of God in delivering His people from bondage. However, the Edomites would not permit the Israelites to pass through. Instead, the Edomites came out with a powerful army and turned away the Israelites from being obedient to the redemptive calling of God.

Years later, these Edomites would war against King David (2 Samuel 8:13) and against King Solomon (I Kings 11:14-15). They were a continual threat to the Israelites in the region of Palestine, as is evidenced by their invasions during the reigns of Jehosophat, Jehoram, Amaziah, and Ahaz. And later, when the Babylonians invaded the land of Judah, not only did the Edomites refuse to help their distant relatives, but they instead aided the Babylonians destroy the people of Judah. These Edomites cried out for Jerusalem to be torn down (see Psalm 137:7). Some historical sources even claim that the Edomites were directly responsible for destroying the Temple at the time of the Babylonian invasion (see I Esdras 4:45). And even while the people of Judah were fleeing the region, these Edomites took full advantage of the Israelites, seizing their wealth and "cutting down" the fugitives who were trying to escape the slaughter by the Babylonians (Obadiah 13-14). They were quite brazen after the destruction of Jerusalem, drinking in celebration among the ruins on the Holy Hill of Jerusalem. (Obadiah 16).

If anything, the Edomites are analogous to Satan, who attempts to thwart the redemptive work of the Almighty, who offers the ultimate "Promised Land" (i.e. Heaven) to His chosen ones (i.e. those who have responded to His grace). As Edom attempted to inhibit the Israelites from entering the Promised Land, so too is Satan actively at work trying to thwart God's redemptive process for His followers.

Therefore, the strong judgment response against the Edomites in the book of Obadiah is understandable, as they are seen as the epitome of wickedness and rebellion against God and His work of reclamation. God will not hold guiltless the ones that would "shake (their) fists at God, vaunting (themselves) against the Almighty, defiantly charging against him with a thick, strong shield" [Job 15:25-26]. The vanity of these Edomites' with their prideful hearts and the false presumption that they lived in impenetrable fortresses would lead to their destruction (see Obadiah 3). God promised to "bring them down" from their lofty position, and would judge them for their abject rebellion, and His prophetic words were severe, "Oh, what a disaster awaits you . . . . Esau will be ransacked, his hidden treasures pillaged!" (Obadiah 5-6).

As we see in Obadiah 1, our God has the final word on the matter. He promised that He ultimately would deliver His people and His land (Obadiah 17), thus restoring the divine blessings that had been lost. God would not be challenged in His redemptive work, but he would restore His kingdom to the place it once was (Obadiah 21).

We can see today that God was true to His Word, for the Edomites no longer exist as a nation. And so too will all those who perpetrate rebellion against the Almighty fall to a similar fate (see Revelation 20). Let us not be associated with the Edomites (i.e. purveyors of rebellion against the purposes of the Lord); rather, let us surrender to Him as Lord and experience the blessings that the Lord desires to lavish upon us.

Being a Person of Sexual Purity

2010-01-05T08:22:00.000-05:00

I Corinthians 6:13-15 17-20: "The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? . . . . But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit. Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins agains his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

The physical body is very precious to the Lord. He created our bodies (which He declared good [Genesis 1:31]), and He has determined that our spirits would indwell these bodies in order that we might glorify Him through our physical experiences. We must remember that God is the owner of all things (see Ezek. 18:4); therefore, He has the right to dictate what we would do with the bodies given to us.

One of the problems with the church at Corinth was their inappropriate sexual behavior. In chapter 5, one of their members was having sexual relations with his "father's wife . . . something that does not even occur among pagans." In that instance, Paul summoned the church to meet together in the name and power of the Lord Jesus and hand the man over to Satan for the destruction of his body. Paul then advised that the church was not to have any contact with a person who would consider himself a follower of Christ and yet was sexually immoral; for in reality, such a person who perpetuates such debauchery is no true follower of Christ. Instead, he is subject to losing the kingdom of God, offered through God's grace, because he is defying the Sovereign One in such an egregious way (see I Corinthians 5:6:9).

In the above mentioned passage, we find that everything we do with our bodies ultimately is for the glory of Lord. This is because we have been bought with a price by the precious blood of Christ, who will raise our bodies to glorious, perfected, immortality at the resurrection. For the true follower of Christ, our bodies have become the residence of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and therefore, we are a temple unto the Lord. Therefore, such sinful, sexual wickedness is nothing less than a sacrilege against the Lord and the repercussions are severe, since such behavior is a sin directly against the body . . . the dwelling place of the One True God!

Living in such a sex-saturated society that exonerates all kinds of sexual deviations is not an excuse for the believer to follow suit. We must never forget that we are the possession of the Lord, and we are called to maintain sexual purity as an offering of worship to the Almighty. He has created us and called us to obedience in our physical bodies. Let us be faithful to the calling given to us.

The Shepherds

2009-12-26T08:16:00.000-05:00

Luke 2:8-9a: "And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel appeared to them."

Recently, I was reading through the Nativity story and I came upon the shepherds. I decided to read through several commentaries and books just to learn more about these pasture "roamers" who accompanied their flocks both day and night.

One commentary mentioned that the job of a shepherd was not esteemed at all. It cited the Midrash, a collection of Jewish opinions concerning the Law, as saying that there is "no more disreputable an occupation than that of a shepherd." The commentary further commented that shepherds were considered lower class by the Jewish people, and they were as despised as gamblers and tax collectors.

Isn't it just like God to herald His Advent first not to the wealthy nobility or the arrogant religious leaders, but to those who were most despised within their society. Though the shepherds were despised by their fellowmen, they loved the Lord and were faithful to their much-needed responsibility for the Jewish people. I say "much-needed" because these particular shepherds were raising the very lambs that would be offered as atonement sacrifices in Jerusalem. Bethlehem was only 5 miles southwest from Jerusalem, and it was the place that the lambs would be raised and eventually herded to the temple as burnt offerings. Thus, it is a noticeable act of irony that God, the Paschal Lamb, would communicate His coming to those who faithfully prepared the lambs that were to be sacrificed as a foreshadowing of the One True Lamb to come, Jesus Christ!

After the quite fearful encounter with the Heavenly hosts praising God, the shepherds made haste to follow obediently the charge to go to Bethlehem and see the Christ Child. There was no hesitation on their part, for they knew that it was the LORD who had spoken to them (see Luke 2:15).

After they had seen the Messiah, the shepherds hurried off to share all that they had seen, resulting in much amazement from those who heard their powerful message. Then the shepherds returned to their fields in a spirit of celebration, glorifying and praising God.

This Christmas story is a wonderful reminder of our Ultimate Good Shepherd who entered into the world to lay down His very life for His sheep (see John 10:11). It also reminds us that God is not interested in one's social status or temporal affluence; rather, He is looking for those who would glorify Him through their faithful obedience and reverential awe. God Himself has told us that He esteems the one who is "humble and contrite in Spirit, and trembles at His Word" (Isaiah 66:2). God also chooses those who are weak and despised to accomplish His purposes, for He knows that these "despised ones" are more apt to boast in the Lord rather than in their own, vain accomplishments (I Corinthians 1:20-31).

Let us remember that the shepherds who prepared the lambs for sacrifice were the ones to whom God approached to be the first evangelists of the arrival of the Messiah. Though these shepherds were despised by their peers, may we today strive to have a heart similar to these shepherds . . . ones who were ready for the message of God, ones who followed faithfully the dictates of the angels, ones who worshipped Christ directly, ones who shared the good news of Christ's arrival, and ones who celebrated the redemptive work of God in the world.

Oh, to be a modern-day shepherd!

Evidence of Immaturity

2009-12-18T07:02:00.000-05:00

I Corinthians 2:6-8: "We did, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."

One of the evidences of spiritual maturity is one's hearing and obeying the wisdom of God, as communicated through His Holy Scriptures. This wisdom of God concentrates upon the message of the cross . . . that God has offered Himself as the only perfect atoning sacrifice for all of humanity . . . the rebellious ones who all have at one time or another attempted to assert their desire for lordship over the One True Lord of Hosts. This level of rebellion deserves the most hostile reprisals from God; we are due the fullest measure of His wrath for our recalcitrance. This is why God's forgiveness through Jesus Christ is so sweet! It cost the One of whom no cost was due to provide eternal benefits and privileges to those who had no right nor ability to pay.

This wisdom of God also calls people to respond with surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It necessitates that the person relinquish his life to the Lord and serve Him as Master and Savior. It is understood that this follower of Christ is passionate in following His Lord faithfully; he is enthralled in who God is and His love that has been lavished upon the sinner . . . so undeserving of such blessings. This person too knows that when he begins to deviate from the line of obedience, he will return to the Lord in a spirit of remorse and repentance. He knows the voice of the Holy Spirit bringing conviction into his heart; and this man is not too vain, selfish, or proud to relinquish such acts of disobedience against the Lord. Rather, that man quickly casts off such thoughts and/or behaviors that displease his Master and Savior.

This wisdom of redemption has been destined for the redeemed even before time began. God would determine it best that make us, fully knowing that He must later sacrifice Himself so that we might be rescued from the punitive curse of our rebellion. This is love at its finest. His love and greatness deserve our faithful obedience.

The tragedy throughout the history of the earth is that mankind has continued to defy the Sovereign Lord through its determination to assert itself as supreme over all things (even God Himself). Man has determined that he wants to be number one; he is interested in his wanton desires above everyone and everything. Of course, the Scriptures tell us that God will not be mocked by such rebellion. He will call all men to account for their allegiances in this life. Only through submission to His Lordship may a person receive the Divine pardon leading to eternal life.

May we ever remember God's rightful reign over us and His magnificent demonstration of love through His death and resurrection. Let us press on in a spirit of humility, thankfulness, and obedience, looking forward to the day of our joyous reunion with our Lord!

The Pleasure of God

2009-12-14T08:13:00.000-05:00

I Corinthians 1:18-19,21: "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.' . . . . For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe."

It is amazing to see how people respond to the "message" of grace offered by Jesus Christ. For those who would attempt to figure God out by using their "wisdom," they are apt to conclude that such notions of a God offering Himself for our salvation to be an absurdity. These people either believe that God does not exist at all or that He exists but is so ethereal that we cannot know much about spiritual matters.

A majority of people today if asked about their eternal condition would argue that there is a Creator and that the standard for eternal blessedness is contingent upon "good living." That is, if a person simply does enough good things as compared to bad things (i.e. their karma), then this mercurial cosmic essence or deity will grant that person entrance into Heaven, or Nirvana, or Paradise, or whatever they want to call it.

In response, the One True God communicates in His Holy Word that only through Christ's physical death and resurrection might a person have hope of Divine forgiveness. This is because all of us have sinned and therefore are unable to provide satisfaction for our sins against the Lord. Only a perfect sacrifice would suffice; hence this was why God had to come to this Earth as Jesus Christ to offer Himself as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Of course, this fact of our inability to gain for ourselves our redemption runs counter to any notion of inherent goodness or worthiness within a person. There is a sobering reality that each person must plead for the mercy of God, which necessitates that he relinquish any false notion of ability. He must fall at the throne of God and beg for forgiveness, surrendering himself to Christ as his Lord and Savior. No longer can he believe the falsity that he is inherently good and worthy of God. This person must kick himself off the throne of his life and put Christ where he rightfully deserves to be . . . on that throne!

This need for Jesus Christ as Savior and the resultant capitulation of the one's "self" to Christ is an absurdity to those who are perishing spiritually. It is not so much because the precepts are too difficult to understand; rather, there is a hostility of "self" in submitting to God. Pagans will attempt to reason away any notions in order that they might feel absolved of any responsibility. They formulate contrary opinions of their reality, and are apt to mock those who would follow Christ as Lord. These people are blinded by the Evil One, who uses their resistance to the gospel to ensnare them for all eternity (2 Corinthians 4:4). This is the grandest loss that ever will be recognized in eternity . . . that God would suffer a heinous death out of His amazing love for humanity, only to have certain ones deride such an offering of grace. Tragically, God will pour out the full measure of His wrath against these traitors to His Sovereign Lordship. When Jesus returns to enact His righteous judgment, these rebellious ones will experience such judgment that they will desire their own annihilation (Revelation 6:16). Sadly, they will be cast into the black darkness of torment where there will be eternal pain and agony (Jude 14-16; Matthew 13:42).

Still, for those who have yet to draw their last breath in this life, God's offering of grace is still available; in fact, He takes pleasure in presenting such an offering to those who would receive it. God is looking for those who are humble and contrite in spirit and tremble at His Truth (Isaiah 66:2). God knows that only a person who understands his utter unworthiness will find a need for Him . . . otherwise that person will perpetuate his own quest for divinity. For this person, no hope remains . . . only a sobering judgment from the Almighty King! (see John 3:36; Hebrews 10:26-7).

For those of us who have responded to Christ's offering of salvation through contrition and surrender, let us celebrate that the power of God has been made manifest to us. Let us reflect often upon this ultimate sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross for our sins. Let us sing praises for His resurrection, whereby He demonstrated His power over sin and death. Let us appreciate that God's wrath has been averted. Let us take joy forever in the privileges that God has afforded to us . . . solely through His amazing grace.

It truly is a wonderful blessing to find the pleasure of God through His salvation in Christ Jesus.

How Can We Really Know We Have Received the Grace of God?

2009-12-10T08:04:00.000-05:00

I John 3:24: "Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us."

One of the things we will find as we study through the book of I John is the distinction between mere professors of Christ (who in fact are no real followers of Christ) and those who have yielded to Christ's Lordship and follow Him in faithful obedience. John tells us in I John 1:5-6 that if we claim to have fellowship with Christ and yet walk in darkness, we are liars. He again tells us in I John 5:18 that the one born of God will not continue to sin (i.e. the continual, willful defiance to the will of God through selfish, sinful thought and action). We know that we love God if we obey His commands . . . which are not burdensome (I John 5:3). The true believer through the power of the Holy Spirit and this man's responsive faith to the Spirit's leading is able to overcome the enticements of the world, which is victory in its truest sense (I John 5:4).

The question that some will present is whether we really can know that we truly have received God's grace. Some will question their salvation, not being sure that they are under the blessing of Divine favor afforded exclusively through Jesus Christ's death and resurrection. John replies by saying that we are able to "have confidence on the day of judgment" (I John 4:17). We find this confidence from the Holy Spirit testifying with our spirit that we are His children, redeemed through the precious blood of Christ (I John 3:24; Romans 8:16).

John also shares with us the further evidence that assures us of the genuineness of our faith, namely that we live like Christ in this world and we are perfected through His love. As we experience the unfathomable love of Christ and are freed from debilitating fear, we then love Him and others with the true love that lacks selfish ambition and adulation. We give to Christ the entirety of ourselves (heart, soul, mind [Matthew 22:37]) as we love Him above everything else, and we cannot wait to shower love to others in a way that would bless and benefit them above ourselves. So too, when we fall prey to sin in our lives, we come under immediate conviction from the Word of Truth shared by the Holy Spirit; and because we have this hope and appreciation in the glorious Savior, we "purify ourselves" by turning from our sin back to the path of obedience (I John 3:3).

What is rather beautiful about this condition of assurance, is that we are in such a love relationship with Christ and are so attune to obeying Him in all things, that we have "confidence in approaching God." We can ask anything in accordance to God's will (in fact, we want nothing else but God's will), and we know most assuredly that God hears us (I John 5:14-15).

Conversely, the man who by word or deed denies Jesus Christ as the Anointed One (worthy of his fullest surrender, allegiance and love) is an antichrist. This man who is consumed with himself and seeks to satisfy his selfish desires above all others is not a true follower of Christ Jesus; rather, he is against Christ and His glorious kingdom!

These are such good words for us, for so many who believe that their religious denominational affiliation somehow grants them the privilege of Divine grace are sadly mistaken. There is no atoning sacrifice for their sins because they have not yielded themselves to Jesus Christ as their LORD. They are not following Him faithfully and obediently. They are not apt to turn from sin in their lives when they are prompted by conviction. They have no love for God and others, because they are consumed with themselves.

Still, for the one who truly has surrendered himself to the Lordship of Christ, is following Him in faithful obedience, turns from sin quickly so that it does not have lingering influence, and reflects the love of God to others is assured of the genuineness of His faith through the communion of the Holy Spirit with His spirit. If we are truly yielded to Christ, let us not fall into the insecurity of uncertainty; rather, let us know the confidence of knowing that God's Spirit resides within. Let us bask in the love of God and live our lives as an extension of that love to others. And let us await that glorious day when "He appears (and) we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (I John 3:2).

Striving Forward In the Midst of Difficulty

2009-12-09T08:41:00.000-05:00

I Peter 4:19: "So, then, those who suffer according to God's Will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good."

No one desires suffering. In fact, painful trials are the very things from which we attempt to run as far away as possible. Sometimes our trials are self-inflicted through our sinful decisions (see I Peter 4:15); yet there are times when our difficulties are not the direct result of our actions, but are situations thrust upon us (usually when we least expect it).

God's Word gives us our response to those unexpected events that are apt to shatter our spirits leading us into the depressing state of despondency. First, the Scriptures tell us that these episodes are introduced in our lives according to the will of God. For many of you, that very statement may be so unsettling that you are apt to close out this link never to return again. If you are still reading, that means that you at least are willing to hear out the reasoning why God would do such a thing.

Whereas God is not the author of sin, He is Sovereign over all things. If He desired for you to not experience a certain tragedy, then He most assuredly would intervene in the circumstance to bring deliverance. In fact, we may find in eternity a fuller awareness of just how much God DID Do to rescue us from perilous situations that could have brought our demise.

Still, God permits other painful encounters to come our way, and He does so in order that we might through the ordeal grow closer in our dependence on Him and readjust our priorities toward His offering of eternal life, where pain and difficulty are wonderfully absent. When trials come our way and are introduced by the will of God, they are designed to grow us in our awareness of Him, mature us in our faith in Him, and draw us into a fuller understanding of peace and contentment in Him, no matter the circumstance.

The above Scripture compels believers in Christ to "commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." In other passages of Scripture, the word for "commit" means to "roll to." One can see the imagery of a ball starting at the top of a hill being pushed down; and as it continues down the slope, it rolls faster and faster towards its destination. When we find ourselves being pushed off of our mountaintop "highs" we simply need to start rolling toward the Savior, moving faster and faster as we continue down the hill of disappointment. We need to put all of our trust in our glorious Lord, knowing that He is Sovereign and He is Good and Faithful. He will be with us, helping us bear up under the weight of the ordeal that we are facing. Though we might not like the painful experience, we must recognize that God has willed this for us and He has done so for a purpose. And according to the passage cited above, the purpose is for us to continue to do good, thereby bringing glory to God . . . our ultimate purpose in life.

One of the worst things we can do is take our eyes off the Savior and His purpose for our lives, looking instead toward our circumstances with fear, resignation, and hopelessness. As we begin to fixate our minds on the abysmal situations that we are facing, we are apt to lose sight of God in the midst of the trial; and our faith is shattered as we start to believe things will never get better. We might even begin to talk with others about our anger toward God for permitting such a trial to befall us; or we might verbalize that we don't believe we can press on, given the pain of the experience. The Word of God tells us to "avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly" (2 Timothy 2:16). Whereas the Timothy passage might address gossip or other inappropriate language, one also might add despondent words of futile thinking. When one throws in the towel and acknowledges that life is not worth living due to the trial, one is saying in effect that God has made a big blunder in permitting this event in our lives. We are professing that the Lord does not know what is best, and that He is not good and faithful. We might even suggest that He is not really in control, or that He is a despicable tyrant, not worthy of our allegiance. These are the thoughts and words that will lead us further and further toward ungodliness. Bitterness lies at the end of such a path, and no good thing comes from its presence in our lives.

Therefore, we must take these thoughts captive and surrender them to the Lord Jesus Christ. We must see that there is a plan and purpose for those painful experiences that we encounter. We must roll toward the LORD seeking His wisdom and comfort. We must trust that He is good and is working out His purposes through us as we struggle down the arduous path of difficulty. We must, through the leading of the Holy Spirit, determine that we have a calling to continue to do good in the midst of the trial. Our good includes continuing to praise the LORD, demonstrating faith in Him, and inspiring others who might traverse similar paths in the future.

There is much to do. Let us not permit our trials to gain victory over us. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, let us rise above our difficulties, in order that we might be all that God desires for us to be . . . for His glory and the furtherance of His glorious kingdom!

The Ultimate Abuse

2009-12-08T08:39:00.001-05:00

Matthew 27:30: "They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again."

Many of us have reflected upon the crucifixion of Jesus Christ . . . the incredible display of agony, torture, and brutal betrayal against the Sovereign King of Kings. It is the most heinous act of evil ever committed! That God's own creation would rebel against His rightful Lordship and desire His execution is the epitome of debasement. We are so unworthy of God's favor and mercy; still, God willingly chose to offer Himself as the perfect atoning sacrifice for our sins. This is AMAZING GRACE at its finest!

One facet that I had not previously noticed is the above mentioned verse. I was aware of Jesus' abhorrent flogging, but I had not noticed that the soldiers beat Jesus in the head repeatedly with sticks. I cannot imaging the continual strikes across the skull of the Master. Again and again, they hit Him. And given their previous placement of a crown of thorns on His head, one can picture the thorns being driven into his skull. What tragedy! What restraint by the Sovereign Lord! What wonderful love demonstrated in order that we might hope of reclamation into eternal blessedness.

Never forget the sacrifice of the Savior for our sins. Never forget Jesus' painful death that has given us opportunity to be adopted into God's eternal family. Never forget what we truly deserve and what we in actuality have been given. If you really think about these things, you will become overwhelmed with God. This is where God wants you to be.

Pressing On

2009-12-02T09:26:00.000-05:00

Joshua 1:2: "(The Lord said to Joshua) 'Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them-to the Israelites.'"

After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness for their rebellion against the Lord's command to enter the Promised Land, the Israelites again were summoned to move into this choice land, promised since the days of Abraham (see Genesis 12:17).

It would have been easy for Joshua to have examined his situation and questioned this dictate from the Lord. After all, why did God not take His people in under the mighty leadership of Moses, Joshua's predecessor? I'm certain that Joshua knew that he simply could not cross the Jordan River and take the land without some resistance from the Canaanite dwellers already there. Land was the most important asset to a people during that day, and the Canaanites would staunchly defend their territory.

This likely is why God repeatedly commanded His new leader to be "strong and courageous" (see 1:6, 1:7, 1:9). It would require faith on the part of Joshua to trust that the Lord would provide protection and victory, even though the circumstances did not look promising.

God knew that Joshua's faith would be kindled by the meditation upon the Word; this is why the Lord commanded Joshua to meditate upon the Book of the Law and obey it fully. The Lord knew that the strength to avoid the pitfalls of discouragement and fear would be found in Joshua's regular feasting upon His Word. God then reinforced the reward for Joshua's faithfulness by proclaiming that success would come to the Israelites if they would follow His commands.

Joshua did not waver a bit. In the following verses, the leader told his people to get ready for in three days they would move across the Jordan into their land. Of course the reason for the three-day delay likely was the need for preparation for mobilization and war. Unlike the days of Moses when the Israelites refused to take the step of faith into the land, they now were ready. As the Israelites encouraged their leader to be strong, they reinforced their support by proclaiming that they would execute anyone who would defy Joshua's commands. It was time to move and receive the blessing of the Lord.

This story is such a good word for us, for we need to contemplate Joshua's response of faith and obedience toward the Lord, even though the future would involve conflict with the pagan Canaanites. How often do we face our own enemies with unwavering trust in the Lord? How much to we feast upon His Scriptures for support as we prepare to face the burdens before us? How diligent are we at obeying fully the dictates that the Lord has given to us? As the Lord promised success for Joshua, so too we can find success in our experiences if we will follow a similar course of faithfulness and obedience.

When we stand on the banks of our proverbial "river" and look to the other side. Let us not permit the impressiveness of our foe to cause us to cower in retreat; rather, let us look beyond the obstacles at the blessings that the Lord has promised to us, if only we would move forward in faith. Let's press on, and expect that the Lord will be with us, will protect us, and will bring us victory!

Praising the LORD At All Times

2009-12-01T08:13:00.000-05:00

Psalm 149:4-9: "For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds. May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written against them. This is the glory of all his saints. Praise the LORD."

The final three Psalms recorded in Scripture are praise Psalms to the Lord Almighty. Here the Psalmist calls all of creation to engage in a demonstration of corporate praise to God for His Sovereign Power and surpassing greatness. He is the One True Lord of Hosts who has created all things and has taken delight in those who have taken his horn of salvation (148:5,8, 14; 150:2). And of course this demonstration of praise by the Lord's creation is not relegated to somber expressions of contemplation, but ecstatic celebrations of praise through dancing, instruments, and singing.

Then we find an interesting collection of Scriptures in chapter 149 . . . that we are called to "sing for joy on (our) beds." Whereas a bed could symbolize a place of peace, intimacy, and rest (i.e. blessing), one might also note that a bed is a place of confinement for those who are struggling physically and emotionally with maladies that have relegated them to that place. How often have we visited those who were so debilitated that they were not able to get out of their beds? How many of us have experienced such limitation ourselves and been overwhelmed by the challenges that come with such conditions?

