Showing posts with label Commentary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Commentary. Show all posts

23 March 2024

Drink God's Grace

We can presumptuously imagine the work of God depends upon our best efforts.  While we ought to take responsibility before God to do His will and walk in the way that fully pleases Him, God is required for any of our service and ministry to be fruitful.  If God can redeem our lives from destruction, He can also accomplish His work through our failures.  We should guard ourselves against the error that says since God is all powerful and sovereign, He can do whatever He wants without us and seek to justify our indolence.

When the Hebrews murmured in the wilderness for lack of water, God commanded Moses and Aaron to take the rod of God and speak to the rock, and God would cause water to flow from it.  Instead, Moses and Aaron spoke harshly to the people and struck the rock.  God made water spring from the rock, and the people and all their flocks were well-watered.  Yet there was a severe consequence for the sin of Moses and Aaron:  they would not be permitted to accompany the children of Israel into Canaan.  Numbers 20:12-13 tells us, "Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." 13 This was the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel contended with the LORD, and He was hallowed among them."

The terrible judgment against Moses and Aaron can be a source of great encouragement for all Christians today.  God identified the sin of Moses and Aaron as unbelief that led to them not hallowing or sanctifying God in the eyes of the children of Israel.  It is possible Moses and Aaron hearkened back to the previous time water flowed from the rock in Horeb and the rock was struck (Ex. 17:6).  They also could have attributed some faith to the fact they carried Aaron's rod that budded which had been laid up in the tabernacle as a memorial of their authority from God.  Rather than crediting God as the life-giving source of their water, they spoke of this miracle as if it was their own doing:  "Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?"  If the availability of pure water was dependant upon the righteousness of Moses and Aaron, the people would have died of thirst!  God gave the water freely so everyone could drink and be satisfied--Moses and Aaron included.

But a most wondrous truth is contained at the end of verse 13:  Moses and Aaron were judged for not hallowing God in the eyes of the people, yet the verse concludes plainly:  "...He was hallowed among them."  How awesome is that?  All the people drank water by God's grace even though they had flawed leadership.  Though Moses and Aaron failed to sanctify God among the people, He was sanctified among the people anyway.  This is the miracle hidden in the miracle:  water flowed from the rock despite unbelief, and God was hallowed among people who failed to hallow Him.  Let us do our part to walk uprightly as God's faithful servants, living lives above reproach, but let us never think any success has come by our uprightness:  it is all of God's grace.  Drink deep of the grace of God, for in Him all our needs will be met--even through His imperfect vessels.

19 March 2024

More Than a Lump Sum

Years ago, I had workmate who expended a lot of thought over what he would do if he ever won the lottery.  He was confused when I did not share his bizarre obsession and giddy preoccupation.  Many times he launched into a detailed explanation of the importance of receiving winnings in a lump sum and investing the money in various ways.  This guy had a serious plan for a vast sum of money (if he ever won big, of course), but I was never convinced buying the lotto religiously was the best investment plan.

In the parable Jesus told of the prodigal son, the younger of two brothers demanded his father give him his inheritance in a lump sum.  The father graciously did so, but despite the windfall the son was soon broke, destitute and homeless.  My friend imagined the lottery would simplify his life, and the prodigal son may have thought his life would be improved.  As I consider it, the idea of quick wealth in a lump sum is attractive.  Some view the Gospel this way and are glad to receive forgiveness of sins, salvation from hell and eternal life in a lump sum.  Like the prodigal left home after receiving his inheritance, some receive the Gospel and go their own way--neglecting to follow or trust Jesus Christ who died to save them.

There is also an attraction to give our lives to God in a lump sum--to go out in a blaze of glory as a martyr, a romantic notion to bravely lay down our lives for Jesus.  At the same time, we can find it hard to take up our cross daily, follow and obey Him.  James and John desired to be given the honour of sitting on each side of Jesus when He entered into His kingdom:  they requested heavenly honour in a lump sum.  Jesus asked if they were able to drink of the cup that He would drink and be baptised with His baptism.  J. Oswald Sanders writes in Spiritual Leadership, "To the Lord's probing question, they returned the glib answer "We are able"--thus betraying a tragic lack of self knowledge.  Jesus told them that they would indeed drink the cup and experience the baptism.  They must learn that for an influential ministry there would be a steep price to pay--and that it cannot be paid in a lump sum." (Sanders, J. Oswald. Spiritual Leadership. Moody Press, 1989. page 31)

The cost of following Jesus Christ cannot be paid in a lump sum, nor do we receive every blessing at once.  We are made new creations through the Gospel and given eternal life in a moment,  Jesus once for all paid with His shed blood to atone for the sins of the world, and in receiving Him we have all our needs met.   However, our lives are not given to us in a lump sum but are to be lived out day by day, and blessed is the one who faithfully invests in relationship and fellowship with God.  We have received this glorious salvation and acceptance into God's kingdom, we cannot wisely live our lives without constant reliance and guidance from Christ.  The one who daily seeks Jesus and serves Him will be better off than the wisest, richest king who ever lived--whose heart departed from the LORD.  For those who have already been blessed with every spiritual blessing, the best is yet to come.

16 March 2024

Be Transformed

The Gospel can do what nothing else in the world can:  it transforms us inside and out.  By faith in Jesus Christ, a sinner is saved and born again by the indwelling Holy Spirit who empowers us to do God's will.  Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  Knowing facts, philosophy or even theology cannot save a person from death and hell, but Jesus can.  To people saved by grace through faith in Jesus Paul wrote in Romans 12:2, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."  It is only through the Gospel we can pass from death to life and be transformed today and every day.

The word for "transformed" is the Greek word from which we use for "metamorphosis."  This is a change of form and structure by an amazing process that takes place inside a chrysalis where the body of the caterpillar is dissolved and a new body forms and emerges with completely different behaviour, characteristics and diet.  In its larval form a caterpillar crawls around and eats leaves, and after shedding the chrysalis a butterfly has wings, antennae, eyes, mouth and genitals.  Butterflies do not eat leaves but drink nectar, a wonder of God's handiwork and incredible design.  Each cell is "programmed" to be digested at the perfect time to make the complete transformation possible, fueling imaginal discs to form a new, far more complex creature.  This is the finger of God, for only He can bring life out of death.

A caterpillar changes to a butterfly or moth by instinct designed by God, and people are born again by a conscious choice to repent of sin and trust in Jesus as Saviour.  At the moment of conversion we are born again and given spiritual life, yet we can continue to think and live as we did previously.  Thus Paul exhorted believers to "be transformed," suggesting that as we came to Jesus by faith voluntarily, we are also to choose to live by faith marked by obedience to God, freely choosing to present ourselves as living sacrifices to God willingly.  Having been made new creations by the power of the Gospel, our lives ought to reflect that inner, spiritual change that has occurred by the renewing of our mind.  Inspired by the wisdom of God's word and fellowship with other Christians, as we feed on God's word, think about it, and make changes to put it into practice, our lives will reflect this miraculous change God does and continues through our lives.

