God Our Help

When we ask someone for help, it is typically from a position of being able to do something but needing assistance for the sake of convenience.  We might ask someone to hold a door open so it is easier for us to carry a bulky item through it, or help hold a flashlight so we can see better.  A blind person would not bother asking for someone to hold a light because it would not assist them.  We can ask God for help, not because we realise we are helpless and hopeless in ourselves to accomplish anything good, but to add the little we lack.  It is the blind man who asked for sight whose eye were opened by Jesus, and this is the way we ought to approach God for help:  as a helpless person who must rely upon Him for everything.

If we assume we are sufficient in ourselves to do anything God asks, time and experience will say otherwise.  One thing we can do is look for help and assistance from others when circumstances prove overwhelming and difficult.  This can lead to frustration and disillusionment because we imagine we are capable but would appreciate assistance, and that the best place to look for help is from other people.  It is God to whom we must look to for help, not just to bolster our own resolve and strength to cross the line, but to do anything because without Jesus we can do nothing.  God is gracious and faithful to help us in countless ways even when we do not think to ask Him.

Years ago I experience God's comfort in an unexpected and special way.  Whilst I cannot remember exactly what led up to it, I can reflect upon many times in life and church ministry when I felt quite overwhelmed and burdened with grief.  Circumstances were trying, conflict was personal and people can be critical when you are doing the best you know how.  After doing my best to meet demands and expectations I was contacted for a house call from a congregant without any reason.  My natural tendency is to wonder, worry and even dread such unexpected requests, though the LORD has worked wonders to change me.  So I dropped everything and went over and it was nothing like I imagined it would be.

There was a friendly greeting, the offer of hospitality and light lunch.  There was no negative critique of the most recent sermon or a rebuke over my failure to meet expectations.  There was no announcement they family would be leaving the church or complaints about anyone or anything.  As a sat on the lounge in silence petting the family dog, there was a sense of peace and rest that comes only from the LORD, and God used this brother and his hospitality to comfort me when I did not know I needed it.  That simple moment of a sharing a coffee and cheese toastie as a friend I will match against the greatest miracles performed in the kingdom of God because of how the LORD ministered to my heart.  I was like a fearful, shivering dog being comforted by his Master:  "Relax, take comfort in Me."

Friends, we need the LORD.  We need help and comfort only He can supply.  We imagine comfort can be found when He divinely changes our circumstances when He uses those same circumstances to draw us to Himself and be changed.  How blessed we are to have a Father in heaven who loves us and knows what we need before we ask--even if we are too dense and clueless to ask!  Isaiah 65:24 reads, "It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear."  Praise the LORD for connecting us with others in the Body of Christ the church, yet let us never forget it is God we look to for comfort, peace and help in time of need.  God may use people to supply our needs, but He is the divine source we are called to look to always.

Blessed to Do

As I follow Jesus and read the Bible, I have learned by experience when I observe people exhibit behaviour that seems stupid or ridiculous in light of God's existence and power, I am looking at myself.  I have ceased to make fun or smugly mock people who made poor choices due to unbelief in God or fear of man because I recognise myself in them.  I have also learned if God gives a command, it is because it is naturally contrary to my flesh.  God told His people not to have other gods besides Him because we naturally do; He commanded the children of Israel not to covet because it is a sin as normal to us as breathing.

Consider the commands found in Leviticus 19:17-18:  "You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbour, and not bear sin because of him. ¹⁸ You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the LORD."   It occurred to me our natural tendency as people is to do all God forbids and to leave undone all God commands.  Our tendency is to hate others, to take vengeance, to hold grudges and not forget the awful injustices we have endured.  We also do not normally rebuke others motivated by the love of God or them, and we tend to love ourselves more than anyone or anything else.  Being born again into the family of God by faith in Jesus changes who we are from within and enables us by the power that raised Jesus from the dead to choose to do what pleases God.