If we were to see the interpretation of this passage in view of the latter example above, we can see that the saints of the Lord can sing for joy in the midst of their debilitating trials, knowing that the LORD "takes delight in his people (and) crowns the humble with salvation" (149:4). As these infirmed people struggle with their difficulties, they are able to "praise the Lord (with) their mouths." Their faith and hope are strengthened by the assurances found in God's Holy Scriptures (i.e. the 'double-edged sword [see Hebrews 4:12]). And with this power and peace from on high, these saints are able to inflict vengeance upon their enemies . . . which may be depression, chronic pain, feelings of hopelessness, lost opportunities, physical limitation, a lost sense of community, despondent thinking mired in the temporal affairs of this world, etc. Through the grace and provision of the LORD who "takes great delight in his people" (149:4), these people are able to offer a spiritual dance of praise to their Redeemer . . . the Lover of their souls (150:4). Nothing is able to bring defeat in their lives as they rise above their debilitation to "soar on wings like eagles . . . running without becoming weary" (Isaiah 40:31).

May we ever know that the Lord is due praise no matter our circumstance. He loves us, has redeemed us, and offers to us the power of deliverance from the emotional strains and physical challenges that we may face. If we find ourselves in the depths of despair, let us reorient our minds to the LORD who takes delight in us. Let us sing for joy from our beds and hold onto the promises of His Word, for then we will find His blessing of contentment as we await the day of our reclamation into His perfect, eternal Kingdom! This is the "glory of all his saints. Praise the LORD!" (149:9).

In What Does the Lord Delight?

2009-11-30T08:25:00.000-05:00

Psalm 147:10-11: "His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love."

Psalm 147 truly is a word of praise to the LORD for His awesome power and His unfailing love for those who are surrendered to Him. In verse 2, we find that the LORD is building up Jerusalem as He gathers the exiles from far away places. Whereas the context of this passage can include the gathering the Jewish people from their dispersion back to Jerusalem, one can see an eschatalogical significance in the LORD gathering the redeemed to the New Jerusalem, which will descend upon the new earth in eternity. It is then that the LORD will actually dwell with His people. How incredible is that? Our LORD will heal the brokenhearted, binding up their wounds. He will wipe away every tear, as there will no longer be any death, mourning, crying, or pain (Psalm 147:2-3, Revelation 21:1-4).

The Psalmist also notes the personal nature of our LORD. Even as the number of stars is so vast that we in our finite minds could never count them, the LORD knows each by name. He is Great. He is mighty in power. His understanding knows no limit! (147:5).

We then find that the LORD is not impressed with the abilities of man. Although we find in our fallen world a proclivity for man to attempt to impress his neighbor with his accomplishments, God knows the intent of the heart of man, and is not so swayed. God alone is so beyond our fallible abilities that He is not "wowed" by what we do or what we attain. Rather, our LORD delights in those who put their HOPE in His unfailing love and fear Him with reverential fear.

Of course, hope is tested in times of tribulation and temptation. In whom do we put our trust when we are in the depths of difficulty and despair? In whom do we hope when the Evil One barrages us with suggestions to defy the One True LORD in favor of our own selfish appetites? In whom do we long, even knowing that our physical demise is forthcoming (for in fact this is the eventual fate of every human being [Hebrews 9:27])? For those who put their hope in the LORD through submission and obedience, the LORD finds delight. Our reflection on our true dependence upon the LORD for everything, draws us to thoughts and behaviors that reflect our allegiance to the Almighty. We also become overwhelmed with the Greatness of the LORD to accomplish such things and His amazing love lavished upon us, even though we have been rebellious against Him through our sin.

Let us never forget the blessedness that we have in the grace and mercy of the King of Kings. Let us savor the privilege of such Love from the Almighty and revere Him as the Sovereign Ruler over our lives. Let us put our ultimate hope in His greatness and His goodness to us, for in such responses does the LORD delight.

Dust In The Wind

2009-11-24T08:08:00.000-05:00

Psalm 146:3-6: "Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them-the LORD, who remains faithful forever."

When I was reading these verses, I was reminded of the progressive rock band, Kansas, and their 1977 hit "Dust in the Wind." I also was reminded of the bad but humorous movie, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, when Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter share their presumed sagacity with the words, "All we are is dust in the wind . . . dudes."

The Bible tells us that we are not merely dust in the wind, for we have received the LORD's live-giving breath, making us a living being with an eternal soul (see Genesis 2:7).

Still, there is some truth to our being "spiritualized dirt." The Psalmist above reminds us that if we think too highly of ourselves or others, and determine to put our trust in man rather than in God, we're going to find ourselves in trouble. For we know that when the day of our death comes, all of us will return to the place from which we were made . . . the dirt. And when we return to the ground physically, our spirit will depart for the presence of the LORD to be judged by the One and Only Righteous King (see Ecclesiastes 12:7; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Hebrews 9:27).

We must never forget that man is mortal and has no power within himself to bring eternal life. Only the One True God can bring such privilege to us, if we would surrender to Him alone as our Lord and Savior. This is why the Psalmist in 146:5 tells us that the man who yields to God in hope and finds help in Him is blessed. This man's faith is anchored in the right object, namely the Sovereign, Supreme King of all things . . . who is Creator of all things . . . and who rules over all things in glorious power. And what is so encouraging for us is that the Creator "remains faithful forever." For those yielded to Christ, the LORD promises to be faithful to His covenant that He will redeem us, giving us eternal life; He also promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 9:28; 13:5).

If we find ourselves basking in our own pride or putting our ultimate hope and confidence in others, let us be reminded that we are mere dirt, that has been given life by God. Let us be reminded that with physical death, we will become dirt again physically, until the day of our physical resurrection. The only true source of life is found in God alone. Let us seek him with a spirit of humility and reverential fear, for we can know that God will be faithful to us and He will lift our "dirt-oriented" lives to life immortal.

Parents, Are You Listening?

2009-11-20T08:10:00.000-05:00

Psalm 145:4-7: "One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty . . . . They will tell of the power of your works . . . . They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness."

The chief cause of the societal degradation that we are seeing in our nation is the lack of Godly parental leadership in the home. Fathers are not rising to their Divinely-appointed responsibility to be men passionately committed to God, modeling through word and deed their surrender to Christ as Lord. Mothers are being pulled in so many different directions and are swayed by so many vain, worldly philosophies that they also do not model Godliness to their children.

Psalm 145 reveals to us what the parents in fact are to be doing. Parents are to tell their children of the mighty acts of God demonstrated through His awesome power (145:6). They are to speak of the majesty of God in His glorious splendor who is to be worshipped as the Supreme Sovereign over all things (145:1,5). They also are to proclaim to their children the goodness of the Lord, who is "gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love" (145:8-9).

In the latter half of the chapter, there is an interchange of reflection upon the greatness (vs. 11, 13) and goodness (vs. 8-10, 14-16) of God Almighty. It's as if David, the writer of the Psalm cannot get enough of His Lord. He is enthralled with knowing His Lord, and he wants to share his experience with all who will listen.

In verse 17-20, we find that the LORD is near to all of those who call on Him in truth, and He watches over those who love Him. However, he destroys those who defy Him through their wicked rebellion against His Lordship.

If we ever are to see reformation in our communities, it will start with the parents. If parents are not surrendered to Christ as Lord . . . if they are unwilling to teach and model to their children the joy and blessedness that intimate fellowship with God Almighty brings, then there is little hope for our nation. God has given us the prescription. He has promised to us His blessings if we are faithful; however, He also has given to us the consequence for disobedience. Parents, let us repent of our sins, turn to God, and teach our children!

Thanksgiving Starts with Reflection

2009-11-19T08:01:00.000-05:00

Psalm 144:3-4: " O LORD, what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow."

As the Thanksgiving holiday is fast upon us, we would do well to reflect upon what a spirit of thanksgiving looks like. What is it that makes a follower of Jesus Christ thankful? Why do they live their lives in a perpetual attitude of gratefulness, no matter the circumstances that they face in life?

A key indicator for us is found in the above cited verse. As King David petitioned the LORD for deliverance from his enemies, he paused midstream and contemplated the amazing blessing of God's involvement in our lives. Certainly God is not in need of communion with us. He could have created us and left us to the consequence of our rebellion against Him as LORD . . . which is physical and spiritual death. He did not need to involve Himself in our lives at all, seeing our physical lives as short and utterly meaningless (read Ecclesiastes for the "vanity" of this life). He could have concluded that we were not worth His time, as again He is not in need of fellowship with us. In actuality, God did not even need to create us in the first place; God does not need us and our association to have a sense of completion. He is perfect and glorious within Himself. One cannot help but be amazed that God, knowing before creation that we would commit cosmic treason against His Lordship and that any hope of reconciliation would cost Him His very life, would choose to create us anyway. It seems that the more rational conclusion would have been for God not to have created us.

That the Sovereign Creator of the universe would condescend to us and love us by fostering an intimate fellowship with us by sacrificing Himself truly is amazing! This is why grace is amazing! This is why God is amazing!

Again, we are so unworthy of an intimate relationship with God. The Scriptures tell us that because of our sinful rebellion against the Lord, we were God's enemies; however when we were powerless to do anything about our sin, Christ died for us, reconciling us to Him and granting us life (Romans 5:6-10). Our response to this offering should be repentance and surrender to Him as LORD. Oh the foolishness of those who would not receive such an offering of grace due to their stubbornness to surrender to the King of Kings. This is the greatest absurdity ever!

As we enter this holiday season, let us stop as David did and reflect upon what our Lord has offered to us. Let us remember that it is virtually inconceivable to think that God would choose to interact with us. In comparison to God, we are absolutely nothing and so undeserving of His love and fellowship (both now and in eternity). Let us savor the blessedness of redemption that has been offered through Christ Jesus' brutal sacrifice on the cross. Let us celebrate God's power over sin and death through the resurrection, giving us the hope of our resurrection (Romans 8:11). Let us kneel in awe that God even would choose to adopt us as His sons and daughters for all eternity (Ephesians 1:5). What a privilege!

And as we find ourselves truly overwhelmed by such benefits, let us open the portals of thanksgiving to our God, who is our Sovereign King, our Loving Lord, and our Glorious Savior!

How To Gain the Strength of God in the Midst of Trials

2009-11-18T07:59:00.000-05:00

Psalm 143: 11: "For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble."

David was rather keen at knowing that in the midst of tribulation, God was the One he needed to seek to gain deliverance from his difficulties. Psalm 143 in particular has a number of examples of ways we should process through the trials in our lives.

First, David sought the LORD in prayer and a desire for mercy (vs. 1-2). As David petitioned the LORD for deliverance, he recognized that God was faithful and righteous. David also confessed his sin, acknowledging that no one is righteous before a holy God.

Secondly, David assessed his deplorable situation and presented his case before the LORD (vs. 3). This necessitated not only contemplation but personal introspection on his part. One can conclude that if David found things in his life that he was doing to bring such consequences, he confessed them to the LORD and changed his ways.

Thirdly, David realized that he was not going to be able to get through his ordeal through his own strength (vs, 4). How often do we try to fix the burdens that we face rather than taking our situations to the LORD? We need to approach the throne of God in faith that He will intervene for us and work out His purposes for His glory (which ultimately is best).

Fourthly, David reflected upon God's faithfulness as he remembered what God had done in his life in days gone by. David found strength in the recollection of the past, and in the assurance that God was faithful and consistent. If God brought deliverance in the past, then surely He again would do so in David's present situation. We too can find that such reflections can spur on our faith in God in the midst of our trials. We can find such assurances by our reflection upon God's works as recorded in the Scriptures and in God's direct workings in our lives.

Fifthly, David had a teachable spirit that was open to being molded by God. He specifically shared with the Lord, "Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul . . . . Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground" (vs. 8, 10). How often do we approach the Lord in the midst of our trials with a closed spirit, unwilling to let God teach us and shape us through the experience? We must be pliable as we go through these difficulties, knowing that the LORD wants to mature us in our faith, bringing triumph in the midst of tragedy.

Lastly, David professed his allegiance to the LORD as His Master. David understood that his purpose for living was not for his own selfish desires, but to serve the LORD of hosts as a servant. Certainly for God to permit such difficulty in David's life, suggests that God was working out His Divine purposes in the midst of the ordeal. David knew that he needed to be attentive to his Master's will in the circumstance, knowing that glorifying the LORD was his foundational purpose in life.

God is always there with us as we traverse the burdensome paths in life. He works out His purposes in the midst of our difficulties to draw us closer to Him in a spirit of utter dependence. Sometimes He brings deliverance from our ordeals. In all situations, He wants to teach us and draw us into an ever closer intimacy with Him. We can see this happening with David in verse 6: "I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land."

May we never forget that when we seek God during our trials, God will impart peace and strength to us so that we can persevere and be further transformed by His glorious presence and work in our lives.

Feeling Isolated

2009-11-17T08:01:00.000-05:00

Psalm 142:4: "Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life."

This Psalm from David was written during a time when he was hiding out in a cave, trying to avoid the pursuits of King Saul. Saul perceived David a threat to his reign, and he was relentless in his attempts to kill the young man of Bethlehem.

David had just about reached the end of his rope. His spirit was "faint" as men attempted to ensnare him (and ultimately execute him)! The one thing that David did know was the importance of making his fretful case known to the Lord. It was not as if God was oblivious to David's situation; yet David knew that God desired him to bring his burdens to the Lord, acknowledging that God alone would be the source of deliverance from the misery of the hopeless situation.

The other thing noticeable from this Psalm was David's lack of support from others. When the times were really tough, the people scattered. This was even more reason for David to seek the Lord, for he knew that only the Sovereign One would be his Refuge during his time of desperate need.

By faith, David called for deliverance, and looked forward to giving God praise and worship for His answering David's prayer. Then David made a very keen observation. He noted that righteous people would surround him as he testified about the goodness of the Lord.

There is a great word for us. Many times when we are traversing certain "valleys of despair," we may find that few people are there to support us and encourage us. This may very well be because man is selfish by nature and apt to surround himself with people that bring some semblance of personal benefit. Conversely, true love is available to minister to others in all times, especially during those most difficult times that aren't pretty and certainly not going to bring any benefit. David acknowledged that he would have no problem with people surrounding him when the times of blessing would befall him. Even the righteous would gather around him as He praise the Lord for His hand of favor.

The things from this passage that we would do well to learn are the following:

1. When the times are very painful and difficult, we need to seek the Lord. He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), even though others might turn their backs on us in our time of despair. And the Lord is waiting for us to put our faith and trust in Him, knowing and believing that He can bring deliverance to us.

2. Our struggles might bring alienation from others, who don't want to have to deal with the challenges that we might be facing. Especially during these times, we again must realize that only God is our Refuge. And it is to Him that we must find fellowship and support.

This is not to suggest that we should become cynical and reclusive and withdraw from the world, believing it to be a collective of egocentrics who only want to associate with us for their personal benefit. To be sure, we ourselves might have brought our isolation through our abrasive personalities or chronic perpetuation of sin in our lives (despite the words of admonition from others who want to see us gain victory over sin).

The one thing that we should be more conscious of is the need to minister to others and be a blessing to others in their time of need. This is the way we can demonstrate true, God-like love to them and share their burdens, making their journey a little less troublesome.

What's a Good Indicator of Spiritual Maturity?

2009-11-16T08:01:00.000-05:00

Psalm 141:5: "Let a righteous man strike me-it is a kindness; let him rebuke me-it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it."

One of the truest measures of a person's spiritual maturity is his ability to receive objective criticism from a fellow believer in Jesus Christ. We as a community of faith are called to "sharpen one another" (Proverbs 27:17), and we know that the sharpening of two objects involves the grinding of those items against each other . . . a process that is not always pleasant but always constructive, if done in a spirit of redemption. None of us are impervious of the need for constructive criticism, for we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

All too often, however, we can see "ruffled feathers" from one who is not open to hearing an expressed concern from a fellow believer who might see an issue that might be affecting one's spiritual journey of obedience and faithfulness. When one person shares a word designed to present an objective assessment of his brother's situation, how that brother receives the information is a good indicator of his spiritual maturity. If he becomes belligerent and "snaps back" at the constructive criticism or if he pulls a passive-aggressive move and purposefully avoids the "sharer" in the future, then one can conclude that the person is not very mature in the faith.

Even if the criticism from another is not an accurate assessment of the circumstances, the mature believer who is receiving such admonition should be willing to receive the expressed concern in a spirit of love, understanding that there always is opportunity to learn and grow. The mature follower of Christ will recognize that the perception of the other person is important and will introspectively evaluate the situation to see if there is opportunity for personal improvement.

This does not necessarily mean that one must adhere to every expressed critical evaluation of another; for in fact there will be times when others will assess situations in other people's lives through their own selfish, non-principled lenses. This is why the Scripture cited above suggests that it is the rebuke of a righteous man that is a "kindness." Still, no matter who presents his case to us, we must always receive it in a spirit of love. This is how all men will know that we are true followers of Jesus Christ (John 13:35).

When Justice Is Blind

2009-11-13T07:56:00.001-05:00

Job 9:24: "When a land falls into the hands of the wicked, he blindfolds its judges."

Job shared this reflection while he was writhing in pain; still, he in his conversation with his friends, Bildad, Zophar, and Eliphaz had a rather perceptive conclusion to reality. That is, when a people turn from the ways of the Lord to wickedness, then its judges tend to follow suit and make judgments inconsistent with the ways of righteousness.

This is such a good word for us today. Are we not as a nation falling into this very pattern of rebellion against the Lord and His commands? Do we not see that our judicial system is following suit in making judgments that clearly are against the precepts found in God's Word? Do we not also see that those within the political realm have an insatiable hunger to appoint justices to key positions in the courts, who have opportunity through their judgments to influence laws to fit certain ideological agendas, contrary to God's decrees?

Whereas we are called to respect those in authority over us (Romans 13:1), we as a nation must stand aghast at the degradation of our country against the expressed will of God as is communicated in His Holy Scriptures. We would do well to repent of our collective sins of rebellion against the Sovereign Lord and elect representatives who will follow the ways of righteousness, even appointing justices that will make honorable decisions in their cases. It is only then that the blessings of God will be showered upon us, helping us find relief from the many different manifestations of difficulty that we are experiencing. This is what the Scriptures tell us: "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life" (Galatians 6:7-8).

The Church is Called to Unity

2009-11-11T09:13:00.000-05:00

Psalm 133:1,3b: "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! . . . . For there the LORD bestows his blessing even life forevermore."

If there is one evidence of the spiritual sterility of the Church, it is found in the constant feuding and bickering among the supposed saints behind the church doors. How many times have we heard about factions being formed within the church over trivial matters like the color of the carpet, or the style of worship, or the length of the services?

We must understand that if we have been redeemed by the Lord, we no longer are our own . . . but we have been "bought with a price" (I Corinthians 6:20). We have become "servants" of the LORD, ready to do His bidding rather than seeking our own selfish wills. We are called by the Almighty to "live a life worthy of the calling (we) have received . . . Being completely humble and gentle; patient, bearing with one another in love . . . Making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:1-3).

Disunity certainly will not be blessed by the Lord; rather He will withhold His hand of blessing from those persons and churches that would seek their own selfish desires over the will of God. One must wonder just how many churches are dying (or have already closed their doors) because they have seen their "church" as a means to seek their personal agendas for control, power, recognition, etc.

This topic reminds me of a church in which I served as a college student many years ago. This particular church during the 1950s was one of the largest churches in the city. Their worship building could seat over 500 people; and during that era, it was filled to capacity. When I was called to serve there in the 1980s, the church had dwindled to about 30. Most of its attendees were older, and often they reflected on the "good ol' days." They also wondered why their church was not still the flourishing church of yesteryear.

Just before my arrival, the church had called a 40-year-old pastor, and he was rather passionate about witnessing to the community and inviting people to come worship at the church. Sadly, the members were philosophically against such notions, believing that those invited would upset the "system" that they had greatly influenced over the years and had come to enjoy for their own personal benefit. Since the community was seeing more ethnic diversity, some of these church members were concerned that the invitations by the pastor for these people to worship with them would present a level of racial diversity that was quite uncomfortable for them. They too were concerned at the loss of control of the church, since some of these people being invited to the church might join, thus being given opportunity to vote for change.

I still remember as the 21-year-old college intern being approached by one of the deacons, who told me, "I've paid my tithe for over 40 years to this church! This is my church, and I'm not going to let some young preacher change that!" The pastor had made great strides in connecting with the community; but the personal desires of the church's members brought that to an abrupt end. Certain types of people were welcome, provided that they understood that they must adhere to the routines long established by these founding members.

Shortly thereafter, the church asked the pastor to leave, and they replaced him with an older pastor. Sadly, the church never saw the blessing of lives being changed for Christ. I had heard that the church eventually sold their property and merged with another struggling church and built a building in the suburbs for worship.

This is a perfect example of selfish, egocentricity that breeds quarrels and divisions that are not unlike a cancer that eats away at the vibrancy of a church and its effectiveness for the kingdom of God. Paul in his letter to the Romans identifies these people rather well as people serving themselves over the One True Lord: "I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned . . . . such people are not serving our Lord Christ but their own appetites" (Romans 16:17-18).

May we never be instruments used by the Evil One to cause divisions within the church. May we never let our personal agendas become so preeminent that we war against others in order to gain our way. Scripture calls us in view of God's grace lavished upon us, to be people of humility and graciousness. Whereas we may have differing opinions about various non-essential matters of the faith, we always are called to be people who are patient and loving. This is the way that the world will know that we are true followers of Jesus Christ (see John 13:35).

Why Do Good Things Happen To Bad People?

2009-10-20T08:06:00.000-04:00

Psalm 73:3-5, 16-17, 25: "For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man . . . . When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny . . . . Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you."

"Why Do Good Things Happen To Bad People?" . . . . This timeless question continues to present itself to us as we live our lives. As we struggle with life's tragedies and tribulations, we often look at others who we believe not to be people of integrity, basking in their prosperity, and we ask the "question." And the more we continue to ponder this incongruity, we can find ourselves sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss of despondency. Some of us can even get to the point that the writer of Psalm 73, Asaph, found himself . . . ready to throw in the towel and simply give up.

Asaph was a key Levite during the reign of David, and he was called to lead Israel in worship (see I Chronicles 16:5). There was a point, however, when Asaph took his eyes off of the Lord and started looking at his circumstances. Asaph knew that the Lord was good (Psalm 73:1); but he began to envy the prosperity of the wicked (Psalm 73:3). Even though Asaph knew that these people did not live lives of faithfulness to the Lord, they seemed to have the Midas touch. Everything that they put their hands to seemed to prosper. Asaph despaired so much that he started thinking that his faithfulness to the Lord was mere vanity (Psalm 73:13). As he tried to make sense of his circumstances, Asaph found himself at one of those pivotal points in life that could have spiraled him into bitterness and resentment toward the Lord for his circumstances.

Then the spiritual leader experienced a personal renaissance when he encountered the Lord again. God reminded Asaph that though He through His longsuffering was delaying the judgment against these wicked men, the day would come when their eternal destiny would be thrust upon them. Even now, as they were gorging themselves on their affluence, the Lord had placed them on a slippery slope that was leading them toward their destruction. Asaph then was able to regain a proper perspective that though this life is not free of disappointment for the righteous, God would restore the joy of blessedness for the righteous in eternity. Asaph also was reminded that the Lord was with him through life, and the Lord was willing to hold Asaph's hand through the journey, although the path seemed perilous, difficult, and unfair (Psalm 73:23).

Asaph then had some repenting to do. He understood that his thinking was "senseless" and "ignorant" (Psalm 73:22). The Levite longed for Heaven, and he recognized that this earth had nothing of desire other than the Lord Almighty (Psalm 73:25). In the end, Asaph knew that it was good simply to be near God. No longer was he frustrated with his circumstances or jealous that others seemed to have better "luck" than he had; rather, Asaph determined to make God his sole refuge and longed to share the goodness of the Lord with others.

This is such a good word for us. How often have we become discouraged because we've looked at our circumstances (and those of others around us) and started to complain that we don't get the "breaks" in life? Our problem is not the Lord; rather it is the fact that we have taken our eyes off the Lord and placed them upon our circumstances. The path of the righteous gets brighter and clearer each day, the more we look to the light source ahead (God) rather than our circumstances (Proverbs 4:18). If you're not seeing clearly, maybe you need to look back toward the Light!

What we need to do is be reminded that the "Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love and faithfulness" (Psalm 86:15). We need to celebrate the Lord, for "out of His great love and mercy He has saved us" (Ephesians 2:4-5). Rather than having a myopic view of our reality, we need to understand that God has eternity in mind when He will bless His redeemed beyond measure. When we by faith trust in Him, irrespective of the circumstances that we face, we will "not fear bad news (but be) steadfast, trusting in the LORD" (Psalm 112:7).

Notice that the words of encouragement to press on in this life come from the Scriptures. This is not mere happenstance; rather it is God's gift to us. The Bible is God's source of inspiration for us as we await our reclamation. It is the power source that fuels our faith and gives us truth to live lives of righteousness. If we are not in the Word, we lose several key elements of our spiritual armour that help us fight off the flaming arrows of the Evil One. Without a daily feasting upon the Word, we lose our first weapon of defense, the shield of faith, that comes from hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17; Ephesians 6:16). We also lose the belt of truth, and we will find ourselves caught with our spiritual pants down . . . which is not a pretty sight (Ephesians 6:14). And our breastplate of righteousness is so weakened that the darts of the Devil can pierce our hearts and bring utter discouragement (Ephesians 6:14). Therefore, we must delight ourselves in His Word, otherwise we will "perish in our affliction" (Psalm 119:92).

