Hands Off

“I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.” (Ho 4:14 AV)

 

At first glance, this does not make sense.  Does not God hate sin?  Does He let sin go without any judgment whatsoever?  Does not God care about Israel and won’t He visit their transgression?  The context is Israel and Judah as they backslide away from God after the idols of their neighbors.  The Bible tells us that whom the LORD loves, He chastens.  This is the understanding of the word ‘punish’ above.  To punish here does not mean to judge.  In other words, the LORD is not stating He will leave Israel and Judah alone as they backslide from the LORD.  Quite contrary.  The LORD will bring Assyria and Babylon against them and carry them off to captivity as a result of their whoredoms.  What He will not do is chasten them for correction any longer.  The text suggests their sin was so ingrained into their culture that revival became impossible.  The father has led their children into spiritual whoredoms and it was not so much of who and what they were that correction would be pointless.  Therefore, He gives them over to their sin and it will be their sin that caused greater consequences than any punishment God would send.  It would be the whoredoms of pagan gods that open the door for the pagans to come in and haul them away captive.

My mind goes to the prodigal son.  I am sure that he was not a perfectly obedient son and one day decided to go off the deep end and demand from his father what he thought was his just due.  There had to be some signals that this son was not headed in the right direction.  There had to be some indication that he would pull this.  No doubt dad did all he could do to train him up right.  Nonetheless, when he came of age, he rebelled against his father’s love and took off.  He wasted all his living.  This means he spent all his father had given him as well as all that he owned and earned.  He was reduced to absolutely nothing.  The good news is, no matter what happened to him, he was still his father’s son.  Nothing could sever that relationship.  They were still bonded by the natural relationship of father and son.  All he needed to do was to return and all would be forgiven.  All he needed to do was to return in humility and fess up to what he had done.  He was reduced to nothing.  Just like Israel and Judah, the Father took His hand of protection and correction off of these two nations and left them to themselves.  It was the natural consequences of their choices that reduced them to nothing and prepared them for repentance and restoration.

The Bible also tells us not to despise the correcting hand of God.  The correcting hand of God is the extension of His love towards His children whom He desires only the best.  To welcome the correcting hand of God is to avoid much worse consequences.  Be sure your sin will find you out.  It is much better to respond to His correction and work towards holiness than to let it go and come to the end of oneself.  The thing with Israel and Judah is their sin went on for generations to the point their sin defined who and what they were.  This was not a matter of having a solid foundation to which they could return.  What God made them ceased to be.  What God wanted for them ceased to be a possibility.  Iniquity had become so prevalent that God could do nothing to change them.  There are stubborn sins in our hearts that often come to this end.  God has tried to correct us and we do not respond.  It is these hardened sins that often determine permanent consequences.  Those vices tend to be part of who and what we are.  But there is hope.  God will never leave nor forsake us.  Even though Israel and Judah were carried away, God did not abandon them.  Jeremiah, God’s prophet followed them into captivity.  God sent Esther.  God provided others.  He did not leave them just because they left Him.  God desires His best for us.  However, when we repeatedly reject it, He is left with no alternative but to let us have our wants.  These desires wreak great damage in life but God is there to pick up the pieces.  Praise be to God.

Like Peddling An Electric Bike

“That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.” (2Ti 1:14 AV)

 

I believe that in context, the good thing to which Paul is referring is either the ministry of which Timothy has been entrusted or the gifts of which he received that he might discharge his calling.  However, the good thing could be applied to any blessing that the LORD has given by which we might know Him, serve Him, and be blessed in this life.  What is important is how the good thing is kept.  We underestimate and underutilize the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  His ministry, no matter how effective it might be, is often unnoticed.  There is a reason for this.  His role in the Godhead is to point attention to the Son and the Father.  This puts Him in the background.  He is not the one we worship.  We worship and commune with the Father and the Son.  This results in an out-of-sight, out-of-mind sort of relationship.  The nature of His relationship to us means we are tempted to accomplish life on our own.  Including that which God has called us to do.  Living a life worthy of being a child of God cannot be done without the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  Yet, He does so without being sought as that power that makes living for Jesus possible.  If we are to keep that which has been committed to our trust, it must be by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within the saint.

I don’t know about where you live, but electric bikes are all the rage.  There seems to be a large range of options as far as peddling and power go.  Some throttles are operated automatically.  Some models allow the rider to set the speed and either accomplish that speed purely by peddling, assisted peddling with power, or full-on electronic mode.  You can tell an electronic bike by the amount of peddling the rider is doing compared to how fast he or she might be moving.  It seems some models will allow the peddling of the rider to charge the battery as well.  No matter how much the peddler peddles, however, the battery can never be fully charged without an outside source.  I think there is a scientific principle at play here.  At any rate, the rider may be under the impression his peddling is sufficient to more than make up for the charge he might use.  Given enough time and distance, this would be apparently false.  No matter how much force or energy he can input into the battery, the battery will always expend more energy.  Eventually, no matter how far or long the peddler peddles, he will eventually be on his own.

