How Sad

“And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.” (Mr 5:5 AV)

It struck me that this poor man didn’t have a minute of peace.  He was possessed by devils, and they tormented him night and day.  I imagine the first thing he did when the LORD healed him was sleep.  After he went into town and told everyone what Jesus had done, I imagine he laid down and didn’t get up for a day or two.  What a picture of the unregenerate sinner!  He or she is tormented by their sin day and night.  There is no peace for the wicked.  As the Spirit churned this in my heart, I couldn’t help but feel compassion for this man.  To be so controlled by devils as to not have a minute’s peace is unfathomable.  Then I thought of those who are so filled with hate for God they are suffering the same.

The events of the past few weeks have stirred deep emotions in most.  These emotions are understandable.  There are bitterness and anger.  There are sorrow and remorse.  There is resentment and maybe even malice.  There might be envy or victimization.  What is missing is compassion.  Now, before you stop reading, let me explain.  Compassion needs to be grounded in reality.  As a chaplain, there were times that I visited patients who were dying of diseases caused by lifestyle choices.  The disease could have been reversed if they had simply changed how they lived.  By the time I got to them, their condition was so far advanced, only a miracle could save them.  What bothered me the most was their behavior continued even though death was an almost certain outcome.  Compassion did not mean tolerance.  Nor did it require an unrealistic expectation that they would change their ways.  Compassion pushed me to share with them the hope of Jesus Christ and the change that can come with it.  In fact, compassion required that the truth of their actions and the remedy offered were transparent and forceful.

No one is saying that compassion requires the saint to accept someone’s actions.  In fact, just the opposite.  Those who would destroy Christians, thinking they are destroying God, live in a delusion.  One that will end in eternal damnation.  Regardless of how much we might despise their beliefs actions, they are still souls for whom Christ died.  The reality is that most souls who hear the gospel will reject it.  To gain victory over the negative emotional state that we might be in, compassion might be in order.  Yes, there still needs to be justice.  There still needs to be a reckoning.  There must be a response to those who wish others dead simply because of a difference of world views.  This cannot continue.  But let us remind ourselves of a dark truth.  As children of light, we are in our right minds.  As children of darkness, they continually live in darkness.  They are tormented by their sin and rebellion, and it will not end well.  Feeling remorse over the loss of one soul is a godly trait.  God does not rejoice in the death of the wicked.  He mourns, and so too, should we.  Our mourning should be for a nation that has turned its back on God.  Our mourning should be for a nation whose god is their bellies.  Our mourning should be for a nation that desperately needs to wake up before God brings unstoppable judgment.  Our nation is tormented day and night by the wickedness we practice.  Only a miracle by a heaven-sent Savior can change that.

Overreacting to Correction from God

“And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.” (Mr 3:4 AV)

Looking at this from the Pharisees’ point of view, perhaps in the back of their minds they are considering the Babylonian captivity.  It was neglect of the sabbath that led God to judge them.  They neglected the Sabbath for the better part of 400 years.  God allowed Assyria and Babylon to invade Israel and Judah, respectively.  Israel spent hundreds of years in captivity, and Judah spent 70 years under the dictatorship of Babylon.  They were removed from their home, lands, and inheritance.  They were carried away.  Two generations passed away before a third was allowed to return.  They came to Jerusalem, rebuilt the temple and wall, and began to repopulate the land of Israel.  There were consequences that remained.  The Gentiles had come in the interim and populated portions of Canaan.  Specially the northern part of Palestine.  Galilee was split equally between the Jewish people and Gentile descendants.  Perhaps those who questioned Jesus on His understanding of the Sabbath had these thoughts in the back of their minds.  If an influential leader set the example of working on the Sabbath, then maybe God will come down and destroy Israel forever.  If this were the case, they were overreacting to the chastening of God.  Their overreaction created the atmosphere of self-righteousness.

God’s laws are absolute.  We are not advocating creating exceptions to rules.  The Sabbath was to be observed faithfully.  For religious people to have concern over the Sabbath was understandable.  The last thing they wanted was to go off again and perhaps lose the promises once and for all.  Where they erred was in an overreaction, which manifested itself in additional laws that God never gave.  The question above went right to the heart of the Sabbath.  If one were to study the Pharisaical law, they would discover the definition of work included all unnecessary exertion of force.  They even went so far as to limit how much someone could lift to their mouth while eating.  Too much, and it would be work.  The Old Testament did not forbid all forms of work on the Sabbath.  Only those forms that were for pleasure or profit.  To serve in ministry or to help someone is dire need was not considered work.  To offer medical assistance was not considered work.  The Pharisees went so far as to limit the degree of medical assistance one could offer.  It had to be life and death, or it wouldn’t be allowed.

