30 April 2015

God Says What He Means

'Cursed is the one who moves his neighbor's landmark.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'
Deuteronomy 27:17

After delivering the children of Israel from bondage in Egypt, God delivered His Law to His people.  God was faithful to provide and guide His people through years in the wilderness, and brought them into a land flowing with milk and honey according to His promise.  By lot each tribe and family (save the tribe of Levi) were given land as an inheritance.  The boundaries of the land were ordained and established by God.  It was against the Law to re-locate boundary markers, for they had been laid down by God Himself.  To move a landmark constituted theft and was rebellion against God which brought a curse.

The principle of God establishing boundaries extends beyond the borders of land.  Even as God made a division between water and land when He formed the earth, God has clearly set apart right from wrong.  He held forth an absolute righteous standard in His Law, and God does not change.  Seismic cultural shifts, persistent waves of unbelief, satanic sabotage under the cover of darkness, and the folly of men have shifted around many of the markers God established from the beginning.  This subjective shift has not only taken place in the public sphere, but also concerning doctrines in the church.  The departure from a literal view of scriptural truth has been a catalyst for great error.  As generations flood by, some markers have been lost and others have been moved so far from the original place God hammered them down they might as well not exist.

This reality is nothing new.  The first thing Satan is recorded as doing in Genesis was questioning, contradicting, and lying about God's words.  It is through deceiving God's people where Satan has enjoyed consistent success.  The church's gravest adversary operates best from within.  Paul exhorted and warned Timothy concerning what was occurring in the early church in 2 Timothy 4:1-4:  "I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables."  Fables like macro evolution are heralded as fact by many Christians, and the existence of Adam and Eve as actual people has been turned to a fable.  Some believe the entire book of the Revelation is allegorical!  It's time for people of the Book to be people who believe what the Book says and live like it.

You've likely seen land surveyors at work near roads or job sites with their precise equipment, carefully, meticulously measuring and marking property boundaries.  Their job is essential in building and development, establishing the legal boundaries of fences, motorways, and buildings.  Imagine a skilled land surveyor mapped out a set of drawings on a flat dirt lot intended to be a carpark.  His careful measurements were taken and the elevation marked with stakes.  Let's say during the night rain joyriding hoons tore through the lot, plowed through the mud, and scattered all the stakes.  The surveyor returned the next day shocked to find the site a mess. Do you think he would be able to replace the perfectly accurate arrangement of stakes to the correct height by memory alone?  No way!  It would be ludicrous to think placing stakes at random spots would result in a carpark which matched the design perfectly.  He would need to refer back to the drawings and use his specialised equipment to find the precise location for each marked stake.

The point of the story is to illustrate the importance of the absolute truth the church has been given by God in the Bible.  Even as a land surveyor requires precise instruments to perform his job, we need the power of the Holy Spirit to discern spiritual truth and apply it faithfully to our lives.  This shifting of the boundaries has occurred again and again based upon man's wisdom - not God's.  Many men intentionally shifted markers to suit their sins or accommodate an unbelieving culture.  The departure from belief in the naked Word has been shifted to mesh with scholarly interpretations, worldly speculation, and spiritualisation of texts to shift further from God's established landmarks.  God said through the prophet in Isaiah 57:20-21:  "But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. 21 "There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."  Satan has used many tactics to muddy the waters of God's pristine truth, and under the guise of higher learning has undermined the faith of many.  It is only through faith in God and His Word we can know with certainty truth from error.

The exhortation given by C.H. Spurgeon to his students I take to heart and share today:  "The Bible is not a compilation of clever allegories or instructive poetical traditions; it teaches literal facts and reveals tremendous realities:  let your full persuasion of this truth be manifest to all who attend your ministry.  It will be an ill day for the church if the pulpit should even appear to endorse the skeptical hypothesis that Holy Scripture is but the record of a refined mythology, in which globules of truth are dissolved in seas of poetic and imaginary detail." (Lectures to My Students, pg. 102)  God says what He means and means what He says, regardless of what so called experts say.  How wrong were the scribes and experts of the Law in the day of Jesus!  If my views and the clear teachings of the Bible are at odds, it is I who need to change.  Otherwise I run the risk of bringing myself under a curse for moving the boundaries God has set and lead others to do the same.  I thank God for the Bible, for it will endure unchanged forever.  Only Jesus Christ can open our understanding to comprehend the scriptures, and blessed is the man who rightly divides the Word of Truth!

29 April 2015

Remember and Proclaim

I recently enjoyed an interactive Bible study where the life of Joseph was paralleled with Jesus.  Their lives are not mirror images, yet there are striking, compelling similarities which provide deep wells of understanding and wisdom to drink from.  Joseph was loved by his father, betrayed and sold by his brothers, and later became a saviour to the people of Egypt and all who came during the famine.  Jesus too was loved by His heavenly Father, betrayed by His own disciple for silver, rejected by the Jewish nation He came to save, and died on the cross as a sacrifice for sin so all who repent can be saved.  Joseph was saviour for a season, but Jesus is the Saviour for eternity.

We talked about twenty similarities between the lives of Joseph and Jesus, and the brother leading the study said there were no less than 60!  As the study was concluding, it came to mind Joseph was mentioned in the Hall of Faith.  I turned there, wondering if there was a correlation to be found in the New Testament as well.  Hebrews 11:22 reads, "By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones."  Joseph and Jesus were both men of faith.  When Joseph was dying, he commanded his bones be carried out of Egypt and buried in his father's tomb.  It struck me Jesus also had made a command concerning remembering His body!  The bones of Jesus did not remain in a tomb, for after three days He was raised alive and incorruptible.  So what is the connection?