This is how we approach our Christian walk.  We can easily assume we are assisting the Holy Spirit but not nearly as dependent upon Him as we truly are.  We strive to live separated lives, to serve Him as best we can, and take joy in the blessings which He bestows all in our own strength.  We prepare our Sunday school lessons, parent our children, and live by the testimony of the word of God before our fellow employees all in the flesh.  We peddle our bikes thinking that our efforts will result in souls coming to Christ.  We unplug the battery thinking the grade isn’t too steep and we can climb the mountain of temptation claiming victory over our sin.  The good thing God has given must be maintained by the one who gave it.  To purchase a $2500 bike that runs on electricity and unplugging the battery makes no sense.  But this is what we do and we wonder why we run on empty.  Paul is instructing his student to utilize the gift of the Holy Spirit as the means to be what God wants him to be and do what God wants him to do.  It is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that enables the saint to live as God intended with all the blessings associated with living that way.  To unplug the battery and think we can peddle our way to the goal is foolish and shortsighted.  Tap into and rely on the Holy Spirit.  It is the only way.

Never-ending Mercy

“But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.” (Ho 1:7 AV)

 

Hosea’s ministry spanned four kings of Judah.  It was during these four kings that Israel, the ten northern Jewish tribes, was repeatedly invaded and eventually carried away into Assyria.  When the enemies of God came against the disobedient children of Israel, the LORD protected Judah and Benjamin without the need for military participation.  God took care of them so they would repent of their sin and not go the way of Israel.  God was merciful to them when they did not deserve it in the hope they would change course and walk in obedience.  It almost worked.  The revival under Hezekiah is one of the most significant revivals ever to hit Judah or Israel.  Yet it was his son who led Judah into a final judgment.  Although we could dwell on the failure of Judah to respond to God’s grace, we would rather meditate strictly on the goodness of God and His desire to save us from that which would irreparably cause great harm.

According to one source, the Hebrew word for mercy here means, “to love, love deeply, have mercy, be compassionate, have tender affection, have compassion.”  Another source compares mercy here as a constant and passionate connection to the object of one’s love.  This mercy has the understanding of non-stop compassion towards someone that would take extreme circumstances to break that connection.  This is certainly true of Israel.  God made covenants with the descendants of Abraham and David.  He made promises that are still active today and will be culminated when the Son of God returns to set up His physical kingdom.  This mercy that the LORD promises to Israel may exhibit itself in less than obvious ways.  It may seem as though His mercy has been suspended.  But His mercy is always there.  Israel still exists as a nation for thousands of years since its inception.  Very few nations can also make that claim.  God has protected their existence through centuries and millennia of constant attack.  Some to near extermination.  The LORD has never completely removed His hand from the nation of Israel and before the world can adjust, Jesus will come back and the promises of a kingdom of peace and prosperity will become a reality.

The mercy that God shows towards Israel is the same mercy He shows towards the child of God. The saint has placed his or her faith in the offering of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary as his or her only means of God’s forgiveness.  The saint has accepted the gracious gift of salvation in Christ with a humble and broken heart.  When that happened, immediately an adoption was completed.  The sinner became a son of God.  The new believer was instantaneously adopted into the family of God and there is nothing that can undo that operation.  He or she is secure in the grace of God.  What we tend to forget is the mercy that saved us continues unabated for the rest of eternity.  Yes, the LORD may have to correct us.  Yes, He may be displeased with some of our choices.  But that does not suggest His mercy has ceased.  Strong's defines this mercy as fondling.  Today, the word has a mainly negative connotation.  But in its original use, the word comes from the same root as fondly.  The understanding is never-ending compassion and deep love like a parent would have for his or her infant.  This is the nature of God’s mercy towards those who love Him.  This never ceases.  This is something we cannot earn.  The mercy of God is something given based solely on the nature of God.  He does this for us and we must accept this by faith.  To do so would mean our motive for godly living changes from an attempt to be affirmed to the security that we already are affirmed.

Slumber Time Prayer

“For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul. Upon this I awaked, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet unto me.” (Jer 31:25-26 AV)

“I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.” (Ps 77:6 AV)

 

Slumber time is the time when God can do a lot of work.  Our spirits are in a state of rest and all that life demands from us is on hold.  Our minds can be cleared of immediate needs and thoughts, contemplating rather on those things of life that cause the most distress.  This can be a good thing.  It can also be a horrible thing.