We are right to be concerned with obedience following correction.  That is the right thing to do.  The last thing we need is another spanking.  But overreacting to the correction can miss the point of the correction.  If all we see is a rule that was broken, we miss the principle of the law.  The Pharisees were trapped in their self-righteousness and accused Jesus sin. They did this numerous times.  They tried to find fault because they were afraid of Rome.  They didn’t want the wrath of God to come again, so they overcompensated by creating circumstances that made obedience more difficult; not less.  We are not advocating the wrapped belief of Christian liberty from Old Testament law and principles.  The Sabbath is still in force.  Telling the truth is still required.  Purity is still the law of God.  What Jesus is trying to show them is that overreacting to the correction of God can keep the soul from walking in obedience.

Praise Is Soon Forgotten

“Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, [and] he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. Oh that [men] would praise the LORD [for] his goodness, and [for] his wonderful works to the children of men!” (Ps 107:13-15 AV)

In light of the context, the words of the Psalmist hit deep.  Life has many ups and downs.  Sometimes, the tragedies or trials of life can bring us to our lowest.  These events can sap us of all strength and optimism.  Depression and discouragement came easy.  These times of severe testing can steal all our joy.  When we get this low, we can forget those things that can never be lost.  This is the idea of the Psalmist’s words.  He was in a dark place.  He was in a very severe trial.  He shares that this is a common condition in mankind.  Sin entered by way of Adam and Eve.  Sin continues by way of each human being born since then.  We have ruined God’s perfect creation.  The thing is, God did so much for us already.  He saved us and has promised eternal life.  Eternal life will be absent of all adversity.  None will exist.  No more consequences for sin.  No more trials of faith.  Nothing but bliss, peace, rest, and fellowship with the Father.  He has done much.  It is for this the Psalmist declares the children of men should praise the LORD!

The implication of the Psalmist is that Israel soon forgot what God had done for them.  Because of verse 15, it is suggested Israel praise God for what He had done because they were not doing so.  This desire is a deep one.  The word ‘oh’ suggests a deep desire that is unfulfilled.  As a result of being rescued and delivered, regardless of present circumstances, the Psalmist wishes Israel would continuously thank God for what He had done.  How soon we forget all the benefits God has bestowed.  Israel had a history of complaining.  They did not live in the joy of deliverance for very long.  God delivered them from bondage to Egypt only to see them discontent three days later over water.  God miraculously provided water.  They praised God but then a few weeks later, refused to trust Him and enter Canaan.  God delivered them again.  Then they complained that they didn’t have the best food from Egypt.  God provided manna from heaven.  They were happy.  For a bit.  Then they complained again.  Again and again God delivers Israel, yet Israel soon forgets.  They cannot stop and meditate on how good God is long enough to give Him praise.

Having a grateful heart that is quick and consistent in praising God is a treasure to possess.  No matter what life brings to us, we have heaven to look forward to.  The devil may attack.  The world may hate us.  The flesh may cause us to fall more times than we care to admit.  But the LORD has been, and always will be, good.  The Psalmist’s desire cannot become a reality without the will of the people.  His plea is that they stop looking at the temporary setbacks and praise the LORD for His goodness.  No, life is not perfect.  Yes, there will be some difficult days.  No, one cannot plan on every day going perfectly.  Through it all, there is one constant.  The goodness of God.  Oh, that men would praise God for His goodness toward them!  Perhaps if we count our blessings and praise the LORD for them, we will quickly realize we are far more blessed that we might feel.

Consider The Possibility

“And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?” (Mt 26:21-22 AV)

Had it ever occurred to you that instead of denying the possibility of betrayal, the first thing the eleven did was consider it a possibility?  This took humility.  Judas was the only one to ask as a means of diversion.  He asked separate and apart from the other eleven.  He asked only because everyone else did.  The eleven reflected on their hearts and had to admit it was entirely possible to betray the one they had come to love even though they had grown to love him.  The eleven would also include John.  It is said of John that he was the LORD’s beloved.  Even the one who loved the LORD the most considered it a possibility to betray the One he loved so deeply.  This begs the question.  Do we consider it a possibility?  Do we approach our relationship with the LORD as one that needs guarding?  Do we nurture our relationship with God so that it makes betrayal more and more unlikely?