During the Last Supper, Luke 22:19-20 says of Jesus Christ:  "And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you."  Jesus commanded we remember His sacrifice through what is commonly called "The LORD's Supper" or "Communion."  When believers gather together in Christ's name, we are to make time to remember the price Jesus paid.  We eat the bread to remember how the body of Jesus has been broken for us, and drink of the cup because His blood has been shed for us.  Receiving the elements of Communion into our bodies is a picture of how we, by faith, have received Jesus Christ as Saviour and His salvation through the Gospel.  Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:26, "For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes."  Our obedience to remember Christ's sacrifice is also a proclamation of His return.

The Bible is filled with rich pictures, shadows, and types which are so deep all eternity will not be immense enough to exhaust them.  One instructive example is seen when Jesus fed 5,000 men plus women and children with five loaves of bread and two fish.  Matthew 14:19-20 reads, "Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 20 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained."  When Jesus broke the bread, it pointed to what He would accomplish in His death and resurrection.  Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6:35, 48), who was blessed by the Father, broken in death, and the Gospel in the New Covenant in His blood has been committed to His followers to distribute among all who hunger for salvation.  All who partake of the Bread of Life by faith will be satisfied with salvation.

The application for us?  Let us heed the command Jesus gave to remember His sacrifice and proclaim His return by receiving Communion together with fellow believers.  Having received the Gospel from the hand of our LORD and Saviour by faith, let us be faithful to lovingly distribute the words of life and share the Gospel with all who will humble themselves to receive.  Praise God for His wondrous works, and such grace and gifts given to men!

28 April 2015

Abort Hypocrisy

News.com.au reported early this morning Australians Chan and Sukumaran were among eight men executed for drug crimes in Indonesia.  Their families, fellow Australians, and the Australian government grimly hoped for an eleventh-hour reprieve, but it was not to be.  Whilst the Indonesian government spared the lone accused woman from the firing squad, the remaining eight men were executed.  Quoting Prime Minister Tony Abbott from the article, “Whatever people think of the death penalty... the fact is that these two families have suffered an appalling tragedy.  And I’m sure that ever Australians thoughts and prayers will be with those families.”  I agree, and certainly have been praying.  In a land where no crime is punished by death, seeing two young men executed for any drug-related offense committed ten years ago is nigh impossible for many Australians to process.

I grew up in the State of California, a place which has maintained the legal right to impose the death penalty for extreme crimes - though seldom used.  Even in that liberal State, capital punishment seems to have always been a source of controversy.  I remember well the news reports of candlelight vigils, hearing arguments for and against the death penalty, graphic testimony from witnesses, and the last words of the condemned.  It all came flooding back to me as the impending executions of Chan and Sukumaran drew nigh.  Around the clock on television, radio, and websites, multiple reports were broadcasted daily.  Concerned people at church wanted to discuss what was happening.  Facebook pages and comments by Australians even revealed anger, rage, and frustration.  Callers voiced their opinions on radio programs.  Though eight lives were brought to a premature end, the conversations will continue.

The death penalty for crime remains controversial, but it points to the ultimate fact:  everyone dies.  Whether our lives end suddenly in a car accident, in old age, or by a firing squad, our lives on earth are temporary.  The Bible explains the reason for this is due to sin.  God created man without sin, yet man willfully rebelled against God's command.  Adam was frankly warned by God beforehand if he ate from the tree in the midst of the garden, he would surely die.  And that is exactly what happened.  Adam ate from the tree, and his body began to die.  Adam's sin had far-reaching consequences which passed sin and death to all.  We have all sinned, and thus we will surely die.  God has said, "The soul that sins will surely die." (Eze. 18:20)  As sure as the law of gravity on earth causes a ball to fall to the ground when released from the hand, so a single sin brings death every time.

As I was praying about this yesterday, a thought pressed into my mind.  I have heard a lot of talk about the injustice of the death penalty of late, but I have not once in all my years in Australia heard a single person speak negatively about the abortion of unborn children.  Like in my home state California, abortion is legal in every state and territory in Australia.  If we count Indonesia as guilty for killing criminals, how guilty are we before God for slaughtering the innocent!  If our government seeks to take action against Indonesia by withdrawing our foreign ambassador for executing our citizens, what should a righteous, just God do concerning us for our crimes against His little ones?  According to Victoria's Betterhealth website, "Abortion is one of the safest and most commonly performed surgical procedures in Australia."  The most commonly performed surgical procedure?  Surgery - meant to saves lives - is now being used primarily to end them?  After reading this I just cried and cried.  Safe for potential mothers maybe, but clearly the most devastating procedure for the child involved!  Stories of the "Bali Nine" and the two condemned Australians have been aired with regularity in prime time, but did you know only South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory even provide statistics concerning Medicare funded abortions?  The most populous states are silent.  How can such a double-standard exist?  It is outrageous to plead for clemency for criminals in another country when daily, legally, and quietly destroy Australian babies God knits together in the wombs of mothers who should love them.

I will be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.  I cry out for those tiny beating hearts, "Mercy!  For God's sake, have mercy!"  I pray you can hear the love in my voice.  I don't want to be harsh, and my intent is not to hurt any who have already walked the lonely path of abortion.  We are all mortal, and the only hope for all of us who await the death of the body is Jesus Christ.  Every man is born condemned by his own sin.  God's the only One who can redeem execution for good, for God did so with His own precious Son.  God's the only One who can atone, forgive, and cleanse us from all sin and guilt.  God is able and willing to forgive repentant murderers.  I am glad of this because God sees hatred as murder, and I am guilty.  God knows how we suffer.  Jesus is a Saviour of souls.  He knows what we fear.  He knows the depth of our anger and bitterness.  He knows.  He still loves us and allowed Jesus to suffer and die so we could live.  Only God can turn our mourning to gladness, and in this I rejoice.