In the dark and quietness of the night, our minds and hearts can cut loose on any and all anxieties which we carry.  We can begin to worry about things that may have no chance of ever being a reality.  We allow the quietness of the night to become an unbearable silence that opens the mind to unpleasant thoughts.  It is during these times when the sweetest prayer is often offered.  Not that we are terrified or even overly anxious.  But it is in these times when we can deeply reflect on that which troubles our hearts to a depth those troubles can be addressed.  When all the static of life is behind us, our minds and hearts can sift through that which troubles them to deal with underlying issues that go to the core of those troubles.  It is in these times of prayer the Spirit often does His most significant work.

To lay one’s head down and fall asleep in prayer is one of the wisest things the saint can do.  Reflecting on what the LORD did that day, or confessing faults, or both, is a good way to fall off into sleep.  Waking up the same way is also very smart.  I have a brain condition that causes me to wake in an unpeaceful way.  It is in those times when that which is bothering me the most comes to the surface.  It is often in those times that the LORD does His most significant work in my heart and mind.  Before I start my day, I must resolve to trust Him in all things.  It doesn’t take all that long.  The Spirit tells me to trust and I do.  There isn’t much wrestling.  There isn’t much anguish.  The heart and mind are brought into subjection to the power and ability of the Spirit and all is well.  My weary soul is refreshed as I learn to leave things with God.  If there are unresolved issues in the heart or mind, the Spirit and I go to work before I rise for the day.

God gives His people rest.  He does so for a reason.  Not only for the body.  The body needs to rest from its labors indeed.  Rest is also given to the mind and spirit.  For the heart and will.  They need refreshing.  They need to be healed from the labor they accomplished and for what lies ahead.  OF all the time of prayer I share with the LORD, my nighttime and early morning are the sweetest and most productive.  This is where the LORD becomes very real to me.  I must for my own sanity.  I am driven to converse with my God in the quietness of the night.  There is no better time to be alone with God than when everyone else is asleep and the world is making no demands on you.  It is the only time when private time can be guaranteed.  The flesh is too weary to tempt and the devil is off bothering someone else.  It is the time when God has full access to that which needs the most attention.

Know It to Show It

“Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.” (Ps 119:27 AV)

 

That very first word just jumped out at me.  When we use that word, we usually mean we do not want to understand and we are asking someone to forcibly inflict this knowledge upon us.  When I was a kid, if an older sibling told us what to do, we would respond, “make me”!  However, the word means to cause, not to force.  The writer is seeking understanding in regards to how the precepts of God work, why they are precepts, and how to apply them.  The writer is seeking to understand the consequences if the precepts are ignored and the blessings that might abound if he does live by them.  In short, the writer is seeking as much information about the precepts as can be gained which will increase the likelihood he will live by them.  The evidence of the writer receiving his request is his personal testimony as to the wonder of the precepts.  He brads on God.  He speaks of how wonderful the law is.  He doesn’t disparage the law nor resent it.  He shares with all who will listen that the ways of God are the best ways and that his life has been richly blessed by them. It is not enough that we live in obedience.  When have reached maturity when we advertise the ways of God are the best ways.

There is a physical riddle that is rather amusing.  Hand someone seven six-penny nails and tell them to balance six of the nails on the seventh.  It can be done.  Try as they might, to almost all, this is impossible.  One on top of another, perhaps.  But six on a seventh?  Not possible.  But it is.  There is a way to do it.  Perhaps a bet is made.  Perhaps a dollar is thrown down and a dare thrown out.  The one who knows the answer keeps anti-upping the wager.  One after another takes the bet.  The large the pot, the more others are willing to give it a try.  But to almost all, it seems impossible.  For each dollar that is put down, the riddle maker is obliged to throw his own down.  Finally, all are exasperated and take him up on the bet.  So, he nails one of the nails on a board.  He then takes the six and arranges them in such a way as their heads act together as a locking device against one another.  It shapes a letter “H” with the center being longer than horizontal.  He then balances these six together and the seventh and walks away with a fist full of dollars.  What happened next?  Each patron who saw this magic trick then decides to try it on his or her own with a  completely different audience perpetuating the profit of hidden wisdom.  This is our nature.  When we see how something works and know that it will work to our advantage, we tend to share it with others even if they do not believe it at first.

This is what the writer wishes for.  He is not seeking to make a profit off of others, mind you.  He wants to know the laws and precepts of God in such a way that he is excited to share the wisdom.  He wants to know the law so intimately that he cannot help but to desire others to experience the same blessings as he.  He sees the hurt around him from people who have not this wisdom, and knows that if they would just give God a chance, perhaps the hurt will go away.  He sees the benefit of living God’s way and knows others would truly be blessed.  So, He wants to know it so thoroughly that he can explain it to others so that they might come to welcome the precepts of God as well.  This is the writer’s desire.  This is for what he prays.  This is his end goal.  He wants the world to know how wonderful living for God in God’s way is the best life anyone could ever experience.