I have heard this testimony many times, that people came to faith in Jesus Christ because their spouse or a friend totally changed for the better by finding Jesus--who was seeking to save them and calling them all along.  It is curious to people in the world when lifelong addictions are broken, pride is dissolved by humility, and raging violence in a person is quashed with genuine love by simple faith in Jesus.  People who are not readers by nature suddenly are reading the Bible, understanding it and following it.  God revealed His word sustained His people more than the manna they ate in Deuteronomy 8:3:  "So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD."  Countless hungry souls have found transformation, satisfaction and rest in Christ who is wisdom for us.

Praise the LORD for the His transforming power provided by His Gospel of grace.  Today is the day of salvation and the day for transformation as well!  Blessed is the man who seeks God and does His will, one who chooses to live like the new creation God has made us to be in Christ.

06 March 2024

Components of Spiritual Revival

It used to be traditional (and perhaps for many it still is) to wear your "Sunday best" to church for services or special occasions.  It was viewed as a special occasion and a way to honour God by washing up and wearing the best clean clothes a person owned.  I knew of churches in our area where you would be prevented entry if you did not meet the requirements of a dress code.  There are sometimes also cultural traditions and etiquette churchgoers also consider to avoid offending others or might be a distraction.

I was impressed to read of the spiritual revival that took place in the days of Nehemiah, where instead of wearing their best to appear before the LORD the people wore sackcloth and put dust on their heads.  This was actually a way they honoured God in confessing their sin with profound grief.  The people did not make general confessions of being sinners but were specific in confessing their sin and those of their fathers--for hours.  Nehemiah 9:1-3 says, "Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads. 2 Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. 3 And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for one-fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the LORD their God."

The children of Israel who fasted in Jerusalem assembled together.  Rather than wearing their Sunday best, they looked like people who were bereaved and mourning great loss.  In one sense they were mourning the loss of righteous standing before God, for by exposure to the word of God they realised how sinful they had been and the great offences they committed before the LORD.  For 3 hours they read from the Book of the Law, and for another 3 hours they confessed their sins and worshipped the LORD.  What was important was the humble, contrite condition of the heart of the people before God.  A person wearing clean, fashionable clothes can be humble before the LORD, and a person wearing rags in the midst of a 40-day fast can do so out of spiritual pride.  This open confession of sin led to genuine worship and blessing of God.  The leaders exhorted the people in the latter part of Nehemiah 9:5, "...Stand up and bless the LORD your God forever and ever! "Blessed be Your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise!"  Confession and repentance for sin led to effusive rejoicing and praise of God.

Jesus once asked His hearers if they though the 18 people upon whom the Tower of Siloam collapsed were the worst sinners in Jerusalem.  Jesus then said in Luke 13:5:  "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."  In light of this assessment, when we observe the people who fasted, wore sackcloth, put dust on their heads, and confessed their sins for hours are not worse sinners than us:  we have all sinned.  Their problem previously and our problem presently may be we have not confessed, repented of and forsaken our sin as we ought.  There are professing Christians who do not make reading the word of God a priority, and even those who read it are not willing to submit themselves to be guided, rebuked or instructed by it.  Reading God's word, public confession of sin, and worship of God can be just going through the motions unless we humble our hearts before God and draw near to Him in faith.  May God teach us how to humble ourselves before Him so He will be exalted by us--for He is exalted and is glorious forever.

03 March 2024

What Faith Is

Because God's ways are higher than ours and His thoughts not our thoughts, the natural man cannot comprehend Him.  To the human intellect, the wisdom of God can appear as foolishness (1 Cor. 1:18)!  One of the challenges Christians face is to communicate what faith in God is to those who mischaracterise it and reject Him.  The cliche that faith is, "Believing without seeing" is a misnomer, because saving faith in God is based upon drawing conclusions through various kinds of evidence:  personal observation of the world, historical and biblical accounts and eye-witness testimony.  When the data is considered together, faith is choosing to place our trust in God with intent to obey Him.  To some this will look like foolishness, to trust God no one cannot see.  But evidence for God's existence is all around us and becomes plainly evident when mixed with faith in God.

Hebrews 11:1-3 says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible."  Faith is not only exercised by people by faith in God but by all people--whether it be faith in themselves, their own intelligence, their sources of information, scholars, scientists, experts, parents or friends.  God has given to every person a measure of faith, and it is our choice where we will place our trust (Rom. 12:3).  A point being made in this passage is no one has ever seen a universe, galaxy, solar system or planet generator.  There is no mechanical means or power observed by man where we can say, "That's where the earth came from."  Because we have never seen a universe generator, people have long considered how our planet came into being.

As mankind has delved into the things that exist to observed and study them, much has been discovered:  the order in the universe, the abundance and diversity of living creatures on earth, that our solar system runs better than any clockwork we have devised on the grandest scale, the governance of natural laws, the existence of elements, the information packed into every living cell, and the vastness of the universe.  One could go on and on.  Some people observe the evidence and believe Darwinian evolution is the key to the origin of the species and also apply it to the cosmos.  Others, like the writer of Hebrews, see the same world and affirm life can only come from life.  They reason like every house has a builder, all of creation must have had a Creator.  The Bible reveals the God of Israel spoke the world into existence, and based on the data and evidence He is the most reasonable explanation for all there now is.  Mankind who never saw the invisible God observed the world, and deduced there must be a first cause Who is greater than all there is.

Psalm 19:1-3 reads, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard."  Some have peered into the heavens and praised the sun or moon for their beauty, while others see the same heavenly bodies and praise God for His wondrous handiwork.  I cannot believe the sun should be 400 times farther from the earth and be 400 times greater than the moon, providing the ability for a perfect solar eclipse to be viewable from earth.  It is easier for me to believe the sun, moon and the earth's relation to them was designed than to believe this was accidental and formed over time by nothing for no reason.  Placing our faith in God according to the knowledge we possess is a conscious, personal decision.  Hebrews 11:6 goes on to say, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."  Believing God exists is the first step to understanding His goodness towards us.  Knowing He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, our faith continues to grow as we do so.

Rather than placing faith opposite to intelligence or actions, real faith in God is demonstrated by our actions--the way we choose to live.  James said faith without works is dead, and thus a man's faith is demonstrated by what he does.  A skydiver demonstrates faith in their equipment as well as themselves to safely navigate to the ground from great altitudes that would usually result in death.  The writer of Hebrews listed many people who chose to take particular actions because they placed their faith in God.  After Abraham placed his son Isaac on an altar in obedience to God, James 2:22 states:  "Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?  Therefore faith is not a feeling or a belief in the mind, but trust that takes action accordingly.  Based on his knowledge of Who God is and all He promised Abraham, he accounted God was able to raise Isaac from the dead and thus went through with his intention to sacrifice his only son.  That is real faith according to knowledge of God, and may it be demonstrated in all God's people He calls friends by His grace.