God has done more than give us a list of "do's and don'ts" but an example to follow in Jesus who demonstrated His love for His Father in heaven and people.  Jesus went to the funeral procession and touched the bier upon which the body of a dead son of a widow was carried to raise him to life.  He went to bring the Living Water of the Holy Spirit to the man by the pool of Bethesda who had no one to help him into the water when stirred.  Jesus was the One who humbled Himself to wash the disciple's dirty feet hours before He would be arrested, beaten and condemned to die.

After Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, He said in John 13:14-17, "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. ¹⁵ For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. ¹⁶ Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. ¹⁷ If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them."  Jesus was commanding for His disciples to have foot-washing sessions.  Washing feet was the task given to the lowest slave, and Jesus did to others what they wanted others to do for them.  They did not wash their own feet much less consider washing others!  They saw that as far beneath them.  Jesus demonstrated humility and was the servant of God and all.  How could anyone who claimed to serve God yet refused to humble himself and serve his brother say he truly served God who became the Man Jesus Christ and went to the cross for sinners?

Some imagine they are blessed when God does what we want or approve of:  the truth is we are blessed when we walk in obedience to Christ.  God is the greatest blessing and source of joy, peace and happiness there is, and when we heed the words of Jesus and follow His example in faith profound blessing is ours by God's grace.  We cannot earn God's blessing, but when we walk in His ways we are in a posture to rejoice in Him even when a cross looms.  We are blessed not by what we do:  we are blessed by all Jesus has done and is doing.  As we follow in the steps of our Saviour we are most blessed as He continues the work He has begun.

They Shall Be Mine

As I met with a brother over breakfast I was reminded by the grace of our glorious God who draws near to us in fellowship.  A small table became holy ground as the scripture was fulfilled, for the LORD Most High keeps His word.  Malachi 3:16-17 reads, "Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who meditate on His name. ¹⁷ "They shall be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "on the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him."  It was enough to move me to tears as I considered the divine condescension of God and He listened in on our conversation.  Though we could not see God with our eyes, with eyes of faith I knew for certain the LORD was in our midst.

Isn't it a lovely thing God takes note, not of how wretched and faithless we are, but of those who fear the LORD and meditate on his name?  When I consider this book of remembrance the scene with King Ahasuerus comes to mind.  During a sleepless night the king summoned his servants to bring the book of records of the chronicles and read it to him.  Esther 6:2-3 states, "And it was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, the doorkeepers who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. ³ Then the king said, "What honour or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?" And the king's servants who attended him said, "Nothing has been done for him."  When reading of Mordecai who exposed a plot to save his life, the king wondered what honour had been bestowed on Mordecai for his loyalty.  He was moved therefore to determine what should be done for the man the king delights to honour.  He desired to heap honour upon the man who honoured him by his allegiance.

There are marked difference between the responses of the LORD God and king Ahasuerus.  It seems Ahasuerus had forgotten completely about Mordecai and the loyalty he displayed and hurriedly sought to do something to reward him.  That same day Mordecai was paraded through the streets riding a royal steed, wearing clothes and the crown of the king, led by a noble prince who shouted, "Thus shall it be done for the man whom the king delights to honour."  When the procession was over the horse, clothes and crown were returned.  God reads of people who fear and speak of Him and says, "They shall be mine."  We are accepted, not because we have exposed a plot to save the king, but because the KING OF KINGS Jesus Christ has died on the cross to save us from our sins.  He died and rose again so we can live with Him as adopted children of God by grace through faith.  Amazing!

Those born again through faith in Jesus are not honoured for a day but are gifted eternal life and a place in the presence of God forever.  The clothing, crown and jewels of the king ascribed glory to Him, and God likened those who fear and speak of Him as His precious jewels that honour Him.  God is altogether glorious in majesty and honour in Himself, yet He ascribes value to us and views us as a beautifying adornment in which He is pleased.  Though we are like earthen vessels in whom God has chosen to place His glory, God rewards us with Himself for eternity.  It is in God alone we discover at last where we fit and belong with God who spared us at His own expense and saves us.  We are His, and He is ours.