Praise God For His Mercy

“To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;” (Da 9:9 AV)

 

This statement is part of Daniel’s prayer as he seeks to understand the timing of all that he has seen.  His visions began with Nebuchadnezzar many decades earlier.  He saw several visions regarding large kingdoms that would control or conquer Israel.  This all culminated with the reign of the Messiah.  Now, he seeks from God the timing of it all.  This pursuit is what brings the revelation of the seventy weeks; an oft-discussed topic in most bible colleges today.  The revelation came at a deep cost to Daniel.  He spent a great deal of time confessing his sin and the sin of his nation.  He prefaces the answer to his riddle in the reality of God’s forgiveness and mercy.  He understood the meaning of the last kingdom; that of Christ; and framed it in the truth of God’s forgiveness.  He knew the coming of the Messiah was the ultimate expression of the mercy of God.  Even though Israel would cause God much heartache, the mercy He promised would not be canceled.  The gratitude at the mercy of God is the foundation for the Father to grant Daniel understanding.  Let us praise the LORD for His wonderful forgiveness and mercy!

I have a granddaughter who is just like her father.  She has a temper and she can allow her spirit to easily spiral out of control.  It may be she does not feel well.  It may be that she is cutting teeth.  Perhaps she didn’t get enough quality sleep.  Whatever the cause, her spirit can get the better of her.  One morning, a few weeks ago, she was having one of those mornings.  The inclination is the chasten such an angel.  She was throwing fits and being very demanding of her mother.  I picked her up and held her tightly.  She screamed and cried.  I didn’t chasten her.  I didn’t lose my cool.  I simply looked at her had shared soothing words to her so that she could learn that everything was going to be all right.  As I held her tightly, she fought against the restriction.  However, slowly she yielded to it and then learned that someone had her world under control. She was in total rebellion even though she didn’t know why nor had a valid reason.  It was in her nature.  Being kind and patient is what she needed.  She did not need a reaction in kind.

It is our nature to be contrary to the will of God.  That is who and what we are.  When the LORD says ‘do thus’ we find every reason not to.  When He tells us not to, we do anyway.  This is our human nature.  We inherited it from Adam and perpetuate it by our own choices.  Praise the LORD for His patience and mercy.  We would all be destroyed if it wasn’t for that mercy.  Praise the LORD God gives chance after chance.  Praise the LORD He never gives up on us even though we repeatedly disobey.  Praise the LORD for His wonderful mercy and forgiveness towards His children.  I will never understand it.  My prayer is that we are always grateful for it, we do not presume upon it, and by it, we confess speedily and deeply.  Praise the LORD for His wonderful grace towards the children of men.

Praise God for the Law

“Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners…,” (1Ti 1:9 AV)

 

Law is a good thing.  Law is necessary.  Not just for the lost, but for the saved as well.  We need law.  We need rules.  We need structure.  We need to be told what is right and wrong.  We need to be held accountable.  We need the power of the law to keep us in the way we should go.  Not merely to keep us from the consequences of breaking the law, but for the blessings that come with obedience.  I, for one, am so grateful for law.  Law is the structure that keeps society functional and orderly.  Law is predictable, certain, and absolute.  It plays no favorites.  Law is the extension of God’s character.  Law is the security needed for the soul which is undisciplined.  Law is made and provided that our wicked nature would come under the control of something or someone greater than ourselves.  I like law.  I appreciate law.  I need law.

Just this morning, I was having a discussion with someone regarding a well-known professional baseball player who was caught betting on his own team.  The IRS, of all possibilities, were the ones to discover his betting habits.  This led to a lifetime ban from the hall of fame even though he is known as one of the best ball players of all time.  In our discussion, my soul-winning partner quoted, “But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.” (Nu 32:23 KJB)  We had talked about how this is a bad thing, but ultimately a good thing.  It is good when we are confronted with what we have done wrong and have the privilege of coming clean.  Repentance from sin is a good thing.  It may be uncomfortable.  It may not be easy.  It may humble us to a level never felt before.  But after repentance is complete and it is all out in the open, then we feel much better.  Guilt, which we have been carrying for so long, is finally gone.  Consequences are accepted.  Reconciliation is attained.  None of this is possible without law.  If there were no laws against betting, Rose would not have been caught.  But that doesn’t mean betting is right.  His excuse that he loved the Reds so much that he bet on every game for them to win didn’t make it right.  Publishing his confession decades later didn’t make it right.  But what the law did was allow Rose to do the right thing after he had done the wrong thing.