12 February 2024

God and Adversity

I have observed among genuine believers when experiencing troubles or difficulties, they view it as a "spiritual attack."  Problems they face serve as a reminder they are "in a spiritual battle" and focus on putting on the armour of God, claim God's promises, and even rebuke the devil for his attempts to rob them of peace and prosperity.  We can be more focused on the satanic volley of flaming arrows than the Holy Spirit who fills us, protects us and on Jesus who has defeated Satan, sin and death.  We can try to fight for victory rather than resting and rejoicing in victory Christ has already won.  Knowing we have been redeemed by God, we can also have confidence God will redeem our suffering He allows for good.

I wonder:  how many times Christians have blamed the devil for attacking them when it was God who stirred up enemies against them?  King Solomon is an example of how this is possible.  Though Solomon feared God and was given more wisdom than any man living, over time his heart departed from faith solely in God.  His many foreign wives turned his heart away from following the LORD, and he erected altars to worship idols on the hills of Jerusalem.  God's anger burned against Solomon for his rebellion, for though God appeared to him twice Solomon refused to keep the God's commands.  Because Solomon adopted the practices of God's enemies, it was God--not Satan--who stirred up adversaries against him.  If it was only Satan who stirred against us, God can and will easily protect us.  But if God becomes our adversary, how can we succeed in a fight against Him?

The Scripture reveals God was the source of Solomon's opposition.  1 Kings 11:14 says, "Now the LORD raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was a descendant of the king in Edom."  1 Kings 11:23 also reads, "And God raised up another adversary against him, Rezon the son of Eliadah, who had fled from his lord, Hadadezer king of Zobah."  While God limited the amount of damage these adversaries could do to Solomon and his kingdom, these conflicts were the fruit of Solomon's rebellion against the LORD--not Satan taking pot-shots at him because he worshipped the almighty God.  It would have been misguided for Solomon to rebuke Satan or proclaim God's promises to overcome his adversaries when God Himself raised up these adversaries to bring him to repentance.

Eli rebuked his sinning sons in the first part of 1 Samuel 2:25, "If one man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?"  For those who sin against God, God remains our only Saviour and deliverer.  Hebrews 10:30-31 says of God to God's people, "For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The LORD will judge His people." 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."  When we fear God, we do not need to fear or be preoccupied with thoughts that Satan is attacking us even if we suffer from many adversaries.  We also need not imagine every trial or test is God's present judgment against us to condemn us, for there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.  God will judge us and will deal with us according to His will, but He disciplines and corrects us as sons for our good and thus shows we belong to Him--which is always comforting to know.

When God stirs up adversity, the way to victory is not by fighting against it but by surrendering ourselves before God in humility, repentance and renewed faith in Jesus Christ who has overcome all adversaries.

05 February 2024

Gift of Abundant Grace

After God gave His people the design of the tabernacle, the wise-hearted among them gave of their goods to provide the materials to build it.  I was intrigued by a verse that revealed the source of the brass for the laver crafted by Bezaleel in Exodus 38:8:  "He made the laver of bronze and its base of bronze, from the bronze mirrors of the serving women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting."  Peering through the door of the tabernacle, immediately one saw the altar for sacrifices that likely obscured the view of the laver--the vessel for priests to ceremonially wash their hands and feet--because it was located between the altar and door to the holy place.

It is ironic the women gave brass mirrors they used to see themselves with to construct a laver they could not touch or see.  They were not permitted to enter the inner court of the tabernacle, yet their generous gifts made the work of the ministry possible.  Every time the priests used the laver to wash, these women literally helped facilitate obedience and sanctification before the LORD by their gift.  It was to their benefit this ministry was accomplished, and it seems they understood the value of the laver and worship of God because they parted with something personally prized and precious.  It is not vain to observe your reflection, to wear makeup, style hair and attend to personal hygiene, but many women who served were willing to forgo this luxury (and some might say essential) to give unto the LORD as He had given freely to them.

The women who were no longer able to view their faces in brass gave them to the God Who saw them and loved what He saw:  people who joyfully and willingly gave in service unto Him.  Brass mirrors were of no use to clean their faces of smudges of dirt, yet when melted down together it made one laver that was filled with clean water needed by priests to minister unto the LORD and bless the people.  Mirrors of brass needed to be buffed and polished to provide an adequate reflection, and it was God who made a way for sanctified priests to offer sacrifices to cover and cleanse the sins of the people.  Water from the laver made this essential task possible, and it must have been a thrill for the women to see their combined gifts serve a necessary and wonderous purpose that benefitted everyone.

This passage hits me personally because I have been the recipient of generous giving by people near and far who have provided financially for me and my family to serve as a pastor, immigrate to Australia and preach the word of God.  Many who have gladly given have never been to Australia:  they were like the women who gave their prized mirrors without even seeing the finished product.  Those who give so another can go will receive rewards from the LORD even as those who go, and God loves such givers.  Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 9:7-8:  "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work."  What can we give that compares with all the grace God causes to abound towards us today that always has all sufficiency in all things?  Praise the LORD for the gift of His grace He makes abundant toward us.

20 January 2024

God's Gifts and Calling

 Paul shared a timeless principle with believers in Romans 11:29:  "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable."  This is wonderful because God is gracious, good, merciful and will always continue to be so.  It is of little value to be offered a lifetime guarantee by a company that folds one year after completing the work.  The world is full of false promises and caveats concealed in fine print, luring us to commit to buying with bold print and high-pressure salesmanship.  Whether the promises of God are well known or obscure by comparison, all His promises are yes and amen to His glory.

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."  This call to a new life by faith in Jesus was for the Jews He spoke to as well as Gentiles today:  the offer of salvation and eternal life through the Gospel remains valid and in force for us, our children, and for all generations to come. 
God does not retract His gracious gifts and calling because of our failures, or nor are they withdrawn when His patience runs thin.

God made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants that remains because it was an everlasting covenant, and God by His grace has grafted in Gentiles with the true Jews as the people of God spiritually through faith in Jesus.  I love that God's gifts are irrevocable as well as His calling.  He gives gifts He does not withdraw because we have been neglecting them too much, and continues to call us to salvation and to service in the Body of Christ, the church.  Even when people walk away from the LORD and act like His enemies, His grace and goodness remains outstretched to them without fail.  What comfort, peace and rest is ours by faith in Jesus who has called the thirsty to Himself to drink of His Living Water!