If you find yourself struggling in depression because of your disappointments in this life, then "set your heart on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory" (Colossians 3:1-4). Also celebrate the Lord who "daily bears our burdens" (Psalm 68:19). We don't have to traverse this life without the Sovereign One. He is with us every step of the way, and He will guide us until the day that He introduces us to "an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for us . . . . (which is something we can) greatly rejoice, though now for a little while (we) have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials" (I Peter 1:4-6).

How Are We To Look to Heaven?

2009-10-19T08:04:00.000-04:00

Psalm 123:1-2: "I lift my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven. As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he shows us his mercy."

People demonstrate many different approaches in their pursuit of God. Many today see God as a "friend," who only wants to shower upon us His blessings, without having any expectations of us. Those who embrace such fallacious notions, see God as the proverbial grandfather figure that lets us do whatever we would desire, without consequence.

Conversely, we find in this passage that the psalmist sees his relation to the Lord as one of a slave toward his master. We know that a slave has no rights and is not consumed with his own desires; rather, he is focused on the will of his master and seeks to please him through obedience.

Verse 3 tells us that the psalmist seeks mercy from his Master . . . not self-seeking, self-fulfilling demands; this man wants to receive the blessing of the Master's favor. One can sense from the psalmist that he is consumed with pleasing his Master, rather than the selfish adulation that is so prevalent in our world (and sadly in many of our churches).

Let us never forget that God expects our surrender to Him as LORD. Let us learn from the psalmist's approach as He looks to His Master in Heaven, and may we embrace such an understanding of submission. Surrender is God's expectation of us, and it is only through our capitulation to Him that we will find His mercy, His favor, and His blessing.

Where Do Prayers Go After Offered?

2009-10-15T11:09:00.000-04:00

Revelation 8:2-4: "And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand."

In this interesting account of the activity recorded in Heaven, we notice that the prayers of the saints are offered on a golden altar before God by an angel, whose charge it is to offer incense to the Almighty.

We know from Hebrews 8:2,5 that the Heavenly tabernacle is similar to the one constructed by Moses in the Old Testament; and we know that the Heavenly tabernacle was constructed by the LORD, where Jesus our High Priest serves in the sanctuary, ever making intercession for us (see Hebrews 7:25; 8:2). What is quite fascinating from the Revelation 8 passage above is the presence of a golden altar before the throne of the Almighty upon which the prayers of the saints are offered along with "much incense." We know from antiquity that incense was offered by a priest or other religious intermediary as a recognition of and surrendering to a deity. In the case of the Israelites, this was performed as an expression of worship to the One True Lord of Hosts. That "much incense" would be offered by this angel suggests that God truly is worthy of great honor and praise. He is the Sovereign Lord above all others, and exclusively deserving of our exclusive allegiance.

As I ponder this formal episode, with prayers being offered from this "golden censer" upon the golden altar, I wonder to myself, "How many of my prayers are being presented to the LORD? Have I discredited the importance or need for prayer, thinking that God already knows everything and my petitions and expressions of thanksgiving are redundant and a waste of my time and His? Do I fall into the trap that prayers are mere verbal utterances that leave my mouth and diffuse within seconds never to be heard of again? When I begin to think about the ceremonious offering of prayers even now before the LORD, seated upon His glorious throne, my understanding of prayer's importance both in God's loving response to me (see James 4:2) and in my participation NOW in Heavenly worship (Revelation 8:3) is heightened, and I see that prayer is much more than a perfunctory religious mandate. It is the awesome privilege of joining the heavenly hosts in honoring the LORD!

We must never forget that prayer is crucially important as a resource for Divine intervention as well as an opportunity for our eternal praise of the Almighty. True disciples of Jesus Christ are blessed beyond measure to be granted permission to approach the Heavenly throne of God with confidence (see Hebrews 4:16). What a privilege it is that our loving Lord, in His Sovereign Greatness, is willing to grant us the blessing of worshipping Him through our offerings of prayer upon His glorious altar. It is the one way that we can participate in Heavenly worship, while we continue pressing on in this earthly life . . . . awaiting our Lord's glorious return!

God's Word Keeps Us From Sin

2009-10-14T08:23:00.000-04:00

Psalm 119:11, 101, 104, 113: "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you . . . . I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word . . . . I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path . . . . I hate double-minded men, but I love your law."

The longest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119, and interestingly it is also the chapter that lists references to the Word of God more frequently than any other (nearly 200). This chapter therefore could be called the "Word" chapter for its many affirmations of the preciousness of God's Holy Word and the blessings afforded to those who would hear it.

One of the striking revelations from the verses mentioned above is the assurance that adherence to the Word keeps one from sin; in fact, for those who would savor and revere the Word, there arises within their spirit a hatred for sinful paths. So too comes a detesting of double-mindedness. One who loves the Word finds repulsive those who are "fence straddlers" . . . that is, those who have one foot in their presumed faith and one foot toward the worldly enticements that are contrary to the Word of God. There is no equivocation within the person who loves the Lord and His Word, for he finds God's Word more precious than fine gold (Psalm 119:127) and he follows its choice morsels of wisdom without hesitation (Psalm 119:167).

Those involved in sin are those not regularly meditating upon God's Word and obeying its precepts. If you find yourself in such a predicament, then start with meditating upon God's Holy Word and permit the Holy Spirit to use the Scriptures to convict you and lead you toward the paths of righteousness. God will bless you for your obedience to Him (Psalm 119:1).

What's the Middle Verse of the Bible?

2009-10-07T08:39:00.000-04:00

Psalm 118:8: "It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man."

In looking through the voluminous information on the Internet concerning the middle chapter and verse of the Bible, I found that the majority of references cite Psalm 118:8 as that verse. What is also mentioned is that there are 594 chapters both before and after Psalm 118. When one adds 594 together, one gets 1188 (which also is the verse above). Whereas the original Scriptures were not given chapter and verse delineations, we do find that this middle verse does give us the summation of what we must understand about a true relationship with God.

Whereas God has given to us His offering of salvation through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ, we know that our response to Him must be faithful surrender. Ultimately, we must yield the entirety of our lives to His Lordship. To trust in ourselves and seek our own adulation and satisfaction is the foundation of sin, which is treason against the Almighty! God is Creator of all things and worthy of all worship; when man displaces true worship in favor of himself, he is subject to the wrath of God. This is why Jesus Christ, God Almighty, had to come to pay the sin penalty that we all have committed.

Still, the benefits of God's grace are only granted to those who would kick themselves off the throne of their lives and submit to Christ as Lord and Savior. No matter of perfunctory religiosity will do . . . only capitulation to the Sovereign Lord of Hosts.

Let us not trust in ourselves; rather, let us put our faith and trust in the LORD as our refuge. We will never regret our decision to do so, for the LORD is faithful and just to forgive us and purify us from our sins of rebellion.

How Can You Keep Yourself Pure?

2009-10-06T08:19:00.000-04:00

Psalm 119:9: "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word."

Purity and integrity are attributes noticeably absent in our modern world. Instead, what we find prevalent are people who are "lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (2 Timothy 3:2-4).

Many of these people are so brazen in their wickedness, that their consciences are seared to indifference about their behavior. There is no guilt or shame associated with their actions; for to them, their own satisfaction justifies any behavior that they perpetrate.

For one to live a life of Godliness, being obedient to the One True Lord of Hosts, he must be committed to feasting upon the Holy Scriptures of God and living according to its dictates. If a person is not in the Word of God, he invariably will gravitate back to the debasement of self-idolization that seeks to satisfy its own desires over surrender to the Lord. Still, merely hearing the Word is not enough. We MUST also do what it says . . . otherwise we are just kidding ourselves. (see James 1:22-23).

Examine yourself. Do you find yourself separated from intimate fellowship with the LORD through His Word? Do you only pick up your Bible to take it to church on Sundays? Do you even pick it up then? Is your Bible collecting dust on a shelf? Then don't be surprised if you are experiencing the painful consequences of sin in your life. Sin will be evident when you are not permitting the Holy Spirit to use the Scriptures to saturate your soul with the directives that will lead you down the paths of righteousness (see Psalm 119:105). Repentance and recommitment might be in order here. Confess your indifference to the Word of God and get yourself into it . . . and start living it. Then watch out . . . for the LORD will pour out His wisdom and blessing upon you truly in magnificent ways.

Going Backward Instead of Forward

2009-09-30T08:08:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 7:23-24: "I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you. But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward."

We have all heard the old saying "two steps forward, three steps back" when referring to vain attempts of making progress in something. In the life of the Israelites of the days of Jeremiah, these people were making no attempts whatsoever at Godliness. There were no steps forward . . . only steps backward. They were feasting upon their selfish, sinful desires with no thought whatsoever to surrendering to the LORD. Sadly, they believed that their participation in religious services justified themselves to the LORD; but once they performed their "religious ritual" they were done with God.

Those who truly have been transformed by the saving grace of God will evidence this wonderful, Divine work in their lives by living lives of surrender and obedience. This certainly is the command given to us by the Almighty when He tells us, "Prove by the way you live that you have really turned from your sins and turned to God. Don't just say, 'we're safe.' That proves nothing . . ."(NLT). "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance." (NIV). Luke 3:8.

And lest we believe that we are not able to live our lives free from sin and self-centeredness, the LORD tells us that "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires" (2 Peter 1:3-4). We therefore have no excuses.

Let's not follow the pattern of life modeled by the Israelites in Jeremiah's day. Let us not take a few steps forward in obedience and maturity in our faith, only to fall back into the pattern of worldliness that is so typical of a person of ego-centrism and carnality. Instead, let us keep pressing forward in obedience until the day of our full redemption in eternity.

How Do You Repay the LORD for His Goodness?

2009-09-29T08:31:00.001-04:00

Psalm 116:12: "How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. I will fulfill the vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people."

There's no doubt that the LORD has lavished upon us the immeasurable blessings of grace and fellowship with Him. So how are we to repay Him? Whereas we know that we cannot perform in such a way to merit our favor before the LORD; still, we are able to show our deepest gratitude for His grace by holding up the cup of salvation. This may seem a bit strange at first; but if we take and raise our salvation to a place of prominence within our hearts and lives, we will find ourselves in celebrative praise to the LORD who has blessed us with eternal hope through His loving death and resurrection. When we lift this cup, we will find ourselves in utter amazement and overwhelming joy at our glorious LORD. We will be awestruck that the God of the entire universe desires intimate fellowship with us for all eternity; and we will be humbled that He has offered to us the blessedness of perfection . . . freed from all of the ravishes of this life that have come upon us because of sin.

When we raise the cup of our salvation, we also will find ourselves calling upon the LORD with more regularly. Our hearts will be reoriented to understand that we are utterly dependent upon Him for everything . . . our lives, our needs, our fulfillment, etc. And we also will understand that only the LORD will bring the contentment and completion that our souls so desperately crave.

When we raise the cup of our salvation, we also will fulfill our vows to the LORD. This is not just honoring a few promises made now and again to God, but it involves a total surrender to Him as Sovereign Master and King. We find this disposition in the Psalmist's words found just a few verses later (Psalm 116:16): "O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant." Our faithful obedience is not something that we have to motivate ourselves to do; rather, it a shear delight, when we fathom the amazing love and grace that God has lavished upon us.

One of the interesting verses wedged between the two verses that speak of one being a faithful servant to His LORD, is this one: "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints" (116:15). God is so pleased with the one who is "totally in" for Him that his death is a delight in that it results in his spirit being called into God's glorious presence. The LORD is desirous of His followers communing with Him before His throne. This in and of itself is absolutely wonderful and amazing . . . that the Sovereign Creator of the universe desires eternal fellowship with those so undeserving of Him.

For those of us who have received His salvation and have come to appreciate His presence in our lives, let us do as the Psalmist shares; namely, let us offer thank offerings to the LORD, call on His name regularly, and fulfill our vows of obedience to Him. The LORD delights in our true worship of Him.

Formula for a Healthy Family (both locally and Spiritually)

2009-09-23T08:16:00.000-04:00

If there is one thing noticeably lacking in our culture today, it is a society of healthy families and healthy churches. Dysfunction seems to ooze forth from these relational entities, resulting in a staggering number of relational fractures. Headache and heartache spew forth from those directly involved, with many stammering to find a relationship that first and foremost makes them happy. They cycle from relationship to relationship trying to find the one that will meet their needs; seldom do you find one that is desirous of searching the Scriptures to see God's formula for healthy families and churches. We therefore would do well to reexamine the Scriptures to see God's instructions to us in these areas, in order that those of us who have had an improper understanding of our roles in these relationships might confess our waywardness and return to the LORD's will with steadfast obedience.

Let us first start with the husband who is the spiritual head of the family. A husband is to love his bride as Christ loves the Church (His bride), putting her needs before His own, even if this means his very life. This calling has been given to the husband by the LORD, to help him better appreciate the LORD's own calling as husband to the Church and "has given himself up for the church in order that he might make her holy and purified to present her as a radiant church without stain or wrinkle or blemish." (see Ephesians 5:25-33). One can see the beauty of a loving LORD who lavishes His love to the Church, with the desire of presenting her in beautiful splendor before the heavenly hosts in eternity at the celebration of the wedding feast. This is LOVE at its finest!

Husbands would do well to reflect often upon the LORD's modeling and embrace these principles of love and ministry that would bless his bride. There is no discerning wife that would reject such a display of love and kindness; in fact, there are many brides who are grieving in the deepest depths of their souls because they are married to self-absorbed husbands who are only interested in satisfying their personal needs. If you find yourself a husband like this, it is time to confess your egregious sin to the LORD and your wife, and return to the Biblical understanding of your calling as a servant to the LORD and a true "lover" of your wife. You will be blessed if you do.

So too a man who is a father is called to love his children, modeling the unfathomable love that God the Father has for us as His children (see I John 3:1). This father is to demonstrate constancy in his Godly integrity so that his children will be granted the blessing of stability and security, in much the same way that God the Father is unchanging in His purposes of righteousness so that we are secure in our faith in Him as LORD (see Hebrews 6:17; James 1:17). A father is to discipline his children in love so that they will follow the precepts of the LORD in their adult lives (Hebrews 12:7-8; Proverbs 22:6). Of course this mandate to discipline is with the understanding that it is given constructively and redemptively . . . in order that the children will not lose heart in exasperation (Ephesians 6:4). How often have we observed the dearth of Godly fathers in the home (if they are even in the home)? How often have we seen mothers being forced to take the initiative to take their children to church and prepare devotions for their children in the home, while the father is disengaged from anything spiritually related? This should never be! The fathers are to be the spiritual leaders in the home . . . this is their calling. If you are a father and are neither modeling integrity in your life nor leading your family in intimate fellowship with the LORD, it would be better for you to tie a millstone around your neck and cast yourself in the depths of the sea (see Luke 17:1-2)! Therefore confess your sins of disobedience to the LORD's calling and start being the Godly father that you are supposed to be.

A wife is called to submit to her Godly husband in everything in much the same way as the Church is to submit to Christ as its Head and Savior (see Ephesians 5:22-24, I Peter 3:1-7). Submission unfortunately has been relegated by our society to being a suppressive instrument that inhibits women from being all that they can be. This of course is not the intended purpose of the LORD. Much like the calling for husbands to love their wives in order that they and their wives might better appreciate through experience God's love for the Church, so too through submission, wives and their husbands are able to understand through their personal, relational experience the calling of the Church to surrender to the LORD in all things. This submission does not mean that women have less intrinsic value than their husbands; rather, it is a functional role that God has prescribed to give us an earthly model that helps us better understand the ultimate heavenly marriage (i.e. God and the Church). This submission is seen as "fitting to the LORD" (Colossians 3:18). Need any more be said?

Much like the husband is to be a Godly man of integrity, being a blessing to his family, a wife is also to be a woman of noble character, which will be her husband's crown (see Proverbs 12:4). If the wife demonstrates such Godliness, her husband will be respected in the community for having a wife like this, and he will praise her for being such a blessing (see Proverbs 31:23, 28). Whereas this command might be quite foreign in our modern culture, still it is the Divine mandate for a healthy, vibrant marital relationship.

A wife who is a mother is to nurture and challenge her children so that they will mature in faith with each passing year. If she faithfully fulfills this calling, her children will not depart from Godly principles as they grow older. . . but will rise up, praising the LORD and blessing the name of their mother (Proverbs 22:6; 31:28). This too is the calling of the Church . . . as the bride and mother to nurture and challenge its congregants so that they will mature in the faith. There's no seeker-sensitive, sweet, sticky, cinnamon-bun spirituality here!

Children are called to submit to and respect their mother and father, for their parents have been placed in their positions of authority by the LORD. The Lord is pleased with such surrender (Colossians 3:20) and promises that things will go well for the child who submits to his Godly parents (Ephesians 6:3). If children will respect and obey their Godly parents, they will have no difficulty in surrendering themselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, which is the critical ingredient of salvation!

So too are the congregants to "obey their spiritual leaders and submit to their authority (for they) keep watch over the members as men who must give an account (before God)." (Hebrews 13:17, I Timothy 5:17,19; I Thessalonians 5:12). How often have we observed unruly, recalcitrant "church members" who would rebel against all those in spiritual authority over them? They are the instigators of disharmony and dissension within the church, much like Diotrephes, who was antagonistic in the church because "he loved to be first." (see 3 John 9-10). Just as a local family is quite dysfunctional when its children do not respect and submit to their parents, so too is the church whose congregants constantly rebel against the leadership appointed by the LORD. Many churches are dying from within, because its members are self-consumed and will not submit themselves to the Godly elders of the church, who again have been placed in their positions by the LORD to lead the church in the ways of obedience and righteousness until the day of our reclamation.

There is much to reflect upon in the above mandates from the LORD. May we break free from the dysfunction that is so prevalent in our culture by faithfully following our Divinely-appointed, relational responsibilities. We will be blessed in our families and in our churches if we do.

Sing Your Praise to the LORD

2009-09-22T08:20:00.000-04:00

Psalm 113:3-9: "From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised. The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people. He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD."

One of my favorite Christian songs of all time is from the late Christian musician, Rich Mullins, entitled "Sing Your Praise to the LORD." In the bridge of this song, the above verses are quoted, which really gives the singer THE reason why one is to sing praises to the LORD. We know that the LORD is exalted above all. He sits enthroned on high and "stoops down" to give us His love and care at all times. And even though we may find ourselves without the benefits of worldly privilege and affluence, the LORD will raise us up at the proper time and establish us for all eternity as His adopted sons of daughters . . . children of the Almighty King.

For this reason, our souls should be overflowing with the joy of our salvation, and we should be praising the name of the LORD from the moment of our rising ("the rising of the sun") until the last moment of consciousness before our sleep ("the place where it [the sun] sets"). At all times and in all places, our primary thought should be one of praise and adoration of the One True LORD of hosts, and only an attitude of genuine awe and gratefulness to the LORD will display such a disposition. Otherwise we will fall back into the ways of our selfishness and begin to seek our own appetites over glorifying the LORD.

Let us not forget the awesomeness of the LORD and His loving kindness to us. Let us reflect upon the extraordinary privilege of our adoption into His royal family with all of the benefits contained therein. And let us sing our praises to the LORD genuinely and wholeheartedly.

Rising Above Tragedy

2009-09-18T08:58:00.000-04:00

Psalm 112: 1-2, 6-7: "Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands . . . . Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD."

Living in a fallen, sinful world presents us the certainty that tragedy will come our way. Whereas it will be packaged differently for each of us, we know that these unfortunate events will befall all of us, striking us with their fury and forcing us to deal with the aftermath of broken hearts, relationships, and dreams.

What we find from the passage cited above is equal certainty that the righteous man who fears the LORD and finds great delight in His commands will not be shaken. Yes he will endure the anguish that is introduced by the painful calamity; but he is anchored in the LORD, savoring the intimacy that brings assurance that the LORD is in control and loves us. He too is strengthened by the awareness that he will dwell eternally with the LORD (i.e. "he will be remembered forever"), in a place liberated from this abysmal life filled with sin and sorrow.

Though the righteous man will grieve the losses that come his way, he does not fear them. He trusts in the LORD and knows that He will deliver His redeemed and even now is delivering them (see I Corinthians 1:10).

We are not able to control the tragedies that come in this life; however, we are in complete control of how we handle those painful ordeals. May we ever resolve ourselves to be like the righteous mentioned above. May we delight in the commands of the LORD . . . may we have reverential respect for the Sovereign One . . . may we be steadfast, ultimately trusting that the LORD is in control, that He is good, and that He will redeem us.

Who is The Wise Man?

2009-09-16T08:07:00.000-04:00

Psalm 111:10: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise."

Want to be a person of wisdom?

Want to see the power of God made manifest in your life? (Psalm 111:6)

Want to see the provision of God in your life? (Psalm 111:5)

Want to be able to ponder in awe the works of God in your life? (Psalm 111:2)

Want to know His faithfulness and justness, that "reaches to the skies?" (Psalm 111:7; 108:4)

Want to see the trustworthiness of His precepts? (Psalm 111:7)

Want to experience His redemption? (Psalm 111:9)

Want to encounter the awesomeness and holiness of the Almighty? (Psalm 111:9)

Then start by fearing the LORD. Know Him as the Sovereign LORD of the universe who is worthy of our surrender and obedience and praise. Revere Him above all other persons and things (including yourself) and faithfully follow His statutes as a servant would follow His master's decrees.

Reorient your mindset and your behavior to know that it is God alone who is worthy of worship and praise (see Psalm 111:10b). If you know the LORD this way, then you will be a person of great wisdom and understanding, and you will be the beneficiary of all the blessings mentioned above.

The Reclamation

2009-09-14T07:58:00.000-04:00

Psalm 110:3: "Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth."

Psalm 110 announces the coming end of time, when the LORD Almighty will come forth in glorious majesty. He will descend triumphantly, bringing judgment to those who had rebelled against His offering of grace. With a mighty scepter, the LORD will rule over His enemies, crushing kings and heaping up the dead. It truly will be a day of awe and dread for those who had not submitted themselves to His Lordship.

At the same time, the LORD will "from the womb of the dawn receive the dew of (their) youth" (110:3). Whereas there might be a number of interpretations for this verse, one that seems plausible is the reclamation of the redeemed from the ravages that sin had placed upon their lives. Though sin had brought the curse, leading to physical decline and death, now the LORD is making all things new for those who have received His grace (see Revelation 21:5; Isaiah 65:17f). His eternal abode is the womb of the dawn . . . a setting for new beginnings. So too, the LORD will restore us to like the morning dew, that proclaims the fresh, newness in the day of our reclamation in which the vigor of our youth is restored (and actually made better through glorious perfection [see I Corinthians 15:42-44]).

For those who are yielded to Christ as Lord, these words of hope should spur us on to be all that we can be for the Lord of Hosts. Let us not become weary in doing good, for we await the harvesting of our souls by the Sovereign One who will perfect us beyond that which we could ever imagine! (Galatians 6:9).

Cheap Grace is No Grace at All

2009-09-11T08:09:00.000-04:00

Romans 6:1-7: "What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that , just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-because anyone who has died has been freed from sin."

The grandest misconception throughout Christendom today is the notion that God's grace gives license for a person to perpetuate sinful behavior without consequence. How many times have we witnessed professing "Christians" act in such a way that were they to communicate their behavior verbally they would say something like this: "I know that I sin a lot . . . but I love it . . . and I don't feel badly about it and am certainly not going to change it, because it's all covered by Christ's blood."

The Apostle Paul addressed this very issue in Romans 6, when he strongly denounced such a foolish rationale about sin. The Greek words, "me genoito (by no means!) used by Paul are very strong; and in the context of the passage, he sternly rebukes the idea that one can have free reign of his life (i.e. satisfying his sinful desires) after he has committed himself to the LORD.

Paul then uses the imagery of death to illustrate who the redeemed are before their LORD. If a person truly has yielded himself to Christ, his old sinful ways have been crucified "so that the body of sin might be done away with" (Romans 6:6). The true Christian through the power of the Holy Spirit will resist temptation and live a life as an offering to the God (Romans 6:13).

The strongest word in the entire chapter may be the conditional "if" mentioned in verse 5. Paul tells us that IF we have been united with Christ through His death (for the atonement of sin) and IF we have died to ourselves (i.e. to our selfish quest for lordship and the satisfaction of our wanton desires ), then we will be united with Him in His resurrection. Just as death has no mastery over Christ, so too for the true believer sin no longer has mastery over him (see Romans 6:9). He lives a life to the honor and glory of his LORD, not for the indulgence of the flesh.

Make no mistake about it, grace is an amazing offering of love by God for the redemption of humanity; however, only those who renounce their allegiance to "self" as god in favor of becoming a true slave to Christ will reap the blessing of God's forgiveness and salvation for all eternity. Freedom from sin is predicated upon a person dying to sin and living a new life of surrender to God.

Do not fall prey to the notion that God's grace is something easily acquired through a few token words spoken to a pastor during a worship service invitation. Grace will only be afforded to those to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow Him in faithful obedience as LORD. Whereas this might not be the popular trend for the understanding of grace in our culture, we must never forget the words of Christ in Matthew 7:13-14: "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Though many will at the Day of Judgment attempt to enter into the blessedness of God's eternal kingdom, they will be refused . . . for they did not appreciate that salvation is given only to those who relinquish their lives to the Lord (i.e. "dying to self) and follow Him in faithful obedience (Luke 13:24).