The Moses Example

Regardless of your views of church governance, there is a lot to glean from the leadership of Moses.  While I do not see the "Moses Model" of leadership as the prescriptive pattern for the church today with Jesus Christ as the Head of the Body, we would do well to demonstrate the meekness, boldness and faith he did during our earthly pilgrimage. 

When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, we see a man stripped of all aspiration to be known by the Hebrews as a deliverer.  According to the promise and direction of God Moses went back to Egypt out of obedience.  Moses was not a perfect man by any means, but any man the LORD refers to as "My servant" ought to grab our attention.  He was a man who feared God, prayed to Him often, who heeded advice from his father-in-law and delegated leadership roles to others.  He wished all people would prophesy and gave no place to insecurity, that only a select few were worthy to operate in spiritual gifts given by God.  When he was accused of pride and vilified by his own family Moses fell before the presence of the LORD without pleading his case or seeking to justify himself.  The testimony of Moses is truly the awesomeness of the great God of Israel who delivers, guides, provides and saves.

Moses along with other men, women and children who feared God provide examples (of what to do and not to do) and inspiration for followers of Jesus today.  Ultimately it is Jesus we look to as our example, for it is He we follow and strive to obey.  After the Passover meal Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, a task reserved for the lowest slave.  John 13:12-17 says, "So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? ¹³ You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. ¹⁴ If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. ¹⁵ For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. ¹⁶ Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. ¹⁷ If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them."  God has placed people in the church in different roles, and having been born again and filled with the Holy Spirit we are enabled to love and serve one another.

There are many kinds of church leadership structures which can be easily submitted to when we do as Christ says:  knowing we are to follow the example of Jesus, we are blessed when we do according to His promise.  Knowledge of correct doctrine is of critical importance but also heeding and practicing what Jesus has commanded.  We might be able to define "agapao" but words are of small benefit unless we are demonstrate sacrificial love like Jesus did by denying ourselves, taking up our cross daily and following Him.  The model Jesus provides for the individual members of the church is Himself, and we are called to present ourselves as living sacrifices unto Him which is our reasonable service regardless of role.  When we are governed by the fear and love of God we will be blessed and a blessing by God's grace.

Seraiah Spoke

It is wonderful how the LORD chooses and gifts people to contribute to the health and fruitfulness of His kingdom by His grace.  Because we serve the LORD who calls and ordains us for His good purposes, the things He tells us to do may not be our natural inclination.  We can make the mistake of limiting God by our own perceived strengths, and at our best (on our own) we are incapable of doing anything profitable for the kingdom of God.  The almighty God is likely to direct us to do things we cannot do on our own, something out of our comfort zone, so we will learn to seek and rely upon Him for success in faith.

Seraiah the prince is a good example of this.  See how he is introduced in Jeremiah 51:59:  "The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. And Seraiah was the quartermaster."  A quartermaster was a royal attendant who aided the king by setting up camp and provided necessary comforts when the king traveled.  The KJV refers to Seraiah as "a quiet prince."  He was the sort of person who diligently went about his business behind the scenes.  Seraiah wore many hats in his duties, but one thing he was not was a prophet.  The word of the LORD came to the prophet Jeremiah who wrote in a book of all the evil God would bring upon Babylon.

Jeremiah 51:61-64 says, "And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, "When you arrive in Babylon and see it, and read all these words, ⁶² then you shall say, 'O LORD, You have spoken against this place to cut it off, so that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but it shall be desolate forever.' ⁶³ Now it shall be, when you have finished reading this book, that you shall tie a stone to it and throw it out into the Euphrates. ⁶⁴ Then you shall say, 'Thus Babylon shall sink and not rise from the catastrophe that I will bring upon her. And they shall be weary.' " Thus far are the words of Jeremiah."  Jeremiah was directed by God to write in a book and then gave it to Seraiah with instructions.  He was to pray to the LORD according to the word spoken to him, read the book, bind it to a stone, throw it in the Euphrates and then speak the word of the LORD.  Israel had been brought into captivity, but God would certainly judge Babylon.  Like a stone, the empire would sink and not rise.