One immutable characteristic of God is His generosity to give and keep giving.  He loves us and continues to love us.  Day by day He girds us with strength to seek and obey Him, and we can do all things through Jesus Who strengthens us.  He continues to give us joy and supply wisdom even when we are depressed and make foolish choices.  God provides hope when we are hopeless in ourselves to do or change anything.  He gives us His word that is packed with promises and does not repent of giving us more grace.  Let us be those who value the Giver over His countless gifts, the One who calling and gifts are irrevocable.

01 January 2024

God Preserves His People

 "Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."
1 Corinthians 15:33

It is not uncommon for people to adopt or express behaviour they have found odious in others.  I can't remember how many times I have heard people share their own shock when they found themselves following the example of a person they swore they would never emulate.  People can become in character, words and actions exactly what they hate because of unwanted influence others had in their lives.  It is only the LORD Who can open our eyes to see it and provide the ability to change course from being enslaved to sin to walking in the way that pleases God.

David provides a good example of the corrupting influence others can have over us.  When King Saul was freshly crowned, he was a man marked by humility and grace.  However, it was not long before he fully embraced the role of a proud, domineering king who sought honour in the sight of people rather than God.  Even the way he spoke began to change, for his words began to be peppered with haughty oaths and curses.  1 Samuel 14:24 supplies an example:  "And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had placed the people under oath, saying, "Cursed is the man who eats any food until evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies." So none of the people tasted food."  When Saul's own son and heir to the throne was exposed for eating honey, unaware of the king's oath, the foolish king doubled-down in 1 Samuel 14:44, "And Saul answered, "God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan."  Because of pride, Saul totally lost the plot and unnecessarily brought great distress and trouble to himself and his people.

As the son-in-law to king Saul who had a seat at his table,  David observed such arrogant behaviour firsthand on a daily basis.  David observed Saul's demeanor that was marked with boasting, oaths and curses.  The Spirit of God had departed from Saul and was upon David, and thus Saul feared David's favour with the people.  On numerous occasions Saul tried to spear David to the wall, and he barely escaped with his life.  I am sure David thought to himself, "I will never be a violent scoundrel like Saul, proudly boasting in his power to avenge himself."  But that is exactly what happened.  While David was on the run from king Saul, he and his men voluntarily protected the shearers of a rich man named Nabal.  After David politely asked Nabal for anything he could spare to help him and his men, Nabal answered the messengers roughly.  1 Samuel 25:21-22 says, "Now David had said, "Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belongs to him. And he has repaid me evil for good. 22 May God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I leave one male of all who belong to him by morning light."  This sounds a lot like Saul.

God was gracious to send Abigail, the wife of Nabal, to intercept David and humbly entreated him to receive her present and to refrain from avenging himself.  Unlike Saul, David took to heart the exhortation and gentle rebuke from Abigail, admitted his error, and expressed gratitude to God and Abigail for her wise advice.  1 Samuel 25:32-33 states, "Then David said to Abigail: "Blessed is the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! 33 And blessed is your advice and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand."  Evil company corrupts good habits, but praise be to God for sending the Holy Spirit and fellow God-fearing people who bring conviction of sin and wise correction so we might recognise our sin and turn from it to trust in the LORD.  We are not doomed to take on the character or flavour of an abusive family member, boss or bully as God's people because He has purposed to make us light of the world and the salt of the earth.  When we start taking on the flavour of sin or begin to walk in darkness, praise God for the Holy Spirit who guides us back to walking humbly and steadfastly with our God.

18 December 2023

The Cure for Bitterness and Bonds

In Acts 8, Simon of Samaria is an interesting case and by no means a unique one.  He had once made a living through witchcraft and was described as believing in the Gospel and being baptised after he observed miracles and signs done by Christians with amazement.  It seemed more than he desired the Holy Spirit to come upon himself, he desired to obtain the power that upon anyone he laid his hands they might receive the Holy Spirit.  This horrendous offer of money received a stern rebuke from Peter who basically said, "To hell with you and your money!" (Acts 8:21)

Peter continued in Acts 8:21-23:  "You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity."  Peter's response to Simon has led to some to suggest Simon was not a genuine Christian but a false convert.  Since we cannot perfectly know the hearts of men, better than wondering if Simon was genuinely saved it is more profitable to emphasise there is no doubt there was forgiveness, pardon, and salvation available for Simon and all people who repent from their sin and turn to Jesus in faith.  To write off Simon as unregenerate because he did not have a right heart in the sight of God potentially puts all genuine believers under a microscope of legalism, for who among us can claim to be upright and righteous except by grace through faith in Jesus?

Because of repeated warnings to Christians throughout the New Testament, we can say without a doubt it is possible for a genuine Christian to be "poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity."  This is not ideal and ought not be the case, but God's people can sin and even be bound by sin as Simon was.  I believe this personal point of application is much more useful for us sinners who need a Saviour than debating whether Simon was saved.  A lack of humble repentance that keeps people from coming to Christ in faith can render us bound by bitterness after we have known Christ.  Praise the LORD He is able to break all our bonds and chains by His divine power, yet if we deny these bonds exist and are proud to wear them He will allow them to burden our souls.  In a moment they can fall from us as the burden did from the back of Christian in Bunyan's allegory when we bow in humility before Jesus.

After choosing to follow Jesus, all Christians have made more bad choices than we can count; our hearts have not always been right in the sight of God.  Peter had insight to recognise a heart that was not right before God because he had been there himself.  We have sinned, and we have neglected repentance and prayer for forgiveness.  The most damning statement made by Simon was in response to Peter's rebuke, whether it betrayed simple ignorance of the Gospel or unwillingness to repent himself in Acts 8:24, "Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me."  Simon seemed to put the onus of his standing before God upon Peter when repentance was Simon's personal responsibility before God for spiritual regeneration, forgiveness and salvation.  If Simon remained bound it was not Peter's fault, nor was it the fault of Jesus who provided pardon, freedom from sin and is the Way of salvation for all sinners.

If the LORD reveals we are poisoned with bitterness and bound by iniquity, let us be the first to desire hearts that are right in the sight of God shown by repentance for our wickedness and ask God in prayer to forgive us.  We can pray confidently and boldly to this end as we by faith enter God's throne room of grace through Jesus, knowing He has satisfied the justice of God by His shed blood.  1 John 1:9 says to believers, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  God who made the bitter waters of Marah sweet and the undrinkable water of Jericho refreshing can transform our hearts by His goodness and grace.

17 December 2023

Sheep of His Hand

God's word is active and powerful, and the importance of a single word cannot be understated.  For those who hold fast to the words of life, we observe this continually with gladness.  I was struck by the repetition of the word "hand" three times in the first half of Psalm 95, and this provides a good illustration of what I mean.