27 April 2015

The Truth About Climate Change

During my lifetime there has been much debate and discussion over "climate change."  This is not a reference to the changes in weather throughout a day, but a observable pattern which points to global warming.  It seems to be a consensus these days the world is warming up, and have the science to affirm their position.  Anyone who thinks otherwise is viewed as a the proverbial ostrich with his head in the sand, despite any evidence they interpret to counter the prevailing view.

To be honest, I do not see a need to hold tightly any particular view concerning the ever-morphing science of any side.  Since the experts cannot agree, I don't know that even a careful examination of the science behind it can convince me to hold to a rigid view.  Can my opinions outweigh peer-reviewed papers, politicians, or even the man on the street?  Science is a business, and let us not be naive to think the motives of researchers are not without bias or agenda.  Man can prove any point he wants through cherry-picked statistics, so it becomes belief in one expert's interpretation over another just as qualified.  On a unseasonably hot day confirmation bias kicks in:  it must be true.  The reality is, people do what they want, and they believe what they want when it suits them.  Nothing has changed from the beginning.

I am no expert on global climate change, but I can say with absolute certainty climate change is a reality.  Whether we are experiencing climate change now I do not know, but the Bible tells us the entire world will experience a global catastrophe of unprecedented proportion.  No amount of scientific study, monetary investment, energy conservation, or "going green" will stop the inevitable advance of scriptural fulfillment.  What God has said will surely come to pass.  Some will mock this, believing humans through science will provide a lasting solution.  Please.  Science nor medicine has the capacity to stop the advance of death in this world due to sin.  Doctors can prolong lives, but they cannot defeat death.  Only Jesus can do that.  No united group of human beings is capable of stopping the eventual end of the age, the ultimate destruction of the earth, and the creation of new heavens and earth where only righteousness dwells.

With the tragic events unfolding in Nepal following the devastating earthquake, it brings to mind the words of Jesus who predicted earthquakes in various placesQuoting Jesus in Matthew 24:6-8, "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows."  Some shrug off earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, disease, and famine as merely circumstantial because they are nothing new.  For those who believe the words of Jesus, these tragedies point to the reality of the end of this earth - even as labour pangs precede the birth of a child.  Consider what Peter says in 2 Peter 3:1-8:  "Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, 3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."  We are in the last days, and this world is not going to last forever.

During a future period called in scripture the "Great Tribulation," many instances are cited of massive changes of climate.  Being divinely ordained, there will be no scientific answer or hope to counter them.  Revelation 8:7 says, "The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up."  A bit later we read in Revelation 16:8-9:  "Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory."  The term "global warming" puts it too lightly!  While humans do impact the earth through good or poor management, God remains in control.  The end of the chapter says in Revelation 16:18-21:  "And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. 19 Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. 20 Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21 And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great."  God is going to shake this universe, and no one will escape.

From a biblical perspective, if global climate change isn't happening, it most certainly will.  This world which had a beginning will most certainly have an end.  It was birthed out of water, and it will be consumed in fire.  God has ordained men to be the caretakers of this earth, and we ought to be good stewards of all God has given us.  Worse than contaminated seas from radiation is the sin which has doomed this world to destruction.  The only reason why the earth has continued this long is the grace and goodness of God towards people He loves.  He is gracious to give generations ample time to repent from sin and trust in Him.  Continuing with the 2 Peter 3:8-13, "But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."  This world will pass away and everything in it, but those who repent and trust in Jesus are granted eternal life.

Looking at the state of the world, there is cause for concern.  But even if every single person on the globe dedicated themselves to saving the planet, convinced of global climate change, it will not stop the grim events predicted in biblical prophecy.  Purify the oceans, replace the ice pack, and plug that dastardly hole in the ozone for good measure, but that will not avert the end.  Man's only hope for salvation is not found in himself, but through faith in Jesus Christ.  Christians do not need to fret over the state of the world without hope, for our confidence and security is found in God alone.  All who fear the LORD can echo the words of the psalmist in Psalm 46:1-3:  "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah."  Scorching sun?  Rising oceans?  Earthquakes which rip the earth into pieces?  We will not fear, for God is our refuge and strength.

26 April 2015

Clean Vessels

"Depart! Depart! Go out from there, touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her, be clean, you who bear the vessels of the LORD."
Isaiah 52:11

The prophet emphatically reminded those tasked with carrying the sanctified vessels of the LORD's house of their privileged role.  Men born to the tribe of Levi had roles as priests and ministers unto a holy God.  They were God's inheritance, and He was theirs.  Their identity was to be found in the righteous God who had chosen, called, and sanctified them.  They served a holy God who spoke to His people:  "Be ye holy, for I am holy."  For this reason the priests and Levites were to be consecrated and set apart for the service of the LORD, ensuring they lived a life free of defilement.

Under the Law, guidelines were given to ceremonially cleanse and sanctify priests and Levites.  They were to offer sacrifice, wash with clean water, and wear the approved clothing.  Much effort was employed to maintain external purity.  But under the New Covenant in Christ's blood, there are none who "bear" the vessels of the LORD in the same way today.  When the curtain was rent in the Temple during Christ's crucifixion, worship under the Law in a Temple made with hands was wound up.  Jesus had once for all become a sacrifice for the sins of the world.  The Bible tells us that Christians are now the Temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells within the heart of every believer.  Our bodies are the vessels God has seen fit to place His glory within.  The focus of Christ during His ministry on earth was not the keeping of outward tradition - carefully washing the outside of the vessel whilst ignoring defilement within - but the cleansing of the inner man of sin through faith in Jesus.  Spiritual regeneration gives a man a new heart and renewed mind through the washing of the water of the Word.  Once our hearts are cleansed of sin, our lives should reflect that transformation.