This would have been a strange request by the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet to fulfill, something Seraiah would never encounter with setting up camp.  In a sense he was directed to utter Jeremiah's last recorded words of what God would do, and God would be faithful to according to do all He said.  God chose a quiet prince to proclaim the truth of the LORD we read today.  It was a comfort to know their period of captivity would have an end, and God would see to it those who plundered His people would be weary.  God would bring catastrophe upon Babylon from which they could not rise, and God would bring His people out and back to Jerusalem.  Praise the LORD He chooses regular people to do His work and proclaim the truth of His word that will surely come to pass.  By faith a quartermaster does the work of a prophet, and the quiet prince spoke up as the servant of the LORD.

Unexpected Fruit

Years ago we did some composting and was surprised when our pile of scraps yielded a couple of healthy pumpkin vines.  We did not intend for vines to grow from the seeds thrown there, nor had we thought our discards could result in delicious pumpkin pies.  Even as God created seeds to bring forth plants and fruit after their kind, so He would supply salvation and unrighteousness where it was least expected.

In light of the new covenant God would establish through the Messiah Isaiah 61:10-11 reads, "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. ¹¹ For as the earth brings forth its bud, as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations."  God sent Jesus to seek and save the lost in Israel, and the Jewish nation would largely reject Him and the Gospel He preached.  From a small group of Jewish believers the message of salvation spread to Gentile nations and many rejoiced to receive it, for they trusted in Jesus Christ as Saviour.

The prophet said as the earth brings forth buds and gardens grow seeds sown in them, so God will cause righteousness to spring forth before all nations.  This miraculous spread of righteousness by faith was seen even in the Old Testament, like when Rahab and her family were spared from the stronghold of Jericho that was doomed for destruction.  The Gibeonites disguised themselves and made a treaty with Joshua because they feared the God of Israel.  Foreign kings like Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus acknowledged the greatness of the glorious God of Israel who does mighty things.  In these last days the salvation and righteousness of Jesus Christ will spring forth, and we can expect this in unexpected places accompanied with rejoicing in the LORD.

I saw an illustration of unexpected growth and fruitfulness during a trip to Israel at the ruins in Caesarea in 2005.  A palm tree had sprung out of a brick structure, and though it was neglected and untrimmed it flourished.  When I visited the spot 10 years later, there it was!  Here is a picture from my earlier trip.

This palm did not grow by itself but from a seed, and the soul that rejoices in salvation and righteousness received them from the LORD most high.  The speaker in Isaiah 61 said of God, "He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness..."  This is true for everyone who is born again by faith in Jesus, for He has imputed righteousness and granted salvation to us when we were dead in sins and spiritually barren.  God clothed Adam with skins at the cost of the life of an animal, and He clothes those who believe in Jesus with righteousness at the price of His only begotten Son.  His word has gone out to all the nations and even in places that appear dry, barren and impossible He will cause His righteousness and praise to spring forth from the nations.  Glory to God for His goodness and for spreading the Gospel abroad.  Let us praise Him today and always!

The New Covenant

At Calvary Chapel Sydney I preached today on Genesis 15, the passage where God made a covenant with Abram who believed in Him.  He believed God would make of him a great nation with descendants as numerous as the dust of the earth and the stars in heaven despite not having an heir in his old age.  He believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness.

Abram brought the requested animals before the LORD and divided the heifer, goat and ram.  The idea was those involved in the covenant would pass between the animals which had been cut in two united before God as witness to do all they had said.  If they broke the agreement, it was with full knowledge their lives would be forfeit, even as the animals which were divided.  In a trance Abram saw a smoking oven and a burning torch pass between the pieces, an emphatic demonstration by God He would keep His word to Abram and his descendants would inherit the land.  By the power and authority of God it would be done without Abram having to do anything to obtain God's favour.

