What Are We Afraid Of?

“I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,” (Isa 62:6 AV)

This passage is clearly one for the millennium.  The city of Jerusalem will know nothing but peace.  They will have no threats actual or future.  They will abide safely in the presence of the promised Messiah and our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Their security guaranteed, the job of those who keep the wall need no longer be to warn of threats.  Their job will be to declare the majesty and wonder of the One who reigns within and without.  They are to declare His glory to a world that desperately needs Him more than they realize.  Security in the reign of Christ results in uninterrupted praise and glory for her King and LORD!  Which brings us to a great application for today’s saint.  If the guaranteed security and provision of a Messiah results in uninterrupted praise from Jerusalem, seeing we have the same, is our praise continual?  Putting it another way, if our praise is not continual, what do we fear?

 In the days of old, when one watched on the wall, he could not be preoccupied with the events within the walls.  Good or bad.  His job was to look out upon the landscape or sea, watching for an advancing enemy often disguised among its surroundings.  His job was to stay alert and he could not be distracted with the happenings of his own city.  If there was a celebration in town, that was none of his concern.  It would often be the case when and enemy attacked, they would do so in times of celebration.  Think of Babylon.  When Belteshazzar was in a drunken party, the Medes and Persians entered the city by a dried-up aqueduct.  They were busy celebrating in the palace and had no idea the enemy was right outside the gates.  The communication of the watchmen was inward.  They would advance a warning of they detected anything suspicious.  Unless someone approached the gate, they had no communication to those without.

Now, things are quite the opposite.  There is nothing to fear.  Jesus Christ sits on His throne.  There is no threat without.  Now, the job of the watchmen is to declare the grace and glory of their King!  We are saved and on our way to heaven.  It matters not what the world decides to do or what it will do.  We are eternally secure.  Sure, we will suffer trouble while here on earth, but this is only temporary.  Our troubles will soon be over.  Our home is in that heavenly city.  Where rust and moth do not corrupt.  Where no wicked thing will enter therein.  We cannot lose what had been given to us by grace.  Therefore, we cannot keep silent.  Our message is outward.  A message of invitation.  Let us not keep silence for there is truly nothing to fear.

Where Christ is the Center

“Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.” (Isa 60:18 AV)

We know this prophecy concerns Jerusalem.  There is coming a day when the LORD returns to set up His kingdom upon this earth.  His government will be centered in Jerusalem.  Gentile nations throughout the world will be subject to the reign of the Messiah and be required to observe His throne in the midst of this holy city.  What should stick the saint as truly astounding is the description above.  This seat of government will have as its central pillars, salvation and praise.  There will be no destruction, violence, crime, wickedness, etc.  No more armies seeking to overthrow it.  No need of taxes.  Our Savior will tend to the needs of all.  There will be no tyranny.  He will rule with a rod of iron, but the motive is salvation and praise.  Within the borders of the city of Jerusalem, the human race we realize all for which it sought yet come woefully short.  It will realize the peace she wanted but sought it in law.  She we realize the pleasure she craved yet sought it in sin.  She will realize the joy she sought, yet sought it in conquest.  She will realize it in the person and government of the LORD Jesus Christ in the midst of His city – Jerusalem.

This reminds me a bit of what the church should be like.  It should be a respite from the cruelty of the world.  It should be a place where we leave the world outside, come together without any person agenda or self-interest, and unite in praise to our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.  It should be a place of salvation.  A place where those who come into her custody can hear the wonderful news of liberty.  Liberty from our own wickedness.  Salvation that results in conversion from evil to righteousness. Salvation that results in the harm of the old life abandoned for the blessedness of a new one.  Salvation that will eventually end in glory, eternally at peace and in the presence of our Savior.  Church should be a place where we do not want to leave.  A place whence we are not preoccupied with the clock.  A place that is coveted.  A place that is special.

When the LORD is the center of what we are, where we are, and what we do, then it is a special place.  A place that compares to no other.  The church which I pastor is unique.  It is common for God’s people to linger after a service is over.  This is a common trait of God’s people.  This has been the case of many of the churches in which I have served.  My current church takes this to an extreme.  It is not uncommon for this congregation to linger, at the minimum, an hour after the service has concluded.  It is amazing.  They do not want to leave the fellowship they share one with another.  The have found a place of salvation and praise.  This is what our churches should be like.  This is what Jerusalem will be like.  This is what heaven is like!

Oblivious

“The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.” (Isa 57:1 AV)

This verse is very interesting.  One wonders if it is prophetical.  Specifically speaking, the response of those who we remain after the rapture.  Will they even consider what has transpired?  The disappearance of millions in the twinkling of an eye has to raise eyebrows.  At least one would think so.  If one moment our bible-believing churches are filled and the next, empty, it would seem to be obvious the world would sit up, take notice and change something.  Yet, if this verse is prophetical, they may notice, but they will not consider.