One of the consequences of focusing on our need for a purified heart and mind can be a neglect of intentional practice to be pure from sinful practices.  Because Jesus remained pure and holy in a world filled with sin, perhaps we think we can entertain unclean thoughts or bring sinful deeds into our lives without negative consequences.  The fact God has forgiven and cleansed us from sin does not provide license for us to dabble in it.  The practice of "toeing the line" leads to stumbling and falls.  The inner man can be affected by the things we do and dwell upon in our thinking.  Our vessels can be polluted and disqualified for service.  A Levite was a Levite, whether or not he was sanctified to perform his God-given duty and calling.  We too can be genuine Christians by faith and spiritual rebirth, but be unfit for service unto our God because we have not kept our minds and hearts pure.

Only God can cleanse minds and hearts of men, but we are told to take action ourselves in obedience to God.  Hosea 10:12 lays forth our personal responsibilities:  "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you."  God has said when we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us.  Jesus came to earth as a man to demonstrate God's love for sinners, and Hebrews 10:22 exhorts us to respond:  "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."  Instead of nurturing affections for this world, Colossians 3:2 says to "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth."  James 1:27 puts it this way:  "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world."

Christians are in this world, but we are not of this world.  We have been sanctified, set apart for God and His service.  Through God's power we are also commanded to sanctify ourselves, separating ourselves from unholy influences and defilement for the LORD's use.  Let us not be tricked to think Christianity is just an inner work.  Because of our new spiritual birth and heritage given by a Holy God as His adopted children, we are to take seriously this command to bring our inner and outer man into alignment with our Father in heaven.  I have heard it said "the part of your life God cares most about is the part no one else sees," but He also cares about what other people and we see.  He cares about the things we set before our eyes and allow into our lives, minds, and homes.  The God who cleanses the inside of the cup thinks the outside should match.  Being clean on the inside but remaining filthy on the outside is hypocrisy too, right?

23 April 2015

Master Or Messiah?

During last night's discipleship course at Calvary Chapel Sydney, we had an interesting conversation about the contrast between the rich young rulers and blind Bartimaeus in Mark chapter 10.  The only similarities between the two is they were both men, and Jesus made an impression on them.  What that impression was and how they responded to Jesus were completely opposite.

As Jesus walked, a rich man ran up to Jesus and said, "Good Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"  Jesus answered, "Why do you call me good?  There is none good but one, who is God."  This was a veiled claim to deity:  Jesus is either good and God, or He is not good.  Jesus said, "You know the commandments."  He then proceeded to list five commands which the man claimed to have kept.  Despite having riches and keeping commands, the man still recognised his lack.  Mark 10:21-22 reads, "Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." 22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions."  Wealth was the god of this young rich man, and he proved unwilling to part with his idol - even with eternal life at stake.

On the way to Jericho, James and John approached Jesus.  Mark 10:35-37 describes the interaction:  "Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask." 36 And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?" 37 They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."  The disciples pulled no punches with Jesus.  They shamelessly told Jesus to His face they wanted Him to do for them whatever they asked.  Isn't this a common thread of many who come to Jesus?  Jesus, graciously and patiently, offered His ear to these ambitious followers.  The rich man wanted to know what he needed to do to gain, and these disciples wanted Jesus to do whatever they wanted for them.

As they came to Jericho, a blind man named Bartimaeus heard it was Jesus who passed by.  He cried out loudly, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!"  In saying this, Bartimaeus displayed his belief Jesus was the promised Messiah.  When told by others to quiet down, Bartimaeus only screamed louder:  "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!"  Jesus stopped and asked the man to come before him.  Mark 10:50-52 says, "And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. 51 So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?" The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight." 52 Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road."  Bartimaeus begged for mercy, and Jesus asked Bartimaeus:  "What do you want Me to do for you?"  He asked to received his sight.  Jesus acknowledged the man's faith, and suddenly he could see!  We do not read of Bartimaeus even going back for his garment, but followed Jesus on the way.

The rich man called Jesus Master, but Bartimaeus called Jesus Messiah.  The rich man asked "What must I do?" and Bartimaeus begged for mercy.  Only after Jesus asked the blind man did he venture to ask for healing.  The rich man went away sorrowful, but the once blind man who now could see followed Jesus rejoicing.  Our eternal destiny depends on faith in Jesus Christ.  When we cling to the wealth of this world, we embrace sorrow now and forever.  Only when Jesus becomes our way can we be healed and obtain eternal life!

21 April 2015

The Power of Parables

"All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, 35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: "I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world."
Matthew 13:34-35

When Jesus spoke in parables it was to reveal, not conceal.  To the unbelieving and careless the words of Jesus were little more than stories, but to those who trusted in Jesus His parables revealed deep spiritual truths unknown from the beginning.  They have continued to remain an unceasing sources of truths both old and new to this day.  The same thing can be said of the Bible.  Unbelievers without spiritual discernment mock and scorn as they pick it apart, but those who rely upon God find sustenance and balm for their souls.

It's amazing how God opens the eyes of believers to discover deep truth in simple things.  As I prepared for teaching scripture yesterday, I used a couple of strange household items to teach about faith:  an eraser (rubber) and a tube of anti-fungal cream.  Now what spiritual truth could possibly be seen in those things?  The LORD helped me with those items to illustrate the object of our faith matters.  All people demonstrate faith based upon their beliefs:  atheists, agnostics, cults, and Christians alike.  Much of the faith exercised in the world is misplaced in all sorts of false guides and supports.  It is not if you have faith but where your faith is placed that matters.

If I placed my faith in a rubber to remove fungus from the skin between my toes, it would be misplaced faith.  I could rub my skin until it bleeds, but it will do nothing to solve my problem.  I could carry that eraser around in my pocket as a talisman or believe with all my heart it can help me, but it remains powerless to supply the cure I desire.  Yet if I believe the anti-fungal cream will alleviate my condition and follow the directions, I place my faith in something designed to deal with my problem.  Putting my faith in the cream leads to action on my part which in time will lead to restoration of clear skin.  The spiritual connection is we can place our faith in things powerless to help us, where faith in Jesus is the only Way to forgiveness, peace, and eternal life.  You can fight against the example if you want, but those with open ears and willing hearts understand the truth I have spoken.  The Holy Spirit will apply this truth to softened hearts individually and personally.