Psalm 95:1-4 begins by saying, "Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with  Psalms. 3 For the LORD is the great God, and the great King above all gods. 4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the heights of the hills are His also."  This passage is a call to sing praises to God with joy because He is the "Rock of our salvation," the great God and King above all.  From the deepest valleys to the highest mountains, all is in His hand; all is His and under His sovereign rule.

The rule of the LORD God extends beyond lands and seas claimed by the nations of the earth, for Psalm 95:5 says, "The sea is His, for He made it; and His hands formed the dry land."  God created the vast expanse of the sea and dry land.  Like a potter forms a vessel with His hands, God spoke the world into existence by the power of His voice.  Because the earth and the heavens are His creation, they are His to do everything He desires.

A personal shift occurs in Psalm 95:6-7a:  "Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. 7 For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand."  The psalmist bids us worship, bow down and kneel before the LORD our Maker.  He did not just create the deep seas and high mountains but fashioned us in the wombs of our mothers and called us by name.  By faith in God He is ours and we are His people--and get this--we are "the sheep of His hand."  It is one thing to be in God's hand, to be made by His hand, yet those who follow the Good Shepherd Jesus are the people of His pasture and sheep of His hand.  This magnifies the greatness and awesome power of our God who makes sinners into new creations by His grace who are of Him and righteous in His eyes.

As we read the Bible, God is gracious and faithful to teach us.  While there will be always remain truth about God beyond our understanding, we can trust God to provide all we need to know to trust Him and follow Him all our days into eternity.  Paul wrote truly in Romans 11:33-36:  "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! 34 "For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?" 35 "Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?" 36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen."  May we worship the LORD God as the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand, for we are most blessed to be of Christ and in Christ by faith.

08 December 2023

Why the Enemy Flees

The Bible is full of encouragement for those who trust in God, and sometimes it is found in unexpected places.  This morning I was blessed by a pattern I considered that sprang from reading Genesis 36:6:  "Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the persons of his household, his cattle and all his animals, and all his goods which he had gained in the land of Canaan, and went to a country away from the presence of his brother Jacob."  After decades of living in Haran, Jacob returned to the land of Canaan a wealthy man with a huge family.  Esau was a wealthy and powerful man in his own right, having 400 men who followed him when he greeted Jacob upon his return.  Yet there was no power play between them for the land of Canaan:  when their flocks and herds became too many for the land to support, Esau voluntarily chose to leave.

I found this very encouraging.  From the beginning, God is established as Creator and sovereign over all things.  When Adam sinned, God drove him out from the Garden of Eden.  After Cain killed Abel his brother, Cain went out from the presence of the LORD.  God directed Abraham to leave his family and go to the land God would show him, and when Abraham and his nephew Lot's beasts were too many, Abraham gave Lot the choice of where to settle.  It was Lot who departed from Abraham, and God affirmed all the land Abraham could see or his foot would tread He had given to Abraham and his descendants.  God is, and those He establishes by faith in Him are also strengthened to remain steadfast where God would have them be.

A similar pattern occurred when Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to the wilderness where He was tempted by the devil.  Luke 4:13 says, "Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time."  Jesus did not avoid the wilderness to escape from the devil or his temptation, but resisted Satan and it was the devil who departed.  This aligns with what the Scripture says is true for the believer in James 4:6-7:  "But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."  Spiritually speaking, by faith in Jesus our lives are established like houses built upon the rock, and thus we are enabled to stand resolute in obedience to God's Word:  "Be strong in the LORD and the power of His might; put on the whole armour of God and stand therefore!" (Eph. 6:10-20)

I love how Esau chose to depart from Jacob without violence:  though he had 400 men to support and aid him, Jacob, his wives and little children were protected, provided for and prospered by Jacob's great God.  Jacob was established in the land of Canaan, and God had a place set aside for Esau too.  It was not for Jacob to run for the hills to hide from his brother, but to remain in the place God called him to be by faith.  Spiritually speaking for Christians this is also true.  We do not need to concern ourselves with violent forays into enemy territory or lay siege to the wisdom of the world spouted in our culture:  our LORD and Saviour Jesus is the KING OF KINGS Who will subdue all to Himself.  We are called to submit ourselves to God in faith joyfully with obedience and stand.  This is how we battle the enemy, and this is how the fight is won because Jesus has overcome.  Resist the temptations of the enemy to give up or give in, hold the ground God has given you, and the enemy will flee.

27 November 2023

Love, Knowledge and Compassion

The combination of knowledge and love can result in extending compassion toward others.  The one who is ignorant of the circumstances of a child's outburst in class may be visibly irritated and offended, yet another who realises the child has a medical condition and loves him will be more compassionate and patient.  Knowing a person in the workplace has been going through painful circumstances prompts us to be gracious and merciful when it is in our power to discipline them for tardiness or being absent.  The law condemns, but the loving give more grace.

As Jesus hung on the cross He prayed, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).  Rather than seeing forgiveness as a welcome benefit of ignorance when it comes to judgment (which Scripture does not support), see how the love of Jesus for sinners combined with His knowledge of them prompted Him to show compassion on them.  Jesus knew the deceived, envious hearts of those who plotted His murder, yet He was compassionate to intercede on their behalf before His heavenly Father and ask for forgiveness.  Often we lack both love towards others and knowledge of what people are going through.  Being born again by faith in Jesus, we are aided by the Holy Spirit to consistently show compassion on others when we naturally know little and love even less.

A recent study of the first chapter of Romans was instructive to me in considering the prayer of Jesus to forgive those who knew not what they were doing.  They did not believe Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah God promised to send to save His people from their sins.  Had they known and been convinced Jesus was the Christ, it follows they would have treated Him differently.  Though the Pharisees had great knowledge of the letter of the Law of Moses, without faith in Jesus they were blind to His divine nature:  they had eyes that did not want to see and so they could not see; they closed their ears to the truth Jesus proclaimed and thus could not hear.  Their self-inflicted blindness, deafness and hardness of heart was in conjunction with the fulfillment of scripture (Isaiah 6:9-10) and God's sovereign plan to redeem the Gentiles as well as Jews (Romans 11:7-11).

In Romans chapter 1, Paul explained God's wrath is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, to all of mankind to whom He gave His only begotten Son Jesus.  God's judgment of sinners is seen by giving man over to uncleanness through the lusts of their hearts (ver. 24), to vile affections or passions (ver. 26) and gave them over to a debased mind (ver. 28) to commit all manner of sin.  Though man is without excuse before a righteous God for sin (Acts 17:31-32; Romans 1:20-21), God provides knowledge how and why people are morally adrift today with consciences unfit for purpose--like a clock without hands that cannot be read.  Knowing this about the state of humanity, it provokes compassion within me to intercede in prayer on behalf of those who sin and think they do well, who know not what they do.  Since Romans was written to Christians, it is also a warning of the consequences should we suppress the truth of God, refuse to glorify Him, give Him thanks, or dislike to retain God in our knowledge.  God is not willing any should perish and that all should come to repentance, and thus shows compassion by His patience and continued proclamation of His truth.