Fast-forward to the new covenant Jesus Christ established with His shed blood on Calvary:  before Jesus breathed His last and died on the cross, the scriptures say the veil in the temple was rent in two top to bottom (Matt. 27:31; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:42).  This was the veil which divided the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant would have been stored, the place where the presence of God dwelt that could only be approached by a sanctified priest on the Day of Atonement with blood of the sacrifice.  The writer of Hebrews shines light on the significance of this occasion in Hebrews 10:19-22:  "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, ²¹ and having a High Priest over the house of God, ²² 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."

God cut a covenant with the only begotten Son of God Jesus Christ who is our great High Priest and KING OF KINGS.  He is the Door through whom we enter by faith to receive forgiveness and eternal salvation, our sins having been washed by His blood.  Like the smoking oven and burning torch that passed through the pieces, Jesus made salvation possible by grace through faith in Him alone.  We cannot do anything to earn the right to become children of God, but He has extended this invitation as a gift to all who will believe and receive Him as LORD.  Jesus has made a new and living way that depended upon Him alone to obtain victory over sin, death and Satan.  What Jesus did in dying on the cross for sinners and rising from the dead in glory gives us full assurance that what He promised He is able to perform.

In His wisdom God has rendered the covenant of the Law of Moses obsolete in establishing a new covenant by Jesus Christ.  Hebrews 10:10-13 says, "By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. ¹¹ And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. ¹² But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³ from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool."  The Law of Moses demanded blood be shed to atone for sin, and Jesus did so once for all so we can live with a purified heart, conscience and body.  There is not a thing we must do to earn eternal life, but we can enter into the new covenant by faith in Jesus Christ and experience the abundant life He has for us.

The Torch Lesson

Live long enough and you will have experiences that supply beneficial lessons God can use to live wisely.  Today I had one of those moments when a situation provided insight beyond the surface and speaks spiritual truth.

When I went to change the batteries in my favourite torch, I noticed the lack of the familiar rattle of the batteries inside.  To my surprise the alkaline batteries over a year had swollen in size and were stuck fast in the aluminium housing.  Try as I might, I could not make them budge.  Tapping the end of the torch on a piece of wood making use of gravity had no impact, and grabbing the end of the battery with needle-nose pliers popped the circular end off!  I could see the end was blackened and oily, welded tight to the torch all around.  This was not a good sign.

So I did what many people had before me:  look for posts on the internet by people who had the same issue and succeeded in fixing the problem.  This led to me drilling a pilot hole in the battery for a lag bolt to pull it out, using washers as leverage.  All I did was take a core-sample from the stubborn battery.  I warmed the housing with a heat gun:  nothing.  What was very interesting is when I tried to grab the hollowed-out battery with pliers the light flicked on brighter than it had when it was switched on previously.  Ultimately I reached a point where methods of extraction required so much force I ran the very high risk of permanently damaging the torch or injuring myself, so into the bin it went.

Thankfully I had another torch of the same kind stored away that will work nicely for the foreseeable future.  But what occurred to me is the long passage of time I knew the light from the torch was growing more dim and I never bothered to open it up and change the batteries.  I have tons of batteries of the proper size, so that wasn't the issue.  Neglect of doing the simple act of opening up the housing and taking a look when performance began to suffer ended up in the torch being unusable and destroyed.  It reminded me of our need as followers of Jesus to take the time to examine our own hearts.  Just because we are in fine health on the outside does not mean our thoughts or motives are pure or we are free from sin.  Even as the torch was amazingly able to function with a massive hole drilled through the centre of a battery, so we can go through the motions of life, family and ministry when we are in dire need of personal revival and restoration.