The law is simply a published version of the character of God.  The law is our friend.  Not our enemy.  The law disciplines the old man to crucify self so that the glory of God might reign in the heart.  The law cleanses us from all unrighteousness.  Most of all, the law conforms the soul to the character and nature of God.  This results in a life of peace and joy that can come no other way.  The law is good. It is just.  It is holy.  It was given for our benefit.  The law is a fence around the heart that keeps the heart from discovering every and all indulgences it could ever imagine.  The law is a solid reference point from which sanity is defined.  The law is the guiding light and beacon of hope that gives the life that is out of control a sure reference to which it can bend.  The law is the soundness of mind and heart.  The law is the standard by which reality operates.  The law is good.  The law is necessary.  The law is for all of us because we are all sinners in desperate need of it.  The law is our hope.  The law is our comfort.  The law is a constant north pole that does not change and the constraints that make all that could be uncertain and certain.  Praise the LORD for the law!

What A Sight!

“I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.” (Da 7:9 AV)

 

What a sight that will be!  The older I get the more and more I want to see my God sitting on His throne.  Especially considering Daniel’s first phrase.  The kingdoms of this world will be cast down.  The arrogance of mankind will be destroyed.  The principalities and powers that wreak havoc among the children of men will be dispensed into eternal hellfire.  Then the Ancient of Days, our heavenly Father, will give to the Son the right and responsibility of regal license over the entire world.  For now, the ability to rule is given to Satan and his ilk.  But there is coming a time when they will be destroyed once and for all, never again to be a factor in the affairs of mankind.  When Jesus sits upon His throne, all the enemies of God will be cast out of the kingdom and He and only He will rule in righteousness and true holiness.  The mere sight of our divine Godhead and the presence of His glory over all He has created is the sight for which my soul deeply yearns.  Just to see Him face to face is the deepest desire of my heart!

Over the years, there have been men whom I have admired.  Mostly men of God.  To my naïve and immature mind, these men represented perfectness that I one day hoped to emulate.  I didn’t know any different.  Especially in my younger spiritual life, I could look up to these men as the epitome of godliness, holiness, and spiritual maturity that I would one day attain.  In fact, it was an experience like this that began the call of God on my life.  As I sat in an Institute Graduation service, I remember looking at the ordained men of God sitting in their robes and sashes, admiring them for something they had that I could not define.  As I beheld in wonderment their different remarks and addresses, the Spirit moved me to a deep appreciation for what it was they had that I didn’t.  As I listened to each of the graduates briefly give testimony as to what they believed God was calling them to do, I recall the prayer that I prayed that hour.  I asked the Spirit for whatever they had.  Whatever it was they had, that is what I wanted.  Especially as I witnessed the white-haired preacher address the graduates with a seriousness and directness not typical of a normal church service.  Then he sat back down.  When he sat there, one would get the sense the godliest of men sat in the most elevated place, giving an air of authority to the proceedings that would not otherwise be there.  There was something about someone who had decades of dedicated service sitting in a chair is the center of the platform that was necessary and moving.

All of that cannot even come close to what it will be like when we see the Ancient of days sitting on His throne high and lifted up.  For me, anyway, there will be a sense of security and finality to it all.  I know that this sinner will be moved to shame and humility as such a sight.  So much so to the degree, I have never felt before.  His glory will fill all of creation and beyond.  It will be blinding.  It will be moving.  He will fill heaven and earth.  There is no equal.  Or any that can come close.  The absolute authority by which He will sit will put all under His feet.  No more of the chaos and evil we see in this world.  Forever vanquished.  Forever judged and condemned.  When the Ancient of days sits upon His throne over all the earth, that will be, in the words of Daniel, the end of the matter.  What a sight that will be.  One that I cannot wait for!

Praise God for His Deliverance

“He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.” (Da 6:27 AV)

 

These are the words of Darius, king of the Medes and Persians regarding Daniel and his endurance through the lion's den.  The night before the lion’s den, Darius tried to encourage Daniel by stating the LORD would deliver him from the mouths of the lions.  Yet, that night Darius spent the night in prayer and fear.  In the morning, he went as early as he could and called unto Daniel with a lamentable voice to see if Daniel survived.  This indicated that Darius did have faith.  But not as much as he did when Daniel was taken from the lion’s den.  He cried with a lamentable voice, but praise God with a joyful one.  It is truly a wonder that God will work even when we do not completely believe that He will.  Who knows?  It could have been the faith of Daniel that saved him.  There is no record of it, but that doesn’t mean Daniel had none.  It could have been the prayers of the three children of Israel, although there is no mention of them beyond the fiery furnace.  The only prayer we have is the prayer of Darius.  Again, not that the prayers of others affected the hand of God, but we do know Darius’ prayer did.  God delivered even though there was doubt.  God rescued because the heart’s desire we greater than the doubt or fear.

