Good and Comfortable Words

“And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me [with] good words [and] comfortable words.” (Zec 1:13 AV)

This was the right thing to do!  Zechariah was discouraged.  More specifically, he was discouraged with the wicked being at peace and prospering at the expense of God’s people.  The context is encouragement in the midst of unsavory circumstances.  These circumstances were caused by Israel’s disobedience.  God had every right to refuse words of encouragement.  However, that is not what they needed.  Correction is only as effective as the mercy that follows.  Sometimes, even though we know that we caused our own problems, we need good and comfortable words.

Circumstances are often enough to remind us of the poor choices we have made.  Words of comfort and encouragement are the balance.  Serving as a chaplain in the health care industry afforded many opportunities to offer good and comfortable words regardless of the cause of a situation.  There was a woman whose son was dying of a drug overdose.  She was well aware of the cause of her son’s situation.  She didn’t need to be reminded.  What she needed was someone who had the faith she lacked.  There was a man whose life choices found him in need of a new heart.  Because of his lifestyle, the transplant team rejected his application.  He was facing certain death.  He didn’t need to be reminded that his poor life choices were the cause of his diagnosis.  He already knew that.  He needed prayer, counsel, and divine forgiveness.  There was the fellow who found himself in the wrong part of town.  A part that he didn’t need to be in.  Although his circumstances were not caused by sinful choices, lack of wisdom was.  He was beaten to near death.  He didn’t need to be instructed that he was in the wrong place.  He knew that.  He needed words of encouragement.  He needed to know that he would be alright and that justice would prevail.  The farmer who plants his crop and then suffers drought doesn’t need to be reminded that he will have financial hardship in his near future.  He knows that.  He needs support and empathy.  The individual who is laid off doesn’t need to be reminded that with his skill set and age, it will be near to impossible to find more work.  He knows that.  What he needs is someone who has faith to come alongside him and spur him on one day at a time.

A wise father will understand when his children need good and comfortable words because the opposite is not necessary.  He will see the downcast demeanor of his dear child and know that the circumstances of life have had their perfect work.  It is time for good and comfortable words.  It is time for Zechariah to give his people something to look forward to.  It is time that the prophet and people acknowledge that God is patient and longsuffering.  It is time for the man of God to let the people know that the sun will rise tomorrow.  The news of the coming Messiah is what they needed.  They didn’t need to be reminded of this immediate situation.  Rather, they needed good and comfortable words.  The word of God is filled with a balance of challenging or correcting words, and words of comfort and encouragement.  The Bible is not one-sided.  As God’s people, we need a balance.  We cannot recoil at the correction.  It is for our own good.  But at the same time, we cannot gloss over the good and comfortable words.  We need them, too.

Heaven Sent Peace

“Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; [nor] for the arrow [that] flieth by day; [Nor] for the pestilence [that] walketh in darkness; [nor] for the destruction [that] wasteth at noonday.  A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; [but] it shall not come nigh thee.” (Ps 91:5- 7 AV)

Every time I read this, I am amazed at the promise of God to the children of Israel.  Especially when one considers the events at hand.  The promise is speaking of the events leading up to the exodus.  The arrow that flies by day were the nine plagues preceding the death of the firstborn.  The pestilence that walked in darkness was the tenth plague: the death of the firstborn.  Destruction that wasted at in the middle of the day was again, the nine plagues prior to the death of the firstborn.  Thos that fell by the side are those in Egypt, both Egyptian and unbelieving Jews who lost their lives when God judged them.  What astounds me is the calm that is promised to the believing saints, as God dealt with the disobedient and the fearful. If I were experiencing the events of those days, I don’t know how well I would have done.  Death and destruction being all around me, I would think anxiety would be the main emotion going through my soul.  Yet, the LORD promised that terror by night nor terror by day would rule their hearts.  The only way that can happen is by a supernatural act of God!

Each nation, group, or certain generation faces their Exodus moment.  History works like that.  Things that were, will be again.  Our current world is no different.  If the LORD tarries, we will face some serious challenges, to say the least.  My grandparents lived through the great depression and World War II.  My parents lived through Korea and Vietnam.  Our world has not seen a global event like WWII since.  That war touched every nation on earth.  It affected everyone.  One wonders when and how the next big event will happen and the world will be changed forever.  To be a bit more local, I live in a large city.  There are 1.4 million people who live in our county.  I have several apps on my phone that report 911 calls.  I can read at any given time where emergency responders went and why.  Every day they are filled with events that are not good.  If one is not careful, fear can grip the heart.  Yet every morning we get up, thank God that we were kept safe, and that no damage has occurred to our belongings.  This is not the first time we have lived like this.  My previous church sat right in front of a mobile home park where there were several meth labs located.  This was in a very rural area.  Our town had three thousand people.  In the short time we lived there, two murders and many arrests within two miles of our home.  Before that, we lived and served in a large city of 6 million.  There was gang activity all around us.  A young lady was killed and burned up in a pickup truck not even a quarter mile from our home.  I share all this to say that God kept us secure and safe even in the midst of all this turmoil.  Anxiety regarding it is another matter altogether.

Anxiety is merely disbelief in the power of almighty God.  Yielding to His hand and judgment is the key.  The peace that passes all understanding is possible.  It is only as possible as our faith in what He has promised.  I cannot explain it nor can I say that I have mastered it.  All I can say is divinely sent peace is possible.  And it is very real.  I began by saying that the peace which Israel was promised was hard to comprehend.  However, having faces some of the things that we have over the years, I can say with certainty that peace is possible and real!  It must be something we yield to.  It is not something we conjure up in our own power.  The peace that passes all understanding starts with casting all our cares on Him.  Only then can He bring that incomprehensible peace by the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  If the Holy Spirit can cry with our spirit, Abba Father, then He can also equally work with our spirit to bring that peace that passes all understanding.

The True Gathering

“I will gather [them that are] sorrowful for the solemn assembly, [who] are of thee, [to whom] the reproach of it [was] a burden.” (Zep 3:18 AV)

This promise was for exiled Israel as well as for the remnant who will enter the Messianic kingdom.  Israel was taken into captivity.  The northern ten tribes by Assyria.  The southern two tribes by Babylon.  Jehovah promises that He will gather some of the people of God back to Palestine and into the millennial kingdom.  But there is a stipulation here.  Only those who were or will be sorrowful for a spiritually renewed kingdom.  That is exactly what happened, and it is exactly what will happen.  When Cyrus decreed that people could return to the land of their nativity so that temples could be rebuilt, the invitation went out to all people.  Those of Jewish descent could return to their homeland and rebuild.  Yet a small fraction ever did.  Why?  Because only a small fraction cared enough to go back.  Restoration is promised.  But restoration is not forced.  God will call those who have a burden for restoration, reconciliation, and holiness.  The rest are content to stay in their state of apathy.

We can see a principle here.  One that applies quite well to our churches today.  If the body of Christ is not sorrowful for holiness, then God is not in that place.  If there is little to no preaching on sin, repentance, and walking in humility and obedience, then God is not in the midst.  He has not gathered them.  If there are no tears of remorse, vows of holiness, and a seriousness of mind to love God with the whole heart, mind, body, and soul, then the Holy Spirit is not doing the work.  If all we are doing is entertaining professing believers, then we are a venue, not a body in true worship to her Creator and Savior.  If we are more interested in nothing but a ‘positive vibe’, then our church experience is more man-centered than God-centered.  If the church is more interested in pleasing those who want nothing to do with the LORD than the LORD Himself, no matter how big our congregation is, God is not in that place.  If our coffee shops are busier than the altar of prayer, there is more commerce than consecration in that place.  The body of believers God has gathered come with a seriousness of heart.  They come to know God in humility, faith, and obedience.  They gather not to please Self.  They do not shop around for the church that has everything a soul could want.  Rather, they look for a church that is broken is spirit to know God in the deepest way possible.  They look for a church with a sorrowful heart because sin has destroyed our world, our homes, and our personal lives.  Then come prepared to listen and act.