Who Is the True Helper?

2009-09-09T08:28:00.000-04:00

Psalm 108:12-13: "Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies."

Many of us, whenever we face a crisis introduced by an "enemy," are inclined to rush to our own devices to seek deliverance rather than seeking the LORD's guidance first. We believe that if we can control the situation through our own efforts, we can avert the "enemy" before us. Or we conclude that the remedies offered by the world are more resourceful for defeating our enemies.

When one reads Psalm 109, one finds that the "enemies" are those who open their mouths to speak lies against the ones they despise. They accuse with words of hatred and betray the friendship extended to them. These enemies are wicked and deceitful who scorn those that don't satisfy their hunger for preeminence.

Understanding this context, we find that our greatest "enemy" is the one who would attempt to destroy us if we are not catalytic in their pursuit for lordship. These enemies would attempt to establish themselves as supreme over all persons and things, including the One True Lord. They will use others for this insatiable craving for exaltation, and they will turn upon anyone who would thwart their intended purposes.

As we reflect upon our "enemies" we may find that the most formidable one might be the one staring back at us in the mirror. Do we wrestle within ourselves to be the lord of our own lives? This craving of course is something that we all have fought, for it is the root of sin . . . exalting "self" as supreme (see Genesis 3:4-6). Only through the initiatory, convicting power of the Holy Spirit coupled with a person's consequent resolve to dethrone himself will the sinner break free from tempting enticements for self-supremacy. Sadly, those who would perpetuate their lordship over the One True Lord will find themselves subjected to His eternal judgments.

If we find ourselves exalting ourselves as supreme, we would do well to seek the LORD for deliverance from this most formidable foe. God is gracious and just and will forgive us if we confess Him as the LORD of our lives. We must remember the most telling words shared in the passage above; "The help of man is worthless. With God we will gain the victory."

God's Discipline is Restorative (2)

2009-09-04T08:06:00.000-04:00

Psalm 107:10-13: "Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom, prisoners suffering in iron chains, for they had rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High. So he subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled,and there was no one to help. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress."

As we reflect upon these verses, we find that God sometimes introduces "bitter labor" upon those who are acting in rebellion to His Sovereign will. And though this discipline is painful, it nevertheless is designed to draw the impenitent to a place of contrition, confession, and surrender to Him as Lord. Of course, this is not to coerce a person to capitulation simply because God is a tyrant who wants to dominate others; rather, God knows that we were created with the need to have intimate fellowship with Him. God also is Holy and is due all praise and obedience; thus, His creation was designed to exalt His Holiness. To do otherwise is to perpetrate that which is opposite to our original design and purpose . . . . This is cosmic treason at its worst!

Therefore, we know that when God brings discipline to us, it is to draw us back into intimate fellowship with Him. For the Israelites referenced above, they realized that their "bitter labor" was no place to be. They also knew what they needed to do (especially since no one was there to come to their rescue other than God). . . they called out to the LORD for His deliverance.

This is a good word for us. Some of us might find ourselves in "bitter labor" for our sinful ways. God may have brought such difficulty in order to get our attention . . . so that we would surrender to Him. If there is a truth statement, it is that no one who chooses to follow the LORD in obedience later regrets such a decision; equally true is the statement that people who choose to rebel against the Lord ALWAYS regret such disobedience.

If we find ourselves in the slough of despondency, let us not continue there through perpetual rebellion. We must remember that God disciplines us so that "we might share in his holiness . . . . producing a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it" (see Hebrews 12:10-11). Let us "be trained" from God's discipline and turn from our wickedness back to His glorious Light. He will deliver us, for His love is unfailing (see Ps. 107:15).

Even the Mountains Respect the LORD

2009-09-03T07:56:00.000-04:00

Zechariah 14:3-4,9: "Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley . . . . The LORD will be king over the whole earth. One that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name."

The prophet Zechariah was called by the LORD in 520 BC to herald the coming hope of the Savior, bringing deliverance to His people and establishing His reign over the earth. Like with his contemporary, Haggai, Zechariah was called by the LORD to encourage the Jewish people to rebuild the temple as a place of worship of the One True God. Even the name, Zechariah, means "Yahweh Remembers" . . . a name filled with hope for a people who had been in captivity to the Babylonians for 70 years.

One of the strategies to encourage the people was to interject the hope found in the coming of the LORD, who would establish His throne in the New Jerusalem for all eternity; whereas the people had been through much calamity, the LORD knew that their spirits would be uplifted as they focused upon their reclamation by the LORD, who would triumph over all evil and who would restore all things to their glorious perfection.

One of the telling passages is cited above, namely that when the Lord descends upon the Mount of Olives, east of the city of Jerusalem, the mountain will split with half of it moving northward and the other half moving southward. As one visualizes such an event, in light of the typography of the land, one can see the wonderful display of submission even by God's creation. For when the mountains split in the direction indicated by the Scriptures, they will open a corridor that will point toward the glorious city of Jerusalem. The King of Kings will move westward between the divided mountain and pass through the Kidron Valley on His way to the city, as the New Jerusalem will descend from heaven beautifully dressed in preparation for His advent (see Revelation 21:2). The LORD will then sit upon His eternal throne and He will dwell with the redeemed, making all things new, whole, and wonderful.

This is a good word of hope for those of us who have yielded ourselves to the Lord as the Savior and King of our lives. God has given to us the hope of this blessed event as a source of encouragement as we traverse this difficult life, filled with pain and disappointment. If you find yourself struggling in this life, then the LORD invites you to reflect upon His triumphal return, when He will restore all things to glorious perfection. Hopefully, this reflection will rekindle an appreciation and awe in you of the One True Lord, bringing you to the same state of surrendered obedience much like the mountains that will humble themselves with the coming of the LORD.

God is Sovereign. He is Eternal. And He will Restore. Blessed be the Name of the LORD!

When Memory Loss is the Ultimate Loss

2009-08-31T08:37:00.001-04:00

Psalm 106:12-14, 24-26: "They (the Israelites) believed His (God's) promises and sang his praise. But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel. In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wasteland they put God to the test. . . . Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe his promise. They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the LORD. So he swore to them with uplifted hand that he would make them fall in the desert."

If there is one episode that is referenced time and again in the Scriptures, it is the account of the children of Israel leaving Egypt for the promised land. Immediately following God's incredible display of power at the parting of the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to escape Pharaoh and his mighty army, the Israelites were celebrating in dance and song. As they beat their tambourines, they gave praise to the LORD as the One highly exalted (literally "risen risenly").

But it was not long before these Israelites forgot who God was and His promises to them (in fact it was only three days until they started their grumbling for not having water in the desert). They permitted their circumstances to gain a foothold upon them, leading to their despondency. It was then that the true disposition of their hearts was revealed; they were a people more consumed with their own desires above being faithful to the One True Lord of Hosts.

In becoming angry with God and His servant Moses, they determined not to wait on the Lord to work His purposes through them; rather, they resolved within themselves to do what they believed to be expedient for themselves. This consumption with "self" eventually led to their craving of their own wanton lusts in direct defiance to the commands of the Lord. They became so enamored with their self-ladened debauchery that they would actually come to a point that they would "despise" the very Promised Land of blessing that the Lord had offered to them, provided that they would be surrendered to Him and obedient to His calling.

In the end, the LORD would remove his offering of the rich, fertile land of Palestine to them, since they did not want it. The LORD swore that He would have His people die in the wilderness, never being the beneficiaries of the very best that God wanted for them.

This is a tremendous word for us today. We must remember that life is not a continuous, spiritual euphoria; rather, it is one filled with wilderness travels that will test our faith. What we must remember is that our faith is strengthened through trial and tribulation. If we remain anchored by faith to the LORD in the midst of our difficulties, we will not follow a similar path of despondency that the Israelites traversed. Sadly, if we forsake the Lord, we will forsake His best for our lives (and eternity in His blessed Promised Land [i.e. Heaven]). We will follow our own selfish desires to the detriment of our calling . . . which is to be yielded to God as our Master and Savior. And we will find ourselves dying in the wilderness.

Let's be a people who trust in the Lord no matter the circumstance. Let's condescend our wills to His glorious will for our lives. And let's joyously await His very best for us . . . both now and for all eternity.

Celebrate, Petition, Share

2009-08-25T08:29:00.000-04:00

Psalm 105:1-4: "Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always."

Here is the Biblical formula for the Christian:

First, thank the Lord! How often do we reflect upon the good things that the LORD has given to us? We all struggle with different burdens in life; but still, we can all find things for which we can be thankful, if we look hard enough. God is a giver of good things to His people. What we need to do is as the song rightfully suggests, "count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the LORD has done." Making a conscious decision to reorient our thinking to being grateful will help us break free from the bitterness and negativity that can creep into our lives, if we dwell upon the misfortunes that come our way.

We are also called to "call upon the name of the Lord (as we) look to the LORD and His strength." God has made us as dependent creatures. In no way can we live life as beings independent of the Lord's help and His deliverance. How often have we missed the blessings of the LORD simply because we failed to petition Him? Certainly, James tells us that we "do not have, because (we) do not ask" (James 4:2). Calling upon the Lord intimates that a person is not able in and of himself to solve all of life's situations. By approaching the throne of God, we acknowledge that we are desperately in need of His Sovereign involvement in every facet of our lives. Our petitions also remind us of our need ever to walk in a spirit of humility and awe in the One who holds everything together (Colossians 1:17). It is God alone who sustains all things, and He is to be worshipped exclusively and affectionately. To have a true reverence for the Lord, we must agree with the words found in Job: "The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life . . . . If it were His intention and he withdrew His Spirit and breath, all mankind would perish together and man would return to the dust" (Job 33:4; 34:14-15). Without the LORD, we are dust.

When we are able to appreciate and celebrate the LORD with thanksgiving for His mighty works in our lives and when we recognize our utter dependence upon Him, then we are ready to share these truths with others. Evangelism is not come concocted coercion that we do because we feel obligated to appease the Lord; rather, true evangelism is shared from the overabundance of joy, thanksgiving, and marvel at our glorious Lord for who He is and what He has done for us. When we have been truly transformed by the Lord, we cannot help but share with others . . . it just seems to burst forth from us. We are not unlike the stones that if given the opportunity, would cry out, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" (see Luke 19:37-40).

For those of us who have surrendered ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, let us faithfully follow the Lord in a spirit of thanksgiving, joy, and praise. Let us put our complete faith in His provision for us in all areas of our lives. And let the transforming power of the Holy Spirit burst forth from us so that others will take note. This is the way for the true believer in Christ to live.

Don't Forget the Lord's Benefits

2009-08-23T08:11:00.000-04:00

Psalm 103:1-5: "Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

The euphoria of true praise and worship is found in the overwhelming awareness of the immeasurable benefits that have been afforded to us through our great and gracious LORD, Jesus Christ.

In the above passage, the psalmist King David proclaims to his readers that the entirety of his inmost being is enthralled with worshipping the Lord; David cannot help but burst forth in celebrative applause and praise, as he becomes evermore aware of the amazing love of God that is lavished upon those who would surrender to Him as LORD.

Lest one would wonder that this euphoric demonstration of David is possibly a manipulated, emotional experience . . . where one works himself into an expressive encounter without substantive reasoning, David presents the explanation for his exuberance:

The LORD forgives my sins!

The LORD heals my diseases!

The LORD redeems life from the pit!

The LORD crowns with love and compassion!

The LORD satisfies our desires with good things! . . .

so that our youth is renewed like the eagle's.

When we begin to fathom the magnanimity of the Lord's forgiving our sins (accomplished solely through His own sacrifice on the cross coupled with His victory over sin and death through the resurrection), then we will not be able to help but burst forth with joyous praise. Because of sin, we are all due the fullest measure of God's retributive judgment for our cosmic treason against His holiness and rightful Lordship. God's sacrificing of Himself in the most cruel way (i.e. crucifixion) in order to protect us from His Divine wrath is so amazing. We simply must renounce any claims of our own lordship in favor of Him as our LORD and recognize His death and resurrection as the sufficient debt payment for our sins. His sacrifice is love at its finest!

The Lord heals our diseases! We know that infirmity and disability plague many in our world; and as many of us age, the prevalence of such diseases only increases. It truly is painful to watch a loved one struggle with such debilitating maladies as cancer, paralysis, or blindness. And to be sure, those who traverse these paths themselves often struggle with the chronic pain and limitation that come with such illnesses. Whereas we know that not all diseases may necessarily be healed in this lifetime, we know that our LORD will right all wrongs that have existed in this world. God is the Victor who reigns triumphantly over all things, and He can deliver those who have been burdened in this life. Because we have not experienced the fullness of eternity, we understandably are a bit myopic to this reality. We tend to struggle more with the realities of the few decades that we have to live in this fallen world, and we lose sight of the perfected, eternal life experience that God has prepared for those who surrender to Him as LORD. For the ones struggling with the limitations of this life, which are very real and very painful, their hope is to be found in the deliverance that is offered by our loving LORD. Truly this is reason to celebrate!

The LORD spares our lives from the pit. Scripture tells us much about the reality of hell, as being a place of torment, judgment, darkness, and most importantly . . . the absence of the LORD. It is a place to which no one wants to go; in fact, the Scriptures tell us that the angels will have to force the reprobate through its perilous gates (see Matthew 13:41-42). That God would spare us this fate, because of our sins against Him, again is the cause to celebrate. His mercies are beyond measure and are everlasting (Psalm 100:5 [KJV]).

The LORD crowns our lives with love and compassion. Not only does the LORD spare the redeemed from the despicable condition of hell, but He showers us with His love and compassion. One of the greatest evidences of this will be found in eternity. It is not as if the LORD will grant us permission to enter Heaven, but relegate us to some obscure corner of paradise, to be shunned as ones who don't deserve His eternal blessings. Rather, God has promised to adopt us as sons and daughters . . . in effect granting us the full privileges of being part of the royal family (see Ephesians 1:5). It is because of His grace that we are reckoned with such a place of eternal honor; it will be an experience to die for . . . at least it was an experience so incredible that God was willing to die for it. And though we may struggle with our mortality, we will find that when we walk into the blessedness of eternity with our LORD, death will be seen a glorious fate, giving us entrance into the grandest expression of life.

The LORD will satisfy our desires with good things. God is infinitely wise. He knows best what will bless our souls, and He regularly showers us with good things in life, even though there may be times that we don't recognize such blessings. And again, God is waiting to pour our upon us the VERY BEST things, when we come before His throne in a spirit of humility and obedience.

We may find ourselves struggling with the bitter winters found in this life's experience, but we know that we will encounter the greatest renaissance (re-birth) through His redemption. The fullest vigor of life, even beyond anything that we have encountered in this life, will be poured out upon us so that we will be renewed like the eagle. We know that the eagle can become tired, but his strength is restored as he floats upon the uplifting winds that carry him great distances with virtually no effort. This imagery was used by the prophet Isaiah in his Divinely-inspired Words 300 years after the psalmist, "But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint" (Isaiah 40:31). What is fascinating with these passages is the similarity of the Hebrew word for "Holy Spirit" and "wind." It is the Holy Spirit, our Sustainer and Comforter, that supports us through this life and provides us with much needed rest while we await His raising our bodies into glorious perfection (Romans 8:11) . . . what beautiful paralleled imagery to the wind that carries the eagle effortlessly through the skies, giving it opportunity to enjoy the freedom of rest, while it soars in the highest heights.

We could go on and on with the benefits of the LORD. But at this point, we can know that there are many blessings from the LORD and they are absolutely incredible! Let us reflect upon these benefits often; for when we do, we will find ourselves erupting in celebrative praise for our LORD, who is worthy of our worship. He is a great God . . . and most assuredly He is good to us beyond measure!

Be Excited About Your Worship

2009-08-19T07:28:00.000-04:00

Psalm 98:2-6: "The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn-shout for joy before the LORD, the King."

If there is any group of people who should be utterly ecstatic in their faith, it would be the true followers of Jesus Christ. When this people truly come to realize the true benefits that have been lavished upon them from the Sovereign Lord, they will not be able to help but rise up in celebration to praise the Lord of Hosts. It is a necessary consequence of those who have experienced the redemption of the Lord and who grasp the magnanimity of such grace.

These followers of Christ also recognize that the Lord is the One True King, who is worthy of worship. They will rise to the occasion to honor the Savior, because He is majestic in His holiness and is due our shouts of praise (though we are not worthy in and of ourselves to offer worship to the LORD . . . to be given the opportunity to worship the LORD is a privilege granted to us from the Almighty)!

Now, how often have we seen attendees in churches participating in a formality of worship without demonstrating their sincerest appreciation for the love and redemption of the Lord? Whereas we know that people have differing personality dispositions, still we should expect that a redeemed people rise to the occasion to celebrate the Lord. If one sees personal and corporate worship as an obtrusive inconvenience and drudgery to be quickly shuffled off in order to move on to more important matters, then that person does not appreciate the full significance of God's position as Lord and King as well as the amazing grace that He has offered to us.

If we find ourselves in a state of spiritual lethargy, let us not forget the words of the Psalmist in chapter 100: "Shout for joy to the LORD . . . worship with gladness and come before Him with joyful songs." Why? "For the Lord is God who made us and own us." "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; giving thanks to Him and praising His name." Why? "For the LORD is good, His mercy and love is everlasting, and His faithfulness continues through all generations."

Never forget the greatness of God and His goodness to us. Rise up in a spirit of awe, joy, and celebration to praise the LORD!

Wandering from the Promised Land

2009-08-14T08:17:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 50:6-7,34: "My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wondered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place. Whoever found them devoured them; their enemies said, 'We are not guilty, for they sinned against the LORD, their true pasture, the LORD, the hope of their fathers.' . . . . Yet their Redeemer is strong; the LORD Almighty is his name. He will vigorously defend their case so that he may bring rest to their land, but unrest to those who live in Babylon."

The story of the people of Israel in the book of Jeremiah is one one of wayward rebellion against the LORD and consequent judgment for their wickedness. To be sure, God sent a number of prophets to warn His chosen people of their sinful ways and to call them to repentance; sadly, these descendants of Abraham would not heed the warnings. True to His promises, the LORD would bring invading nations (e.g. the Assyrians and the Babylonians) to capture the land promised to the Jewish people and take many of its inhabitants captive.

This land of Palestine was designed by the LORD as a resting place for His people. Were they to trust in the LORD by faith and live obediently to the Lord in the land, then they were guaranteed the Lord's blessing and protection. Never would they have had to endure the judgment of the Lord if only they would follow the Lord exclusively.

The prophet Jeremiah, speaking the words of the Lord, used the imagery of the Jewish people wandering over mountains and hills away from their land of promise into foreign lands. One only has to remember the Israelites of Jeremiah's day fleeing to Egypt and taking up worship of the pagan goddess "Queen of Heaven" (see Jeremiah 44:17). This was not an isolated incident, but a repeated pattern of cosmic treason against the One True Lord of Hosts!

Later, in the 51st chapter of Jeremiah, we find the Lord's declaration of His rightful Sovereignty . . . decreed through His prophet when Jeremiah said, "He (God) made the earth by His power; He founded the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding. When He thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from His storehouses" (Jeremiah 51:15-16). From this declaration, the Lord interjected the utter futility of those who would put anything as an object of worship before Him: "Every man is senseless and without knowledge . . . . images are a fraud; they have no breath in them. They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish." (51:17-18).

Still, in the midst of Israel's calamity, the Lord would not forget His people. He would restore a remnant because He as the only Redeemer is "strong . . . defending their cause so that he may bring rest to their land" (50:34). God Almighty would initiate His people's reclamation of their land, promised through the Abrahamic covenant (see Genesis 12:7).

This is a good word for us today. We must never forget that God is the Sovereign Ruler and Redeemer who alone is to be worshipped and obeyed. No other person or thing has the right or authority to challenge the Lord's rightful reign in the world and in our lives. We must not permit our personal wills or desires to supersede our calling to surrender to the Lord as our Master. To do so is to wander away from the blessed place of rest that He has promised to us . . . and to experience His consequent judgment for our rebellion.

Let's never forget that our foundational purpose in life is to glorify the Lord through our faithful obedience to Him; and when we faithfully follow the Lord, we will find ourselves in His blessed resting place.

God Weeps Over the Unresponsiveness of His People

2009-08-05T08:38:00.000-04:00

Luke 19:41: "As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, 'If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace-but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you.'"

Jesus had just entered Jerusalem with a triumphal entry to the cries of "Hosanna, Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" These throngs of people were still euphoric over Jesus' raising Lazarus from the dead and for the numerous healings that He had performed in their midst. Sadly, they celebrated Jesus for what they were able to get from Him, rather than for who He was (and IS) as the Sovereign Lord of Hosts.

As Jesus approached the city of Jerusalem (which means 'peace'), He wept over it, knowing that true Peace was before them (namely the Messiah), yet they did not recognize nor surrender to Him. Jesus knew that the Jewish people had been chosen by God from among all the peoples of the earth to be the nation to whom the special revelation of God's truth through the Scriptures would be revealed (see Romans 3:1-2), and they would be the nation through whom the Messiah would come to make possible the salvation of all peoples (Galatians 3:13-14). Sadly, these people would not recognize the tremendous privilege bestowed to them, and they would forsake the very One for whom God had consecrated them to be a unique people, called out to prepare the way of the Lord.

Whereas the Jews in Jerusalem wanted Jesus to assume some type of political position to lead the Israelites in rebellion against the Romans, Jesus came to sacrifice Himself on a cross to make the solely sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the world. As can be seen from the remainder of the Passion Week, these very people who were waiving palm branches before Jesus and throwing their cloaks before the colt upon which He was riding would quickly turn against Jesus and demand His crucifixion a week later. When the Israelites determined that Jesus would not serve their interests, they wanted to destroy Him.

Jesus knew these events would occur as He looked over the city prior to His entry; and for these responses of rejection by His chosen people, Jesus grieved bitterly. He knew that the hardheartedness of the people caused their eyes to be hidden from the truth of His divine purposes. Jesus also knew that the rebellion of these people would bring divine judgment through the besieging of the city. Many Christian historians believe that this prophecy was fulfilled when the Roman military leader, Titus, invaded Jerusalem in AD 64 utterly destroying the city. Jesus explained the reason for this judgment . . . it was "because (they) did not recognize the time of God's coming to (them)" (Luke 19:44).

This is a good word for us today. We are so blessed to have the special revelation of Jesus Christ through His Holy Scriptures, which introduces to us His loving sacrifice for us through His death on the cross. We also receive through His Word and the conviction of the Holy Spirit the calling to surrender our lives to Him as Lord. If we harden our hearts and refuse to yield ourselves to Jesus as Master and Savior, then we can expect the same divine judgment to befall us. And not unlike the military siege that brought swift destruction to the city of Jerusalem, so too the Lord Almighty will one day come with His mighty angels to separate the redeemed from the reprobate. He will then pronounce eternal condemnation for those who refused to surrender to Him as Lord (see Matthew 25:31f).

Let us not find ourselves in such a position of hopelessness; rather, let us commit ourselves to Jesus Christ as Lord today, while His offering of salvation is still available to us.

Trusting in Self Brings Judgment

2009-08-04T08:07:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 48:7, 42: "Since you (Moab) trust in your deeds and riches, you will be taken captive . . . . Moab will be destroyed as a nation because she defied the LORD."

The Moabites were a pagan people who detested the LORD and His chosen people's (i.e. the Israelites) right to live in the Promised Land. These descendants of Lot's incestuous relationship with his eldest daughter, after the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah (see Genesis 19), were determined to destroy the Israelites. One can remember King Balak of Moab desiring the prophet Balaam curse the Israelites in order that he might defeat them in battle (Numbers 22), or the Moabites of later years battling against King David (2 Samuel 8). They were a constant thorn in the side of the Jewish people.

When Jeremiah proclaimed a judgment oracle against the people of Moab, he explained why the LORD would destroy these people. Specifically, the prophet proclaimed that these people trusted in their deeds and riches (48:7) and had become arrogant in their affluence (48:29 [see also Isaiah 16:6]). This pride from accumulated wealth brought a disdain for the LORD (48:26), and they sought to thwart His divine plans of redemption through the Israelites (48:27). They loved to worship their own crafted deities (48:35), which in fact were no deities at all but inanimate objects to which they could ascribe their own wills and desires and justify their actions as something "divinely approved." The LORD would compare the Moabites to a washbasin, because they were a filthy, useless people who would arrogantly believe that they could challenge the Sovereign rule of the One True God (Psalm 60:8). In the end, these people would suffer the judgments of the LORD; He would bring utter destruction to these people for their abject rebellion.

This is a good word for us to hear. We must remember not to defy the Lord, in favor of our own wills; neither should we trust in our riches as evidence of some acquired superiority. If the Lord blesses us, we must not permit that blessing to swell us with pride, believing that we have acquired our material blessings through our own efforts. Instead, we must surrender ourselves to the Lord as our King, and faithfully follow His decrees; it is then, that we will find the blessings of the LORD.

The Brevity of Life

2009-07-24T09:05:00.000-04:00

James 4:13-14: "Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."

It is amazing to see how we can get so wrapped up in the busyness of this earthly life and forget that life not only is a gift from God but is very brief. I remember growing up as a child, hearing my grandparents tell me how time moved more quickly the older they became; and now that I am getting older myself, I can see their perspective more clearly. Time does seem to pass more quickly. It seems like just yesterday that I graduated from high school and that was nearly 25 years ago!