Illustrations have unique power to illuminate, like glass windows allow light into a room.  Whilst object lessons are useful, it is good to recognise their limits.  My point in using this example was to show how it is possible and even foolish to place our faith in things which have no power to help or save us.  The scriptures have been provided to reveal God to man He created in His own image.  The Bible is God-breathed, having been inspired by the Holy Spirit, and is compared to a light which illuminates our steps so we will not veer from the course of God's highway of holiness.  People in the shadows can laugh and mock all they want, but we Christians know where we are going and how we are going to arrive safely to our final destination in heaven.  Have you placed your faith in what is able to forgive, deliver, and save you?  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

20 April 2015

Go Your Own Way

God gives every person the freedom to go their own way.  It's not just a refrain from a catchy Fleetwood Mac song, but a gift of God provided for every person who lives on this planet.  The way we live our lives has a clear correlation with where we are headed for eternity:  heaven or hell. Sorrow, pain, sickness, and death are all products of sin's presence in the world.  Adam's rebellion caused separation from God, and every human being save Jesus Christ who has walked in this world has contributed to the miserable consequences of it.  God is the only one who can set things right again, and this was clearly demonstrated in the life of Jesus Christ.

As Jesus left Jericho, there was a blind man named Bartimaeus who sat by the way, begging.  When he heard it was Jesus who passed by that way, he cried out with a loud voice "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  The more people "shushed" him the louder he screamed for mercy from the Son of God, the Messiah promised by God to save His people from their sins.  Having heard his cries and knowing his heart, Jesus stopped and commanded blind Bartimaeus to be called.  Mark 10:50 says he cast away his garment, which is very significant.  Even as a busker opens his guitar case to collect donations, his garment was laid across his lap to collect alms he received.  Hearing Christ had called him, Bartimaeus immediately cast aside his covering, money, and comfort in exchange to respond to the call of Christ.

Mark 10:51-52 says, "So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?" The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight." 52 Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road."  Because Baritimaeus had placed his faith in Christ, Jesus healed the man.  Jesus simply said, "Go your way; your faith has made you well."  I imagine Bartimaeus had fanticised for years over what it would be like to see.  Having received his sight, Bartimaeus was free to do as he pleased and Jesus released him from any obligation.  But do you see where Bartimaues went?  He followed Jesus.  The way Jesus went became Bartimaeus' way.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, the Life, and having received his sight Bartimaeus only cared to follow after His LORD and Saviour.

We don't read Bartimaeus ever went back for his coat or his alms:  in Christ he had discovered all he needed.  Despite his physical blindness, with eyes of faith he recognised Jesus as the Son of David, the promised Messiah.  Once his eyes were opened, he fixed them upon Jesus and followed Him wherever He went.  This is a beautiful picture for all those who have responded to the call of Christ through the Gospel.  We were blind beggars steeped in sin, yet Jesus has opened our eyes to see Him as the Light of the World.  We are free to go our own way.  Which way will you choose?  Many people were healed by Jesus, but not all of them were saved.  Faith in Jesus made Bartimaeus whole.  True faith in Christ results in a life where Christ's way becomes our way.  Christ's way is an exclusive way all who will be saved must choose for themselves:  the way of the cross, humility, dying to self, obedience to God, and serving others.  It is the way which leads to victory, power, and heavenly glory for eternity.  All other ways lead to death and eternal destruction in Hell.

Jesus said to His disciples in John 14:1-7:  "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know." 5 Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 7 "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him."

19 April 2015

The Grace of Giving

"So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. 7 But as you abound in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us--see that you abound in this grace also. 8 I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich."
2 Corinthians 8:6-9 

At Calvary Chapel Sydney we are studying through 2 Corinthians on Sunday mornings.  Paul reminded the Corinthians of their initial desire and interest to give to others in need.  Despite their willingness to give, their good intentions for a year had not been acted upon.  Paul commended them for their great faith, speech, knowledge, all diligence, and love, yet they stopped short of excelling in the grace of giving.  Following through in giving according to their good intentions was a test of the sincerity of their love.  Jesus was cited as the standard for giving, One who chose to become poor to make others rich.

God continually supplies new tests for His people to take.  Each exam is designed by God to challenge us individually.  God has a way of combining familiar material with bits completely foreign to us.  There are often portions we have been exposed to before, yet it doesn't mean we will always perform well.  God is wise to include bits we are unprepared for to draw us closer to Him in repentance, to remind us we do not know everything, and as an impetus for us to humbly seek Him for the answers on future exams.  I don't enjoy being tested, but God uses tests to show His love and care for us, to affirm we are His, to give us an opportunity to grow, and to do well where we have always failed before.

Like sitting an exam at school, completing it is an exercise of the will.  No one can make you sit a test.  No one can force you to read the questions, pick up the pencil, and fill in the correct answers.  God will not force you to sit an exam He provides.  Sometimes passing a test is required before we can move on to another test!  But it is folly to avoid a test God supplies, because not sitting an exam is the surest way to fail.  We do better to score poorly on a test than to refuse to try!  Our poor scores reveal our need to learn and grow.  If we refuse to sit God's tests we will never know through experience where our weaknesses are.  God's tests are not completed in classrooms, but in our interactions with Him and others through our words, attitudes, thoughts, and actions.  I have never scored perfectly on a test God supplied for me because I am not perfect.  God gives us encouragement through small improvements, and should our "success" go to our heads He will give us the most basic test again so we might fail miserably and recognise our need for complete dependance on Him.