God did not say ‘no’ to anyone who wished to return for the right reason.  In fact, if the motive did not match God’s heart, those with the wrong heart didn’t want to go, anyway.  There used to be a time when church building methods were more about selling a palatable product that it was about a genuine relationship with the Creator.  It still is today.  Israel knew and knows that the Messiah requires the right heart in order that He can fulfill the promises made to them.  This is why Israel has faced so much.  They are being prepared for the coming of the Messiah.  Many will not turn.  Many Jewish people will refuse the commands of the word of God.  Just like His first coming, the Messiah will come the second time with the same amount of rejection He faced thousands of years prior.  This time, there will be a reckoning.  This time, those who are not sorrowful will lose any second chance.  The Savior will come, and only those Jews who look upon the One whom they have pierced with hearts of sorrow will enjoy His presence.  The same can be said of our churches.  Tomorrow, many of us will gather as groups all around the world to worship the One true God.  But one has to consider how much God is involved.  Are the people sorrowful because of the carnal condition of the church?  Are they moved to words of heartfelt prayer for the backslidden nature of the church?  If there is no brokenness for the body of Christ, there is no visitation of the God who created it.

The Robe Is Always On

“God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all [them that are] about him.” (Ps 89:7 AV)

I wonder how preaching something like this would go over today.  The modern Christian has no clue!  To say that God is to be greatly feared, and that reverence is to rule in His presence is not only foreign, but to some, an offense.  If the modern Christian cannot have a sacred ‘party’ while attending church, he or she feels robbed.  I am not saying that joy and encouragement should be banned from worship.  But we are a far cry from that!  There was something sacred about our church houses.  People came to worship.  People would dress differently to attend the house of God than they would any other gathering.  Music was different.  Even in the oldest of days, the style itself was distinct.  Today, our churches are filled with the musical styles of the world and sprinkled with religious words to call it ‘Christian’.  Christian Rock, Christian Pop, etc are a contradiction of terms.  Don’t get me wrong.  This business of fearing and reverencing God is a shortcoming in almost all of us.  Yours truly included.  The closer I get the heaven the more I am realizing that genuine fear and reverence of our Almighty Creator is seriously wanting!

Because of my wife’s early work history, we kept company with several judges.  She worked in a law firm that contained a couple of county judges.  These people were the same people whether behind the bench, or as an advocate in other matters.  I had never stood before these men as a plaintiff or a defendant.  I couldn’t have, anyway.  There would have been a conflict of interest, and the judge would have had to recuse himself.  But I have stood before other judges.  Most of the time it was to lend support for a family member, church member, or friend.  There is a difference between seeing a judge in the privacy of his own practice compared with the same individual sitting behind a bench.  One can be familiar and common with a judge when his robe hangs in his chambers.  But once that robe is worn, the nature and disposition of that relationship change.  I worked at a golf course for a few years as a caddy to the rich and powerful.  Some of our clients expected a relational gap between caddy and golfer.  We were to remain silent unless spoken to.  Others, not so much.  Those who were more friendly were more reserved and aloof when the circumstances changed.  When around the clubhouse, they may have been friendly on the course, but now where professional and appropriate.

These are examples of fear and reverence.  Something that is seriously missing in our relationship with the LORD.  As of late, I am trying to use the term Creator while preaching or teaching.  We have forgotten that we exist by His hand, we continue by His hand, and where we exist in eternity will be by His hand.  The concept of Creator/creation is being lost.  Because it is, fear and reverence are also abating.  It is time we get back to fear and reverence for the God who made all things and controls all things.  It is time we stop treating Him like someone who is there for us and not we for Him.  It is time that we approach the presence of God with deep and profound respect, so much so that with the remembrance of the blood of Christ as our way to Him, so that fear and trepidation would overwhelm our hearts.  For this writer, he is striving to overcome improper or insufficient attitudes towards his Creator.  Almighty God deserves more than we could ever hope to give.  So, it is best to give Him all that we have.  It is time to fear God greatly and approach only in a reverent spirit.

Thank You for The Compliment

“[As] the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so [is] a man to his praise.” (Pr 27:21 AV)

This is an interesting proverb.  There are two consistent opinions here.  The first is that the praise offered is not by the man.  He is not praising himself.  The second is the purpose of the refining furnace.  The refining furnace separates the precious metals from the dross.  The refining furnace is purification.  One understanding is that a man is known by the praise of others.  Those who listen to the praise of others are able to refine out the true praise as opposed to false accolades.  The other understanding is that the man who is praised refines the words of praise through the fiery trials of a discerning ear.  He recognizes only that praise which is true praise.  The difference between the two understandings is the owner of the discerning ear.  Regardless, the truth is still the same.  Praise is nice.  Praise is affirming and needed.  But praise should always be heard or accepted with a discerning ear.

The Bible warns us about flattery.  Flattery is praise with an agenda.  A tale is told of an ancient Greek Olympian who was the champion in many events.  He outran all other competitors.  He drove a chariot with mastery.  He could hurl a disk further than anyone.  This Olympian was the celebrity of the nation of Greece.  Everywhere he went he was welcomed as the greatest Grecian alive.  Favors were poured upon him.  He never lacked for a banquet or a mansion in which to stay.  The populace fell over themselves to treat him like a god.  Person after person heaped praise on him as one who could never be bested.  Every four years, he would go to the games and compete.  He won everything he entered.  One year, he decided to try his hand at archery.  Shooting an arrow at a great distance, he would miss horribly.  Yet no one had the heart to tell him how much he had failed.  Our champion was nearsighted.  He could not see clearly beyond fifty yards or so.  What he didn’t know was that his situation was unique.  He figured he saw what others saw.  Time and again, the judges would tell him he hit the bullseye.  In reality, he was many yards short.  Being emboldened by the praise of others and thinking he could hit a moving target at one hundred yards, he entered the armed forces for the glory of his emperor.  No one had the heart to tell him that he couldn’t hit the broad side of the barn.  Off he went.  He kept a distance away, and launched arrow after arrow not hitting a single target.  His armorbearer told him different.  Finally, an arrow came from the opposite direction and struck him in the heart.  Our hero died a fool’s death because he believed the unproven words of praise from others.

Solomon knows of what he speaks.  As the greatest and wisest of all kings at the time, no doubt he heart much praise.  Praise may have been genuine.  Or praise may have had an agenda.  The wise king knew that wisdom listens to praise with a discerning ear.  This requires humility and honesty.  It requires knowing ourselves better than others know us.  Most of all, it requires knowing Self in light of the revelation of the word of God.  Knowing our own Selves and knowing what part the Holy Spirit has in making us who we are goes a long way in staving off pride.  The Greek champion believed what he wanted to believe.  When others heap praise upon us, we can graciously accept it.  However, the wise and humble saint will look at that praise as belonging to the One who made us able for that praise.  And the wise saint will run that praise through the refining furnace of truth.  He or she will be gracious and grateful.  But he or she will also be humbly honest.

Jesus Is LORD Now!

“And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.” (Mic 5:4 AV)

Even when Israel and Judah are being chastened, God reminds them of His promise!  The person to whom the prophet is referring is none other than the LORD Jesus Christ.  This verse is obviously in reference to the Messianic kingdom and Israel’s place in it.  Through Abraham and David, God promised the people of Israel that He would come and rule the earth.  He would do so through the seed of David.  He would do so with Israel as His administrator. Had Israel accepted Jesus Christ the first time, after His ascension He would have returned to set up His kingdom.  This is all future tense.  However, one little phrase puts it all in perspective: ‘for now’.  Micah shares the comforting truth that whether Jesus is here or not, he is great in all the earth!

We take a lot for granted.  We assume our government is in control regardless of our ability to directly observe it.  We expect our utilities to stay on.  We expect our grocery store shelves to be full.  We expect the gas stations to run or public transportation to be on time.  Recently, I watched a video on the operation of a cruise ship.  This boat was massive.  Most of the inner workings of the ship are hidden from the passengers.  There is a massive infrastructure in place for waste management.  There was a portion of the video that revealed the massive organization to load food for the trip.  If produce arrived that was substandard, the foreman in charge of the supply of food had a system in place to use a backup vender.  Housekeeping would blow your mind!  Taking care of thousands of guests and their rooms is a giant undertaking.  The laundry facility alone was the size of a small building.  All this is organized by the captain of the ship.  The passengers simply assume all their needs will be met.  There isn’t a second thought of the possibility of a need going unmet.  It all runs by someone whom most will never meet.  