So too, I am reminded each time I attend a funeral service of the uncertainty of the time we are given on this earth. To be sure, the Word of God tells us that the Lord has predetermined the number of our days before the first one came to be (Psalm 139:16); still, we are not guaranteed to live a long, healthy life on this earth. Just yesterday, I attended a funeral service; and at its conclusion, I took a few minutes to look around at the headstones to see the names and epitaphs inscribed on them (I find this very interesting). One particular stone had the deceased person's picture on it, and this intrigued me . . . so I made my way over to take a look. This young girl was born in 1952 and lived only ten years. Her picture seemed to show a healthy, young lady who emitted a radiant smile that projected hope, happiness, and great expectation for her future. I wondered what caused her untimely demise . . . was it an accident? an illness? I also noticed that the people buried beside her had the last name (which I presumed to be her parents). I wondered about the grief that they endured as a result of their daughter's death. Did her death hasten their own?

Each time that I walk through a cemetery, I am reminded of the brevity of life and the foolishness of our exhausted energies in trying to attain the vanities of this life. Maybe this is why so many people are uncomfortable with talking about death; it may very well be that avoidance is the mechanism that people use to divert any reflection upon their mortality and the ultimate loss of everything accumulated here on this temporal earth. For if one recognizes that he is not long for this world, and if he concludes that there is a Sovereign Lord to whom he will be responsible, then there is a decision now to be made as to whether that person will surrender to the Lord and follow Him . . . in this life.

Possibly this is why James, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, would follow the above cited verses with the following verse: "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins" (4:17). In the preceding verses, the context suggests the sinful presumption of a person who boastfully believes that he has plenty of time to do what his heart desires. The scriptures calls this presumed arrogance, "evil." And this presumption assumes that one has plenty of time to dedicate later in life for God, which supposedly frees him to pursue the temporal pleasures and not worry about God's expectations for him.

Scripture commands us to do all things at all times for the glory of God (I Corinthians 10:31). We should never forget that life is a gift and is never guaranteed. We should not take the time that we have for granted and consume ourselves with the vanities of life; rather, we should serve the Lord passionately and faithfully.

Maybe each of us would do well to visit cemeteries on regular occasion. Whereas it may not be a comfortable experience, it may be a beneficial one . . . reminding us that we may find ourselves in the Lord's presence soon (and with the way time passes, it will be sooner than you think!). This will remind us that we need to be committed now to Christ above all other persons and things.

When Praying is a Fatal Mistake

2009-07-22T08:06:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 42:19-20: "O Remnant of Judah, the LORD has told you, 'Do not go to Egypt.' Be sure of this: I warn you today that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the LORD your God and said, 'Pray to the LORD our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.'"

After the Babylonians had laid waste the region of Judah, destroying much of Jerusalem and taking many Jews captive to serve as slaves, a small remnant of Jewish people led by certain army officers found themselves wandering in the southern regions of Palestine, trying to avoid capture.

By this time, these people who previously were abrasive to Jeremiah for his prophecies of doom and judgment, now approached him to discern what the LORD would have them to do. These officers realized that Jeremiah was a man of God and that His proclamations were directly from the LORD Himself; and for this reason, they sought out the prophet to receive Divine guidance as to where they should go. At least it appeared this was the case.

One almost can see the enthusiasm in Jeremiah's response when he told them that he would "certainly pray" to the LORD for them. The prophet of God promised to share with these Judeans everything that the LORD wanted them to know and do. The people then made a covenant to do whatever the LORD desired of them, and requested that the LORD act as a witness against them if they failed to do EVERYTHING that the LORD would dictate to the prophet. This remnant even acknowledged that the LORD might present something rather unfavorable to them; still, they professed their allegiance to the LORD and would do whatever He instructed for them.

God was not immediate in His response to Jeremiah's prayer. Though we are not given the exact reason for the delay, we can conclude that God knew that these people could get worked up into an emotional frenzy based upon their circumstances, and He wanted to reveal the lack of substantive commitment by these supposedly "recommitted" followers of the LORD. It also may be that the LORD delayed His response to reinforce to these people that He would not be manipulated by their sudden response of spirituality and be forced to give an immediate response. It may be that God wanted to make certain that these people knew that He was the One True God and would reply in His perfect, Providential time. It was not until ten days later that God would respond to the prophet . . . a seemingly long time for those who wanted to get quick answers to their probing questions.

When Jeremiah did receive the Word from God, he called together the army officers to give them the LORD's directive. The LORD instructed the people to stay in the land of Judah and not be concerned by the Babylonian presence there; the LORD wanted His people to trust in Him to guide and protect them, even though it appeared that the same demise that had befallen many of their brothers would overtake them should they stay in the land. God's directive was counter to their own understanding of personal survival (what faith is all about), and they did not like it at all.

The LORD already knew the intent of these people's hearts. They had made up their minds even before inquiring of the prophet, that they would make their way to Egypt to escape the Babylonians. These Israelites saw Egypt as their sanctuary from hunger and war, and they were determined to go there. They simply wanted to get the LORD's blessing for their predetermined intent; and even though they professed their commitment to do whatever the LORD commanded them to do, the LORD knew that they would never follow through with His command for them. The prophet warned the people that if they would go to Egypt, then the famine and sword that they attempted to avoid would follow them there and destroy them.

Sadly, these Judeans accused Jeremiah of lying and conspiring to hand them over to the Babylonians. In direct defiance to the LORD, these people headed for Egypt; they were intent on saving themselves rather than listening to the LORD. And given that we later find Jeremiah with this remnant in Tahpanhes (Egypt), we can speculate that these officers forced the prophet of God to go with them as well.

The true intent of these people's hearts was revealed after they settled in Egypt, for soon after their arrival, these Jews began to offer incense to false gods, including the Egyptian gods and goddesses. To exonerate their actions, these Israelites even fabricated a lie, saying that they were doing everything they had promised to do (44:17) [of course, they previously had promised to follow the LORD's commands to them (see 42:5-6)]. These Jews even suggested that the "Queen of Heaven" [i.e. Ishtar, goddess of Egypt] was the one that provided for them in Judah, and the judgments that they had experienced in Judah were the result of their failing to continue to offer incense and sacrifices to her. Jeremiah rebuked them by reminding them that the LORD of Hosts was the one who brought judgment upon them; but they would have none of it. Jeremiah then communicated to them the following judgment: The LORD had seen the duplicity of their actions that did not follow the verbal promises that they had made; therefore, He never again would permit them to invoke His Name. Instead, God promised by His "Great Name" that He would bring harm upon the Israelites, not good; and the overwhelming majority would be destroyed in Egypt. As a sign to confirm this Divine disaster for these Jews, the LORD would hand Pharaoh Hophra of Egypt over to the Babylonians, permitting the Babylonians to invade the Egyptian territory.

This is a tremendous word for us today. It is a tragic pandemic within Christendom to see people presumably make a covenant to follow the LORD, yet quickly fall away from their commitments when there is no personal benefit for them. Just as with the Jews who migrated to Egypt to escape God's judgment and continue to enjoy their idolatrous ways, so too we find people today who say they want to hear God's will for their lives, but they soon disavow any allegiance to His dictates and return to their sinful ways of rebellion against the LORD. The foundational problem here is a lordship issue . . . who is on the throne of one's life. If the person is more interested in personal satisfaction and exaltation, he will seek out the LORD only to get some benefit or sanction for behavior. The concept of discipleship is foreign to such a person, as they desire themselves to be a god unto themselves. May we never find ourselves in this condition; rather, may we continue to submit ourselves to the Lordship of Christ and be attentive to His will for our lives, no matter how difficult the directive may be for us.

We must remember that praying to God and not listening is a fatal mistake. Let's attune our ears and hearts to the Lord, listen for His directives to us, and follow them faithfully.

Doing the Right Thing

2009-07-14T08:09:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 39:15-18: "While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him: 'Go and tell Ebed-Melech the Cushite, 'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city through disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. But I will rescue you on that day, declares the LORD; you will not be handed over to those you fear. I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the LORD.'"

Included in just a few verses of the Holy Scriptures is the story of Ebed-Melech of Cush. We don't know very much about this man, other than he came from a region of eastern Africa near modern day Ethiopia. How he got to Judah, we also do not know. One wonders if his predecessors were captured years before when King Asa of Judah defeated King Zerah the Cushite at the Valley of Zephathah (see 2 Chronicles 14). The battle truly was a miraculous display of the power of God over seemingly insurmountable odds. Zerah had a mighty army of many thousands and was an indomitable foe in the region, but King Asa called upon the Lord for victory and the Lord responded to the king's request. We know that this Divine blessing occurred because, "the eyes of the LORD (were looking) throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts (were) fully committed to him" (2 Chronicles 16:9). King Asa at the time of this battle did what was "good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God" (2 Chronicles 14:2), and the Lord rewarded him for his faithfulness.

Fast forwarding to Ebed-Melech in Jeremiah's day, we know that there would have been a noticeable distinction between this man of African ethnicity and the Jewish population in Judah; and unfortunately this distinction likely would have brought disadvantage for the man who was not of true Jewish descent. We also know that Ebed-Melech likely was a eunuch in the royal palace, which was a common fate for a person (particularly of noble lineage) to be taken into captivity after a military defeat and assigned to the position as slave to the king.

One can only imagine the disposition of most people of noble lineage, who were taken away to a foreign land to serve as slaves . . . most would be embittered at the presumed twist of fate that would bring them to such a miserable state in life. Of course with Ebed-Melech (as with Daniel later), his commitment to the Lord in the midst of his difficult life experience aided him in triumphing over his circumstances to be all that God desired for him to be. In fact, it may be that Ebed-Melech was introduced to the One True God AFTER he had been taken captive by the Jews and placed in servitude to the king. Of course, this is speculative since we do not know for certain how Ebed-Melech came to serve in the house of Zedekiah.

The one thing that we do know about Ebed-Melech is that he was a man who knew that Jeremiah, the prophet of God, did not deserve to be thrown into a cistern to be left to die. Previously the officials of Judah had enticed the king to permit them to perpetrate this heinous sentence upon Jeremiah; and unfortunately, Zedekiah acquiesced to the wishes of his council.

There are several observations that we can note about the response of Ebed-Melech:

1. First, he was willing to approach the king. Whereas his position would have given him certain privileges with the king, still it was dangerous to approach the monarch to address a situation not first inquired of by the king. Ebed-Melech might have been executed if he approached the king without invitation or if he introduced a topic of no interest to Zedekiah.

2. Secondly, Ebed-Melech was willing to identify the behavior of the other royal and religious leaders as "wicked." Of course, this declaration would not have been popular with those who had positions of influence in Judah and had the ear of the king. By Ebed-Melech's identifying these leaders' behavior as evil, he in effect was suggesting that the king's granting them license to destroy Jeremiah also was a disdainful act. This bold declaration put the Cushite's life on the line. The king could have become so enraged at such a suggestion, that he could have ordered the Cushite executed.

3. Ebed-Melech also recognized Jeremiah as a prophet of the Lord. He knew that a messenger of God should not be treated with such contempt. This suggests that Ebed-Melech was not a part of the popular wicked trends of the people of Judah, who wanted to destroy Jeremiah for preaching against their immoral, idolatrous behavior. Ebed-Melech was a man who stood for the Lord when it was popular to do so.

Through the Providence of God, King Zedekiah did not become angry at his eunuch; instead, he instructed Ebed-Melech to take 30 men to rescue Jeremiah from the dark pit of mud. Why 30 men? Perhaps the king knew that if he sent Ebed-Melech alone, the officials responsible might have overtaken him and killed him to prevent Jeremiah's rescue. It seems that the king knew that this change of plans would not have been very popular, though it was the right thing to do.

Ebed-Melech secured some rags and worn-out clothes to use as ropes to lift Jeremiah from the cistern; and after rescuing the prophet, he took him to stay at the courtyard of the guard. Although Jeremiah would be freed from death, the officials and the king apparently still had an expectation that the prophet be incarcerated.

Later, after the eighteen month siege of Jerusalem, the Babylonian army overtook the city. They put to death the king's sons and all the nobles of Judah. After forcing Zedekiah to watch the demise of his sons, they put out his eyes, and carted the regent to Babylon in bronze shackles. All of those who tried to stop Jeremiah from heralding his warnings of Divine judgment for the wicked rebellion of the people were now dead, captured, or fleeing in the wilderness. In all of this hysteria, Jeremiah remained confined at the courtyard of the guard. The first word of instruction by the Lord to the prophet was in reference to the Cushite who had saved Jeremiah's life earlier. Specifically, God told Jeremiah to go and tell Ebed-Melech that even in the midst of His judgment upon the people of Judah, the Lord would save the Cushite from the Babylonians because Ebed-Melech trusted in the LORD (Jeremiah 39:18). God's salvation came to the one who feared the Lord and was willing to stand for what was right, even though it very well could have cost him his life.

This is such a good word for us today. We live in a culture that thrives in its own wickedness. It loves to perpetrate behaviors and actions that clearly are in opposition to the will of the Lord. How many of us have the resolve of Ebed-Melech to stand for what is right, even though it is not popular and might even bring persecution? We know from this account in the book of Jeremiah that God ultimately brought vindication and salvation to His Cushite servant for his faithfulness to Him as Lord. May we seek to be like Ebed-Melech and be willing to take a stand for the Righteousness of the Lord, knowing by faith that God will be with us, protect us, and ultimately reward us for our faithfulness to Him.

Serving the LORD is Not Always Pleasant

2009-07-10T08:40:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 37:15: "They were angry with Jeremiah and had him beaten and imprisoned in the house of Jonathan the secretary, which they had made into a prison."

During the reign of Zedekiah, the last king of Judah before the Babylonian Captivity, the prophet Jeremiah experienced some of the most intense persecution from the people of Judah for his stand for the Lord.

To be sure, Jeremiah previously had endured much turmoil for his obedience to the Lord from the wicked people of Judah. When the prophet began to warn the people of God's pending judgment, the people cursed him and plotted to kill him (Jeremiah 11:18-19, 15:10). People were constantly watching Jeremiah hoping to find something to use to indict him for treason (which would bring his execution [20:10]). The priest (Pashhur) had Jeremiah taken and beaten and put in stocks for his prophecies against Judah (20:2). Later, when Jeremiah was prophesying against the wickedness of the people at the courtyard of the temple, the religious leaders and the people who followed them grabbed Jeremiah and said, "You must die!" Through the Providential intervention of the Lord, Jeremiah's life was spared; but one of his fellow prophets, Uriah, was not so fortunate, as he was "struck down with the sword (26:23).

By the time of Zedekiah's reign, Jeremiah's words had fallen on deaf ears, for none of the people "paid any attention to the words the LORD had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet." (37:2). As the Babylonians were attacking Jerusalem, Jeremiah attempted to leave the city to secure property in the region of Benjamin, but he was arrested by the captain of the guard and accused of the traitorous act of leaving to join the Babylonians. Jeremiah attempted to discredit the false charges, but these officials of Judah had been looking for a good excuse to destroy the prophet.

After beating Jeremiah ruthlessly, the accusers, placed him in a vaulted cell in a dungeon and left him there for a very long time. We are not told how long, but one can just imaging day after day the agonizing torture that such confinement in a dark, dank cell would have brought to the prophet of the Lord.

Almost as if to test the resiliency of the prophet, King Zedekiah brought forth Jeremiah from the dungeon to inquire what was the latest word of the Lord in regard to the Babylonians. We could see the temptation that we might have faced in such a predicament. After having gone through so much rejection and torture for so long, we might have been inclined to say, "Long live the king! Everything is going to work out just fine." How many of us would have capitulated to such pressure, feeling as if the Lord had abandoned us to misery, and now we were ready to break free from the pressure that ministry had brought us. It is rather incredible that Jeremiah would continue to proclaim to Zedekiah his royal demise, knowing that such a response would likely result in his return to the very prison in which he had been confined for so many days already.

Jeremiah pleaded with the king to not return him to the prison at the house of Jonathan the secretary. The prophet had been so abused at that place, that he knew that to return to that cell in effect would be his death sentence. In a strange twist of events, spurred on by the gracious hand of the Lord, the king consented to Jeremiah's request, though he would confine him to the courtyard of the guard. Jeremiah would be given bread to eat until the city of Jerusalem ran out of available food for the people to eat.

Although Jeremiah was still confined to a specific location within the city, he was given greater flexibility to move about, and this added freedom gave him opportunity to share with people the coming judgment of the LORD upon the people of Judah at the hands of the Babylonians. The officials, who were listening to Jeremiah, would have none of it, and again incited the king to execute the prophet of God. The weak king, who tended to acquiesce to the wishes of his leadership, gave Jeremiah over to these officials to do with him as they willed. With haste, these royal officials took Jeremiah and threw him into a deep cistern full of mud and left him there to die of starvation. One wonders as Jeremiah was being lowered in the dark pit in the ground,what was going through his mind. Many of us might have been thinking "I narrowly escaped death by being imprisoned in a vaulted cell for many days, only to be thrown into this dark hole filled with mud and no opportunity of escape. I guess I should have kept my mouth shut when the king show me favor by releasing me from the vaulted cell." What we must remember is that Jeremiah previously had experienced an incredible encounter with the Lord (see chapter 1) that gave him the resolve to press on in obedience no matter the consequence. Though the road of obedience was tortuous and perilous, Jeremiah knew that it was the path that he had been called to traverse, no matter the cost.

We would do well to remember this account of Jeremiah as we continue to serve the Lord. We must not forget that serving the LORD is not always pleasant; in fact, it can be filled with pain, rejection, and persecution from those who would defy the One True Lord of Hosts in favor of their own desires. As with the prophet who was strengthened in his commitment through a divine encounter by the LORD, so too we will be fortified in our calling by keeping our eyes and ears attune to God's words of direction and inspiration for us. And we know that He will speak to us, as we remain committed to him through our commitment to His Word (the Scriptures) and through earnest, fervent prayer.

May we have the revolve of Jeremiah to press on in the callings placed upon us by the Lord, in order that His purposes might be fulfilled through us for His glory and the furtherance of His glorious kingdom.

Not Heeding the Word of God

2009-07-09T08:44:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 36:29-30: "Tell Jehoiakim king of Judah, 'This is what the LORD says: You burned that scroll and said, 'Why did you write on it that the king of Babylon would certainly come and destroy this land and cut off both men and animals from it?' Therefore, this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on the throne of David; his body will be thrown out and exposed to the heat by day and the frost by night.'"

After four years of King Jehoiakim's evil reign, which was filled with wickedness and idolatry against the Lord, God summoned the prophet Jeremiah to inscribe on a scroll sacred words of judgment decreed from His Sovereign Heavenly throne. Whereas the edict from God was descriptive of the coming judgment that would befall the people of Judah for their detestible sins, God still was using these words redemptively with the hope that the people would respond to His warnings by confessing their sins and turning from their wickedness (Jeremiah 36:3). Tragically, they would not respond with repentance.

Jeremiah received the words of the LORD and summoned Baruch his scribe to write them down. This was not an overnight process, for it would be a year before Jeremiah could send his scribe to the temple to communicate the Lord's words to the people (see 36:9). It is interesting that Jeremiah did not go himself, because he was "restricted" from going to the temple. Whereas we don't know exactly why the prophet was forbidden to be at the temple (especially since in chapter 35 we find that Jeremiah was in fact there and had been there on previous occasions [see Jeremiah 26:7, and 7:2]), presumably, this "restriction" was caused by previous confrontations that the prophet had had with the evil religious leaders at the temple. Specifically, Jeremiah had gone to the temple to declare to the priests and prophets that if they did not heed the words of the Lord, confess their heinous sins, and turn from their wickedness, then God would make the temple and the city of Jerusalem "an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth." The religious leaders would not have such an obscure prophetic figure discredit their prestigious positions within the community, and they sought to kill him. Later, when Jeremiah would bring the rather insignificant, nomadic Recabites to the temple grounds and decree to them that the Lord would bless them for their faithfulness by permitting them to serve Him, this was a further slap in the face of the religious elite. It is no surprise that Jeremiah was forbidden to step one foot on the temple grounds.

Baruch took the words of the Lord and shared them while the people were participating in a fast. We are not necessarily told in the chapter whether the fast was part of a ritualistic formulation that had been observed without much attention to obedience to the Lord or if the fast was called in response to the invading Babylonians who by this time were dominating the Judean landscape with their vast armies. In any event, Baruch read to the people from the room of the secretary in the upper courtyard at the entrance of the New Gate of the temple. This place of prominence would have helped the scribe communicate the words of God to all the people in the vicinity. When the officials heard the message, they went to King Jehoiakim to share what Baruch had done; the king in response summoned an official to secure the scroll and return to read what was inscribed on it. As Jehudi, one of the king's officials, stood before the king and read the first words of God's judgment against Judah, the king snatched the scroll, cut it to pieces, and threw it into a firepot nearby. Rather than falling prostrate in fear at the Divine Edict and tearing their clothes in mourning, the king and his attendants showed neither concern nor respect for what God had communicated to His people. In fact, the king summoned one of his sons and several other officials to find Jeremiah and Baruch and arrest them.

I find this response of Jehoiakim interesting, given that his father, King Josiah, had twenty-five years before found the sacred Book of the Law in the temple and upon hearing the words of God's judgment, tore his clothes and humbled himself before the Lord (see 2 Kings 22). It is amazing that his son did not follow a similar path, and one has to wonder if Josiah's passing over of Jehoiakim for the throne in preference to his younger son, Jehoahaz, was in part due to Jehoiakim's rebellious spirit. Or possibly Jehoiakim resented his father for passing him over for succession of the throne for Jehoahaz and lived a life completely counter to His father's life of obedience to the Lord [see 2 Kings 23:25]. (NOTE: Little history is given for Josiah's eldest son, Johanan, thus leading to the possible conclusion that he died at an early age). Jehoahaz only served three months before being captured by Pharoah Neco and carted off in bondage to Egypt, giving Jehoiakim opportunity to secure the throne.

God would not be mocked by such disrespect for His Word. He summoned Jeremiah to write His Words again down with an addendum that the kingdom would be taken from Jehoiakim and his descendants; in fact, the king would die and his body would be shown disrespect by being thrown out on the streets and exposed to the elements. The offering of grace had passed for the king, his family, and his kingdom. Now the wrath of God was to be poured out upon them with such furor that they would be consumed by it.

As we think about our modern day, we must pause and reflect upon our own disregard for the words of the Lord as found in His Holy Scriptures. How often do we show contempt for His Divine edicts by refusing to obey them, instead choosing to follow our own evil schemes. We as a nation would do well to hear the message that God is giving to us through His Scriptures during this age of grace, repent of our sins, and submit to Him as our King. If we continue down the same path as Jehoiakim and the people of Judah 2600 years ago, we should expect the same consequences from the LORD. He is a God of constancy, and will not permit His commands to be disregarded. If we are unwilling to surrender ourselves to Him and follow Him faithfully, we can only expect a similar fate as is prophesied in Jeremiah 36.

Commitment Brings Its Rewards

2009-06-30T09:11:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 35:18-19: "Then Jeremiah said to the family of the Recabites, 'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'You have obeyed the command of your forefather Jonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.' Therefore, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'Jonadab son of Recab will never fail to have a man to serve me.' "

The Recabites are a rather obscure group that are mentioned in Jeremiah 35 as a people that did not drink wine and lived nomadic lives in tents. These people had made a vow at their father's (Jonadab ben Recab's) request, not to build houses or plant vineyards; and they committed themselves not to consume any wine. They therefore wandered through the countryside as nomads, relying by faith upon the Lord to provide for their necessities.

Equally noteworthy was their discipline of abstinence. In a culture that used wine as a form of celebration for the blessings of the Lord, it is noteworthy that these people took a vow to refrain from what others in the community would have considered a valued drink used for festive occasions. Possibly like the Nazirite vow, it was a statement of separateness and purity; or possibly it was a reminder to these people not to enjoy the present pleasures of life, knowing that God's ultimate blessing was yet to come through the Messiah. Still, it may be as Ricky L. Johnson suggests in the Holman Bible Dictionary that these Recabites were protesting the pagan influences of the Canaanite religions upon the descendants of Abraham.

The one thing that we do know is that these people were faithful and disciplined to their calling, though that calling obviously brought certain disadvantages. Not being able to plant crops, build houses, and enjoy the fruit of the vine was likely viewed as a sacrifice by these descendants of Rechab. Still, they were committed to the covenant that they had made to their father, Jonadab (and ultimately the LORD).

However, with the arrival of the warring Babylonians to the region of Judah, these nomadic people's life experience changed, and they were forced into the city of Jerusalem for protection. One has to wonder if any of these Recabites were disheartened at the Lord for His supposed lack of protection. Were they embittered that they had been forced from their tents into the city? Actually, the answer is no, because we know that when the Lord called Jeremiah to test these people to see what was in their hearts, they came through with flying colors. Specifically, the Lord summoned the prophet to invite these Recabites to a side room of the temple to drink some wine. If they had been like so many of us that permit our circumstances to dictate our level of commitedness to the LORD, one might find them saying in modern vernacular, "sure, let's do some serious partying . . . after all, what has God done for us lately? We've been faithful to our covenant and yet here we're having to run to Jerusalem to seek protection. Let's live it up and enjoy ourselves for it doesn't seem like God cares [if He's even there]."