Ignorance of sin or judgment does not exonerate a soul, but it ought to stir compassion in our hearts for the drifting, lost and perishing.  It would be a great shame to use Romans 1 or other passages of Scripture as ammunition to take shots at others in judgment rather than the humble consideration of the state of our own hearts and minds with repentance.  Should God give us over to a debased mind, how could we make one wise judgment?  Let us be those who proclaim the truth of God, glorify Him with thanksgiving and remember His goodness, love, and compassion to us always so we might be a light to those in darkness, knowing we too were once in such a state.  God demonstrated compassion to open our blind eyes and closed ears, give us new hearts and renewed minds, and let us extend the same grace to others without restraint.

22 November 2023

Integrity of the Heart

A passage I read this morning affirmed it is possible we can take credit for things we ought to primarily credit God for doing.  While God has given mankind the freedom to choose what we will believe, think, say and do, He always is personally involved when we do what is right.  He helped Abimelech to walk in integrity when he had been deceived by Abraham and Sarah during a visit to his land.

When Abraham visited Gerar, he and Sarai both lied and claimed to be siblings when they were husband and wife.  As was customary in those days, if a beautiful woman came into a king's territory he had the authority to bring her into his home--which he did, for Sarah was beautiful.  God appeared to Abimelech in a dream and rebuked him for taking a married woman into his house, and Abimelech protested he had done nothing wrong.  Genesis 20:5-6 reads, "Did he not say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she, even she herself said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this." 6 And God said to him in a dream, "Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her."  God commanded Abimelech return Sarah to Abraham, and he immediately complied the following day.

Abimelech had walked with integrity, yet he was not alone in doing so:  God helped him to do so and kept him from touching Sarah.  From God's perspective, it was only by God's gracious intervention Abimelech could do what he knew was right and prevented him from transgression.  If we walk in integrity before God and man, we cannot claim this goodness or ability arises naturally from us.  We are able to be upright because God has provided a solid foundation for our feet and strength to stand.  Should we fall into sin and do wickedly, it was our own choice God sovereignly allowed, for He is even able to redeem evil for good to those who love God.

The hope Christians have is never in our ability to exonerate ourselves or successfully protest our innocence but in admitting our sinfulness and placing our faith in God who imputes His righteousness to us by His grace.  Abimelech was deceived in this passage by Abraham and Sarah, and we can be deceived by ourselves to think we can walk in integrity without constant help from God who supplies strength, wisdom and grace.  When our hearts are marked by integrity and innocence, should we do righteously and what is godly, let us thank and praise God for His sustaining, guiding hand in our lives to help us live in the way that pleases Him and how God keeps us from doing evil.

17 November 2023

Same Passage, Unexpected Flavour

I'm often amazed when I read familiar passages and the LORD helps me see them from a fresh perspective.  As one who cycles through familiar recipes for dinner or baking, my family grows accustomed to textures and flavours.  Many times over the years I have had comments--not that the food was good or bad--but that the flavour was different.  It has come to the point if I realise there is a difference than the usual offering, I will notify my family beforehand that I am aware of a difference because I did not have the usual ingredients on hand or made a substitution to spice things up.

Having read through the Bible numerous times and studied it in depth, a familiarity can grow with passages in God's word, our daily bread.  Today was a day when a familiar passage hit me differently, similar to a unexpected twist of flavour in a favourite dish.  I read the chapter when God spoke with Abram in Genesis 15 and said, "Do not fear, Abram.  I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."  In response, Abram expressed concern God had not given him a son, so he lacked an heir.  Genesis 15:5-6 reads, "Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." 6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness."

As the passage unfolds, God promised to give Abram the land who wondered by what means he would know he would inherit it.  God told him to prepare a heifer, ram, goat, turtledove and pigeon to cut a covenant with Abram.  Verse 12 begins by saying, "And when the sun was going down...".  The flow of the passage during my reading suggested this chapter took place on the same day, and if that was the case God told Abram to look to heaven and count the stars when they were not even visible due to sunlight.  Now it is entirely possible these events happened on different days when stars were visible, for the Bible is not an exhaustive account of everything that happened every day:  God in His wisdom simply tells us all we need to know.

Some might say, "It's ridiculous to say God told Abram to count the stars when they weren't even visible.  That's impossible!"  Yes, it is.  It was also impossible for Abram to count the stars in the dead of night, for that was the whole purpose of this divine exercise.  Whether it was day or night it is of small consequence, for Abram was prompted by God to do the impossible and believe God would do the impossible by His miraculous power:  to cause barren Sarai to give birth in due time.  There was no physical evidence Sarai would give birth because she was not pregnant, and it would not be until her menstrual cycle ceased and Abram was impotent that God would cause Isaac miraculously to be conceived and born.  Abram believed God, and God accounted his faith in Him for righteousness.

Reading the Bible and thinking it through works to clear away assumptions and preconceived ideas we did not realise we had.  God opens our eyes with a fresh perspective to see things we never saw before and grow in faith and appreciation of the Most High God who does the impossible and accounts faith in Him as righteousness.  God can use a familiar passage to hold forth the same everlasting truth with an unexpected flavour that really hits the spot.

07 November 2023

Tightfisted or Openhanded?

God has given people unique personalities, freedom and opportunity by God to have personal opinions and preferences, and this is true concerning Christians and modern translations of the Bible.  There are simple and at the same time complex reasons why we prefer one translation over another, yet it is good to see different translations of the Bible as complimentary to one another rather than conflicting.  Spurgeon brought up a good point on Psalm 40:6 concerning the divine inspiration of biblical texts:  “The Septuagint, from which Paul quoted, has translated this passage, ‘A body hast thou prepared me:’ how this reading arose it is not easy to imagine, but since apostolical authority has sanctioned the variation, we accept it as no mistake, but as an instance of various readings equally inspired.”  These instances of different manuscripts being equally inspired may be uncommon, but is no trouble for God.

I have been reading through the entirety of the Bible in the NIV lately, a departure from translations I use most frequently--reading primarily KJV and teaching from NKJV.  My overall impression is being struck with similarities rather than differences.  When there is a notable difference (which has been exceedingly rare) there is typically a footnote which includes a common rendering and explanation for the variation.  Ever so often I have been pleased with passages that are put forth in a more clear or concise manner than my "preferred" versions.  Other times an unfamiliar rendering puts a fresh perspective on a passage that is beneficial to consider.