How fitting it is for us to seek to excel in the grace of giving, even as our Saviour gave Himself freely as a sacrifice for sin.  Jon Courson wrote in his Bible Application Commentary:  "Born in a borrowed cradle, Jesus preached from a borrowed boat, rode into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey, ate His Last Supper in a borrowed room, and was buried in a borrowed grave.  He who made everything laid it all down and entered into total poverty that I might be rich...To the person not in love with Jesus, giving is a difficult, painful, arduous, burdensome task.  He who loves Jesus, on the other hand, welcomes the opportunity to demonstrate his love." (pg. 1132)  Are you willing to take the "sincerity of love by giving" test?  Whatever test God sets before you this week, see that you do all in your power to pass by the riches of His grace.

18 April 2015

Jephthah and His Daughter

Our introduction to Jephthah in scripture is he was a mighty man of valour, but this fact is largely overlooked.  He was a son of a harlot, and for a season was cast out of his family but later asked to return.  Like the elders of his hometown, it is high time for the church to receive Jephthah back again as the man of faith he was.  It seems most references to him in sermons are negative, and he is touted as the poster boy of rashness, a power-hungry or even ignorant man whose folly outweighs any virtue.  It is ironic God does not say one negative thing about Jephthah in the Bible.  In fact, the exact opposite is true.  After discussing the faith of Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and Rahab, the writer of Hebrews wrote in Hebrews 11:32-34:  And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.” 

Of all the righteous men and women who could have been listed in what is often called the “Hall of Faith,” Jephthah was one selected by the Holy Spirit.  We human beings tend to focus on outward faults, but God looks upon the heart of faith in God which is accounted by Him as righteousness.  There is much to be learned from the mistakes of others, but to relegate Jephthah to a byword when God provides him as a prime example of faith is a massive error.  Through Jephthah and especially his daughter we are blessed with a foreshadowing of Jesus which greatly challenges and enriches us, all for the glory of God.

Jephthah was a man of Gilead called by men to be their captain.  He came to terms with the elders who sought his leadership and Judges 11:11 reads, “Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the LORD in Mizpah.”  Whatever Jephthah said, he spoke in the hearing of the LORD.  Regardless of what men may contrive of Jephthah’s motives – for who among us knows fully his own heart and it is not written – the Spirit of God came upon Jephthah (Judges 11:29).  Judges 11:30-31 says, “And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD, and said, "If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands, 31 then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering."  The verse begins with a connecting word which continues the thought.  The Spirit came upon Jephthah, and he made a vow.  There was a clear connection between the two.  It was common for people to keep their prized animals in their homes, so this was not as strange as you might think.

Was Jephthah rash to make such a vow?  I don’t know.  But what happened after God did grant Jephthah the victory is the part everyone remembers.  After he returned from the slaughter of the enemy, his one and only child – his precious daughter - came out to greet him celebrating and dancing with her tambourine.  When he saw her, he immediately tore his clothes and cried out in anguish:  “Alas my daughter!  I have given God my word and I cannot go back on it!”  The daughter of Jephthah (her name is not provided us in scripture) did not scold Jephthah or charge him with wrong.  Judges 11:36-38 says, “So she said to him, "My father, if you have given your word to the LORD, do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, because the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the people of Ammon." 37 Then she said to her father, "Let this thing be done for me: let me alone for two months, that I may go and wander on the mountains and bewail my virginity, my friends and I." 38 So he said, "Go." And he sent her away for two months; and she went with her friends, and bewailed her virginity on the mountains.”

Before the LORD Jephthah promised to offer up the first thing which came out of his house as a burnt offering to the LORD, never expecting it to be his only child whom I suspect was in her teen years.  She said, “If you have given your word to the LORD, do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth.”  God had fulfilled His part in the matter, and she urged her father to do to her according to his promise.  There are tears in my eyes as I consider the faith and love of this young woman.  It is one thing to say such a thing, but the revelations in the next verse blows me away.  Judges 11:39-40 says, “And it was so at the end of two months that she returned to her father, and he carried out his vow with her which he had vowed. She knew no man. And it became a custom in Israel 40 that the daughters of Israel went four days each year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.”

Jephthah’s daughter came back.  Let that sink into your soul.  She could have run, knowing what awaited her.  Even as Isaac was bound by Abraham on the altar on Mt. Moriah, and Abraham took up the killing knife, her father would do to her.  But this time there would be no voice from heaven, no ram caught in the thicket.  Two months earlier she said, “Do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth.”  Did you see the difference in verse 39?  After she returned, “he carried out his vow with her which he had vowed.”  Dear friends, they did it together.  He did not do anything “to” her; Jephthah kept his vow before the LORD “with” her.  I wept many tears when I understood this.  I see the man sobbing, weeping at his loss as she waited bound.  Perhaps as his resolve faltered at the prospect of offering his only daughter as a sacrifice, she with gleaming eyes guided the knife to the spot.  He had given his word to God, and it must be finished.  God had not commanded human sacrifice, and the death of any human being is not God’s will.  But this picture has been included for a divine purpose.  Such a display of reverence and faith is not easily swept aside, for it points directly to Jesus Christ.

Even as Jephthah’s daughter returned with the knowledge she would be offered as a sacrifice, so Jesus Christ came as the Lamb of God to be a sacrifice for sin.  Jephthah’s virgin daughter bewailed her virginity two months with her friends, and Jesus wept knowing what awaited Him on Calvary.  Hebrews 5:7-9 says of Jesus, “…who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, 8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him…”  Jesus was God the Father’s only begotten Son, the One in whom He was well pleased.  God had promised a Saviour, a Messiah, and kept His word.  Jephthah’s daughter was remembered four days in Israel every year, and we remember the death of Jesus Christ when we obey Him in celebrating Communion together.