Unfaithfulness in marriage does not happen spontaneously.  Adultery is a matter of incremental steps away from the one whom you married.  Rarely is it so spontaneous that it occurs on a whim while still madly in love with your spouse.  It just doesn’t happen.  For adultery to happen, the adulterer or adulteress needs motivation.  There is something the strange woman or unscrupulous man offers that the cheater thinks he or she needs.  There is a carrot on the end of a stick.  Knowing what that carrot might be and avoiding it keeps us from straying.  Proverbs is filled with advice to this end.  When the simple pass on and are taken with the strange woman, he is in the wrong place to begin with.  She decks her bed with perfume.  She offers her sacrifices to cover the sin they are about to partake of.  Then carrot is dangled and the simple pass on.  To think one is impervious to temptation is the start of a downfall.

This is the wisdom shown by the eleven.  There was nothing at that moment that would draw them away.  But they entertained the possibility that there might be something.  This takes great wisdom and humility.  I am impressed with the spirit of the eleven.  They were concerned!  That is half the battle.  To be concerned one might betray God is the start of watching out for that carrot on a stick.  To assume imperfection means we can strive toward it.  Woe to the saint who believes he or she has grown to a point where betrayal is impossible.  It is at that moment that betrayal becomes increasingly possible.

No Third Commandment

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Mt 22:37-40 AV)

Have you ever heard of the acronym J.O.Y.?  It stands for Jesus, others, yourself.  It is intended as a reminder that in order to have real joy, one’s priorities should be in that order.  Pleasing Jesus; or God; comes first.  Serving others comes second.  Self comes last.  But look at the commandments above.  There are only two.  These two are not the first two.  They are the only two.  The first is to love the LORD God.  The second is to love others.  Then Jesus says that upon these two commandments rests the entire Biblical law.  There is no third commandment.  There is no ‘Y’.  Self is not included in the commandments.  Only Jesus and others.  This is not only different from what the world teaches.  It is the polar opposite.

Our world has always put Self first.  This is nothing new.  We priorities what we need, how we feel, what our values are, that which is just to us.  Others are only a passing consideration.  God doesn’t even exist.  It is ironic that the first commandment of the world doesn’t even exist in God’s economy.  Self is not part of the equation.  Do you want to know why evil exists?  Because Self is the first commandment.  Do you want to know why wickedness is so rampant?  Because Self is the first commandment.  Do you want to know why people are so callous regarding the suffering of others?  Self!  Why is it that our churches are empty, sacred holidays have been secularized, or God is no longer in the minds of the vast majority of souls?  Self.  Why are the prisons filling up faster than we can build them?  Self.  Why is it that our world is in chaos?  Self.  The heartbreaking stories that fill our news have one-word headlines.  Self.  Nowhere in the Bible does it tell us to love ourselves.  No where.  We are to love God and others.  Never ourselves.

To have real joy, one must drop the ‘y’.  One must spell joy without the ‘y’.  The ‘y’ does not belong.  For real unity and peace in the world, Self must go.  For the world to have any hope of stability, prosperity, and purpose, Self must cease to exist.  All the ills of the world can be boiled down to one four letter word.  The worst of all words.  The word that started it all in the Garden of Eden.  The word that continues to be humanity’s worst cause for suffering.  Self!  There are only two commandments.  Self doesn’t have one because Self has no consideration.

No Self-made Person Exists

“And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people; That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the LORD.” (Ps 105:44-45 AV)

This psalm is a reminder of all that God did for Israel when they came out of Egypt.  When they entered Canaan, they entered a land that had been tamed and cultivated by the non-believers.  This did not make what Israel did, wrong.  The land that the heathen tamed was not theirs to possess.  It was promised to Abraham and his descendants.  Before one feels sorry for the disposed enemies of God, let us remember two important facts.  First, the ownership of that land would not have been in dispute.  Abraham was well established in the land of Canaan prior to his death.  He, Jacob, and Joseph left a claim to the land by a family plot in which to bury the dead.  The land was purchased hundreds of years before Israel returned.  Just because the heathen squatted on the land did not make it theirs.  Second, when Israel exercised its right to the land, it offered a peaceful eviction to the squatters.  If they refused, and only if they refused, then Israel took up arms.  So, when we read that Israel benefitted from the labors of those who were theirs, it was not robbery or spoils of an unjust war.  It was the blessings of God on a people who trusted Him for justice.