Knowing that these events occurred during the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah tells us that gross licentiousness was a popular trend in Jerusalem at that time. The overwhelming majority of people in the city would have been indulging their own wanton desires with no feeling of contrition for their behavior. It would have been easy during that day for the Recabites to join in the revelry of the day. They would have fit in just fine.

Instead, when the LORD summoned the prophet Jeremiah to test the hearts of the people by inviting them to the temple to drink wine, the Recabites declined the request. What is noteworthy is that the Recabites did not know when Jeremiah called them to the temple the purpose for their summons. Just for these nomadic peoples to have been invited to the temple and to recline in a room adjacent to the room reserved for the officials would have been a distinct honor for them. In the euphoria of being given such an opportunity, it would have been easy to indulge in the choicest wine unexpectedly set before them. This would have been a very attractive invitation had they not been resolved to remain faithful to their covenant.

Immediately upon the offering, the men of the family proclaimed, "we do not drink wine, because our forefather Jonadab son of Recab gave us this command: 'Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine . . . we have obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab son of Recab commanded us."

God responded to the Recabite's fidelity to their covenant by telling Jeremiah to go to the people of Judah and tell them to learn from this account of faithfulness. God was pleased that these sons of Jonadab were committed to the promise that they had made to their father. He used this account to indict the people of Judah since they were flagrantly uncommitted to the covenant stipulations that their forefathers had made with the LORD. For these Judean's egregious violation of the covenant, God would respond with demonstrative judgment.

God, however, would reward the Recabites with a promise that they would always have someone from their family to serve Him. This would have been a tremendous privilege for a people who were nomadic and therefore had little prestige within the community. God called these people out from the people of Judah, for He saw in them faithfulness and fidelity even in the midst of trial and tribulation.

This is a tremendous word for each of us. Who we present ourselves to be in the midst of crisis is who we really are. Were we to experience misfortune in our lives, how would we respond and who would we become? Would we be faithful to our covenant with the Lord while we struggle with life's disappointments, or would we give in to a fatalistic, embittered spirit and in effect indulge ourselves with any temptatious experience that comes our way?

We must remember that God rewards those who diligent follow Him. The Lord loves to see a disciplined person who is committed to the ways of righteousness, and He blesses those who are faithful to Him no matter the circumstance. Let us ever be resolved to remain loyal to our Lord, irrespective of our trials; and let us by faith trust that our Sovereign King will reward us for our faithfulness to Him.

A Father's Joy

2009-06-29T08:50:00.001-04:00

Proverbs 15:20a: "A wise son brings joy to his father."

This past week has been quite a joy for me, for my eldest son, Jonathan, surrendered his life to Christ as Lord. Jonathan had been asking his mother and me questions about what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ; but after attending our church's annual Vacation Bible School, Jonathan was ready to made a commitment to the Lord.

While we sat in our den at our home, I asked Jonathan if he would like to kneel before the Lord, who is seated in majesty on His glorious throne, and surrender to Jesus as His King. Jonathan agreed and so he, Tricia, Alex (a friend of Jonathan), and I went to our knees so that we all might praise the Lord and hear the wonderful words of contrition, confession, and surrender from our son. It was a most wonderful and emotional time. To hear the words of this young boy . . . words expressing thanks to the Lord for His love made manifest through His death and resurrection, reminded me of the preciousness of the grace of God that He has lavished upon us (Ephesians 1:8). Also, to hear this young man give His life over to His Lord and Savior, in order that He might reign over him and direct his path, not only swelled my heart with pride for my son but quickened my determination not to forget that I too am yielded to the Lord. He is the sole Authority to whom I submit and faithfully obey in all things.

Immediately after our prayers, that were filled with tears and hugs, Jonathan wanted to open the Scriptures and read from God's Word. He opened the Bible to Psalm 14:1-3 and began reading. I don't believe that Jonathan knew to which passage he was going; he just opened the Bible and started reading. Ironically (or might I say, "Providentially") the passage read is part of a discourse by the Lord on Salvation. The LORD exclaims in Psalm 11:4-7 that He is holy, seated upon His throne, and he observes the ways of man. The LORD tells us that He loves upright men (who will see His face) but the wicked He will judge. God further explains that only the blameless, righteous ones will be given the privilege of dwelling in His eternal sanctuary (Psalm 15:1-5). But then in Psalm 14:3, we find that all men "have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one." This puts all of us in jeopardy, for none of us can present ourselves as blameless before the throne of God; therefore, we must seek the mercy of God to avoid our eternal demise. This is why the Holy One (Jesus Christ) came to the earth to make the solely sufficient payment for our sins, and God "would not let him see decay" (Psalm 16:4) by raising Him from the dead, thus proving His power over sin and death. The Psalmist in response celebrated, for the Lord has "made known the path of life (and will) fill us with His presence and eternal pleasures at His right hand" (Psalm 16:11). Our response to His offering of grace should be to "trust in His unfailing love (and by faith) rejoice in His salvation. It is a time of singing to the LORD, for He has been good to us" (Psalm 13:5-6).

It was as if in the reading of the Word, Jonathan was reiterating to our family that God's grace truly is undeserved and a gift to us. It's amazing how these little reminders through life reinforce to us how blessed we are to have a loving LORD who believed that eternal fellowship with us was worth His grueling sacrificial death on a cross. Oh, how God's grace is so AMAZING!

The next morning, Jonathan rose before the rest of the family to read his Bible. How my heart melted when he told me that morning that he had opened the Bible and started reading through Haggai. For an 8-yr-old boy to be motivated to read His Bible early in the morning was profound in and of itself; and for him to read an Old Testament book that is seldom referenced made it even more incredible. As Jonathan and I went to a local bagel shop to have breakfast, we talked about the reason for the book of Haggai, namely that the people of Judah had returned from captivity in Babylon and needed reminding not to forsake their exclusive worship of the LORD. Upon their return to the Promised Land, these Israelites quickly started rebuilding the temple of the LORD; but they soon became discouraged by the lack of impressiveness of the temple compared to the grandeur of Solomon's temple from years past, and they were further frustrated by their enemies who did not want to see the temple restored as a place of worship. After 16 years had passed with little progress on the temple, the people lost their focus upon the LORD and had become more consumed with building their own homes. For this reason, the LORD sent the prophet Haggai to address the people's priority problem. They had reconstituted "self" over the will of God as first in their lives. God in turn withheld His blessings for the returned exiles, because they were indifferent to Him as the central focus of their lives. God was ready to shower blessing for His people if only they would give Him first priority.

As my family continues to celebrate this "re-birth" of our son, we also are reminded of the importance of placing God first in our lives. We should do this because God is worthy of such positioning and because He has given us the blessing of His grace (something that none of us deserve). So too we are mindful that the LORD's blessings will pour forth upon us when we are not distracted by the feigned substitutes that would distract us from our sole allegiance to God as Master and Savior. Let us forsake any idols that would attempt to take first place in our lives; rather, let us recommit ourselves to the King of Kings and worship Him fervently and exclusively.

The 10:31 Principle

2009-06-26T08:15:00.000-04:00

I Corinthians 10:31; Hebrews 10:31: "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God . . . . It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of a living God."

I believe that we as mortal human beings quickly are able to see that we are not the center of the universe. We did not create the magnificent display of creation around us, nor do we have the innate ability to sustain its existence. The Holy Scriptures tell us that the Lord Jesus Christ created all things and continues to sustain all things by His powerful Word (Hebrews 1:2-3). And as the Sovereign Lord over all things, Jesus Christ is worthy and able to expect that all of His creation give Him praise for His Lordship. Interestingly most of His creation, albeit suffering the curse of God due to the cosmic treason of sin by mankind (Romans 8:20), continues to praise the Lord throughout the heavens (Psalm 19:1). It is mankind that is the anamoly in perpetuating a sinful, rebellious spirit against God by pursuing self and its appetites above the Lord.

When we begin to reflect upon the notion that we were created by the Sovereign Lord of Hosts, we should respond with humility, worship, and obedience. Rather than exalting our own selves as preeminent in the universe (a most absurd conclusion!), we are called to surrender ourselves to the One True Lord and serve Him exclusively and faithfully. Scripture regularly uses the imagery of slavery to denote our position before the Lord. He is our Master, and we are His servants, summoned to obey and glorify Him.

Amazingly, what we find wonderfully displayed in the portrait of the believers' lives is the beauty of fulfillment that only God can bring to us. Our Lord has created us with a void of which only He can satisfy. This is why for us to submit to His yoke of submission is not burdensome but wonderful, fulfilling, easy, and light (Matthew 11:30).

The I Corinthians passage cited above tells us that in all areas of our lives, we are to do all things for God's glory. He is our Rightful Regent, Sovereign over all things. Nothing can thwart His purposes (see Isaiah 43:13). While the Lord desires that we would respond to His prompting to follow Him as our King, still, He gives us the choice to surrender or reject His offering of intimate fellowship with Him. For those who would reject Jesus as Lord, the Scriptures remind us that the dread of a Living God and His wrath awaits them. The Chief Cornerstone will either be the Foundation for Life and Blessing to those who yield themselves to Christ or the Weapon of Destruction to crush those who would defy Him as Master and Lord (see I Peter 2:4-8).

Let us never forget the awesome reality that God's grace offered through Jesus Christ ultimately redeems us from God's judgment. Yes! God's death and resurrection is offered to each of us sinners to protect us from God's Holiness! May we never forsake this offering, for the Scriptures are so telling . . . "it is a DREADFUL thing to fall into the hands of (THE) LIVING GOD."

Ineffectual Repentance

2009-06-25T07:42:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 34:15-16: "Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight: Each of you proclaimed freedom to his countrymen. You even made a covenant before me in the house that bears my Name. But now you have turned around and profaned my name; each of you has taken back the male and female slaves you had set free to go where they wished. You have forced them to become your slaves again."

Slavery was a reality during the days of Jeremiah. Not only did certain Israelites have slaves from foreign nations, but they also had fellow Hebrews as slaves. The predominant reasoning for Jewish enslavement would have been as payment to satisfy certain financial responsibilities that a person may have been unable to pay with money or other assets. Therefore, this servitude would have been voluntary on the part of the Hebrew slave, and the Law of God demanded that this slave be treated respectfully and with dignity, like a hired worker might expect to be treated. And at the end of every seventh year, all slaves were to be released from their servitude should they desire their freedom (Jeremiah 34:14). In effect, a Jew would become a slave with the understanding that he or she was attempting to satisfy a financial need through his offering to work for a fellow Hebrew (see Leviticus 25:39f).

With the Babylonians invading the region of Judah, God sent a directive to the prophet Jeremiah to tell the Jewish people to release their slaves. To be sure, this was a horrific time for the Jewish people; slaves needed to be released from their obligations in order to address the indigenous needs of their immediate families. There was no time to waste; all people of Judah needed the freedom to prepare for the onslaught of the invading armies that had arrived.

At first, the Jewish slave owners agreed to the directive by the Lord, and they released their slaves; in fact, they consecrated their commitment by participating in a covenant ceremony at the Temple of the Lord. This receptiveness to the command of the Lord likely was the result of the intense pressure being placed upon the Jewish people by the Babylonian armies; in fact, at the time of this communication of emancipation from the Lord, Judah maintained only two fortified cities (Lachish and Azekah). All of the other cities had seen their defenses compromised by the powerful invading Babylonians.

Interestingly, God blessed the Jewish people for their response of obedience by having the king of Babylon withdraw his forces from the cities of Judah. One would think that the Jewish people would see that their positive response to the dictates of the Lord was bringing blessings to them, and they would continue to follow their path of submission; however, with this reprieve from the pangs of war came a return to slavery. This time the slave owners forced their former slaves into enslavement; these owners enjoyed forcing these servants into bondage in order that they might take advantage of them.

God saw such renewed rebellion as a "profaning of his Name." In turn, the Lord proclaimed that these Israelites would be given a "freedom to fall by the sword, plague, and famine." The Lord would bring the Babylonians back to the region to destroy the cities of Judah to punish the people of Judah for their persistent wickedness. No more would the patience and forbearance of the Lord be seen by the people of Judah.

There is a good word for us. As we read the account above, we must ask ourselves, "Are we apt to repent when we are experiencing difficulties in life, only to return to our rebellious ways when God brings relief from our misery and begins to bless us for our faithfulness to Him?" If the answer is "yes" then we know that our repentance is ineffective, for it desires liberation from the trials of life, rather than genuine determination to change behavior. When we only want to change our lives of sin in order to get out of a jamb and are quick to return to our sinful ways once we are not burdened by the consequences of our sin, we reveal the true (and sinister) intent of our hearts. If we have such a disposition toward our sin, we in effect are proclaiming our desire to continue in it, provided we can avoid any consequences for our sin. This is no repentance at all; rather, it is a hope to not have to suffer for our sinful ways. God hates such hypocrisy.

Let us not want to repent only to avoid the suffering that comes with such obstinacy; instead, let us truly surrender to the One True Lord of Hosts. For then our motivation is not fueled by the desire to see how much we can get away with; to the contrary, we will find ourselves with an earnestness to please our Lord and Savior. Let's be a people who truly want to follow the Lord.

The Greatest Impact

2009-06-17T08:31:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 32:17-18, 37b-39: "(Jeremiah prayed) 'Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the fathers' sins into the laps of their children after them' . . . . (God replied) 'I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them.'"

There is nothing more positively impacting to a society than for its fathers to display "singleness of heart" in uncompromising, unwavering allegiance to the One True LORD. The LORD communicates in the above passage that men of integrity and obedience to Him will bring blessing to their children (and ultimately a society). Of course, the antithesis equally is true . . . that men of dishonor and reckless, selfish rebellion against the LORD will bring devastation to the "laps of their children after them."

Lest I be too philosophical, let me interject an example to validate these truths:

There is a father who is egocentric by nature. He is not yielded to the Lord, has no longing for the Lord, and he does not delight in daily reflection of and dialogue with the LORD through His Word (the Scriptures). To be sure, this man in his selfish consumption, thinks only of himself; his determination of "expediency" is filtered through the guise of personal benefit that he himself craves with inordinate zeal. If a person, object, action, or goal ultimately satisfies this father's insatiable desires, he will determine it important and will pursue it passionately; otherwise, anyone or anything not satisfying his hedonistic tendencies will be perceived as wasting his time.

This father also is not inclined to embrace his calling as "minister" to his family . . . a man called to be an agent of blessing and grace to the sensitive needs of his wife and children. Because his family's needs are secondary to his own wanton desires, they are trivialized as insignificant. His family in turn struggles with the racking sobs of disappointment that their husband/father cares not for them. They feel rejected and abandoned by the one to whom they look more than anyone else for love and affirmation.

This father neither is inclined to assimilate his family into a community of genuine faith (i.e. the Church) so that they might be nurtured by other Godly believers of Jesus Christ, nor is he surrendered to his role as facilitator of familial worship of the Lord in his home. On the contrary, this father would rather sit in front of the television and "vegetate" on episodic garbage, or he would rather network with his friends in certain activities that may bring temporary enjoyment but in fact have no lasting substantive impact (e.g. golf, fishing, etc.). Whereas these activities per se are not inherently bad, their degradation is evidenced in the father's consumption of pleasure to the detriment of fulfilling his greater purpose of being a spiritual leader and "love"r in the home. Such abandonment of the family is a most heinous sin in the eyes of God Almighty. If this father would rather pass through life feasting upon his personal delights above the indigenous needs of his wife and children, who are eager for concentrated love, affection, and most importantly spiritual leadership, then he is no true father at all. This man is only a biological progenitor who is held in utter contempt by the LORD, and the LORD will not hold him guiltless for such vile disregard of his responsibilities as father and husband.

Tragically, the majority of fathers in our culture by their word and actions of indifference/self-centeredness reinforce to their children that self-satisfaction is the end to which they should strive. These children grow up understanding that "self" is the god to be worshipped.

Or perhaps equally tragic is the misconception by these children that "self" has no value at all, since their fathers seem to find them unworthy of love, affection, and instruction. As fathers shuffle their children off to the periphery of their busy, adult lives, they bring a "curse" to their children by causing them to conclude themselves to be a burdensome distraction. One only needs to canvass his immediate community setting and he soon will find in the eyes of its children the loss and longing of the genuine heartfelt love and affection of their fathers.

As a result of this abandonment by their fathers, these children fall prey to fear and low self-esteem that results in underachievement later in life (for fear of failure), poor relational decisions (due to the rationalization that no one will love them), and eventual chronic apathy, de-motivation, and bitterness in their adult lives (for the formulated opinions early in life that their dreams were undeserving of them). Such consequent decisions, driven by fear and insecurity, bring to these children a hellish adult life experience that will lack all the zest and fulfillment that God would have for them.

Sadly, this curse of the fathers (if they are even physically around for their children) is placed in the laps of their children who in turn repeat the cycle . . . and become the very detestable parents that lack spiritual integrity, love, and commitment to their children. As with the prior generation, so goes the next generation . . . and so on and so on . . . unless one is so fortunate to break free from the dysfunction through a miraculous work of God in his life.

May it ever be reiterated: God demands that fathers possess an unwavering commitment to Him as LORD; and the LORD expects that those fathers love their children and train them in the ways of righteousness. These mandates are paramount, for the LORD desires new generations of Godly offspring who would experience the blessedness of intimate association with Him as LORD (Malachi 2:15). Godly "fathering" will make the greatest impact in helping highly impressionable young ones to live lives of faithfulness to the LORD.

God's Redemptive Plan in the Midst of Trial

2009-06-15T09:29:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 29:7b: “Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

This was a rather incredible directive by the LORD to the people of Judah, namely that they were to pray for the prosperity of their captors (the Babylonians) who were destroying the land of Judah and taking many of its inhabitants away into captivity.

Part of this mandate for these Israelites to pray for the prosperity of the Babylonians involved the LORD’s fair and just discipline of His chosen people for their abject rebellion against His sovereignty (see 30:11b). God in His ineffable glory and holiness would not permit the chronic disobedience of these Israelites to go unpunished. As with all sin, there was a consequential payment for such disobedience against the Lord. There was no way that these wayward people could avoid the judgment that was before them.

Still, in the midst of this Divine sentence, the people were called to act in faith that the LORD ultimately would redeem His people from their misery in captivity and restore them to the place that been promised to them since the days of their forefather Abraham (see Genesis 12). Part of this faith necessitated these Israelites surrendering to the yoke of bondage and praying for their captives’ success. Yes, I did say “their captives’ success.” God promised that those who responded with surrender to capture and enslavement would fulfill God’s ultimate purpose of redemption and restoration. In the immediate future, the conditions were likely to be abysmal; but, God promised that He would save them out of the land of exile and restore peace and security to them (30:10).

For the ones who were unwilling to submit to such harsh stipulations and would rather fight for their supposed freedom, the Lord declared that He would send “sword, famine, and plague and would make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth” (29:18). It was not that the LORD was averse to His people enjoying the blessedness of freedom (for in reality, the LORD never wanted bondage to be in the equation); rather, the LORD had to bring the wickedness of His people to account, and He determined that the best execution of justice would come at the hands of the invading Babylonians.

Still, God in His infinite mercy decreed that His temporal judgments would eventually draw the descendants of these exiles to the LORD, thus breaking the repetitive cycle of wickedness that had been passed from one generation to the next. Even in the midst of enacting judgment, God was working out His redemptive purposes for future generations to come.

This is a tremendous word for us today. As we reflect upon our sinful ways and the consequences that we have experienced (or are experiencing) for our wickedness, we must be willing to submit ourselves to the will of God and permit Him to orchestrate His restorative plan in our lives, even if that plan of redemption involves temporal pain and frustration. We must see that our immediate struggles may be designed by our loving Lord to mature us and strengthen our resolve to follow Him faithfully.

God does not always promise that He will remove the fallout that comes from our sinful practices; still, what He does promise is ultimate deliverance from the deserved eternal condemnation for our sinful ways, if we simply would submit ourselves to the yoke of His will and permit Him to work out His redemptive plan in us. What we have to be willing to do is wait for Him to work out His sovereign purposes . . . in His timing. To continue to fight against God’s plan of redemption is to invite hardship, disappointment, and ultimately destruction. We must not perpetuate our disloyalty by thinking that we are capable of rescuing ourselves from our despicable plot. Let’s surrender ourselves to the One True Lord and permit Him to refine us so that once we are “tried and purified, we can come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).

Don't Distort God's Word

2009-06-12T08:38:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 23:28b, 38b-40: "'Let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?' declares the LORD . . . . You used the words, 'This is the oracle of the LORD,' even though I told you that you must not claim, 'This is the oracle of the LORD.' Therefore, I will surely forget you and cast you out of my presence along with the city I gave to you and your father. I will bring upon you everlasting disgrace-everlasting shame that will not be forgotten."

In reading through chapter 23 of Jeremiah, one finds the hope of redemption of the remnant of God's people who would be rescued by the LORD and be given the blessing of eternal life. This reference, of course, is to the hope that is found exclusively in Jesus Christ, who alone is the Door through which God's grace is afforded (John 10:9).

Still, in the remainder of the chapter, the Lord warns the lying prophets and priests, who would distort the Scriptures to justify their wicked behavior. These were the religious leaders who participated in the most heinous acts in the temple in worship of Baal, the fertility god of the neighboring pagans. Though they presented themselves as surrendered to the Lord, in reality, they were people as debased as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah (23:14). To encourage the people who had joined in the chicanery of their religious demonstrations, the prophets proclaimed that God would only bring peace to the land; in no way would these leaders proclaim the truth of the Scriptures, that the Lord was angered by the gross wickedness of these people who previously had been blessed by the Lord above all nations. These leaders claimed to have dreams from the LORD that all was well; yet nothing could be further from the truth.

Of course, God would not be mocked by such perjury of His Word. Whereas these religious leaders claimed to have a word of the Lord, God would now bring eternal judgment upon them for their wickedness and their false witness against Him. God specifically exclaimed, "I will surely forget you and cast you out of my presence . . . I will bring upon you everlasting disgrace." No remission of sins would be found for these leaders of rebellion against the Lord.

There is a good word for us in this passage, namely that we must be soundly committed to the veracity of God's Word. We must revere its truths and herald it truthfully and faithfully. We know that the Word of God is a guiding lamp (Psalm 119:105) that not only inspires us to obedience but convicts us of our sin leading us to repentance (2 Timothy 3: 16-17). Therefore, we must uphold the precious Word of God and not attempt to distort its presentation to satisfy any wicked behavior in our lives. The Scriptures are quite direct toward those who would manipulate God's Word . . . they will be held in contempt and be subjected to eternal damnation.

Therefore, let us surrender ourselves to the LORD and uphold His Word with faithful fidelity. We will find the blessing of God if we do so.

Following the Lord Will Cost You Everything

2009-06-01T08:19:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 26:20: "Now Uriah son of Shamaiah from Kiriath Jearim was another man who prophesied the same things against this city and this land as Jeremiah did. When King Jehoiakim and all his officers and officials heard his words, the king sought to put him to death. But Uriah heard of it and fled in fear to Egypt. King Jehoiakim, however, sent Elnathan son of Acbor to Egypt, along with some other men. They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who had him struck down with a sword and his body thrown into the burial place of the common people."

When a people are disloyal to the Lord and follow instead their selfish desires, they will hate to hear words of truth from the Lord through His messengers. This certainly was the case with King Jehoiakim and the people of Judah during the days of Jeremiah. Jeremiah and other prophets had been sent by the Lord to these wicked people to call them to repent, with warning that the fullness of the Lord's wrath would fall upon them if they did not turn from their wickedness. God specifically instructed Jeremiah upon his calling as prophet that the people would fight against him . . . it would not be a popular ministry for those called to rebuke the wayward people of Judah. And many prophets of God suffered for fulfilling their responsibilities that the Lord had given them.

In the passage just before the cited verses above, Jeremiah had been summoned by the Lord to the courtyard of the Temple, to preach repentance. The priests, prophets, and the people at the Temple heard Jeremiah and seized him, threatening to kill him for such words of rebuke toward the people. Then, certain royal officials went to the King to tell him of the recent events and hoped to sway the king to kill the prophet of God. Jeremiah responded with a warning that if they killed him, who had come in the name of the Lord to speak the truth, they would be guilty of the death of an innocent man of God. The officials would back down this time; in a strange twist of events, these leaders feared that such punitive measures against Jeremiah would bring terrible disaster upon themselves (see 26:19).

Still, it was remembered that other prophets of God were not spared execution for prophesying against the wickedness of Judah. A prophet by the name of Uriah proclaimed the same warnings to Jehoiakim, and like Jeremiah was threatened for such words. Uriah attempted to flee for his life to the land of Egypt, but the King was so enraged by the audacity of this prophet, that he sent his henchmen to Egypt to find Uriah and bring him back presumably in chains to Judah for execution. I wonder sometimes what was racing through Uriah's mind when these bounty hunters captured him and shackled him to start the long trek back to Palestine. Day after day as he was forced a little further through the desert back to Judah, was he pondering his fate? Would the king who had been so determined to capture this man of God, relent of his anger and free the prophet of the order of execution? Would the prophet be subjected to heinous torture then be executed? Did he feel remorse that he had fled for his life in the first place? Was he determined to stand for God even if it meant his death? I'm sure that many thoughts raced through his mind as he was forced back to the court of Jehoiakim.