Remembering that someone whom you cannot see, touch, or verbally speak to is great and in total control is difficult to say the least.  It takes great faith!  When we see the world spiraling out of control, it is hard to remember that God has it all under control.  When the saints of God are fodder for the God-hating world, it is not easy to remember that God has it all under control.  When our godless world sees no problem with murdering the unborn or mutilating the confused, it is hard to remember that Jesus is great in all the world.  These things happen because Jehovah has given mankind the ability to choose.  He will bring this all to an end.  Justice will be meted out.  God will not let this stand.  Until then, remember that Jesus is great in all the earth and His enemies cannot stop Him!

It Still Works

“O [thou that art] named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the LORD straitened? [are] these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?” (Mic 2:7 AV)

Although our passage refers to Israel and Judah ignoring the word of God because they believe it to be ineffective, the truth behind the question brings hope to those who desire to know and walk with God in obedience and faith.  The question God poses to the people of God is intended as an accusation.  The charge before the people of God is simple.  For those who wish to walk uprightly, the word of God is effective.  For those who do not, then the word of God is a plain book.  The Spirit of God is not constrained by the words on the pages of the word of God.  If the Spirit is constrained, or straitened, it is only because the reader’s heart is hard.  Therefore, we have a great promise here.  As long as we desire to walk with God and grow in Christlikeness, the word of God is effective.  This is of great comfort to me.

Over the years, the ministry of the word of God to the spirit and heart of the child of God changes.  In our spiritual youth, the word of God was primarily a source of doctrine.  Prophecy was also important.  The facts of the bible and the implications of those truths became our steady diet.  As we grow in the word of God and know the truths contained therein, the ministry of the word of God adapts.  As we grow in Christlikeness, the ministry of the word of God becomes more devotional than informational.  However, if we are not careful to remember this, we can misinterpret the ministry of the Spirit through the word of God as something entirely different.

As we age, our conversations with our spouses or family change.  In our earlier married life, we were learning much regarding the other.  Over the years, we have grown to a point that we can predict what the other is thinking.  We can anticipate thoughts.  As we age, our conversation changes.  Rather than task-driven, it becomes more personal.  Rather than growing on knowledge, our conversation becomes more intimate.  We laugh more.  We smile more.  Our life becomes one of personal growth rather than a function of getting things done.  Some couples see this change as a drift.  But it is not.  It is actually just the opposite.

Reading the word of God and listening to the Spirit are much the same.  We already know the doctrines of salvation, baptism, the attributes of God, or the history of the nation of Israel.  We have read these passages for years.  We know what the next chapter discusses.  We know where the context is going before we read it.  Part of our ignorance assumes that familiarity means we are drifting from God.  But nothings could be further from the truth.  Sometimes, it is the same passages that speak to us again and again.  This doesn’t mean we have stopped growing any more than when we share verbal affirmations of love to our spouse time and again that they become less sincere.  The Spirit of God is not straightened.  He is not constrained.  He is free to do a work in our hearts as long as we seek to grow in Christlikeness.  This is the power of the Spirit.  This is the power of His word.

Revival Amid The Impossible

“So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.” (Jon 3:5 AV)

I believe the Bible to be silent on this matter, but I could be mistaken; but what was it that precipitated the revival Jonah realized at Nineveh?  What happened to prepare the people of this wicked city?  Why did they believe the preaching of Jonah, and why were they moved with fear?  The only evidence of any event that precipitated Jonah’s preaching was a salt-water whale vomiting Jonah on the shores of the Euphrates.  What doesn’t make sense in my mind is the historical narrative of the relationship between the Ninevites and the ten northern tribes of Israel?  From the early years of Israel in Palestine, Nomads from Nineveh would raid the eastern edge of Israel on a regular basis.  They would pillage, rape, and murder the eastern tribes of God’s people.  There was no fear of Jehovah in their eyes.  Yet revival came.  We may never know the particulars lest we try to manufacture them ourselves.  One thing is for sure: God can and does bring revival to the darkest people at the darkest time and under the darkest of circumstances.

The adversary is trying to convince the body of Christ that massive revivals are no longer possible.  He is convincing, to say the least.  He will point to the carnal condition of the body of Christ as evidence.  He is right.  We are carnal.  He will point to the destructive influence of science, so-called.  He will point out that mankind has been brainwashed into believing there is no God.  He controls the schools, the media, and the culture.  All to convince mankind that there is no God and Jesus Christ is a myth.  He is largely successful.  Our adversary will make a big deal out of shrinking churches, the razing of sacred buildings, or the downward spiral and moral decay of humanity.  He will increase confrontation to a new level.  The efforts of evangelism are directly challenged by a hostile world.  It seems as though all this is increasing while the influence of the gospel is waning.  The enemy of the cross will point out that we are losing and not winning.  So he asks, why bother?  The body of Christ becomes discouraged because our baptismal waters have run dry.  There seems to be more empty space than full.  We are trying to raise funds to survive rather than to increase.  All the trends are heading in the wrong direction.  But that is exactly when revival comes.  That is exactly why revival is needs.  Revival doesn’t come to a body that is already alive.  Revival comes to a body that is almost dead.

Jonah faced impossible odds.  In fact, he expected the Ninevites to wholly reject the grace of God.  We looked for and wished for the destruction of Israel’s enemies.  He fully expected a Sodom and Gomorrah event.  After all, until Jonah showed up in a pile of whale vomit, there wasn’t much respect for the God of Israel.  It wasn’t until a preacher who had the gall to preach for three days up and down the streets of Nineveh before the Ninevites felt anything coming close to fear. One would think the sailors of the ship upon which Jonah traveled would have told the Ninevites of the events preceding Jonah’s appearance, but they were on the other side of Asia.  News would not have traveled that far and that fast.  What was it that made the Ninevites afraid of a God whom they never respected in the first place?  We will never know.  But one thing we know for sure.  No matter how spiritually dark a place can be, God can bring revival.  No matter how anti-Jehovah a people might be, God can bring revival.  It doesn’t matter how much a people group disdains the culture of the preacher, God can bring revival.  As we approach the coming dark days of the tribulation, let us never grow weary.  God can bring revival no matter the situation.

Incorruptible Corruption

“I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars [was] about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.” (Jon 2:6 AV)

Jonah is one of several wonderful examples of the doctrine of the resurrection.  His travels in the belly of the whale and release onto the shore picture the resurrection of Christ and His believers.  Daniel would be another.  What we want to consider here is the last part of the verse.  Jonah uses the past tense while still in the belly of the whale.  While in the belly of the whale, Jonah states that God has brought his life up from corruption.  How?  He is still in the depths of the sea.  No doubt he is experiencing the bends.  He is surrounded by whale bile, stomach acid, saliva, and decomposing fish.  If there was anyone in the midst of corruption, it was Jonah.  So, how can he say that he had been brought up from corruption?

There are two explanations.  It could be that Jonah was speaking in the present tense because he internalized the future and lived there.  Rather than acknowledging his present situation as permanent, he saw that with repentance, the LORD would deliver him.  Therefore, he lived presently in the promise of future deliverance.  Or, there could be something else going on here.  Perhaps what Jonah saw was not what the future held, but rather, what God had accomplished in the present.  Jonah was thrown into the belly of the whale as a mercy from God.  Yes, Jonah was in disobedience by running from the call of God.  However, he saw his prison as the means God used to redeem his life.  In fact, he calls it his mercy a few verses later.  The belly of the whale was the means by which God rescued a rebellious child from a life of running.  What is never discussed is what would have become of Jonah if God simply let him go.  God could not let Jonah pursue a course of action that was not for him.

The belly of the whale was Jonah’s redemption.  It was his salvation.  He fled from the presence of God, but God found him right where he placed him.  The humility of Jonah is what saved him.  He saw his predicament for what it was.  It was God’s way of rescuing Jonah from a life of self-will.  It was God’s way of saving Jonah from a pattern of poor decisions.  It was God’s way of slowing Jonah down long enough to help him reflect on God’s call.  It was God’s way of motivating Jonah to stay on point.  He was able to speak in the present tense because he came to himself.  He knew God’s best for him was still God’s best for him.  Praise the LORD that Jonah realized his situation in the light of God’s will for him.