Every spring, The Exodus seems to be a common film broadcast on TV somewhere.  Charleston Hesston plays Moses and the big screen tells the story of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt.  My wife and I usually watch it every year.  Not so much for the historical record.  Many times in the film there are miss-ques on the timeline of the entire event.  However, we watch because the ability of God to work miracles is something that becomes real when watching the plagues and the parting of the Red Sea.  God’s deliverance is made dramatic and obvious.  What always astounded me is how quickly this miraculous deliverance is forgotten.  It only took three days before the nation of Israel was complaining to the LORD for the lack of fresh water.  They had forgotten all that God had done because a little adversity entered their lives.  The deliverance of God was relinquished to a distant memory even though it was only a few days prior.  One would think having seen all they saw, there would never be another worry.  This only goes to show the deliverance of God should be rehearsed often so that we do not forget what God did and what He is capable of.

To rejoice in God’s deliverance is a profitable thing.  When Darius pulled Daniel from the lion’s den, he threw his accusers into the pit in his place.  There was great rejoicing in the deliverance of God by setting things right that were wronged.  Darius’ faith grew exponentially here.  He went to bed wondering if God would indeed rescue someone very close to him and rose seeing God’s mighty hand at work.  He went to bed wondering if he has just occasioned the death of his most faithful and trusted counselor and arose knowing the God whom Daniel served was more than capable of keeping His servants safe.  Perhaps we don’t need to be challenged in anything today.  Maybe we can take stock of the many ways God has delivered us starting with eternal damnation.  By Christ, we have come out of the lion’s den.  The enemy has no power over us and by the blood of Christ, we will be admitted into glory.  We can continue through memory lane and list all the times God has delivered us from travesty.  Some of our own making.  Most not.  God’s deliverance is frequent and without delay.  He sees His children in trouble and if there is no lesson to learn or no glory to be gained, He immediately rescues those in trouble.  It was true forty years ago when He saved me.  It is still true today.  Great are the works of God toward the children of men.

Mutual Glorification

“Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2Th 1:11-12 AV)

 

These two verses are packed with truth.  But there is one phrase that captures the heart of this writer.  The whole point of salvation is our glorification and fellowship with God.  That is why Jesus dies for us.  To transform us into the image of Himself.  This is the foundation of Paul’s prayer for the people of this church.  His heart’s desire is that Jesus Christ would be glorified in each and every life and conversely, each individual life would glorify the LORD Jesus Christ.  We can be guilty of making life all about that which is easily seen or discerned.  We can become carnal or temporal in our thinking and neglect to remember life is far more than what we can put our hands on.  Life is about things we cannot touch, taste, smell, or hear.  Our walk with God is more than meat and drink.  Our relationship with the LORD transcends the weather, our health, or the roof over our heads.  Our walk with God is all about transformation.  Conversion from sin to righteousness.  From loneliness to sweet communion with God.  From that which will pass away to that which will always remain.  Our whole purpose for existence points to a culmination of sweet and perfect unity with the Creator God who loves us beyond our own comprehension.  That Jesus might be glorified in us and we in Him is the reason we exist.  This is the pursuit of life.

There is a falsehood that our Christian life is all about ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’.  The word of God is full of such things.  They are not an end in themselves.  This is where legalism creeps in.  Keeping rules simply to keep rules has no eternal value.  The principles given in the word of God are not sterile commands with no greater purpose than conformity.  The principles and commands of scripture are a reflection of the holiness of God.  They are not benign instructions for the sole purpose of compliance.  No.  The principles and commands of the word of God are for our blessing and the glory of God.  When we live in conformity to the Word, we are reflecting the very nature of a holy God.  When we do those things instructed of us, we reveal the reality of God to a world that cannot see Him.  When we live in accordance with His character and nature, we are preaching the truth that God exists and that all should know Him by faith.

Many years back, a young couple found themselves in a familiar situation.  Shortly after marriage, the husband was drafted into the conflict to end all wars.  After about a month on the battle field, our soldier received a letter from his new wife announcing he would be a father.  How elated he was.  About eight months later, his new son arrived.  This newlywed couple exchanged letters as often as they could.  Hundreds of them.  Three years turned into six years.  Six years turned into eight years.  Finally, the war ended and surviving against all odds, he returned home.  His seven-year-old son whom he had never met awaited him.  Getting off the ship and heading to the crowd, mom never gave away which soldier was this young man’s dad.  But he knew.  As their eyes met, this seven-year-old ran and jumped into his father’s arms.  Why?  Because for seven years a faithful wife rehearsed into the ears of their son who his father was and what he was like.  He knew right away!  The familiarity between Mom and Dad signaled the right man.  This is what we should be.  We should such a remarkable reflection of Jesus Christ that those who are seeking Him can find Him.  Christ in us and we in Him!