How can this be?  Several years ago, there was a riot in a major city.  The crowds were out of control.  I remember watching a news station as the reporters were covering the activities.  The camera would zoom in on a group of people smashing windows of local businesses, entering those businesses, and looting what they could.  At various points in the coverage, the camera crew and reporter were a little too close for their own safety.  It was at this time that police with riot gear would enter and extract those who were covering this event.  The crowd seemed to be oblivious to both the news crews and the police who were protecting them.  They were so intent on their criminal behavior, they took no notice of those who were extracted and were completely unaware of the police presence that awaited them.  Perhaps this is the truth which lies above.

This is human nature.  We miss the warning signs of judgment to come.  A doctor’s check up reveals some health issues that will eventually lead to more serious symptoms resulting in death, yet we ignore them and continue right on down the line of poor stewardship.  We ignore nature’s response to coming inclement weather and march right on to our tree stand or the lake side.  What is unfortunate is the world will continue on the path of rebellion against her Creator without considering the righteous are removed that judgment might come.  It is better to get right with God before we fail to realize His justice is coming.

The Unfathomable Pleasure of God

“Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” (Isa 53:10-11 AV)

What kind of love would see the bruising of one’s only Son as a pleasure?  Considering this bruising is on behalf of a world in rebellion against the Father who is experiencing pleasure, them makes even less sense.  The only explanation is divine love.  Divine love for the sinner at the expense of His own Son’s welfare.  To think that a father would take pleasure in the torture and death of his own son on behalf of people who didn’t even care to know him is unfathomable.  This love is beyond our own comprehension.  The love which the Father and the Son have for the sinner cannot be understood.  Not in this life, or the next.

I have three sons.  These sons are very precious to me.  Like any normal parent, I favor my three sons over any other child.  When I felt they were not being treated fairly, I advocated on their behalf.  When it came to sports, I rooted for my three sons more than any other child.  Even if that child’s parents were close friends or acquaintances.  Such was the case when they played on the same High School basketball team.  Since my three sons played together quite a bit during summer caddy season, they knew how to communicate as a team.  They would regularly dominate the basketball court at the local golf club caddy shack during down times in between loops.  This translated to success on the basketball court in the High School sports season.  This did not sit well with other parents.  They wanted their sons to rotate in and out with as much frequency as my boys.  If the coach was not so focused on winning, that may have been the case.  And probably should have been.  However, as a proud parent, I rooted for my sons to have as much playing time and success on the court as anyone.  Sacrifice their success for others who may not appreciate it?  Take the criticism and judgmentalism when they are only trying to help out the team?  Become the focal point of prejudice and hatred from others who did not even like them for the sake of making all those who belonged winners?  Needless to say, I wasn’t pleased.  I was proud, but not pleased.

The difference is divine love.  Love that we cannot understand.  Love that says He takes pleasure in the sacrifice of His only Son and the abuse at the hands of those who would never appreciate it that some might repent and believe.  It is divine love unlimited and without prejudice that finds pleasure in the completely selfless act of death for those who disdain him.  What amazing love!

Eternal Joy!

“Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.” (Isa 51:11 AV)

When I read verses like this, it brings a smile to my face and joy to my heart.  The Spirit enables the mind to imagine what that will be like.  There will be not threat of evil.  Not from man nor from spirit.  No crime.  No discomfort.  No trouble.  The Messiah reigns in new Jerusalem.  The devil is defeated.  Only those who have or are professing the LORD Jesus Christ as Savior are in company.  Every battle is over with no more in the future.  The perfect rest promised to the people of God has begun.  Perfect contentment unites the heart.  No need is unmet.  No sorrow ever realized.  Perfection!  Into Zion we come with the songs of the redeemed upon our lips.  The story of Calvary told again and again.  The wonderful grace of God and His Son is readily upon our lips.  To strife in the body of Christ.  All disputes are settled in the presence of the Savior who bought us.  The trumpets sound, the voices raised; to the praise and honor of our wonderful and loving Savior, the LORD Jesus Christ.

Usually, this is the paragraph where I find some similar correlation to which we can relate this truth.  But alas, there is none.  The closest I can come to is the birth of my first child.  When the other two came around, it was old hat.  But that first was different altogether.  Long and difficult labor with life threatening conditions on the baby made the experience one for the ages.  We arrived at the hospital in the morning.  My wife had gone through labor for quite some time.  Finally, the doctor decided an emergency C-section was called for.  To make a long story short, I hadn’t slept for about 24 hours.  When all had settled down and everyone was safe, I told my wife I was going to go home, grab a shower and some sleep, and then return.  Not so much!  The shower was no problem.  Sleeping?  Yeah, right!  Not with my first son lying in a crib.  I didn’t sleep again until that night; thirty-six hours later.  But the joy more than made up for the lack of sleep.  ‘Tired’ was not even in my vocabulary.  I cannot explain it, but a peace and contentment rushed into my heart.  It wouldn’t matter if WWIII had started.  I was at perfect peace and joy.