Whereas Uriah sought to save his life when the threats of execution first came his way, now the prophet found himself again before his accusers. Though we don't know the events that occurred just prior to the order of execution, I wonder if the king gave the prophet the opportunity of recanting of all of his proclamations in order to save his life. If this is the case, then we know from the outcome that Uriah stood for the LORD. In any event, the king ordered that his executioner draw his sword and put Uriah to death. Then in a demonstrative statement of disrespect for the emissary of the Lord, the king had the body of the prophet thrown into a common burial plot. I'm sure that Jehoiakim thought this execution would put fear in other prophets like Jeremiah who felt called to preach against the king and his subjects. Of course we know that God would not be mocked from such disdainful acts against His truth and His called ambassadors; true to His Word, the LORD would bring the mighty Babylonians to destroy these wayward people for their treasonous acts against the TRUE KING . . .THE LORD OF HOSTS.

There is a tremendous word for us in this passage. When God calls us to ministry, He doesn't promise that the road will be easy. There are likely to be hurdles and heartaches along the way. Though we may not find the same demise that Uriah faced, we still can be called to suffer for the cause of our Lord. This may take the form of alienation, betrayal, lost opportunity, or in some instances and settings, it may cost us our families, our homes, and even our lives. We don't know what the temporal future holds for us who are surrendered to our Lord as the One True King and Savior; still, we know that in eternity, our Lord will rectify all things and bless those who have been unjustly persecuted for Him.

Let us press on to be the people that God has called us to be, no matter what personal sacrifice we must give in exchange for such commitment. Whereas our surrender to the Lord may cost us everything, we know that the Lord will bless those who diligent seek Him and obey Him.

The Bush and the Tree

2009-05-28T08:15:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 17:5-8: "This is what the LORD says: 'Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

God is the Master of analogy. He loves to use imagery (metaphors, similes, and personification) to teach us invaluable lessons from His Word; and in the citation above, He contrasts a bush in the wastelands with a tree growing by a stream of water to teach us of the importance of trusting not in ourselves but in Him alone.

As we reflect upon these teaching illustrations, we learn several key points:

First for the bush (i.e. the person who sets his heart toward his own strength and turns away from the LORD):

The bush finds itself in a barren wasteland. Wastelands in the land of Israel were arid, infertile places that few plants and animals could grow let alone thrive. As one thinks about this imagery, one pictures a bush standing isolated in the desert. The unimpressive bush fails to fulfill its God-given purpose to produce fruit, because it is planted in soil that lacks the vital nutrients for prosperous growth and it lacks the much needed water that provides and sustains life. It is of no benefit for those passing by; in fact, people will look upon the plant with disdain, for it is such a disappointment in not producing the anticipated fruit for which it was designed.

Whereas the warmth of the climate may have been attractive at first, the bush now finds that the scorching heat and lack of substantive water supplies are starving it of much needed nourishment. Even if an occasional rain shower passes by, its positive benefits are quickly lost as the conditions of the land quickly evaporate the much needed rain, leaving the bush without any relief. Whereas the bush may have thought the setting to be a great place for cultivating itself, it now finds itself secluded and starved. Not only does it lack water and nutrients, but it also lacks the support of other vegetation to help shade it from the ill effects of the arid climate. In the end, the bush withers away, for it is not connected to the perpetual stream that would bring it life and vitality.

In thinking of a plant lacking a harvest of fruit, one is reminded of Jesus' encounter with the fig tree in Mark 11:12f. Jesus had become hungry and looked to a certain fig tree for fruit but found none. From a distance, the tree had green leaves and appeared to Jesus as if it should have fruit; but upon closer inspection, the tree was a major disappointment . . . a lot of show with not much substance. Jesus responded by cursing the tree, so that it would never produce fruit again. When the disciples returned to the tree later, they noticed that it had withered all the way to its roots. Since it was of no use to the Master, it was destroyed.

In contrast, the tree by the stream (i.e. the one who puts his faith and trust in the LORD) has a very different outcome:

The tree is planted next to a perpetually flowing stream, that brings health to the plant no matter the circumstances. Even if the tree finds itself in the same dry, abysmal terrain of the bush, the difference is found in the tree's connectivity to the stream . . . the true source of life. The tree has no fear WHEN (NOT IF) the heat comes. This tree knows that the stressful circumstances of its climate will come each day; still, there is no worry about its condition, for the tree has its life sustenance close by. Its leaves continue to thrive, and it produces fruit to be a blessing to any person passing by. Even in the year of exceptionally impressive drought, the tree continues to grow and produce with noticeable distinction.

And because the stream provides the adjacent soil with the nutrients for vegetation to thrive, the tree is likely to find other productive plants nearby. This tree is not isolated, but enjoys the association with other trees and plants that are connected to the same water source. As the tree enjoys its sense of community, it benefits from the adjacent trees which help to shade each others roots from the damaging rays of the sun.

This is a great story which is analogous to our connectivity to the Lord. It is of vital importance for us to be connected to the Lord, for only He can provide us with the spiritual nourishment for us to fulfill our purpose of producing fruit for His glory. Therefore, we must stay close to the Stream of Life (i.e. the Lord) in order that we might weather the storms of life, and continue to thrive for the Lord in all circumstances.

When we are connected to the Lord, we also receive the blessing of fellowship with other followers of Christ. We are able to mutually encourage and support each other along the path of life, until the day of our glorification, when we forever will enjoy the Lord and each other in a state of eternal perfection and wholeness.

Let us learn from this simile of the Lord that we must never put our allegiances in our own accomplishments and abilities; rather, let us surrender ourselves to the Lord and savor the blessed benefits of His grace and provision for our souls. We then will thrive in our lives, producing a wonderful display of spiritual fruit that glorifies the Lord and contributes to the furtherance of His beautiful Kingdom!

Don't Misuse God's Word

2009-05-27T09:02:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 23:29f: "'Is not my word like fire,' declares the LORD, 'I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me. Yes,' declares the LORD, 'I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, 'The LORD declares.' Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,' declares the LORD. 'They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least,' declares the LORD . . . . 'If a prophet or a priest or anyone else claims, 'This is the oracle of the LORD,' I will punish that man and his household . . . . every man's own word becomes his oracle and so you distort the words of the living God, the LORD Almighty, our God . . . . I will surely forget you and cast you out of my presence along with the city I gave to you and your fathers. I will bring upon you everlasting disgrace-everlasting shame that will not be forgotten.'"

If there is one thing that we learn from the above citation, it is the sacredness of the Word of the Lord. Our Great God has given to us His choice morsels of truth that we are not to distort to satisfy our own wanton lusts; rather we are to revere and obey these Words for they are the timeless, directive proclamations given to us that we might know His ultimate Will for our lives! The problem with the people of Judah during the days of Jeremiah was that their religious leaders were distorting the words of the Lord to condone their wicked ways. They adjusted their interpretation of Scripture into one that justified their defiance of God's propositional truths that had been given to the Israelites 1000 years before (see Deuteronomy 28).

God was very direct with these wayward leaders. He proclaimed that He would severely punish all those who would distort His Word; these religious figureheads would not escape the eternal punishment of the Lord for propagating their wickedness as something encouraged from the Word of the Lord.

This is a good word for us today. We regularly find in our culture many different groups that attempt to purport their sinful ideologies by manipulating Scripture to say something that it has never said or by attempting to discredit the Word of the Lord to a place of insignificance to their contemporary experiences.

Just as God would not hold the person in Jeremiah's day guiltless for distorting the truths of God's Word to meet his selfish desires, so too we will find that our Lord will punish the man today who treats the Scriptures with such contempt. We are not to manipulate the eternal Words of God to satisfy our longings, rather we are to surrender ourselves to the Righteous, Holy Words of the LORD and let them saturate our souls with conviction (leading to repentance) and inspiration (leading to obedience and worship of the One True God).

May we ever treat the Holy Bible as just that . . . HOLY . . . that is "Set Apart" and worthy of our focused attention, reverential fear, and determined obedience. It is only then that the blessings of Our Sovereign Lord will flow to us as we follow His will for our lives.

Looking For Relief From God When It's Too Late

2009-05-26T08:33:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 21:1-5: "The word came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. They said: 'Inquire now of the LORD for us because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is attacking us. Perhaps the LORD will perform wonders for us as in times past so that he will withdraw from us.' But Jeremiah answered them, 'Tell Zedekiah, this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn against you the weapons of war that are in you hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians who are outside the wall besieging you. And I will gather them inside this city. I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm in anger and fury and great wrath.'"

We can only imagine the setting in which this episode occurs in the life of the people of Judah as recorded in Jeremiah. The mighty Babylonians had encircled the city of Jerusalem and had begun their 18-month siege against it. These warriors would cut off the food supply such that the people inside Jerusalem's walls would eventually resort to most horrid measures for survival (see Lamentations 4:10). When the heat of God's judgment befell Jerusalem, these once wicked people of Judah, who had mocked the warnings of the LORD and had persecuted His prophets, were now sending their religious leaders to Jeremiah in hopes that God's wrath might be averted. Whereas God had been quite longsuffering with these people, desiring that they repent, eventually a point was reached when the day of salvation was past and only the judgment of God remained. Rather than being their Protector and Defender, now the LORD had become their Enemy who would inflict the severest of penalties for their treason against His Holiness and Lordship. God had not forgotten that these people just recently had professed, "Who can come against us? Who can enter our refuge?" (21:13). These people of Judah thought themselves impervious to attack, as their city was fortified with expansive walls for its protection; their fortifications falsely reinforced their belief that their wicked ways were beyond any judgments from the LORD. And though the LORD sent them the prophets to warn them of coming disaster, they only ridiculed such perceived nonsense. Oh how wrong these people were . . . for the Babylonian invasion was a most horrific sight!

Still, God would give these people an opportunity to find remedy from their miserable condition, if only they would respond to His instruction to surrender to the Babylonians and be subject to them for a period of time. God would have His people suffer for their sins, but the severity of their suffering could be abated if they would only listen to His counsel. Sadly, these people would attempt to do just the opposite. They determined to hold out as long as they could; and all that they did was worsen the effects of the siege. Even in the midst of suffering, these Israelites would not listen to the LORD.

There is a good word for us here. Do we believe ourselves impervious to the judgments of the LORD? Do we think that we are beyond any culpability for our sinful ways? Let us renounce such foolishness while the day of God's salvation is upon us. Just as with the people of Judah during the days of Jeremiah, so too do we have a limited time to respond to God's offering of grace. When the fullness of time for His grace has past, nothing remains "but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God" (Hebrews 10:27).

God Sees Everything

2009-05-19T08:11:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 16:17: "My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes. I will repay them double for their wickedness and their sin, because they have defiled my land with the lifeless forms of their vile images and have filled my inheritance with their detestable idols."

It is amazing to think that a person might believe that his sin could go undetected by God. This certainly was the case with the people of Judah during the days of Jeremiah. These descendants of Abraham apparently believed that they were getting away with their evil ways; in fact, one can almost see their shrugged shoulders and puzzled looks at Jeremiah when they asked in 16:10, "Why has the LORD decreed such a great disaster against us? What wrong have we done? What sin have we committed against the LORD our God?"

This wicked disposition of the covenant people was further evidenced by the Jewish religious leaders in Ezekiel 8. Specifically the seventy elders, whose positions of leadership had been appointed by the Lord nearly a millennium before (see Numbers 11:16-17), were practicing an impressive external worship display outside the Temple, but within the dark corners inside the Temple walls, these religious leaders had set up shrines to pagan deities with drawings of "crawling things and detestable animals and all the idols of the house of Israel" (Ezekiel 8:10). These leaders smugly convinced themselves that the LORD did not see them, and thus they were able to perpetrate whatever their wicked hearts desired. (Ezek. 8:12). Sadly, these leaders could not have been further from the truth!

God told Jeremiah that the people's wicked ways were NOT going undetected; He was seeing all of the sins that they were committing against His Holiness, and He determined to repay them doubly for their wickedness. God would bring harsher judgment, for He previously had given to His covenant people the blessing of the Promised Land; and the Lord had chosen these people from all peoples of the earth with which to dwell. God's very glory was present in the Temple that had been constructed, and He had demonstrated His power, glory, and will with such regularity that the people should have known better. Instead, they chose to treat His love and exclusive devotion with contempt by filling the land and the Temple of worship with the vile, pagan idols that would deflect focused devotion from the One True Lord of Hosts.

This is a good word for us today. We ever must remember that the Lord sees all that we do, and will hold us account for our loyalties, wherever they might be directed. The following passages affirm this conclusion:

1. Hebrews 4:13: "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."

2. 2 Chronicles 16:9: "For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him."

If we find ourselves worshipping vain substitutes for the Lord, now is the time for us to repent (i.e. turn) from such wickedness and worship the Lord passionately and exclusively. Just as the people of Judah had been given so much by the Lord (and for this reason would be held in greater judgment for their rebellion), so too we must understand that the blessings that the Lord has given this nation will bring a fiercer day of reckoning if we do not repent and surrender ourselves to the Lord.

Let us remember the 2 Chronicles 16:9 passage above as well, namely that the Lord has promised to strengthen those "whose hearts are fully committed to Him." This is the way to go! Let's by faith give ourselves fully to the Lord and then watch in excited anticipation what He will do through us for the furtherance of His glory and His kingdom!

Trying to "Pull One Over" on God

2009-05-18T08:17:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 14:11; 15:6: "Then the LORD said to me, 'Do not pray for the well-being of this people. Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword, famine and plague . . . . You have rejected me . . . You keep on backsliding. So I will lay hands on you and destroy you; I can no longer show compassion.'"

When God turned up the heat of His judgment upon the people of Judah for their chronic rebellion against Him as Lord, the people hastened to the formality of worship and ritual in the hopes of "impressing" God to bring them relief. These Israelites for so long had been the perpetrators of all types of evil, flagrantly displaying their wickedness openly (see Jeremiah 3:6); and instead of fearing the holiness of the Lord, these people had no regard for His Sovereignty. They only saw the Lord as one of many deities that could be summoned for their needs, only to be shuffled back to the periphery of their lives once He had blessed them. Any Word of truth given by the Lord that was indicting of their sin was received with offense . . . they found no pleasure in it whatsoever (see Jeremiah 6:10). They thought themselves so wise that they were not in need of any council that would address their wrongdoings, for they did not see the pursuit of their selfish desires as inherently bad (Jer. 8:8).

Now that these people were suffering for their sin, they soon made their way to the temple to make their burnt offerings and grain offerings to the Lord and to follow up their religious display by committing themselves to fasting. These people thought that if they could impress God enough, He would relent from His judgment and bring relief from their misery. The telling evidence of their spiritual condition, however, was in their willingness to backslide. As evidenced by these people's behavior, they did not want to change their evil ways (which is the Biblical definition of repentance); rather, they wanted to get out of their predicament. Had God relented from His wrath, these people would have reverted back to their detestable ways and mocked the Lord as One who could be fooled by superficial spiritual display. Had the Lord brought a reprieve to the Judeans, they in turn would have smugly concluded that only a few "hoop jumping" acts of spirituality were necessary to appease God. Then they could return to the true wicked desires of their hearts.

Of course, God would not be fooled by such deceptive practices. He knew what was in their hearts; and for this reason, the Lord would not relent from His judgment.

This is a good word for us today. If we expect the blessing of the Lord, we must move beyond pretentious spiritual rituals with the hope of impressing God; for these acts, without a heart inclined toward the Lord in a spirit of repentance and surrender will accomplish nothing. Instead, we must submit ourselves to the authority of the One True God and approach Him in a spirit of humility and contrition. It will only be then that His Divine favor will be poured out upon us . . . and we will experience relief from His judgments.

The "Why?" Question

2009-05-14T08:16:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 13:22a, 25: "And if you ask yourself, 'Why has this happened to me?' - it is because of your many sins . . . . This is your lot, the portion I have decreed for you,' declares the LORD."

In over a decade of ministry experience, I have heard the "Why?" question asked many times. Distraught people have sat in my office, crying out "Why has this happened to me? . . . Why has God let this happen? . . ." Whereas we must be slow to ascribe causality to misfortune (for in a fallen world, even those who have lived in obedience to Christ will experience tribulation), there are those times when one's misery is directly related to sinful choices made in life. And whether these sinful choices involve poor relational decisions, compromises associated with such relationships, unethical choices in business or at church or in school . . . we know that the list of painful consequences for sinful behavior seems limitless.

I guess what fascinates me is the perceived naivete of those who have disobeyed the precepts of the Lord and question why they are suffering the consequences of such miscreant behavior. Many will feel as if they are victims undeserving of such painful experiences. With eyes of bewilderment, they look across my desk and wonder in astonishment that God would allow such results to befall them.

Again, I must reiterate that sensitivity is warranted in all such circumstances, for every person anguishing over tribulation is deserving of love and compassion; still, these times can be very instructional for those who would incline their ear to hear wisdom. We all have felt the pangs of misfortune that have arisen from our sinful choices, and we know that some of these consequences will live with us for the entirety of our lives. What we must do is be open to God's Word of correction, and reorient our lives to faithful obedience to Him. We may not be able to remedy the consequences of past sins; however, we can permit God to work redemptively in us through our contrition, confession, and re-commitment to Him as LORD. God is loving and able to restore us to right fellowship with Him. If we determine to seek Him above all persons and things, the Lord will turn our tragedies not only into triumphs but opportunities of ministry for others who are traversing similar paths.

What we must first do is get beyond the shock and presumed innocence that we think we have. Let us look introspectively at ourselves to see if any sin has brought us to the place where we find ourselves. And if God's convicting presence brings such awareness, let us repent (i.e. turn) from our wickedness and seek the Lord. He will work redemptively and restoratively to draw us from the pit of despair into a place of blessing (see Psalm 84:5-7).

What Makes God Hearing Impaired (2)

2009-05-13T08:15:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 11:11: "Therefore this is what the LORD says: 'I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape. Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them.'"

Seldom do we find in Scripture any mention of God refusing to hear the petitions of a people who are in distress and in need of deliverance. But in the account of the people in Judah during the days of Jeremiah we find just that.

As we have addressed in previous devotions, the Judeans during the days of Jeremiah were a wayward people who were unwilling to repent of their sin of rebellion against the LORD. So brazen had they become in their wickedness, that when God sent to them the prophet Jeremiah to proclaim judgment for their sinful ways, these people determined to kill Jeremiah and his descendants (11:19f).

Now that God was leading the Babylonians to invade Palestine, the people would cry out for relief, but God would refuse to listen. God even instructed Jeremiah not to pray for the people, for it would be to no avail. Whereas we might think this to be heartless of the Lord not to respond to the petitions of His covenant people, we need only to look at the verses immediately following the quoted verse above. After praying to the One True Lord of Hosts, these people of Judah then turned to their false gods and prayed to them asking for deliverance as well. This response of the people leads us to conclude that they were not sincere in their repentance to the Lord; rather, they were looking for relief from their misery. These people were unwilling to turn away from their idolatry which to them justified their sinful behavior; they simply were looking for a reprieve from their persecution so that they could return to their reckless ways. These people were not sorry for what they had done . . . they were sorry that they had gotten caught and were suffering for their wickedness. Were these wicked people to receive relief from their judgment, they would have gone back to the false gods to whom they had petitioned and worshipped them for granting deliverance. These people would not have repented and turned from their sinfulness; instead, they would have intensified their sacrifices to the false gods.

This is a good word for us today. We must remember that the Lord is "compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love and faithfulness" (Exodus 33:6). Still, He is unwilling to listen to our pleas for deliverance, when we are unwilling to confess our sin and turn from our wicked ways. For God to grant our petitions under such circumstances would perpetuate sinfulness in our lives, for we would be apt to conclude our invincibility to any judgment that may come our way when we perpetrate rebellion against the Lord. God will not be mocked by our sin (Galatians 6:7-8); He will not respond to us when we cry out to Him and yet are unwilling to surrender to Him as our Lord and follow Him in obedience.

Let us forsake our rebellious ways and turn back to the Lord. We then will find that He will incline His ear to us and answer our prayers for healing.

In Whom Do You Boast?

2009-05-12T08:13:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 9:23-24: "This is what the LORD says: 'Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,' declares the LORD."

This is certainly a timely proclamation from the LORD to the stubborn people of Judah during Jeremiah's day. These people failed to obey the Law of the Lord, and chose instead to follow the desires of their own hearts (9:13-14). They claimed themselves to be a people of wisdom (8:8), yet they found the Word of the Lord to be offensive (6:10). Whereas they were hearing the Words of coming judgment from prophets like Jeremiah, still they brazenly responded, "God is not angry with us . . . . He will do nothing! No harm will come to us" (2:35; 5:12). These people were great at following a formality of worship; however, their worship in fact was only in pretense (3:10), for they had no awe of the Lord of Hosts (2:19). They would not follow the commands of the Lord (6:19), which revealed that they were consumed with the exaltation of their ways about all others (even God Himself).

These people were prideful in their supposed wisdom, strength, and riches. They looked to the external evidences of their superiority and believed themselves to be impervious to judgment. In fact, they believed themselves favored simply because they held these superior qualities.

God called them to redirect their boasting . . . not in themselves but in Him as the Sovereign Lord of Hosts! The people of Judah were called to anchor their joy and pride in an intimate relationship with the Lord . . . the One who is full of kindness, justice, and righteousness for those who would surrender to Him.

There is a good word for us in this passage. How often do we see ourselves falling into the same trap that these Israelites fell prey? Do we find ourselves taking pride in our supposed wisdom, or in our strength, or even our material prosperity? We must remember that these qualities do not necessarily make us into a people favored by the Lord; in fact, these traits can swell our hearts with pride so that we turn away from the Lord.

What we must do is forsake any pride that is birthed from our accomplishments or prosperity. We must examine our hearts to see if we have oriented our desires toward personal satisfaction, even above our allegiance to the Lord. And if we find ourselves pursuing such ends, let us repent of these acts of rebellion and return to the Lord, whose mercy and love overflow to those who would seek Him above all other persons and things.

Want to Know the Heart of a Man? . . . See What He Thinks About the Word of God!

2009-05-10T07:36:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 5:6b; 6:10b: "For their (the Israelites) rebellion is great and their backslidings many . . . . The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it."

If there ever has been a telltale sign of the spiritual condition of an individual or a nation, it is that person's or nation's responsiveness to the Word of God. Many people will claim to have a sense of spirituality, but this attestation does not necessarily mean that they are living in obedience to the One True God.

This certainly was the case with the Israelites of Jeremiah's day. They were grossly wicked, following after every wanton lust of their hearts; still, they surrounded themselves with presumed spiritual leaders that would exonerate their wickedness (5:31). Whereas these Israelites engaged in all types of evil, they justified their behavior as not only tolerable but exemplary. With a rather smug arrogance, these Israelites felt justified by their cultural criteria that they were doing just fine.

Still, there was THE ultimate standard (the Word of God) that openly denounced their debased ways; and for this reason, the people hated the Word for its indictments. Rather than heed the true dictates of the Sovereign Lord, these people would choose either to have their spiritual leaders reinterpret the Word into something that it did not say or denigrate altogether the Word to a place of insignificance in their culture. These people feasted upon their wickedness, and the last thing that they wanted was to hear a prophet proclaiming judgment for their rebellion against the Lord.

The most telling example of this mindset came with King Jehoiakim of Judah. God had summoned the prophet, Jeremiah, to write the Word of the Lord on a scroll and present it to the King with the hope of the people turning from their wicked ways. When the scroll was read to the king at his winter palace, he grabbed the scroll, cut it into pieces, and threw it into the fire to destroy these words of judgment upon him and his people. The king then wanted the prophets who brought such word before the king to be arrested; his hope was to eradicate his kingdom from any message that would question the practices of his people. The Lord called Jeremiah to write another scroll with the same words of judgment, with the added prophecy that the king's body would be "thrown out and exposed to the heat by day and the frost by night" (36:30). Even though the king believed that he had eliminated any negative word against him, the LORD would not permit His Word to go without vindication. In the end, God would bring His pronounced judgment against the people of Judah for their defiance to His Word.

There is a tremendous word for us in these passages, for we find in our nation today a similar regard for the Holy Scriptures. Specifically, we find that our countrymen despise any word of rebuke for their unrighteous ways and they surround themselves with presumed "spiritual" leaders that tell them what their itching ears want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3-4). And when the Word of Truth is proclaimed, they immediately describe it as extremism, fundamentalism, fanaticism, intolerance, or some phobia of sorts. Not only do they desire to discredit such proclamations; but in their seething anger, they attempt to push the political leaders to enact legislation to force an end to any words of admonishment for their behavior.

Of course, we know that God will not be mocked by wickedness. No matter what the unrighteous do to attempt to silence the Lord's Word, in the end He will bring destruction for those who live to satisfy their sinful natures (see Galatians 6:7-8). Now is the time for us to repent of our sin and turn to the Lord; for we know from His Word that the one who lives to please the Lord of Hosts will "reap eternal life" (Galatians 6:8).

God Is Sovereign!

2009-05-09T08:29:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 5:22,25: "'Should you not fear me?' declares the LORD. 'Should you not tremble in my presence? I have made the sand a boundary for the sea, and everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it . . . . Your wrongdoings have kept these away (autumn and spring rains); your sins have deprived you of good.'"

It is rather extraordinary to see humanity forsake its allegiance to the Lord. Whereas we know that God is Sovereign, in authority over all things and able to enact His divine judgments upon all recalcitrance, we still find ourselves striving for our own lordship. What is fascinating in this passage is the tangible example that is given by the Lord to illustrate His Sovereignty : the ocean and the beach.