The light of a torch shines away from the batteries, and thus it is necessary for someone to use a different light to examine them.  As insightful as we might be concerning ourselves, we are not nearly as discerning as our God who created us.  It is His gaze we must invite and submit to, choosing to heed His voice.  That is why David prayed in Psalm 139:23-24, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; ²⁴ and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."  God knows and sees what man cannot, and in love He will point out of sins and worries man tries to justify.  Praise the LORD He knows us and loves us, and the Light of the World Jesus Christ makes us to shine bright by the power of the Holy Spirit according to His grace.  A new heart and a renewed mind is ours when we humble ourselves before the LORD in contrite faith.

God and Rights

In the book What's Wrong With Human Rights, David Cross makes a strong case the zeal for standing up for human rights is a religious one born of the tenets of humanism.  Those who would paint religion, "social constructs" or politicians as the cause of all conflicts have ignored and dismissed the sinful bent of their own hearts.  Cross sums up the introductory chapter of his book in this way:

"A right is an entitlement conferred on a person by another who has the authority to give such entitlement.  In order for foundational and innate human rights to be legitimate, they must be conferred as part of our creation.  Some have argued that God has indeed given universal basic rights simply as part of our human existence, but this cannot be supported by the Bible.  Some have argued that such rights are a self-evident aspect of human development, which must be enforced by law, in order to bring justice to the world.  However, the Bible says that it is only the resolution of man's sin that brings true justice, not the claiming of man's rights.  Furthermore, Jesus expressly teaches us to forgive rather than to claim a right of retribution against those who have hurt us." (Cross, David. What's Wrong with Human Rights: Uncovering a False Religion. Sovereign World Ltd, 2018. page 35.)

If a right exists, it is conferred upon people by God or even by a government upon citizens upheld by law.  From a biblical worldview all governments and those in power are placed there by God, and thus we honour them not only as public servants but as those responsible to serve God.  This responsibility exists whether a politician believes or admits this, and in a secular society this would flatly be denied--even as the existence of the God who created all things is denied.  But scornful denials do not make this untrue.  The God who graciously gave us life will hold all people accountable and will judge us all according to His righteousness.  All legitimate rights must come from someone greater before whom they submit, and thus a claim of rights acknowledges God.

A well-directed point Cross makes (among many) is the difference between ability to do something and a right to do it.  God has given every person the freedom to make choices concerning our beliefs, what we choose to say or do.  We have the choice between doing what is right and wrong, walking in faith and obedience to God or going our own way.  The Beastie Boys song goes, "You gotta fight for your right to party," and people have taken up many fights for rights that are just as biblically illegitimate.  When He came to earth Jesus voluntarily laid down His divine right to rule as the only begotten Son and took up residence in a human body that grew in Mary's womb of the Holy Spirit.  He humbled Himself, made Himself of no reputation and was a servant of all though LORD of all.  He carried His cross to Calvary to satisfy the justice of God and atone for the sins of the world through the Gospel.

God had given the nation of Israel that land occupied and ruled by the Romans, but Jesus did not espouse the right of Jews to fight to own their land.  Luke 9:23 says, "Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."  Jesus did not teach passivism, capitalism or socialism but the denial of self and submission to God in faith marked by obedience.  All people alive today, regardless of their circumstances, have been given life by the grace of God.  To those who answer the call of Christ to follow and enter into the covenant in His shed blood are given the right to become children of God--and with that other rights as citizens of His eternal kingdom are included.  In our unregenerate, sinful condition we are stripped of these rights, yet we are so loved and valued by God He sent His own Son to redeem us, fill us with His presence and crown us with glory.  We have no right to be saved but except for the grace and mercy of God.

I have observed a lot of anger and frustration in people when they feel their "rights" are being stripped away.  The religion of humanism that looks to government, politicians, legislation, self and the "power of the people" cannot provide comfort for our souls at the best of times, for legislation passed today can be overturned tomorrow; when the majority rules they do not always walk in righteousness.  Until people are willing to acknowledge God's sovereignty and resolve to confess our sin, repent and follow Jesus in faith, the crusade for human rights will charge on with soul-crushing impact.  The claim and pursuit of human rights can be at its core a denial of God who is our only Hope and falsely claim humanity alone is capable to save the planet and ourselves.  Instead of fighting for rights, let us choose to do what is right by seeking forgiveness from God for our own sin.  Then we will be led in love towards others and walk in newness of life, and the future will never look more bright.