Quench Not The Spirit

“Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.” (1Th 5:19-22 AV)

 

Four very good commands in the pursuit of sanctification.  The next verse tells us that if we do these things, then the LORD will sanctify us completely.  Despise not prophesyings is to welcome the word of God no matter what we might feel or think.  To prove all things means to test all things so that their veracity might be found true.  In particular, we are to weigh all things and hold fast to that which is good.  If it is not good, then discard it.  Then we must flee every appearance of evil before evil becomes a temptation.  Avoid evil at all costs.  But it is the first which has drawn the attention of this writer.  Before we begin on the three that follow, quenching the Spirit must cease.  Reading those writers who acknowledge the Spirit is the Holy Spirit here is wonderful reading.  The expositional skill and insights are a great blessing to the soul.  Most assume the quenching is not the quenching of the Spirit as a person assuming the human soul cannot limit the omnipotent Spirit of God.  However, the Bible clearly states,  “Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.” (Ps 78:41 AV)  God has given the individual human soul the ability to limit what God can do.  This is the meaning here.  We are not to get in the Spirit’s way as He tries to do a work in our souls.  In fact, we are to cooperate by yielding to His miraculous work of sanctification.

Homeschooling children is not limited to what they learn.  Sometimes, there are valuable lessons the parents learn as well.  One of those lessons is how to be an effective mentor.  There is a balance between suffocating them with attention and instruction against letting them spread their wings a bit.  If we constantly hover over them, they rebel against the attention.  They fuss against being watched.  They want to be independent.  They can do it all on their own.  As parents, we kind of enjoy those moments.  We can run to the bathroom. We can tend to other chores.  We can have a little alone time.  We do not mind a bit of independence so long as they remember they cannot do it all on their own.  They don’t know what they don’t know.  Mom or Dad must be available so that when they hit a roadblock, with parental help, they can navigate through the challenge.  However, there will inevitably be times when your child needs you but doesn’t want you.  He thinks he can figure it out on his own.  He gets frustrated at the failure because, in the back of his mind, he thinks himself more capable than he actually is.  He will not admit to his limitations and falls flat on his face.  What began as a good and attainable aspiration now is beyond reach.  He has told you to stay away because he has it all figured out.  Yet, the test comes and he gets an ‘F’.

If we stopped to realize the awesome power which resides within us, we wouldn’t fuss so much against sin and failure.  If we were to yield to His control and power, our lives would be much further ahead than they are.  If we didn’t think of ourselves more highly than we should, and instead come to the end of ourselves, falling upon the person of the Holy Spirit, maybe we would see greater fruit by it.  To quench the Spirit is to stifle the work of the Holy Spirit for sure.  But it is more than that.  To quench the Spirit is to stifle one’s personal relationship with Him.  Yes, we are to primarily pray to the Father.  The Spirit points to the Father and Son.  He is not the center of our worship and attention.  But this does not mean He ceases to be a person.  The Holy Spirit is as much a person as the Father and the Son.  We know the Father and Son are the persons of the Trinity that receive our worship.  Not the Spirit.  The Spirit is still a person and should be considered as such.  Sort of like Mom who is in the background and tends to our needs, she is still a person who is worthy of our acknowledgment and gratitude.  The Holy Spirit does not seek a relationship with us outside of His specific ministry to us.  Yet, He must be acknowledged and yielded to.  To do any less would be an insult to the God who created us all.

Staying In The Fire

“Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.” (Da 3:26 AV)

 

One wonders why the three children remained in the fire once they realized it had no power over them.  Why not come out and dare Nebuchadnezzar to throw them right back in?  Why not come out and incredulously declare God the victor?  Why not come out and walk away as though you were invincible?  Why remain in the fire until your enemy calls you out?  One reason might be security.  As long as they were in the fire, they were safe from anything else Nebby might dream up.  Perhaps the most compelling reason to stay in the fire was the presence of the Son of God.  While amid the furnace, one like unto the Son of Man kept company with the three children of Israel.  That would have been the greatest reason to remain in the fire.  We will never know why.  There have been countless sermons, no doubt, preached on remaining in the fire.  Many offer reasons as to why one should remain.  One thing is for certain, there was a purpose for remaining in the fire and one shouldn’t seek escape from the fire until the will of God declares a change.  By the way, the purpose for remaining in the fire may not be for you at all.  It may be for the benefit of someone else.

We can probably remember a time when the LORD had us go through hardships so that others might see the power of God resting on us.  Others needed to see how real God was so He asked us to endure hardship so that He might be exalted.  This is what happened in the fiery furnace.  Nebby thought himself to be a god.  At the time, he was the world’s greatest ruler.  He conquered every inch of land he could reasonably reach.  Dozens of cultures and nations served him at his pleasure.  The grandeur of Babylon was second to none.  Other than a river that ran under the city, it was impregnable.  No offense would succeed until the Medes and Persians thought to damn up the Euphrates and enter the city from underground.  The walls of the city were hundreds of feet high and thick enough to carry chariot traffic.  The hanging gardens are still considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.  Nebby was at the height of any ruler before him or those who would follow for a very long time.  His word was golden.  In his mind, there was no greater.  Nor ever will be.  The vision of the statue made of five different materials was lost on him.  He may have been the head of gold, but four others would rise and take his place.  The last would be the kingdom of God Himself.  Instead of a reality check against what he thought of himself, this motivated him to construct an image like that which he dreamed of, and force others to worship that image as to say Nebby was and always will be the greatest of all rulers.