That They May Know

“That [men] may know that thou, whose name alone [is] JEHOVAH, [art] the most high over all the earth.” (Ps 83:18 AV)

The name JEHOVAH only appears four times in the word of God.  It is so sacred that the Jewish people refuse to use it.  God’s word differentiates the name JEHOVAH from all other names by using the name LORD.  When the reader reads the name LORD, in all capital letters, it means the same as JEHOVAH.  Both mean ‘the existing one’.  The psalmist is praying for the coming of the LORD and His justice inflicted upon the enemies of God.  He is not seeking justice merely for fairness’ sake.  Rather, he is seeking the righteous judgment of God so that all of mankind might know that the Lord JEHOVAH rules creation.  That is the point of it all, isn’t it?  If we are looking for the purest motive for praying that the LORD would return, this is it!  May Jesus come back and establish once and for all that He alone reigns over all of creation!

Reaction to authority varies with maturity.  The more mature we are, the more we welcome authority.  When I was in grade school, we had a group of boys that were out of control.  To say they were wild would be an understatement.  Every chance they got, they would cause mischief.  Or worse.  There were times when their antics directly affected me.  There was the time one of them tried to pick a fight with me.  There were other times when I was abused on the playground.  There were times when they would surround me in class and pick at me without the teacher noticing.  But there were also times when they were acting out, and it never involved any assault on me.  Sometimes it was in the classroom.  Sometimes it was on the playground or in the lunchroom.  Most of the time it was on the school bus ride home.  Regardless of how it affected me, when the teacher arrived, I was glad.  I was elated.  The boys were put in subjection, there was order and disciple, and the class could go forward with learning.  Just having an authority figure in the room meant all the difference.

When JEHOVAH reigns it will be a bit different.  We didn’t worship our teachers.  We don’t worship our leaders or law enforcement.  They are offices given by God by which society can function.  When Jesus returns, all will worship Him as He is.  He is the Creator God!  Order and discipline will be restored.  But so too will respect and humility.  Society will benefit from the rod of iron.  But more importantly, mankind will be brought to the correct condition before their Creator and not until Gog and Magog will they attempt to rise up against Him.  When my father was recognized as the leader of the Scouts or the classroom, it made his children proud!  Not in a bad sort of way.  Rather, we were tickled that my father received the respect due his position.  We took offense when he was maligned or mocked.  The same is true of the child of God.  We take offense when JEHOVAH is a curse word.  We are insulted when the LORD God is a joke on some late-night comedy show.  We are hurt when those who hate Him use Him as a punching bag.  We look forward to the day when all of mankind acknowledges that He alone is God.  He alone is the Creator.  He alone is the LORD.  He alone deserves all the worship due His name!  Come, LORD Jesus, come!

Open The Flood Gates

“But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.” (Am 5:24 AV)

This is a great stand-alone verse.  Context does matter.  But there are certain verses that work inside and outside of the context in which you find them.  The book of Proverbs is a great example.  The context here is a warning for Israel that God is going to judge them for their blatant disobedience.  He is warning them that unless they change rather quickly, they will be conquered and carried away.  The immediate context of this verse above compares presumptuous sacrifice with willing righteousness.  Israel had strayed so far from the word of God that they knowingly offered sacrifice with filthy hands of sin.  They planned to do this deliberately as opposed to ignorance or neglect.  So, the LORD is saying He would rather have abundance of righteousness than abundance of sacrifice.  The verse above can be used regardless of the circumstances.  For Israel, it was holiness over religion.  For our nation, it is getting back to our Judeo/Christian roots over political and economic influence.  After all, living free is not a noble pursuit unless we also live right.  On a personal note, holiness should overflow the life.  Judgment is our decision-making process.  Righteousness is the things we choose to do.

I have in mind the times of adolescence spent playing at a creek or sewer spillway.  Yes, my friend and I used to play in the storm drains.  Near where I lived, there was a storm drain with grated barriers on both sides when it went under a road.  We would often try to dam it up.  That is, until the police showed up and asked us not to do that.  There were other times when friends or siblings would join me, and we would build a dam across a small stream.  The object was to build a dam to see how large a body of water we could construct behind it.  However, after a small body of water had gathered, it was fun to dismantle the dam to see what would happen to the ‘lake’.  Sometimes we would remove part of it so see the power of the water do the rest.  Or, more times than not, we would use a very large rock as a projectile to blow a hole through the dam.  Then we could watch the water rush downstream and take the dam with it.  Hey, what do you want with an 8-year-old boy with no electronic entertainment?  We had to make our own fun.  There is a unique feeling watching a rush of water head downstream.  It is hard to explain.

The thing about the analogy above is that waters and a mighty stream are hard things to stop.  As anyone familiar with dam building knows, there has to be some sort of pressure release.  As great as the stream was before the dam, it must remain the same afterward.  One cannot build a dam without releasing water after the dam.  The water will find a way.  It will either destroy the dam, or find a way around it, under it, or through it.  The holiness of Jesus Christ, which lives in us must find a way out.  There must be a release valve.  There must be a vent.  Any believer who is trying to live in the world cannot withstand the pressure of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  It has to come out.  God uses the word ‘let’.  A great word!  If we are not living through the Holy Spirit, it is because we are not letting Him do His work through us.  The pressure is going to build.  Just let it go!  Just yield to the power of the water that is building in your heart.  Just let it flow!

No Secrets

“Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done [it]?  Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” (Am 3:6,7 AV)

The application is obvious.  The nation of Israel is ignoring the clear signs God is sending their way.  The book of Amos begins by citing an earthquake that will happen two years after the book is inspired.  It was God’s way of sending Israel a clear message which would be hard to ignore.  The earthquake was verification that God had spoken and that Israel should have listened.  However, there is another application here for the saints.  God sends clear indications of His pending will for individuals, the church, and the world.  The only reason they are missed is that people are not watching.  Those things that are happening are ignored.  Defining them in the light of scripture is not a habit we get into.  We believe that life is passing as it always has and that the fulfillment of prophecy is much further down the road.  That may be so.  Or it may not be so.  Those who have their eyes on the horizon are better prepared for what might be coming.

A trumpet is pretty hard to ignore.  I know.  I pastor a church where most learned a wind instrument.  Our church used to have a school, and part of the curriculum was to learn an musical instrument.  The pastor at the time played trumpet, so most learned a wind instrument.  We have or had a French horn player.  A bass horn player.  We had a trombone player, a saxophone player, a flute player, and two clarinet players.  Now we have a few violinists a cello player, and a viola player.  We are a pretty musical group.  It is those trumpet players I wish to use this morning.  We have two players.  There is a marked difference between one player and both players.  The second player fills the room.  He has a lot of power behind his playing.  I have to turn my hearing aids down when he plays.  The smiles are tremendous.  His playing is so remarkably lively and loud that people smile.  They almost chuckle in pure delight.  His playing changes an entire group of people.  When attending our services, those sitting in the pews cannot ignore his joy behind his instrument.  It is so obvious, it would take an effort to ignore it.  I think this is where our churches are today.

I know that every time the middle east is in turmoil, prophecy wonks tell us the coming of the LORD is nigh.  This has been happening since 1948.  I get it.  But even if the current conflict is a tune-up to the first battle of Gog and Magog, it is still significant.  According to the scriptures, Iran will head a group of ten nations to go against Israel and horribly lose.  Bringing this principle to something more practical, God speaks often with His people.  He speaks directly through His word.  Reading and hearing the word of God is hearing the very voice of God.  Beyond His word, God speaks by the events of life.  Whether it is the input of others or merely, the events of a given day, they are all allowed or caused by God for a reason.  Sometimes the events are dramatic.  Sometimes they are subtle.  But they are there.  Amos is telling us all that God will not do anything that should surprise us.  We should know God and how He works well enough so that everything He allows or causes is predicted before it happens, and that all that happens is part of God’s sovereign and gracious plan.  We walk through life clueless sometimes.  We do this by choice.  God will do nothing without revealing His secrets to the people of God.

Made Man-strong!

“Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man [whom] thou madest strong for thyself.” (Ps 80:17 AV)

The author is Asaph.  The purpose is a prayer for David.  The application is simple.  The songwriter for the king is praying for God’s hand to be on the leader.  This would be true of David, or anyone whom God touches for leadership.  What we often forget is that all men are called to lead.  What differs is the area of responsibility to which each is called.  Some are called to be kings.  Some are called to be ministers.  Some are called to be teachers.  Most are called to be husbands and fathers.  God created man to lead.  But what stood out to me this morning is the phrase that ends this particular prayer.  God created men, and specifically men who lead, to be strong for the LORD.  We often look at the charge to which we have been entrusted, whether a family, a classroom, a church, or a nation and think that it is for them we are supposed to be strong.  And that is certainly true.  But in a different way, we are to be strong for the LORD.  He is not weak.  He is not in need of our strength for provision or protection.  Rather, He is seeking those who will be strong for His testimony’s sake.  He is seeking those who will be strong for His purposes and plans.  The personal possessive pronoun is what speaks the loudest.  Thyself!

My father taught his children much.  One of the skills he attempted to teach us was leadership.  It was important to both him and my mother to raise boys to be men.  Neither allowed us the luxury of backing out on that calling.  My mother did not allow her boys to be feminized.  She refused to allow us to wear the prevalent fashion of the day that was meant to erase the sharp distinction between boys and girls.  When it came to my father, he used the Boy Scouts to train his boys how to be men.  I wouldn’t recommend that organization anymore, but sixty years ago, it had much virtue.  There are better organizations that do what the Boy Scouts once did, but from a disciplined Christian perspective.  Delegation was one of those skills that he shared with us.  His goal was to raise boys who could eventually be free from their mentor and take on the responsibilities of manhood.  One of those responsibilities was to train other boys to be men.  Part of our training was to learn, assume responsibility, and mentor others for the sake of our troop and our Troop Master.   That would have been my dad.  We didn’t win many competitions, but my father was known well in the council of troops as a leader who trained boys well.  Our troop number was four.  Out of thousands of troops, ours was the fourth oldest.  That is saying something when one remembers the Boy Scouts started in 1919.

Note in particular that the tense of the verb above is present tense.  That means Asaph has acknowledge that God made David strong.  God made men strong and to be strong.  This is the problem with the whole idea of feminizing men.  It makes them weak.  It turns on its head the design of God and makes men the opposite of what God has made them.  No wonder there is confusion and depression.  God made men strong so that they can be used of God for God’s purposes.  It is the world that tells us that men are weak.  In fact, masculine weakness is seen as a virtue.  This has been going on since the end of WWII.  All one has to do is not notice the cultural shifts.  Leave it to Beaver was once the standard for what it was to be a man.  By the time we get to Home Improvement, a man is a idiot who cannot even screw in a lightbulb right.  He is seen as a sensitive oaf who is more in touch with his feelings that he is his brain.  That is not how God made us.  God made man to be strong for Him!  If we are strong for Him, then we will be strong for those who look on us for that strength.

Eternal Life is a Promise That Cannot be Broken

“I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.” (Ho 13:14 AV)

The repentance spoken of is the repentance God is able to exercise.  God promised to save mankind from the power of the grave.  He gave this promise to Adam and Eve in Genesis chapter three.  The above words are spoken to Ephraim.  Ephraim is another name for the ten northern tribes of Israel.  Figuratively speaking, God could be talking about their pending exile.  He may be comparing their diaspora as dying and going to the grave.  If that be the case, support for the ten northern tribes being lost has evaporated.  Besides, the 144,000 witnesses of Revelation come from twelve tribes of Israel.  However, I think the above passage can be taken more literally.  That is, since Adam and Eve were given the promise of eternal life through a seed who would be born of a woman.  That seed is Jesus Christ.  Once life is given, the grave cannot permanently retain it.  This also necessitates a resurrection.  The above promise is for a resurrection for those who trust is Jesus Christ that can never be divine repented of.  God will not rescind His promise of eternal life.  We are eternally secure.

Many years ago, my mother-in-law was fussing over a perfect way in which to stage her paper towel.  She had a plastic store-bought hanger for the inside of her cabinet.  Those things eventually break.  Her real frustration was the absence of resistance that would keep the roll from continuing to spin when the sheets were pulled out.  So, being the industrious son-in-law that I went to the basement and with scrap wood and extra parts, built a dispenser with sandpaper on the tube rod, a spring-loaded access stop for loading the roll, and recessed holes to hold the rod in place.  I wrote the date on it and guaranteed it for 25 years.  That was almost 40 years ago.  It still hangs there today.  Over the years, I’ve only had to repair it twice.  I think the hinge screws came loose, and the spring broke and had to be replaced.  Other than that, it had been pretty solid.  But I have to tell you, guaranteeing a product you built for that long is hard to do.  I have a Leatherman.  When I attained it, there was a lifetime guarantee.  No matter what happened to it, they would fix or replace it for as long as you owned it.  I had to return it once in the 35 years I have owned it.  Not many things are guaranteed like that anymore.

When discussing eternal life, it amazes me that the idea that one can lose it is still a persistent idea among those who know their bibles.  God will not repent of His promise of deliverance.  His promise is steadfast.  It is set in the heavens.  His promise cannot change.  I am sure as Ephraim struggles under the oppression of Assyria and Babylon, the promise of deliverance is what got them through it.  I am sure of it.  Like Tevye of Fiddler on the Roof, the Jewish people know they will be delivered from oppression. That is what motivates them to go one more day.  Eventually, their Messiah and our Savior will restore Israel to the covenant promises, and the Messiah will reign with His people.  This promise cannot be altered.  This promise will not be rescinded.  The same is true for eternal life.  It cannot be repented of.  The Creator of the worlds gave us His word, and His word is eternally good!

What's In a Name

“That [men] may know that thou, whose name alone [is] JEHOVAH, [art] the most high over all the earth.” (Ps 83:18 AV)

The original thought this morning was actually from Hosea.  Upon looking at the verse a bit more closely, the Spirit revealed that I hadn’t read it quite right even though the thought was sound.  That led me to find a passage that supported the thought.  Better yet, putting the two together supported the thought which I knew came from the Spirit.  As of late, I have been interested in the names of God.  More specifically, praying to Him with a variety of them.  Rather than use ‘Father’ or ‘LORD’ all the time, my heart desired to know Him and relate to Him in various ways.  The problem I am bumping into is finding resources dedicated solely to this topic with the mystic influence included.  I am trying to find a more scholarly work that can open my mind to the wonders of who and what God is.  Then the thought of Hosea came to mind.  Israel worshipped the Most High in name only.  They acknowledged who He was, but chose to worship the gods of the pagans instead.  Praying to the LORD with greater depth by understanding His names does not necessarily mean we are correct in our worship or love for Him.  Paying correct reverence and living in habitual disobedience are incompatible.

I don’t think there is a saint alive who loves the LORD and doesn’t want to improve upon their prayer life.  In particular, I have met many who wish for a clear understanding of who and what our Creator is.  Most saints who love the LORD don’t want to treat the LORD as a common person.  The more I walk with God, the more keenly I am aware of the promise of Romans 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” The more I pray, the more aware this child of God is that the Spirit interrupts my thoughts to phrase them and organize them in more reverent ways.  He checks my thoughts against the way our Creator should be addressed.  He replaces words commonly used for others and replaces them with divine or sacred words.  Rather than speak to the LORD as a would another person, the Spirit helps me slow down and find more worshipful words deserving of the Creator who controls all things.  It is a blessing to possess the Spirit within who works with our spirit to cry, Abba, Father.

Yet I am reminded that as sanctified our prayer life might seem, if our walk does not reflect that same respect, the words we use are hollow.  Sanctification means that we strive, by the power of the same Spirit that helps us to pray, to live according to the word of God.  To address my earthly father as ‘father’ rather than ‘Dad’ was a show of respect.  Yet if I ignore his commands, the more endearing and respectful title becomes an insult.  I am all for learning and praying by the names of God.  What I need to do is remember that doing so only has meaning if my life matches my words.  The same is true of us all.  Jesus asks, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Lu 6:46 AV) If you are like me, we want a deeper and more reverent relationship with God each and every day.  Knowledge alone isn’t enough.  A conformity to His will is the missing piece.