The ocean is a rather impressive display of force and power; in fact, one only need to swim into the breaking waves to see its power. And of course when a great storm passes over the sea, its waters can churn into a rather intimidating sight. No one in his right mind would even get near the turbulent force of such a tempest.

In contrast, we find the sand of a beach to be rather docile, with its tiny grains noticeably lacking any energetic movement. Even though the waves roar and beat upon the shore, the sand continues to be a barrier that prohibits the water from moving wherever it would choose. A perceived invincibility has been checked and kept within certain boundaries, even though such restraints make little logical sense.

Such an analogy was good for the Israelites to hear, and we would do well to hear its message too. Whereas we may find ourselves thinking that we are powerful beings deserving of our own insatiable cravings, the Lord in fact sets boundaries for us to keep us mindful that He alone is Sovereign and is worship of worship. And if we ever conclude that we can transcend the Lord's will, we will find ourselves exerting a lot of energy in worthless pursuits, much like the waves of the ocean crashing on the shore . . . only to retreat back to it original place.

And we must remember that as the people of Israel lost the blessing of the rains that would have brought the blessed agricultural harvest, so too our wickedness will cause the Lord to withhold the blessings that He desires to give to us, if only we would follow Him with faithfulness and in obedience.

Let us not be like the waves that spend much energy to no avail. Let us exert our passions and energies to following the Lord. And let us watch as Our Sovereign King opens the portals of Heaven and showers upon us the blessed rains that bring the harvest of His favor.

Take Ownership For Your Behavior

2009-05-04T07:45:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 4:18: "Your own conduct and actions have brought this upon you. This is your punishment. How bitter it is! How it pierces to the heart!"

One thing that we find in the early chapters of Jeremiah is God's pleading with His people to own up to their wrongdoing, confess it, and turn from it. God promised that if His people would return to Him and put away their detestable idols, then He would be blessed by Him.

Tragically, these people were "fools . . . . skilled at doing evil" (4:22). Even though they perpetrated the most debased forms of wickedness, they believed themselves to be innocent and had no remorse for their wicked ways (2:35, 3:3b).

We can see noticeable similarities between the Judeans of Jeremiah's day and our own nation. How many times have we seen people perpetrating the most heinous sins, only to discredit any notion of its wrongdoing or deflecting any negative consequence upon some other person or thing. Our nation is one that loves to call good, evil and evil, good. Its determination of what is appropriate has more to do with personal benefit rather than conformity to the commands of the Lord. And akin to the Israelites of Jeremiah's day, our culture seems to erupt in vehement anger when anyone attempts to define their behavior as utterly wicked. Tell these sinners that their ways are contrary to the will of God, and they will march in the streets, protesting the "fundamental fanaticism" of the righteous. This responsive behavior is not unlike what Jeremiah the prophet would experience in his day, and he found himself subjected to imprisonment and persecution for telling the people to recant of their sinfulness.

Of course in the end, it is the LORD ALMIGHTY who calls all men to account. In the passage cited above, the Lord judged the Israelites with rebellion and blamed His consequent judgment upon their own conduct and actions. Whereas they would have deflected any culpability by attempting to redefine good and evil, God's holiness would not be mocked! His standards of right and wrong would be vindicated, no matter what sinful man would do to change their validity. God would bring the Babylonians into Palestine to bring death and destruction to His covenant community for their defiant wickedness.

This is such a good word for us today! Whereas we believe ourselves to dwell in the greatest nation in the world, completely impervious to destruction, we must remember that God alone is Sovereign and is to be worshipped and obeyed. If we continue to chart a path similar to the one of the people of Judah 2700 years ago, we should expect that His wrath will be executed with the same fury that He displayed with the Babylonians. Even now, we are experiencing the birth pains of His judgment through the recent economic meltdown; and this is but a foretaste of a grander display of wrath that is destined to come unless we are willing to surrender ourselves to Him as Lord. Let us not find ourselves at this point of reckoning! Let us submit ourselves to the Lord while is forbearance is with us. He desires to redeem us and heal us; but we must receive this gift by owning up to our sinful ways, turning from them, and following the Lord.

There is a Direct Causation Between Our Sin and Our Misfortune

2009-05-02T08:09:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 3:2-3, 19-20: "Look up to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been ravished? By the roadside you sat waiting for lovers, sat like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness. Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen . . . . How gladly would I treat you like sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation. I thought you would call me 'Father' and not turn away from following me. But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel."

In this word from the prophet Jeremiah we find a sobering reality, namely that national calamity can be the result of our chronic rebellion against the Lord. In the situation cited above, the Lord had brought drought upon the land in response to the people's wickedness. They could have had the blessing of the rains that would have brought the blessing of an abundant harvest; instead, these wicked people chose to defy the One True God, bringing His divine judgment instead.

We must pause to reflect upon our present economic crises and ponder if a similar fate is befalling our nation because we have forsaken our allegiance to the Lord. Could it be that our loss of national prosperity is correlated to our consumption with our own exaltation above all others (including God Himself)? I would argue that our present financial tragedies extend beyond mere correlation and are in fact caused by our forsaking our obedience to the Lord.

We would do well to hear this most important word from Jeremiah. God is desiring to shower us with His blessings; still, He expects unwavering allegiance to Him as Lord. When we forsake the Lord and begin to follow our own sinful ways, we should not expect that the Lord will bless us; in fact, we should not be surprised if we find that the Lord brings disappointment and difficulty in our lives. Coupled with the Lord's honoring of His Holiness is His redemptive purpose in His judgments. It is the Lord's will to draw us back to Him, in order that He might shower us with blessings . . . and He will do whatever it takes to get our attention.

Let us not waver in our faith in obedience to the Lord. Let us revere His name and follow His commands for us. If we do, we can expect that the Lord will be faithful to His promise to bless us for our passionate commitment to Him.

Remember the Goodness of the Lord

2009-04-30T07:35:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 2:5-6: This is what the LORD says: "What fault did your fathers find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves. They did not ask, 'Where is the LORD, who brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness, through a land of deserts and rifts, a land of drought and darkness a land where no one travels and no one lives?'"

If there was one certainty with the Judean people during the time of Jeremiah, it was their utter wickedness and rebellion against the One True Lord. In fact, their debased, licentious behavior was rather flagrant. These children of Israel did not hide their wickedness; instead they would climb the hills and flaunt their evil ways with all kinds of perverseness (2:20).

In response, the Word of the the Lord came to the prophet, Jeremiah; specifically, the Word recounted the history of intimate fellowship that certain Israelites a millennium before had experienced with the LORD. God wanted the covenant community in Jeremiah's day to remember the devotion of the Israelites of ages past, who like a bride "loved (the LORD) and were devoted (to Him)" [2:1]. The LORD then used this history lesson to call into question the Israelites of Jeremiah's day, recognizing their failure to remember the Creator's blessing of deliverance and protection through the wilderness.

What especially is telling is the Lord's addressing the leaders of Israel first as the ones who forgot the blessings of the Lord and chose instead to lead the people into worship of the pagan deities of the day. The leaders set the stage for the behavior of the people; thus, they were the first ones to be held to account.

True to His Holiness, the Lord would not permit these acts of rebellion to go unnoticed; in fact, the Lord promised judgment for these people (2:35). They would not be able to divert the Lord's chastisement for their wickedness; for even as this warning was communicated, the LORD was preparing the Babylonians for an invasion of Palestine.

There is a good word for us in these verses, for how often do we fail to remember the historical goodness of the Lord to us in our lives personally and collectively. God has blessed us beyond measure; and yet we seem to have developed shorten memories of His goodness to us. We all have heard the old adage, "those who do not learn from history are destined to repeat it." It certainly was true for the Israelites of Jeremiah's day . . . and if we are not willing to reflect upon the Lord's goodness to us, and turn from our wickedness, we will find ourselves with a similar fate.

Let us take time to reflect upon the Lord and the blessings that He has lavished upon us in the past. It may very well be that in our reflections, we will be repent and turn again to obedience to the Lord of Hosts.

We know from 2 Chronicles 7:14 that if we will humble ourselves, pray, seek the Lord's face, and turn from our wicked ways, then God promises to hear our prayers, heal us, and forgive us. Let's open the history books of our lives and return to the Lord!

God's Calling Is Not Always Easy

2009-04-15T08:39:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 1:7b-8: "(The Lord said to Jeremiah) Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid to them, for I am with you and will rescue you, declares the LORD."

If there has ever been a prophet who had a most difficult ministry calling, it would be Jeremiah. The prophet was likely about 20 years old when the Lord summoned him to herald the coming judgment to the most rebellious people of Judah. This people were full of "wickedness in forsaking (the Lord), in burning incense to other gods and in worshiping what their hands (had) made" (Jer. 1:16).

The Lord first revealed to Jeremiah that He had set the prophet apart even before birth to present to the people the coming wrath of the Lord. And though Jeremiah's ministry would be full of personal rejection and suffering, God assured the prophet that He would be with him. The Lord commanded the prophet to "Stand up and say to them whatever I command . . . . (assuring Jeremiah that he would be a) fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land (even the) kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land" (1:18). The Lord warned Jeremiah in advance that the people would not put up with his proclamations of judgment and would fight against him; still, the Lord reassured that He would be with the prophet throughout his ministry.

As God predicted, Jeremiah's ministry was not easy. He was "ridiculed and mocked all day long" (Jeremiah 20:7); even his friends turned on him and waited for him to say or do something that could be used against him with the officials (20:10). Eventually, the religious leaders seized Jeremiah and determined that he should die for his very unpopular proclamations (26:7-9). Whereas Jeremiah escaped from death in this instance, the prophet later would find himself before an angry King Jehoiakim of Judah. The king was enraged at the prophet's written scroll of God's Word of judgment against the people of Judah . As the words were being read, the king stopped the reading and threw the scroll into a firepot, until the entire scroll was burned up. Jehoiakim then ordered that Jeremiah and his scribe be arrested. I'm sure that Jeremiah often reflected upon the compounding episodes of rejection and persecution, but he was strengthened by the Lord's fulfilled promise to rescue him. (Jer. 1:19; 36:23-26).

Later under Zedekiah's reign over Judah, several of Jeremiah's enemies determined to start a false allegation that the prophet was deserting to the Babylonians. Despite Jeremiah's defense to the contrary, the officials of Judah had Jeremiah beaten and imprisoned in a "vaulted call in a dungeon, where he remained a long time" (37:16). Of course, even this beating and extended imprisonment did not appease Jeremiah's enemies; some time later, the officials approached the king and suggested that the prophet be put to death. The weak king acquiesced to the wishes of his leaders, and these officials decided that Jeremiah should die a slow, painful death in a deep cistern . . . essentially starving to death in the dark hole in the ground. As Jeremiah was lowered down into the dark pit, he sank into the deep mud and was left there to die. Still, the Lord was true to His word and rescued the prophet from the cistern. Whereas the prophet was delivered from an abysmal fate in the cistern, still, Jeremiah remained shackled in chains in the courtyard of the guard until Jerusalem was captured by the Babylonians (37:28, 40:4).

When Nebuzaradan, commander of the imperial guard of Babylon rescued Jeremiah, he offered the prophet asylum in Babylon, and would give him personal care and protection. As tempting as this was to a man who for years had been subject to persecution at the hands of his own people, Jeremiah knew that his calling was not complete. He graciously refused the offer from the commander of the army and returned to the Jewish remnant that remained in the land. The army officers of Judah in a change of heart petitioned Jeremiah to pray to the Lord for guidance as to what they should do. Ten days later, Jeremiah received a word from the Lord for the people to stay in the land and be subjected to the Babylonians, rather than flee to Egypt (which is what they were planning to do). When Jeremiah shared this word with the army officials, they accused the prophet of lying and forced the Jewish remnant (including Jeremiah) to Egypt in direct defiance to the will of the Lord (43:2-7).

When they arrived in Egypt, these rebellious Israelites continued to worship their pagan gods. Again, Jeremiah warned the people of God's coming disaster upon them for their wickedness, but these people would have none of it. They determined to continue offering incense to their pagan deities. God then speaking through his prophet gave these wicked Judeans over to their rebellion, and vowed by His Great Name, that the Israelites living in Egypt would not escape destruction by "sword and famine until they are all destroyed" (44:27).

By this time, Baruch (Jeremiah's faithful scribe who had been with Jeremiah through most of this persecution), had just about all he could handle, claiming that he had been "worn out with groaning, finding no rest." There seems to have been a moment when Baruch thought he had served the Lord enough, and now was his time to seek "great things for himself." God, speaking through Jeremiah, encouraged Baruch to keep to the assigned call, knowing that the Lord ultimately would bring deliverance. And this was the end of the recorded ministry of Jeremiah.

Again, as we look at the historical account of Jeremiah's ministry, we find that it was not a very popular one . . . the prophet had no converts and he was subjected to ridicule, persecution, imprisonment, kidnapping, and near execution for faithfully fulfilling his calling given to him by the Lord. His ministry resume' would not have been very impressive; still, we find that Jeremiah's faithfulness honored the Lord, for he did exactly what was asked of him, even though it cost him severely.

We must remember today that when our Lord calls us to a task, He never promises that our journey will be easy; in fact, our calling may involve rejection, persecution, and tremendous hardship. As we face these turbulent waters, may we have the resolve of Jeremiah to press on in our commitment to the Lord so that His purposes might be fulfilled in and through us. We can know that if we are faithful to the Lord, He will bless us. We may have to wait until His glorious return to see the fruit of that blessing; still, we by faith press on, knowing that our obedience is not in vain.

Surrender Yourself to the One True Lord

2009-04-09T08:58:00.000-04:00

Isaiah 66:2b,3b: "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word . . . . (but) They have chosen their own ways, and their souls delight in their abominations."

If there were an excellent summation of the entire book of Isaiah, it would be found in this simple citation above. God is a loving Lord who wishes to bless all men and bestow His mercy and grace to them. Tragically, however, many refuse such an offering of grace in favor of the exaltation of themselves as their own lord. Whereas they might not formally participate in ceremonious ritual to worship themselves, by their thoughts and actions of self-consumption, they reveal hearts that are focused upon the satisfaction of their own appetites above all others (including God). They might deny such a reality exists in their lives; nevertheless, their behavior indicates that their first priority is in fact themselves. Deep within their souls, they resent the thought of a Higher, Supreme Authority to which they must yield. They want to be god themselves. They even will use illogical ideologies (like evolution) to discredit any notion of a Sovereign Lord; by doing so, they believe that they can legitimize their own selfish pursuits as morally acceptable (even preferable).

God does not bless such debased behavior, for to do so would be to counter His rightful place as the Sovereign, Holy Lord over all. Rather than honor such abominable behavior, the Lord ultimately brings judgment to such treason (see Revelation 20). And whereas we know that all of us deserve God's divine wrath, for all of us have sinned against His Lordship (Romans 3:10-11, 23), we find hope in His death and resurrection, offered as the only sufficient payment for our sins.

In response to such an offering of grace, we are called to humble ourselves before the Lord, confess our sins of rebellion against Him, and surrender ourselves to Him as our Master and Savior. The Lord promises in the passage above that He will esteem those who will humble themselves in a spirit of contrition and tremble in reverential respect for His Word. Those who yield themselves to God's rightful rule in their lives can expect deliverance. Those who "choose their own ways and delight in their own abominations" should understand that such choosings are detestable to the Lord. In the end, the Lord will not hold those people guiltless for desiring themselves as their own lord; His divine wrath will be brought upon them in full measure for all eternity (see Isaiah 66:4).

Only A Remnant Will Be Redeemed

2009-04-06T08:24:00.000-04:00

Isaiah 65:8-12: "This is what the Lord says: 'As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes and men say, 'Don't destroy it, there is yet some good in it,' so will I do in behalf of my servants; I will not destroy them all. I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and from Judah those who will possess my mountains; my chosen people will inherit them, and there will my servants live . . . . But as for you who forsake the LORD and forget my holy mountain . . . . I will destine you for the sword, and you will all bend down for the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me.'"

After the wonderful presentation of salvation through the sacrifice of the suffering Messiah (Isaiah 53) [which opens the doorway to the blessedness of eternity (Isaiah 54)], the Lord calls out repeatedly for mankind to respond to His offering of grace (Isaiah 55). What is quite profound is that humanity did not seek the Savior's deliverance; rather, God in His infinite love chose to reveal His grace to us in our rebellion (see Romans 8:5-8) in order that some would partake of the joy of His salvation (Isaiah 65:1). Tragically, many have continued to forsake God's offering of reconciliation . . . an offering which cost Him immense (and undeserved) pain, persecution, and death. The root problem with these reprobate is their own quest for lordship. In effect, they exclaim, "Keep away; don't come near me, for I am too sacred for you!" (Isaiah 65:5). They foolishly think to be a god unto themselves and therefore are in no need of God's grace. They find it repulsive to think that they must submit themselves to the authority of another. They would rather feast upon their own personal delights, even though such obstinacy is heaping up the full wrath of God, who "will pay back in full" (Isaiah 65:6).

Even with this prevalent demonstration of recalcitrance by humanity, still there will be a remnant who will yield to the convictions of the Holy Spirit and surrender themselves to the Lord thus receiving His mercy. These are not unlike the cluster of grapes mentioned above that are rescued from being destroyed, for though they seem unworthy of being harvested (as all in the vineyard truly are unworthy), the Harvester is able to find fruit worthy of redeeming. This does not suggest that our works are worthy of God's grace, for even the prophet Isaiah has rightly identified in chapter 64 that our "righteous acts are as filthy rags" (64:6); still, the obedient fruit of our lives reveals that God's initiatory work of grace has had great effect. God then sees that our lives are worthy of rescue, for we have responded to Him as Lord; we have savored His love offering of Himself for our sin debt (called expiation). To this remnant, the merciful Savior will usher them into the blessedness of His eternal dwelling, where they will "build houses and dwell in them (and) plant vineyards and eat their fruit . . . . they will not toil in vain" (65:21,23). To them, He too will give a new name (65:15). One such name will exclaim the eternal covenant marriage between the Lord and His remnant (Isaiah 62:4); so too, the Lord will impress His name upon their foreheads as a sign of the eternal covenant of salvation.

May we not neglect such an offering of grace (Hebrews 2:3); rather, may we respond to His love with submission to Him as our Lord. May we be found to be part of the remnant that is like the cluster of grapes that will be salvaged for harvest and not destroyed in the fire of God's judgment.

Married to God Forever

2009-03-31T09:04:00.000-04:00

Isaiah 62:4.-5,10-12: "No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called "My Delight is in Her" and you land "Married"; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married. As a young man marries a maiden, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you . . . . Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations. The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: 'Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.' ' They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD . . . "

I truly love the imagery in this passage of God (our Bridegroom) loving us and preparing His eternal dwelling place for our arrival; in fact, one can see the excitement and intentionality of God in making ready His home for us. One cannot help but well up with excitement at the thought of God "building up the highways, removing the stones, and raising the banners" for our arrival. God is longing for the day of our redemption, and He is preparing His Home with such incredible beauty that we as His bride will be overwhelmed with His purposefulness at making His dwelling place something spectacular for us. This illustrative declaration reminds the reader of the wedding processions in ancient Israel. The groom would take great pains to prepare his home as a place worthy of his wife; then he would go to the home of the bride to take her to be with him. As the two would make their way back to the husband's home, there would be a great wedding feast to celebrate the union.

This is the way the Lord will welcome us into Heaven. Even now, He is making Heaven ready for the great celebrative feast when He returns with those of us who have betrothed ourselves to Him as Lord. As we pass through the gates and walk the streets, we will be honored at the purposefulness and intentionality of Our Lord in making ready His home for us. His heavenly entourage will line the streets to celebrate the arrival of His bride, redeemed and purified through the Groom's own death and resurrection! And as we approach His glorious throne, He will rename us with the name "My (God's) Delight is in Her." This name will be given to us, for He will lavish us with His delight . . . and we will be in awe at the experience.

And as we stand speechless at the breathtaking beauty of our new Home, we will hear Him call it "Married." It will be a reminder that for all eternity, He is faithfully committed to us as our Husband and His home will always be our home. We will not be an afterthought of the Lord; nor will we be shuffled off to some remote corner in Heaven. Instead, we will be His celebration, His Delight, and His joy. What a Blessing! What a Privilege! What Amazing Love!

Going Through the Motions Does Not Impress God

2009-03-30T08:30:00.000-04:00

Isaiah 58:4b: "You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high."

One of the fascinations with the 58th chapter of Isaiah is God's rebuke of the people of Judah for having a "form of godliness but denying its power" (see 2 Timothy 3:5). These people were a sinful brood, who in their contumacious spirit mocked the Holiness of God by failing to set aside time to reflect upon and worship Him. They also showed disdain for the Lord by their violation of His commands to love their fellowman. In effect, these Israelites who were great at going through the motions of religion ("worship services, fasting, etc.) were exploiting the helpless and were fighting amongst themselves. Whereas they might have "seemed eager" to know God through their "spirituality," in reality, these people were self-serving hedonists who satisfied their own pleasures (58:3).

God responded to these Israelites by saying, "Don't bother with your presumed acts of righteousness. You might think that you're impressing Me by making some personal sacrifice (even fasting from food) on My behalf, but I see your true colors. You are a people who claim a religious heritage; but you are so far removed from my favor, that your wasting your time."

In the end, God called their spirituality contemptible. He would not hear their petitions for His Divine favor. Even if the people would decry that their "righteous acts" were not being recognized by the Lord, He would not acquiesce to their hypocrisy. What God wanted to see is the evidential fruit of true spiritual transformation. He wanted the people of Judah to surrender to the Lord, and follow His commands . . . by "loosening the chains of injustice . . . sharing food with the hungry . . . and providing shelter for the wanderer" (58:7). And God wanted the people to respect the Sabbath as a day of true reflection and worship of Him. In response to such genuineness of spirit by His people, the Lord in turn would answer their prayers and would guide them always, satisfying their needs in the midst of a dry, barren land.

This is a great word for us today. We find in our nation that the overwhelming majority of people profess an acknowledgement to God; and many participate in weekly religious services, thinking that such commitment obligates the Lord to shower His Divine favor upon them. Much like the people of Judah 2700 years ago, these people today conclude that God owes them for their taking time out of their busy schedules to attend a worship service or give money to a charitable organization. It's as if these people think that God is a peer who is contractually obligated to give back for their "acts of righteousness."

Just as God would not be mocked for such insolence, so too He will not condone such pseudo-spirituality. When people today call out to the Lord (without a heart inclined to Him), He will not hear them. He will not respond with the abundance of His blessing until these people truly turn from their wickedness both in heart and action.

Still, what is wonderful is that God is ready to extend His favor to those who would yield themselves to His Lordship. To this day, the Lord promises that if we will submit to Him, He in turn will give us His joy. We will "ride on the heights of the land (and will) feast on (His eternal) inheritance" (58:14).

Who Will Gain Entrance to God's Holy Mountain

2009-03-27T08:11:00.000-04:00

Isaiah 56:6-7, 13b: "And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant-these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer . . . . the man who makes me his refuge will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain."

When our modern culture contemplates eternal salvation and the recipients of its blessings, it sadly believes the falsity that redemption is afforded to all of mankind, with no stipulations. Or our culture concludes that Heaven is to be given to those who have lived "good" lives (though there is quite a divergence as to what this "good" actually is).

Isaiah 56 gives us the prerequisites of God's grace to humanity, who are "foreigners" outside the presence of the Lord because of sinful rebellion against Him.

The "foreigner" must first BIND HIMSELF TO THE LORD: he must commit himself to the Lord through contrition, confession, and surrender. God in His Holiness is to be praised and obeyed. Whereas the merits of our grace are solely afforded through the Lord's death and resurrection, still, we must respond to the Lord's offering of reconciliation by "binding ourselves to Him."

The "foreigner" must SERVE HIM: When we have surrendered to God as our Master, we will necessarily respond with acts of obedience. These responses will not be a drudgery but a delight, for we will revel with astonishment at His love for us, and we will want to serve Him.

The "foreigner" must LOVE THE NAME OF THE LORD: He will savor the privilege of intimate association with the Sovereign King of Kings. And this desire for intimacy will drive us to want to spend time with Him and to follow Him obediently.

The "foreigner" will WORSHIP HIM: Worship is a natural product of a heart filled with the joy of salvation. When a person overflows with love and adoration for the Lord in His greatness and goodness to mankind, he cannot help but express his condition in praise and worship. Whereas the style of worship may be different, predicated upon the person and the circumstance, it is nonetheless real and genuine.

The "foreigner" will KEEP THE SABBATH WITHOUT DESECRATING IT: The primary purpose of the Sabbath from its inception has been to set time aside for rest and worship of the Lord of Hosts. The true believer will not permit obstacles to distract him from his exclusive contemplation and worship of the Lord. He will remove any obstacles that would impede his focused reflection and praise for the One True God!

The "foreigner" will HOLD FAST TO GOD'S COVENANT: As we have already said, the true believer will follow the precepts and statutes of the Lord as prescribed in the Holy Scriptures. He cannot help but live his life in obedience, for he has been transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit; and in his responsive love and adoration of His Savior, the redeemed will commit his life to perpetual obedience to His Lord.

All of the above criteria are the evidential fruit of true transformation. This is a person who has made God his refuge; and for such a man, God has promised the blessedness of inheriting His Holy Mountain (i.e. Heaven).