Now stood three Jewish men who refused to bow the knee to Nebby and his image and they were thrust into the furnace heated seven times hotter than it was ever heated before.  When they should have died instantly, they more than survived.  A fourth, like unto the Son of God met them in the furnace and they remained there well and good without any harm coming to them at all.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego could have easily walked right out of that oven.  What could Nebby possibly do to them?  But they didn’t.  They stayed amid persecution so the power of God could rest on them.  They did so that someone else who truly needed to learn a lesson that could come no other way would do so.  Nebby never did learn this lesson.  The next chapter of Daniel reveals the madness to which Nebby was driven because of his all-consuming pride.  But the children of Israel did their part.  They abided in the flame for the benefit of someone who needed to see the glory of God.  This abiding is not easy.  It may require we remain in circumstances that we could easily change.  It may mean that instead of walking out when we could that we remain longer than come think we should that a life might be irreversibly changed.

Accepting God's Best

“Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word:” (Ps 106:24 AV)

 

The direct context here is Israel’s rejection of Canaan after they had escaped from Egypt.  Think of the ten bad spies and the two good spies.  There was a land promised to them better than anything they had ever had before.  It was a land flowing with milk and honey. When the twelve spies returned from the land, it took several men to carry a vine of grapes straddling a large pole.  Caleb and Joshua assured their nation that if they trusted in the LORD, this land could be theirs.  All they needed to do was to order a battle, one enemy at a time, and trust the LORD to lead them through it.  Yet, the pessimists outnumbered the optimists and ten of the spies did not think victory could be theirs even if God were to assist.  Simply put, they would not act in faith.  There are two truths here that stand out to me.  First, the land which God has for us is a pleasant one.  He does not wish us to needlessly suffer.  Rather, His provision for us is both necessary and pleasant.  There may be hardships along the way.  The people would have to go into battle and there would be losses.  They would have to clear the land and till it.  They would have to fortify it against future enemies.  But it was far superior to the wilderness and definitely a step up from Egypt.  Secondly, it takes faith to live in God’s pleasant land.  This is unavoidable.  Faith is why we were created.

When I was a child, we camped a lot.  I mean, a lot.  If we were not in tents for a total of about forty-five to sixty days a year, it was not a typical year.  Between all the weekend camping trips we did while in Boy Scouts to the family trips we took for at least six weeks a year, we spent a lot of time in the woods.  The thing about camping is the work involved in simply existing.  It took a great deal of time and effort to make the outdoors livable.  We had to set up our tents and the camper.  We had to clear the site.  We had to gather firewood for several days’ use.   We had to gather and boil water.  Then there was helping my mother cook and clean up after each meal.  There were clearing trails and other outdoor chores.  Then there was the ever-rising outhouse.  My father and this grand idea of building a log structure around a hole in the ground from scratch.  We had to cut down and shape pine into large lincoln logs.  It never did rise more than about four or five feet.  Just high enough to obscure but not too high where to occupant could ward off an awkward situation.  There was clearing the badminton court.  There was clearing the access road.  The chores were often endless.  To us, this wasn’t a pleasant land.  However, after about three or four days, our chores were done and the woods and pond were ours.  We hiked, rode our bikes, built new trails, cut down thorn apple trees, and played a lot of volleyball or badminton.  We spent the rainy days in the tent camper playing board games.  Depending on how one looked at life, this was a nightmare or a pleasant land.

Faith is the key.  We have to believe what God has for us is pleasant.  Then once convinced, by faith we need to pursue it.  This is where Israel failed.  No doubt it was better than where they came from and what they had.  This was a no-brainer.  What they lacked was faith.  They chose to look at the obstacles and believe them to be too large for God to handle.  They didn’t think God could overcome the adversary before them.  They simply did not have the faith necessary to grab that which God had for them.  This got me thinking.  One wonders just how much of the pleasant land we have lost because we either did not think it was pleasant or we lacked the faith to seize it.  One wonders if our pessimism only sees that which cannot be done as opposed to what could be done.  Or, perhaps we are even a little bit darker and believe the pleasant land God has for us cannot possibly be for us because we are so vile God would never think to bless us.  Maybe our lack of faith is not a lack of believing God ‘can’ do it, but rather, God ‘will’ do it.  To some of us, we accept the natural attributes of God but have a hard time believing in God’s moral attributes.   The land is pleasant.  There are great things about it.  First and foremost, sweet fellowship with God.  But we must accept it by faith or it sits there – feral and untamed – neglected for lack of faith and desire.