Our Loving Husbandman

“I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: [but] they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto [that] shame; and [their] abominations were according as they loved.” (Ho 9:10 AV)

I know a bit about wild grapes.  They need tending.  If wild grapes are not tended to, they become small, bitter, and unfit for human consumption.  Firstripe figs are similar.  The first few yields of a fig tree are not fit for human consumption.  The husbandman must tend to the trees in order to produce usable fruit.  In short, the way God found us in the wilderness of sin required a husbandman to prune, support, water, and fertilize us so that fruit may come of our lives.  Someone once said that growing up is hard to do.  It is.  There are many hard lessons to learn.  There are many painful corrections to make.  We were created in the image of our father, Adam.  We have a wicked streak that runs deep.  We are not acclimated to doing right.  We are naturally bent to do wrong.  To correct who and what we are takes someone with the knowledge to do so and the compassion to know how to do it.  We need a God who loves us enough to allow some are times so that we can produce sweet fruit that benefits God and man.

Down through the years, I have known several parents who gave birth to children with severe disabilities.  Some of these situations require surgery and recovery.  These treatments can last over many years before the child’s physical infirmity is corrected.  One such family that is dear to my heart gave birth to a daughter with a rare condition.  Among other things, this small child had skeletal deformities.  This little girl has had several surgeries and may be facing more surgeries as she nears adulthood.  Each one is rather extensive.  One of the first surgeries saw this poor little girl in a cast from her waist to her ankles.  That made life very hard for her.  As her parents, they knew that inflicting pain early on would save her from a lifetime of pain that would follow.  Surgery to reshape her joints and legs was no doubt very painful.  But the alternative was growing into a permanent state of being a cripple and all the complications that could arise from it.  In short, these loving parents received a daughter whose body was acclimated toward crookedness and deformity and, with a wise and compassionate heart, fixed her.

God finds the sinner in a wild and broken condition.  He finds us in an undisciplined way.  He knows that, like a grapevine left to itself, it would be unproductive and self-destructive.  The compassionate husbandman must correct that which our sinful nature has produced.  The first thing the husbandman does is to remove the grapevines from its source of support.  They often use existing trees as hosts.  In the process, they kill the tree and destroy themselves.  So, the husbandman builds a fence.  He weaves the vine into the fence.  The fence is permanent.  The vine cannot kill it.  The husbandman removes unproductive branches from the vine so they do not drain much needed nourishments from the grape-producing branches.  He ties the lowering branches to the fence so dust or mud doesn’t kill the branches.  There is much that a husbandman does.  Our God does the same thing.  He removes us from the sinful crutches upon which we rely.  He attaches us to the church and our Savior which are far more permanent.  He removes unproductive parts of our lives that hinder Christlikeness.  And He cleanses us from sin that can kill our walk with Him!  Praise the LORD for a Husbandman who found us in our sorry and sinful state.  It is best to yield to His hand, for He knows and cares more than any and all on whom we rely.  Praise the LORD for our Husbandman!

Comfort In Predictable Reconciliation

“I will go [and] return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.” (Ho 5:15 AV)

What puzzles me is why we think that our relationship with the LORD; at least in principle; works differently than any other relationship.  If we deeply offend someone we love, they are not bound to remain as though nothing happened.  There is an offense that needs to be acknowledged and forsaken.  There needs to be forgiveness and reconciliation sought.  For the LORD to put up with our rebellion, disrespect, and lack of faith as though they are nothing is unrealistic.  Quite frankly, it is insulting to God.  Asking Him to open to abuse without and reaction on His part is not right.  The affliction spoken of is the affliction of the absence of God’s presence.  Israel and Judah are left to themselves.  God removes His hand of protection and provision.  They are on their own.  This loneliness will drive the child of God back to His presence. 

There are two things that make this relationship an extra challenge.  First, it is the perfection of God.  In any other relationship, two parties have equal ability to offend the other.  A husband and wife have equal ability to wrong the other.  A parent and child relationship is the same.  Two siblings, friends, or classmates can hurt the other as much as they are hurt themselves.  So, there is equal expectation of humility and conformity.  What makes human relationships easier than one with the Divine is that if we wrong our loved one, we know that eventually, they will wrong us.  Not as retribution or vengeance.  Rather, it is part of being human.  So, we can seek forgiveness because we know that eventually, we will have the privilege of granting it right back.  This is not so with God.  Confessing and forsaking are one-way actions.  God is perfect.  He cannot offend.  If we are offended as something God caused or allowed, then that is on us.  This means that we are constantly humbled before God, and He is never humbled before us.  That is the way it should be!  Yet if we are not careful, pride will stop this in its tracks.  Pride will get sick of apologizing when there is no apology ever, coming from God. 

Second, there is a false idea that God possesses infinite tolerance.  This idea that God accepts us just the way we are is a lie from hell!  He loves us in spite of what we are.  Jesus died because of what we are and intends to change us from what we are to what He wants us to be.  Theology like this cannot see a God who walks away.  All they see is a gracious God who will always put up with our sin.  This is not the God of the Bible.  The opposite side of the coin is just as dangerous.  I came from a tradition that taught an angry God.  There was nothing we could ever do right.  Purgatory was the best we could do.  We had to be perfect in all our ways just for God to acknowledge us.  That is also wrong.  The truth is somewhere in the middle.  God put up with a lot of evil from His chosen people.  He corrected them time and again.  But when they replaced Him with idols of gold and silver, that was it.  God didn’t stick around.  Why would He?  He had been replaced.

The hope and promise of this verse are found in the latter part of it.  For the LORD to make that heavy of an emphatic statement is encouraging.  With complete absolutism, the Father states His children will return quickly once the affliction of their choices catches up with them.  It is not a possibility.  It is not a probability.  It is an absolute certainty.  Praise God!  Once an intimate relationship with God is established, and the goodness of God is experienced, no matter how far the child of God may wander, he will return.  If he does not, there is a real possibility that he was never saved to begin with.  I don’t know about you, but this is the best news I have heard in a long time!  No matter how far from God I get, I’ll always come back.  I have also noticed that the longer the saint walks with God, the less and less those times away become.  Praise be to God for our rubber band relationship with the LORD!

Only Truth Delivers

“A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful [witness] speaketh lies.” (Pr 14:25 AV)

The first five words of this proverb are powerful!  The king does not elaborate as to who these souls are or how many the true witness tries to deliver.  There is no guarantee that the true witness will deliver all the souls he encounters.  The comparison isn’t in the results.  Rather, Solomon is making a comparison between the two methods.  One speaks the truth.  The other lies.  The intimation is that the true witness delivers trouble souls, whereas the deceitful witness does not.  The difference is in truth versus error.

Truth is in short supply.  We have seen this especially over the last few decades.  Error is the ground of grand conspiracy theories.  Sometimes, poor practices are a result of simply not knowing better.  We have a practice that may have seemed right at the time, but upon further inspection and research, it is discovered there is a better way.  In fact, the current path causes more harm than good.  This is especially true in the field of medicine.  The protocols change over time.  More research is conducted, and it is discovered that the current standard of care does not have the results hoped for, and may even introduce more complications.  This is very common.  It is not necessarily the healthcare professional or the facility that governs treatment that is directly responsible.  They are working of an industry standard that has not evolved into the best care possible.  Treatments are often changed because what the scientist thought was true turned out to be false.  There simply wasn’t enough data, or the data was skewed by an unknown stimulus that the best care at the time did not deliver.  Truth always delivers.  Falsehood never does.

Ego gets in the way.  Truth completely delivers, yet few want it.  Falsehood may bring relief without deliverance, and many want that!  The ego, because it wants to be seen as effective, is lulled into using falsehood.  Those who only want relief affirm the value of the false witness.  He is seen as caring and effective.  The reality of it is that a false witness, at best, merely kicks the can down the road.  He doesn’t deliver anyone.  He makes them twofold the child of the devil.  The true witness must take pleasure in the few he delivers more than the many he could not.  He must look at the eternal results rather than the temporal ones.  There are many religious organizations that bring much relief.  But they do not deliver.  They peddle their falsehoods or half-truths and build a following.  They are seen as highly effective.  Yet there is not deep repentance from sin and faith in the Only Way – Jesus!  I don’t know about you, but I don’t like putting a Band-Aid on a serious injury.  I want to heal it.  As one who is entrusted with truth, it is our obligation to share it faithfully.  It is the only way we can deliver the sin-sick soul.