When one thinks about it, we have all benefitted from the labor of others, regardless of how we came upon it.  The labor of those who came before us is a blessing from God.  Humanity has always left behind the fruits of its labor for the future generations to build upon.  This is often forgotten.  It is interesting that as one ages, history becomes more interesting and important.  It is important to keep it alive.  We don’t want to go back.  But we do not want to forget it either.  I was reminded of this when researching small towns that had been forgotten.  A travel blogger visited ten small towns that had long been forgotten to a faster and more modern world.  These towns were mostly out west and had been the center of wealth and activity.  During the gold rush years, these towns grew in the thousands.  Then as the gold dried up, so too did the population.  One of the towns was in Washington and was nestled so remotely it was accessible by foot or floatplane only.  The total population was 85.  Another very small town was the founder of a modern technology that is used world-wide.  It literally changed the world, yet its population was less than 2,000.  Still another, very well known among baseball fans, boasts the Baseball Hall of Fame yet has only 3,000 residents.  These little places have history.  They have history that changed our nation.  Yet we never consider them consequential.

We didn’t get here on our own.  We don’t have what we have because we worked from scratch.  No one comes from absolutely nothing.  Even Adam and Eve were given a garden provided by God as the means to live and serve Him.  If we complain about that which we lack, let us remember we have more than those who came before.  They labored that we might benefit.  Our nation was founded on men who gave their lives for a principle worth dying for.  They gave their lives for the God-given right to be free!  Our churches were laid down by generations past.  The bible we have came by the blood of others.  We have much for which we did not labor.  A bit of gratitude toward God and those who provided might be in order.  Rather than complain about life, how about making it better for those who will follow?  We have a generation that seeks to tear down what was provided for them and then has the gall to complain about the result.  Truly grateful people who prize what was left them care for it, sustain it, improve on it, and pass it along.  Our nation is falling apart because we have taken for granted the blessings of God passed on to us from a great generation and are squandering them away as unimportant or even repulsive.  That is too bad.  Losing a thankful heart is the beginning of self-destructive behavior.

The Answer To Evil

“Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!” (Mt 18:7 AV)

This morning, many are reeling at the news that a conservative Christian apologist has been assassinated while serving college students at a rally.  I have to admit, I didn’t follow Charlie Kirk, and do not know a lot about him.  What I have gleaned has come in the last twenty-four hours.  From what I understand, Mr. Kirk was a devout Christian who, several years earlier, trusted in Christ as his Savior.  He was married to a lovely wife, with two very young children.  Mr. Kirk was not caustic.  He was not antagonistic.  He simply invited respectful discourse on topics that divide our nation.  These conversations are necessary.  These debates are needed.  It is by these debates that our culture is defined, defended, and dispersed.  Silence is the enemy of unity.  What shocks many is the nature of the evil and the person upon whom it was perpetrated.  We are saddened at the tragic loss of a father, a voice of truth, and a public servant.  What saddens us even more is that this horrible evil act reflects how far from God our nation has fallen.  We scratch our heads and ask ‘why’.  We ponder the perfect plan of God and how this is part of it.  Most who know God and love Him with their whole hearts are somber this morning.  We realize these things happen all the time.  Whether it is an American hero assassinated in broad daylight, or a sweet young lady who lost her life on a train to a random act of violence; we are moved to deep somberness at the wicked condition of our nation.

Some may ask why these things happen.  If God is a God of love, why allow these tragedies?  Jesus states these things must happen.  Offenses happen because man has the ability to choose.  This is what makes us different from all other creations.  We have the ability to make moral and ethical choices.  It must be that way in order to choose God by an act of our free will.  The theological answer does not help our emotional state.  We wish these things would never happen.  The answer is seen in the statement of unfortunate reality.  There is a woe to the world that offenses must come.  But there is a bigger woe to the one who commits the offense.  In these few short words, we hear the God of the universe state an unfortunate reality.  But then He tells us the answer.  To give ‘offenses’ another word or two, sin, wickedness, and evil are a few. With the warning to those who commit offenses comes another harsh statement of reality.  There is judgment that will fall on all the workers of evil.

What our nation must do is restrain its actions to those which God has delegated.  And no more.  The woe is from God to the evil-doer.  Not from an angry victim to the perpetrator.  God has delegated justice to the governments of men.  Therefore, let us obey the LORD by allowing our leaders to find and prosecute the wicked.  Vengeance belongs to God alone.  As angry as some might be, there is never biblical justification to assume sole responsibility for justice.  God is wise by delegating government to man.  Otherwise, anarchy and tyranny are the result.  Most of all, those who profess to know Christ need to be driven to their knees and not their arms.  We need to pray more earnestly for our nation.  We need revival.  Jesus is the judge who will make it all right.  More importantly, He is the Savior who can make every person right.  If we want to see these things come to an end, the heart must be addressed.  Only by changing the hearts of Americans back to the God of all things can we once again see peace in our day.  Only by the Peace-giver can we be at rest.  Pray.  Pray hard.  Pray for the spiritual revival of America!