As wonderful as that was, it will pale in comparison to eternity!  As tremendous as it was to be a father of three terrific men who today, serve the LORD faithfully, when we spend eternity with the LORD it will seem but a common thing.  There are no words that can adequately describe what it will be like when we spend eternity with our loving Savior.   Paul said it best when, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, penned “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Ro 8:18 AV)

Not a Care In The Word Ends Badly

“Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children:” (Isa 47:8 AV)

Living for pleasure and not caring of the consequences goes hand in hand.  Living with the foresight of consequences motivates to discipline.  Knowing that each choice has with it a set of variables that will happen, might happen, or will not happen shapes those choices.  Careless living regards none of that.  It is only interested in immediate pleasure.  That pretty much describes the generation in which we live.

America, and by extension most of the western world, struggles with their weight.  Too many calories and not enough exercise is largely (no pun intended) at fault.  The second is a lack of planning and discipline.  The former a simply pursuit of pleasure.  Health costs something.  It causes discomfort.  We are trading one pain for another.  We are trading the temporary pain of hunger for the larger and more distant pain of congestive heart failure.  We are trading the temporary pain of disciplining the endorphins from a chocolate fix for the future pain of diabetes.  We seek pleasure as an escape from discomfort.  We seek pleasure as the means to fill the need of emotional fulfillment.  What we do not consider is that every action demands an equal and opposite reaction.  This lack of care is an indication of a lack of maturity.  A child cannot discipline himself, seeking only his own comfort and happiness.  An adult has learned that temporary comfort and happiness means we are giving up a greater happiness somewhere in the future.

Note also in the verse above that those who live carelessly live for ‘self’ first.  “…I am, and none else beside me…” We only see our choices as they affect us.  When I look at that extra piece of pie, I do not consider that I have people who are about me and who would miss me if my health failed way too soon.  When I look at the menu and choose something that is not all that healthy for me because I savor that enjoyment, it doesn’t occur to me that if I come down with serious illness, I will be a financial and physical burden to those who did not make that choice.  Living for pleasure means we do not care about the consequences of our choices, not only to us, but to all those around us.

There Really Is None Else

“Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” (Isa 45:22 AV)

Years ago, this poor sinner discovered this truth.  There really is none else.  It was the spring of 1978.  I was fourteen years old.  My mother had come home from a weekend trip with some friends of hers that was centered on a religious theme.  We were sitting at the dinner table and she announced that she had prayed and given all her children to the Holy Spirit.  As a fourteen-year-old young man, that didn’t sit very well with me.  I wondered where my choice was in all this.  How dare my mother make a religious commitment for me without even consulting me.  What if I didn’t want to be ‘given’ to the Holy Spirit?  What right did she have committing my soul to a God whom I may not even want?  I remember being so mad that immediately following dinner, I went out to the front porch of our house, looking up to heaven, and saying to God, “I don’t want you or need you anymore.”  At that instant, a lightning bolt struck nearby.  It was really close.  My sister Mary and I got on our bicycles and went the next street over.  There, in a direct line to our house, was an old maple tree split in two!  God has spoken, and I knew it!

For the next four years, I desperately tried to find God.  I was raised in a faith that taught a works-based salvation system.  Rededicating myself to those works by striving to learn, God didn’t seem any closer.  He was just as distant as He had always been.  No real peace.  Then, I tried some eastern meditation.  Reading some books on mysticism, I attempted to attain transcendentalism seeking my Nirvana.  All that did was make me more and more depressed.  For two summers, I visited Hill Camorra thinking that perhaps God could be found in one of the newest of sects claiming to be Christian.  Newer is better, right?  Turns out, their system is also works-based.  A brief stint with atheism didn’t pan out wither.  Rationalism is actual more irrational than rational.  Trying to find God in places I knew He was not turned out to be fruitless.  God was not in a church building.  God was not in a religion.  God was not in my own rationalizations.  Looking everywhere I knew to look, He was not there.  Then a miracle happened.

The LORD sent a faithful bible-believer who had the courage to guide me into the passages of the Bible that would reveal the truth of God and where He was.  He was in a personal relationship.  One that began with confrontation of my sin.  The Holy Spirit worked on my heart to see just how wicked I am and the consequences of that sin.  The word of God gloriously revealed that forgiveness of sin and salvation from a devil’s hell was already provided in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s cross.  All I had to do was to accept that by faith, calling upon Him to save me!  There is none else!  As mankind searches in legislation or government, in science, or in diplomacy, they will come up empty.  There is none else by the LORD Jesus Christ.  There simply is no other!