Under Control While We Are Under

“The day [is] thine, the night also [is] thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.” (Ps 74:16 AV)

Our psalmist’s observation is in the light of oppression.  God is not oppressing.  The enemies of Israel are.  The psalmist cites the active hand of a sovereign God.  This verse, by no means, could support the position of a Deist.  It actually accomplished the opposite.  The writer’s plea for intervention is predicated on the fact that God created all things and controls all things.  God controls all things all the time.  Whether day nor night, the times are His.  They are in His hands, and there is no one who can turn Him.  The psalmist further cites the provision of sovereignty which God provides.  The light and the sun are what governs our time.  The sun governs our day and night.  The stars and moon govern our months and seasons.  To summarize, our sovereign God is in control of time itself.  All that happens is under His direct care.  All things are caused or allowed by His mighty hand.  Nothing gets past our God, nor does anything supersede His power to control it.

Now and again, I am amazed at the human body.  Have you owned anything that ran continuously for seventy to ninety years that was self-maintaining, self-generating, and worked regardless of any outside administration?  Do you realize that from the moment your heart beat for the first time, it hasn’t stopped?  That is amazing!  If I ran my car for that entire duration, it would have eventually stopped.  My lungs, from the moment of my birth have not stopped.  They go on night and day.  They go on without my need to think about it.  When one considers how long our ancient progenitors lived, this truth is mindboggling.  Our first parents lived over nine-hundred years.  For the human heart to beat for nine hundred years without stopping is beyond comprehension.  Now, think how much trust you and I have to go to sleep at night.  If our hearts stopped beating or our lungs stopped breathing, we would not have the ability to call for help.  We would be at the mercy of those around us.  Every night we lay our heads down and place our trust in something we cannot control.  Then we wake up.  Our trust was well-founded.

Our psalmist speaks great comfort to us.  During the times we cannot interact with our environment, God has it all.  It is all under His sovereign control.  Most of life is out of our control.  We can choose.  We can act.  We can interact.  But the outcome is never guaranteed.  God controls it all.  It is not so much His control while I sleep that I find comforting.  Rather, if I can totally surrender to the LORD and close my eyes for a much-needed time of rest, there should be no reason to do that same while I am awake.  As the moon and stars govern the times of the night, the sun governs the time of day.  They are set and controlled by the sovereign hand of Jehovah.  If I can rest at night, I must be at spiritual and emotional rest during the day.  He has this!  Going to sleep is a great step of faith.  Living in the day is no less.  Trust the Keeper of it all!

Rejecting The Best for the Status Quo

“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof [shall be] with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” (Da 9:26 AV)

The scriptures are very plain here.  The Jewish Messiah will die for others.  To be cut off is to be cut off from the promises made to Israel.  This means the Messiah must be cut off from the promises to Israel by a judicial act of the Father.  The Messiah must be cut off from the promises made to Israel for the sake of Israel.  What follows is a prophecy regarding the Messianic kingdom that follows a seven-year period.  Putting this all together, the word of Got foretold the death, burial, resurrection, and restoration of the Jewish Messiah for the sake of Israel.  Yet when Jesus Christ came, they either didn’t see it, wouldn’t see it, or did see it and rejected it.  We can pass judgment on Israel for rejecting the obvious, but one has to wonder how many times the New Testament saints are doing the same thing.  Whether it is ignorance, unbelief, or rebellion we can dismiss clear teaching of the word of God for a choice of our own.

There are times we reject something that is perfect for us.  Sometimes we think we have a better option, or that the option we now possess is the best we can have.  Israel was content under the rule of Rome.  In fact, several times the leaders of Israel stirred the people to conclude the same end.  For them at the time, the Pax Romano was more to their liking than the Messianic kingdom.  This sounds a bit silly.  Especially in hindsight.  Rejecting their Messiah also meant rejecting eternal life.  Hell was their end.  The rejected God’s best for them because the best of the world would suffice.  But do the saints of today to the same thing?  All the time!

Our churches are filled with worldliness and corruption.  Sin is at every corner.  The escape from it is our daily walk with God.  This must incorporate Bible reading and prayer.  But it doesn’t stop there.  Otherwise, prayer and bible study become merely a religious exercise.  Both must be done in the context of a relationship.  They are not exercised as an academic curiosity.  God is not a subject to study.  Rather, there is growth that comes by both.  Part of growing as a Christian is enduring through trials and/or correction.  We are told not to faint while under either.  The word of God promises peaceable fruits of righteousness, holiness, and a deeper love for God if we allow the hand of God to have its perfect work.  Yet, we see the risk or stress involved and avoid it at all costs.  Maintaining the status quo is good enough for us.

Our churches are filled with three types of people.  Those who are newly saved and start growing.  There are those who will always continue to grow.  Then there are those who are satisfied with where they have come and have drawn a line in the sand.  They have ceased to grow and will grow no more.  That is what happened with Israel.  They have suffered centuries of warfare and persecution.  For the first time in their history, they lived in Palestine with relative peace.  Their liberties were limited.  But at least there was no trouble on the horizon.  They were overtaxed.  They were victims of imperfect justice.  They lived under the hand of Caesar.  But at least the sun was coming up tomorrow.  At least life was predictable and livable.  Why would they want change?  Even if the promised change was better than they had, staying put was their choice.  This is sad.  But too many people live that way today. The bulk of God’s people are right where Israel was.  There is no desire to grow.  No desire to risk.  No desire to conform.  No desire for Christlikeness.  We are happy with mediocrity, and if Jesus ever did a great work in our lives, we would resent it.  They missed it because they wanted to miss it.  The same is true of many saints.

Help for the Helpless

“For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and [him] that hath no helper.” (Ps 72:12 AV)

That last part of the verse is special!  When you boil it all down, how much help do we really have?  David wrote this near the end of his life.  The next Psalm is Asaph’s biography and eulogy of his good friend, David.  It was known of this great king that was the apple of God’s eye.  He and the LORD had a very special relationship.  Despite the failures of his life, he loved God, and God loved him.  No doubt in the course of his life he felt as though he had no one.  Several instances come to mind.  Goliath was one of his first lone challenges.  Just before Saul died and when David took the throne, all his men left him.  Now, he lies on his deathbed and human help will be of no worth.  When compared to God’s help, there is little people can do for you in comparison to what you might be facing.  Don’t get me wrong.  The help of dear saints is absolutely needed and welcomed.  God uses them to meet our needs.  We cannot survive without one another.  But there are times when man’s help, although somewhat sufficient, lacks all that we need.  This is where David was.  Lying on a bed with a nurse at his side and his wife and encouragement, it was not going to change his outcome.  God was the only one who could truly help David.

On one of my darkest days, this truth was made real to me.  Through the changes of life and other issues I was facing, all I could see were dark skies.  There was no sunshine.  There was no sunshine predicted.  As far as the mind was concerned, all hope was lost.  This poor saint found himself at the end of his rope.  There was no more left, and the knot was slipping through my grasp.  If God did not do something soon, my end was near.  In the wisdom of my wife, she called a close friend.  I had escaped to my room and sat there sobbing and rocking back and forth.  Too much loss had happened in a very brief time.  Spiritual issues were coming to a head.  Fear gripped me on every side.  There was no way to turn.  My good friend came to try to console me.  He tried the best he could.  The verses he used were familiar to me, and before he said anything, I knew what he was going to say.  It wasn’t helping.  I finally rebuked him a bit, and that is when he realized that God alone was my helper.  He sat there.  Simply sat there.  He said nothing.  He promised that he would not go anywhere until I was okay.  Other than that last bit of comfort, he simply sat there.  I imagine as he sat in silence, what he was really doing was praying.  I am certain of it.  He went to the throne of my only Helper and interceded on my behalf.  It worked!  His intervention drew me out of a pit of hopelessness deeper than I have ever been before, or since.  That day I learned the reality of the verse above.

The child of God is never without hope.  Never.  Don’t let the adversary tell you otherwise.  There is no failure nor sin that can separate you from your Father.  Repentance and forsaking are asked for, but the Father will never leave.  Ever!  Nor will He ever allow us to go through a trial without Him.  He promises to be with us in the midst of the deepest water we will ever tread.  He will be there.  And He will deliver.  Living in the hope of that deliverance is difficult.  Go far enough down a pit and the sun is blocked out.  All we see are the dark, constraining walls of our situation.  Whether we can see the light or not, it exists.  God is there. He promises to deliver those who have no helper.  Praise be to God!