I was blessed by the NIV rendering of Deuteronomy 15:7-8 recently:  "If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. 8 Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs."  Being "tightfisted" provided more vivid imagery for me than "you shall not...shut your hand from your poor brother" and grabbed my attention.  Rather than being hardhearted and thus tightfisted, we ought to be openhanded and generous to lend to a poor brother.  Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, and in the same vein our generosity (or lack thereof!) demonstrates our loving or selfish attitudes towards others.  Being able to connect the words of Scripture with concrete imagery and practical action is critical to us walking in light of God's truth, and whatever Bible version helps accommodate this for you with the aid of the Holy Spirit, wonderful!

God has been generous to give us His word freely and all that pertains to life and godliness.  It is an incredible thing that God makes people to prosper who are generous, yet there will remain poor in the land--as Jesus affirmed, the poor we always have with us.  Through Moses God said in Deuteronomy 15:11, "For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, 'You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.'"  Whether we are rich in the world's goods or the wisdom of God's word, we ought to be generous to share all God has given to us with those in need.  And based upon what the Bible teaches, there is no shortage of need that will continue perpetually.  We give openhandedly and freely, not in an attempt to make the poor rich so we need never give, but in obedience to our Saviour as we follow His example of sacrificial, joyful generosity.

02 November 2023

Living Subject to the KING

After the people of Israel demanded a king to rule over them, God answered their request and directed the prophet Samuel to anoint Saul, son of Kish, king.  True to form, many people were not pleased with God's choice of king, though he was head and shoulders taller than every other person in Israel coupled with humility.  If they would not have God rule over them, why would they gladly submit to His wise judgments?  While there was a band of men whose hearts God had touched that accompanied their newly crowned king to his home in Gibeah, life in Israel largely continued as it did before.  People did not subject themselves to their king, and thus they remained at the mercy of their enemies.

The next chapter starts with 1 Samuel 11:1-2:  "Then Nahash the Ammonite came up and encamped against Jabesh Gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you." 2 And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, "On this condition I will make a covenant with you, that I may put out all your right eyes, and bring reproach on all Israel."  Huh.  This isn't what I expected of the men of Jabesh Gilead who had a king--bargaining with an adversary and willingness to agree to a covenant as slaves!  The conditions of the covenant were designed to bring reproach upon Israel by maiming the men of Jabesh Gilead.  The elders of the city doubled down on their disregard of God and the king they asked for in 1 Samuel 11:3:  "Then the elders of Jabesh said to him, "Hold off for seven days, that we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel. And then, if there is no one to save us, we will come out to you."  These elders did not seek the LORD, nor did they send a messenger straight to the king:  in their desperation they looked everywhere for help, guidance and strength anywhere they could.  With no hope of being able to overcome Nahash and little hope anyone would respond, they were resigned to the men losing an eye and suffering permanent reproach.

Amazingly, the men of Gibeah who heard the message--in king's Saul's city--had a similar response.  1 Samuel 11:4 reads, "So the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the news in the hearing of the people. And all the people lifted up their voices and wept."  After they heard the news, the people lifted up their voices and wept helplessly, as if nothing could be done to oppose Nahash and avoid reproach.  1 Samuel 11:5-7 says, "Now there was Saul, coming behind the herd from the field; and Saul said, "What troubles the people, that they weep?" And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh. 6 Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard this news, and his anger was greatly aroused. 7 So he took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, "Whoever does not go out with Saul and Samuel to battle, so it shall be done to his oxen." And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent."  King Saul had a very different reaction than the men of Jabesh Gilead or Gibeah.  He had not been acting as king because people were indifferent to his rule and obviously did not regard him, but the Spirit of God moved Saul to send a strong message to muster a great fighting force of 300,000 men he led to rout Nahash.

King Saul's actions led to a renewal of the kingdom of Israel, for the people had not been living like they had a king:  they offered to make deals with adversaries, didn't know where to turn when troubles came, and lamented hopelessly when they should have been rallying to their king and helping their brethren.  This is an illustration that rings true in the lives of Christians who can live as if they do not have a king when Jesus rules as KING OF KINGS.  We can cower in fear over adversaries who seek to reproach us and neglect prayer to God in the midst of conflict.  We can act like no one could help us when Jesus stands ready to save and deliver us singlehandedly!  Saul cut his own oxen in pieces to show what would happen to those who did not respond to his call, and Jesus lay down His life as a sacrifice on Calvary to demonstrate His love for us and rose from the dead to show His victory over sin and death given to all who trust Him.  Jesus is our King, yet it is possible we have not been serving Him or submitting to His rule; we do not trust He is able and willing to rise and aid us right now.

Jesus has established a New Covenant with His own blood, and having believed in Him we are to serve Him alone constrained by bonds of love.  God had put away the reproach of our sin and opened our blind eyes to see Jesus in divine glory.  We gladly bow before Jesus in holy reverence, and our tongues confess Jesus Christ is LORD of all, our Saviour and King.  Unlike Saul who worked in a field, Revelation 19:11-13 gives us a glimpse of Jesus as He is:  "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God."  Let's seek our Saviour and fall in behind Him in formation, bowing our knees and hearts before our LORD who saves, helps and delivers.

28 October 2023

Called, Chosen and Faithful

"These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful."
Revelation 17:14

Jesus is described as one day returning to earth with His saints in judgment over Satan, the antichrist and the world.  God's people, born again by faith in Jesus and given eternal life by Him, are "called, chosen and faithful."  It is good for us to realise this is not some sort of divine fate at work, but everyone who follows Jesus faithfully has been called and chosen by Him.  We love Him because He first loved us.

Judas Iscariot gives us great insight into this matter, for he was called by Jesus to follow Him.  Of the many disciples Jesus had, Judas was chosen to be one of His 12 apostles Jesus sent out.  We know Judas had responsibilities among the apostles to responsibly handle the money of the group, yet sadly he was a thief.  He was called and chosen but not faithful to Jesus, for he bargained with the chief priests to betray Jesus into their hand when he had opportunity for 30 pieces of silver.  His hypocrisy was shown in the Garden of Gethsemane by identifying Jesus with a kiss of greeting.

Judas teaches us that being called and chosen does not guarantee we will choose to be numbered among God's faithful servants.  He later regretted and lamented Jesus being arrested and sentenced to death, yet he did not sorrow in a godly manner that leads to repentance:  he sorrowed as the world does which leads to death (2 Cor. 7:9-11).  Judas died a violent death at his own hand, choosing to murder himself rather than humble himself in contrite repentance before God.  He was called and chosen, but he was not faithful.  Jesus said because of his sinful, unrepentant choices, it would be better for him to never have been born (Matt. 26:24, Mark 14:21).

The Strong's Concordance defines the Greek word translated "faithful" as "faithful, reliable, believing."  Genuine faith in God is practically expressed and demonstrated by obedience to God.  Jesus told His followers that if they loved Him they would do as He said.  This fits perfectly with loving God with all our heart, all our soul and all our mind.  Jesus is God made flesh, and having been called and chosen we are to be faithful.  1 John 5:11-13 says, "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God."