We do not fault Abraham for binding Isaac to the altar and picking up a knife with the intent to slay his only son in obedience to God:  should we fault the faithful Jephthah for doing the same?  God doesn’t.  The context makes it clear Jephthah followed the leading of the Holy Spirit upon him in this very singular event in history which points to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.  I cannot fault Jephthah with wrong before his God before Whom he spoke and stands to this day.  It appears the people at the time did not fault this man who willing to pay such a high price to keep his word to the LORD, for he remained a judge until his death.  Jephthah was a valiant man, a man of faith.  When I read of his precious daughter I see a picture of my willing Saviour, and I feel unworthy to read the words – because I am.  We all are.  Who among us would demonstrate the faith of Jephthah, his daughter, or my Saviour?

12 April 2015

You Belong to Jesus

This week at Camp Kedron we will be exploring our own identity with the question:  “Who am I?”  Ultimately the only way people can know themselves in truth is by first knowing the God who created them.  I am more than a name, a body, a mass of cells without meaning, but an eternal soul breathed into a body God knit together in the womb.  Since God created man He alone supplies the wisdom and power to be the man He created me to be.  God said to His chosen people in Jeremiah 29:11:  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Knowing we belong to God is fundamental in understanding our identity as Christians.  The reality is, however, we can try to find a sense of belonging in far less than God Himself.  We can substitute our accomplishments, goals, relationships, our job, or even being a member of a church.  I recently came across a Scripture Union handout of being a disciple of Jesus based on the Sermon on the Mount.  It was broken into six separate studies in the following order:  belonging, witnessing, God’s Word, relationships, prayer, and possessions.  Admittedly that first one is the concept rarely discussed these days.  In our highly individualistic and increasingly independent society, most people overlook the simple fact we belong to God.  Man expends great effort to try to belong instead of realising in Christ he already finds acceptance and belongs.
All created things belong to God, but most are not aware of this fact.  Our understanding of our identity has direct results in our decisions and desires.  As I heard pastor Steve Mays say, we do not fight for victory, but we fight from victory.  Lack of knowledge leads to us working and praying futilely for what is already ours, and therefore we never progress into practically experiencing what God has already freely provided.  We can try our best to fit in with a particular group, not understanding we have been made in God’s image and we have been accepted into the beloved through Christ by faith.
We will never experience the future God desires for us until we seek and trust God.  When our eyes are opened to see God we see ourselves in truth.  After being exposed to the wisdom and power of God, Job saw himself as vile and Peter asked Jesus to depart from him because Peter recognised his own sinfulness.  “The best men,” Spurgeon quipped, “see themselves in the worst light.”  It is the Light of the World Jesus Christ and the scriptures which illuminate the darkness of our hearts clearly, and lead us to God who awaits us with open arms and joy unspeakable.  How good it is to know we belong to God and live accordingly!

09 April 2015

Remember Now Your Creator

How good it is for young people to embrace their duty to love and obey God early in life!  The bar is set very low in general these days when it comes to devotion to God, worship, growing in discipleship, evangelism, and service unto the LORD.  For children and youth the bar is lower still.  Just physically attending a church or youth group is seen as a massive victory in itself.  But God deserves that all His people would be active in seeking Him and engaging in His business interests on earth.  We only have a limited amount of time.  Those who make the most of the time and talents given them by God will certainly not lose their reward.

Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 12:1-7, "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, "I have no pleasure in them": 2 while the sun and the light, the moon and the stars, are not darkened, and the clouds do not return after the rain; 3 in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men bow down; when the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look through the windows grow dim; 4 when the doors are shut in the streets, and the sound of grinding is low; when one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of music are brought low; 5 also they are afraid of height, and of terrors in the way; when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper is a burden, and desire fails. For man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets. 6 Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the well. 7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it."

Life on earth is over for all people soon after it begins in eternity's light.  The exhortation of the preacher echoes to every soul to this day:  "Remember now your Creator!"  And how do we remember Him?  Solomon concludes his writing with this in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14:  "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all. 14 For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil."  Jesus has commanded us to love one another as He has loved us.  Let us praise God in Spirit and truth, living righteously for His glory, for He is seeking such who worship Him.  His eyes go to and fro over the whole earth, looking for any who remain loyal to Him so He can show Himself strong on their behalf.  May our holy conduct and righteous affections draw His loving gaze!

07 April 2015

Holy Days

In preparation for my citizenship test, I learned several significant dates in Australian history.  Different countries, cultures, and people tend to distinguish some days over others.  There are traditions, accomplishments, and milestones remembered and celebrated.  There are days of national, personal, and even religious significance.  Having just celebrated Good Friday and Easter (which many Christians have termed "Resurrection Sunday"), I was reminded of a statement by a colleague:  "To me, Easter is the most holy day in the year."  This statement caused me to think.  Is one day "holier" than another?

To be "holy" means to be "dedicated, consecrated, or sacred."  God set aside many days and feasts as "holy convocations," gathering of His people for a prescribed purpose.  These references seen in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers are translated a "holy assembly" in the NIV.  Though God saw it important to set aside certain days to be observed according to the Law such as the Sabbath, feasts, and gatherings, it was not that particular days on the calendar were more special than others.  The point was God was holy, and His people had been made holy through His covenant.  It is a holy assembly because it was a gathering of God's people, consecrated and dedicated to Him.

The truth is, this world and its system of time observed with calendars and clocks will someday pass away.  Even now, God operates outside of the confines of time.  The day Jesus was born, died, rose from the dead, or ascended up into heaven are only significant because Jesus is holy Himself.  The day or date is not what is important, for long after the end of this world and time as we know it He will remain holy.  Revelation 13:8 says, "All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."  The day we celebrate as Good Friday (which is not always observed on the same date!) was known by God when the world was founded.  In the same way a church is people, not the building, holiness comes from God and not from a service or observance.