Quickening Over and Again

“[Thou], which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.” (Ps 71:20 KJB)

The last few psalms of David’s book of Psalms are precious.  They are psalms reflecting his experiences in aging.  The above verse is an excellent verse supporting faith in the resurrection.  Although David is referring to his aging physical condition compared to the desire to do all he can for God until his last breath, he does allude to the resurrection as well.  The quickening referred to here appears in the preceding verses closest to this one.  The quickening referred to earlier is a physical strengthening David desires in the present tense.  “Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth….I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, [even] of thine only.” (Ps 71:9,16 KJB)  David knows that God strengthened him in the past.  In fact, David is sure to mention that from the womb until the very day that he writes the above passage, that the strength of the LORD is what enabled him.  This same strength will follow him into eternity.  The depths of the earth cannot hold back the strength of the LORD.  Herein is the hope of the LORD.

It is funny how we think an empty tank will never be full again.  However, sometimes the tank needs to be emptied completely and remain empty for a while before it can be filled again.  This often makes the tank healthier.  I discovered something by accident several years ago.  I am a fan of rechargeable electric toothbrushes.  I use a Philipps Sonic toothbrush.  I have used them for over a decade.  Over the course of using them, they appeared to last only a few years.  When brand new, they brush can hold a charge for almost two weeks.  After a few years of using one, the charge lasts only a few days.  I assumed that the life of the battery had seen its limit.  Then I went on vacation.  I deliberately let my toothbrush die and then let it sit for ten days completely dead.  Before I left, the charger lasted only three days.  Upon returning, the toothbrush was charged for 24 hours, and it was back to the condition it was when brand new.  Now, every time the brush beeps at me for low battery, I let it die all the way before I charge it.  If I am away for any length of time, I will run it empty and leave it that way until I return.  The tank had to run dry before it could be filled back up.  It made the tank empty.

David is nearing the end of his life.  His tank ran dry more often than in his youth.  That is not necessarily a bad thing.  In fact, it can be a good thing.  This causes us to rest in the LORD far more frequently than we did many years before.  Our bodies may not be getting stronger, but our spirits and souls sure are.  It is okay to be all used up.  We need to be.  David knew that as God was faithful to quicken him in the past, He will do so in the present and in the future.  Just like the earth and the grave cannot hold us back, life cannot either.  We may have to do the same, but in a more organized or efficient way.  We may not be able to simply muscle through life.  Rather, we will have to pray more.  We will have to read more.  We will have to seek the presence of our Savior more.  If a six-foot hole cannot hold me back, then the devil, the world, and the flesh cannot either.  God will quicken.  That is His nature.  Life is His heartbeat.  To serve Him must be our passion.

Scheduling God?

“But as for me, my prayer [is] unto thee, O LORD, [in] an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.” (Ps 69:13 AV)

An acceptable time has me deep in meditation.  Remember that Paul told us to pray without ceasing.  The ‘time’ here is not a scheduled time as though God turns His ear away from us at certain times of day, weeks, months, or years.  God always hears.  Rather, the acceptable time is event driven.  Prayer is the natural response to an event.  Or at least, it should be.  For David, it was the oppression by his enemies that drove him to prayer.  The time was acceptable because the need was genuine.  As the Spirit leads, another thought appeared.  Perhaps David is referring to sincere prayer.  In other words, prayer is not something we merely schedule because we are told to.  We do not have a prayer time apart from all other conversations of the day.  We do not pray to God for a bit and then forget Him the remainder of our time.  This is insulting.  It is patronizing.  Rather, we are to pray as circumstances dictate how we pray.  Not pray at certain times and then neglect our personal walk with God.  The acceptable time is the time that prayer needs to be made for whatever needs to be petitioned.  The keyword is ‘in’ rather than ‘at’.

Our conversations take this trajectory throughout the day.  We don’t even notice it.  If we are at work, our conversations are guided by whatever is the topic or need at that time.  It could be business related.  Or, it could be a social exercise.  No matter the motive, talking is part of human relationships.  Marriages are the same.  Or should be.  There should be constant conversation.  It need not be restricted to conflict resolution or mutual goals.  There are times when my wife and I simply enjoy the company of the other.  Conversation is guided by what we are trying to accomplish, or what we need, or what we prefer to provide for the other.  The acceptable time is more about what it is that needs to be discussed rather than a set time to discuss all things.  When there is a conversation that needs full attention, we might ask the other, “Is now a good time?”.  The conversation is event driven.  It is sincere.  It is purposeful.  It is planned and should be thought out well.  Spontaneous conversations are best kept light.  Intense discussions should be prepared and planned.  The topic at hand will dictate the acceptable time for the conversation.  In short, there are times when certain things are not said by replaced by other things that could be said.  Silence is not the point here.

The same is true with prayer.  David is not setting apart an hour of prayer times and then ignoring God for the rest of his day.  Rather, he is being sincere and purposeful in his prayer.  He prays without ceasing over things in their time and place.  This way, his prayer is sincere and respectful.  Prayer is not merely to fill time.  Prayer is not reserved solely to fill up the silence.  Prayer should be a conversation we have with the LORD over things that are appropriate at the time.  Otherwise, we are treating God as a therapist who is only there to process how we feel, and then we go on our way.  By using the phrase, ‘in an acceptable time’, David is saying that at that moment, he needs deliverance from his enemies and that specific time was the time to bring it up.  Praise comes at the appropriate time.  Worship comes in the time that is right.  Gratitude or petitioning for the needs of others has its time and place.  For right now, deliverance is the item on the table.  Rambling prayer is not what God wants.  He deserves better.  He deserves our sincere and genuine heart and mind each time we approach His throne!

Especially For The Rebel

“Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, [for] the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell [among them].” (Ps 68:18 AV)

For the rebellious, also!  That would be me!  What a great truth.  Jesus Christ brought the gift of His blood to the mercy seat so that we might have the gift of salvation.  He did so for the express reason that the rebellious against God might dwell with God.  WOW!  Just last night, I was contemplating this very truth.  The thought entered my mind of the futility of the existence of man compared to our Almighty God desiring our existence.  It was a tremendous exercise in the motive of our God.  Why would He tolerate such beings?  Why would He allow us to make choices contrary to His pleasure?  Why would He set all this in motion knowing that the very beings He creates will rebel against Him?  Why?  God is a merciful God, full of pity.  He desired to create beings to whom He might show forth that mercy and pity.  The object of that mercy and pity was and is, me.

Let’s face it.  Rebellion is not exactly an endearing quality.  The rebel doesn’t have many friends.  This was true in my class.  This was true in our family.  This is true in the church.  Good people tend to avoid the rebel.  Our class rebel was Mike.  Mike did anything he could to anger our teachers.  It was because of Mike that our class lost many opportunities of kindness from our teachers.  If there was a wrong way to do something, Mike would find it.  He would disrupt our classtime.  He would do disgusting things in the presence of everyone.  He was routinely at the chastening end of instruction.  Bound to his rebellious ways, Mike flunked out of our class.  Then flunked out of the next class.  By the time he was old enough to legally drop out of school, he was two grades behind.  Looking at Mike, most of us only saw the behavior.  We didn’t stop and consider why Mike was the way he was.  We knew nothing of his home life.  We knew nothing of the baggage he brought with him every day to school.  It wasn’t until myself and my father took an interest in him and got him involved in Boy Scouts that we learned of his situation.  His rebellious turned off most.  But it was my father’s concern for this young man that stopped a cycle of bad behavior that could have ended much worse.

Why God puts up with us I will never fully understand.  What we do know is that God created us so that He could be kind to us.  He created us so that He could know us and we could know Him.  Jesus gave the ultimate gift of His life so that our sin account could be totally erased.  He brought gifts to and for men.  He brought the gift of His atoning blood to the Father who sat on His throne as judge.  The Judge saw the blood sacrifice of His Son and accepted the terms of life for sin.  All the rebel needs to do is repent of his or her sin and trust in what Jesus Christ did for them.  It is that simple.  But never let it escape the heart that even while we were rebels, God desired to live among us.