By believing in Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, we have life because He is our life.  Christians can know we are called and chosen because we are faithful to believe in Him and continue to do so.  We have the assurance of salvation and future judgment by the resurrection of Jesus.  Our confidence is not in ourselves or efforts to obey, but because of Who Jesus is and the new life He has provided through the Gospel.  Confidence in our calling and election is misplaced when God requires us to be faithful by His grace.

26 October 2023

Still Blaming or Broken?

"So it was that the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD."
1 Samuel 7:2

After the Ark of the Covenant was taken by the Philistines to their country, it remained there for seven months.  Whilst the Ark was passed from city to city, God plagued the Philistines with great destruction.  The situation became so dire the Philistines decided the only remedy was to return the Ark to Israel with a trespass offering, and the five lords of the Philistines each providing a golden image of a rat that plagued the land and their tumours that caused them to suffer greatly.

The Israelites were harvesting wheat in Beth Shemesh when they saw the Ark of God on a new wooden cart amble into their land.  The people rejoiced exceedingly the Ark had been returned to them, and they promptly used the cart for firewood and sacrificed the oxen to the LORD as a burnt offering.  However, the joyous celebration ended in sorrow, for tens of thousands of men of Beth Shemesh died before the LORD when they transgressed by looking into the Ark contrary to the Law of Moses.  They wondered, "Who can stand before this great God?" They sent a message to the people of Kirjath Jearim and asked them to retrieve the Ark--which they did.  A man named Eleazar was sanctified as a caretaker of the Ark, and it remained in the home of his father Abinadab for 20 years.

While the Ark remained in Kirjath Jearim, all Israel lamented after the LORD for decades.  The prophet Samuel provided a path to restoration before God in 1 Samuel 7:3-4:  "Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines." 4 So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only."  Brothers and sisters, recognise this:  grief, lamentation and sorrow over decades provided no penance for the people.  Their humiliation at the hand of their enemies or God was no substitute for humbling themselves before Him.  Regret was not repentance.  Samuel urged the people to return to the LORD by destroying their idols and preparing their hearts to seek and serve the LORD only.  The promise of deliverance from the Philistines God gave would be fulfilled in short order later in the chapter when God thundered against the Philistines who drew near to attack His people.

The Bible does not record the conversations the people of Israel had together over those 20 years of lamentation after the LORD, but I strongly suspect there was blame for their situation being thrown around without addressing their own idolatry.  There were likely people who blamed Hophni and Phinehas for bringing the Ark of the Covenant to the battle, and other blamed Eli who allowed them to continue "serving" in the priesthood.  Some blamed the Philistines for their brutality and oppression, and others blamed the men of Beth Shemesh for their own demise by looking into the Ark.  In a land and world full of sinners, there was plenty of blame to go around.  As long as they continued to blame others or even themselves without repentance, it revealed they were not yet broken for their sin.  It was after they accepted the blame for their own sin and repented of it they were restored to fellowship with God.  The Philistines remained idolatrous; the corrupt within Israel remained as corrupt as ever.  However, there was a sure hope of salvation for those who lamented after the LORD and prepared their hearts to seek and serve Him.

Today this pattern remains true as ever for God's people.  When we hear of tragedies and problems in the world, one of our first reactions can be to cast blame at the feet of a person, a political party, organisation or nation.  Lately the news has been inundated with reports of a "failed" referendum in Australia, a full-fledged war in Israel, a murder at a school in Sydney, and a mass shooting in the United States--and this only scratches the surface of the pain and suffering that overwhelms us.  Hear this:  as long as we are blaming we are not yet broken, and that is the place God desires to bring us to even if it takes decades!  In light of this, consider the value of brokenness before the LORD as it is written in Psalm 34:18:  "The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit."  Psalm 51:16-17 also says:  "For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart--these, O God, You will not despise."  Rather than lashing out at others for their wrongs, let us be crushed and broken before the LORD, repent of our sin, prepare our hearts before the LORD and serve Him only.

14 October 2023

The Folly of Presumption

People can be funny sometimes, and not always "ha-ha" funny.  Of all the creatures God has designed, only man was made in His own image with the capacity for reason, understanding and with a conscience that guides our moral choices.  Despite our intelligence and our natural gifts that exceed single-celled organisms, plants and animals, at times we can be as dense as a wet post to the truth God has revealed and make foolish decisions when we know better.  God's people are no exception to this, and every Christian can testify of this ironic reality from personal experience.  The Bible also has no shortage of examples of mankind's foolish tendency to go our own way rather than trusting and obeying God.

God promised to give the children of Israel land flowing with milk and honey in Canaan, land God gave to Abraham before them.  Miraculously God brought them out of slavery in Egypt with many signs and wonders, fed them with manna from heaven and satisfied with water from a rock, yet they continued to look back with fondness upon centuries of oppression and slavery after God set them free.  After He led them to the border of the promised land and 10 of the 12 spies from each tribe brought back a evil report of the land, the people mourned and wept over their supposed predicament.  They shuddered in fear at the thought of strongholds and giants who dwelt in the land, and had they looked a bit higher they would have seen the almighty God who remains faithful and powerful to keep His promises.

Influenced by the bad report rather than the word of God and His faithful servants, the people sought to choose a new leader to take them back to Egypt rather than enter Canaan.  This decision proved disastrous.  God said the generation who would not believe Him would perish over 40 years in the wilderness, one year for every day the 12 spies had spent in the land.  From the generation 20 years old and above, only Caleb and Joshua would set foot in the promised land.  Suddenly the Hebrews changed their tune.  In light of their death sentence in the wilderness, they impulsively decided they were going to enter the land of Canaan anyway--despite the protests of Moses who warned God would not be with them in their foolish venture.

Numbers 14:44-45 tells us what happened:  "But they presumed to go up to the mountaintop; nevertheless, neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses departed from the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that mountain came down and attacked them, and drove them back as far as Hormah."  The people presumed to go up to the mountain without the leading of God's presence or by Moses (which was the way God had led them since the exodus from Egypt), and what resulted was a terrible but predictable outcome.  Rejecting God's way and presumptuously going their own way led to disaster and death.  This incident provides an example we in the church today do well to consider and heed so we do not act presumptuously as the Hebrews did.  We ought to pray God would lead us individually and corporately and wait for His guidance before we do what we think needs doing our way.  The promises of God are true, but let us not imagine we can begin to do His work without His guidance, wisdom and help.

Unbelief prevented the children of Israel from entering into the land of promise, and unbelief was also the cause of their presumptuous foray into Canaan that rendered them helpless prey.  God is for us as born again followers of Jesus, yet let us be sure we are on His side in humility, patience and obedience.  Unbelief and presumption did not die out with those who fell in Canaan all the way to Hormah, and the just shall live by faith in God.