Since God instituted feasts and holy observances, sacred assemblies of God's people uniting in faith in Him, there is clearly value in honouring God together as His people.  It is important we do not begin to make our gatherings a source of pride which we believe distinguishes our group as more spiritual than others, or become divisive or combative with believers whose practices vary from our own.  Whether believers observe a day or not should not cause us to judge one another.  As it is written in Romans 14:4-9:  "Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living."

The Law tells us to "remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy."  Under the Law, the Sabbath day was one set apart as sacred, set apart to rest even as God worked for six days in creating the universe and on the seventh day He rested.  But Colossians 2:16-17 tells us Sabbaths and festivals were simply a shadow of what Christ is the substance:  "So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ."  If you have the substance, one does not need to focus on the shadow.  When we are adopted into God's family by grace through faith, we are made holy unto the LORD.  Every day is equally holy, for we are made holy in Christ.  It is lawful for us to do good, worship, and bring honour to God's name every day, not to be reserved for certain dates on a calendar which will pass away.  Many times in scripture God spoke to His people, "Be holy, for I am holy."  We are positionally holy, are called to be intentionally holy in our conduct, and to be holy every day, perfecting holiness in the fear of the LORD (2 Cor. 7:1).

Psalm 118:19-24 is a passage which well sums up my thoughts:  "Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, and I will praise the LORD. 20 This is the gate of the LORD, through which the righteous shall enter. 21 I will praise You, for You have answered me, and have become my salvation. 22 The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. 23 This was the LORD'S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

06 April 2015

Jesus Will Judge

"Moreover I saw under the sun: in the place of judgment, wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, iniquity was there. 17 I said in my heart, "God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work."
Ecclesiastes 3:16-17

King Solomon recognised the irony of wickedness is a place of judgment, and iniquity in the place of righteousness.  In the face of injustice or wickedness Solomon did not charge God with wrong or doubt God's existence as many do.  He saw hypocrisy and evil as contrary to God and His righteous judgment, and ultimately the holy God of all will hold accountable those responsible.  During our short time on earth, the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts are heard and seen clearly by God.  The fact evil exists is not an indictment against the goodness of God, but rather confirms His righteousness.

A good judge will not allow guilty lawbreakers to escape punishment, and God is a good Judge.  The Bible tells us every word a man speaks will be weighed according to God's righteous Law, and to be guilty of breaking the Law in one point makes a man guilty of breaking all.  Because all have sinned, every man faces the full weight of punishment the Law demands:  the death of the body and ultimately the second death of the soul.  Having recently celebrated Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, a time to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, the implications of Christ rising again is a sign to all everywhere.  Paul spoke to seekers of truth in Athens concerning Jesus Christ in Acts 17:30-31:  "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."  Jesus Christ is the Judge of all the earth, and He only does what is right.

The amazing truth is Jesus has paid the price for sin with His shed blood on Calvary, and His resurrection is a clear demonstration of His power over sin and resulting death.  All who repent and trust in Jesus can be forgiven of all sin and declared righteous through the Gospel.  The world is saturated with wickedness and righteousness.  We know God will ultimately judge the righteous and wicked:  the believer who lives righteously or wickedly, and the wicked who believes himself innocent.  The entire world is guilty before God according to His Law (Romans 3:19), but through the Gospel we can be cleansed and born again.  Jesus is the Son of God written of in 1 John 5:11-13:  "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."

02 April 2015

Ask In Faith

Times change, but people manage to stay the same.  The way people responded to the Gospel in Paul's day is strikingly similar to how people do today.  Acts 17:32-34 records the response of listeners to the doctrine of Christ's resurrection, "And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, "We will hear you again on this matter." 33 So Paul departed from among them. 34 However, some men joined him and believed..."  To this day some mock in unbelief, others are temporarily intrigued but ignore the implications of Christ's resurrection, and there are a few who believe.

I read through Luke 23 this week and was struck by King Herod's response to Jesus.  A passage describes the occasion when Jesus was sent by Pilate to Herod Antipas in Jerusalem before His crucifixion.  Luke 23:8-11 says, "Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him. 9 Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing. 10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him. 11 Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate."  King Herod responded as many people do today concerning Jesus.  They have heard of Jesus and are curious to see if what they have heard is true.  They would love to see blind men see, the dead raised, and thousands of people fed with only a handful of small loaves of bread.  People thirst for entertainment and would be dazzled to see a man actually walk on water without secret tricks.  People are drawn to power.  They want to see it for themselves, and that is what Herod hoped for.

Herod was disappointed with Jesus, who refused to even speak with Him!  Herod asked many questions, but Jesus gave no answer.  Herod did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah, the King of the Jews.  This is evidenced by his treatment of Christ when his expectations went unmet.  He and his men of war treated Jesus with contempt and mocked Him.  Herod was curious to hear Jesus speak and do something, but when Jesus did not act according to his desire he despised Jesus and treated Him like a fool.  Many seekers of the world are like Herod, desiring Jesus to accomplish their will rather than abdicating the throne of our hearts for Christ alone.  So many people go to church for a season and even serve in various roles in churches with the heart of King Herod.  They are willing to jump through a few hoops to obtain their desire.  But when their prayers are met with silence, and nothing seems to be happening, they abandon all hope in Christ.  This is a tragic choice, for in forsaking Christ they deny their only hope of salvation, joy, and peace.

We ought to be as Christ who was obedient to the Father.  Even when the cross loomed before Him, Jesus asked if that cup might pass from Him.  "But not my will, but your will be done."  Christ laid down His will in Gethsemane, and laid down His life on Calvary.  If Herod had humbly approached Jesus in belief, Jesus would have spoken words of peace - even as He did to the criminal on the cross who begged Jesus to remember him when Jesus came into His kingdom.  Jesus answered, "Assuredly, today you will be with me in Paradise."  God is not interested in satisfying the curiosity of men.  But He is interested to give wisdom and insight to all those who ask in faith.  James 1:5-6 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind."  How important is faith in establishing a genuine relationship with God!