Ebed-Melech, Man of Faith

Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian may not be a household name, but he stands along with Abraham, Moses, David and Jeremiah as people of faith in God He called by name.  Ebed-Melech was a eunuch who was in king Zedekiah's house in Jerusalem.  We are introduced to him in Jeremiah 38 when he went to the king out of concern for the prophet Jeremiah who had been thrown into a dungeon.  After he appraised the king of the inhumane and woeful conditions Jeremiah faced, the king commanded Ebed-Melech to take 30 men to haul Jeremiah out of the pit to be kept in the court of the prison.

It was not long thereafter Nebuchadnezzar came against Jerusalem and besieged it.  With no hope of overcoming his adversary, king Zedekiah attempted to flee by night and was captured.  The king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah, put out his eyes, burned the king's house and broke down the walls of Jerusalem.  Jeremiah 39:15-18 reads, "Meanwhile the word of the LORD had come to Jeremiah while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying, ¹⁶ "Go and speak to Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Behold, I will bring My words upon this city for adversity and not for good, and they shall be performed in that day before you. ¹⁷ But I will deliver you in that day," says the LORD, "and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. ¹⁸ For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but your life shall be as a prize to you, because you have put your trust in Me," says the LORD.'"

The words God said concerning the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians came to pass, and the promise God gave to the Gentile eunuch Ebed-Melech would come to pass as well.  God did not just have a word for the King of Judah but for this man who trusted in Him.  Though the city would fall, Ebed-Melech would be delivered and would not be given into the hand of those of whom he was afraid.  He would not fall by the sword and his life would be spared because he trusted in God.  And these words spoken by the prophet Jeremiah would have been most comforting to a person who did indeed trust God.  God had outlined the means of deliverance to the king previously, yet he refused to heed them.  He was unwilling to meet the demands of faith, which is obedience to God.

It is important to see God delivered Ebed-Melech, not because he delivered the prophet Jeremiah from the dungeon, but due to his trust in God.  He did not put his trust in the savvy of Zedekiah or the promises of Nebuchadnezzar.  God looked upon Ebed-Melech with lovingkindness and was prompted to speak to assuage his fears and build his faith in the LORD Most High.  God does the same for all people who put their trust in Him today:  will you receive God's words as spoken to you?  In a world full of adversity and we need not be troubled when we believe in Jesus because He says so.  Even when we have failed to walk in faith like Peter, we can have confidence in God's goodness and faithfulness.

Ebed-Melech was afraid of sword-wielding men yet God delivered him; Peter denied knowing Jesus but God would restore Him.  John 13:38-14:1 records the words of Jesus to Peter, "Jesus answered him, "Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times. ¹ Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me."  Our faith in God does not make us without flaws, and those who believe in Jesus ought to receive His words to walk accordingly.  Praise the LORD He is God over Jew and Gentile, free and slave, apostle or eunuch, and He speaks to us words that comfort and guide us to trust Him more.

Responsible for Reckoning

It may be from a movie, old TV show or personal experience but I recall a time on the playground when a classmate took offence at what was said.  "Take it back!" he shouted, doubling up his fists to show he was going to take action against the offender.  If he took back the unfounded, snide comments made about a family member all would be forgiven, but if he refused to back down from the offending statements there would be hell to pay.  Even if the offended person lost the fight, at least he demanded a reckoning for the rude and inflammatory words.

While physical violence is in no way a godly response to offensive statements, there is a simple principle demonstrated we in recent times can neglect.  When a lie is told publicly, it ought to be refuted publicly face-to-face--not out of personal offence but of love of the truth and others who can be misled by it.  In a conversation I shared with a friend recently he spoke of the desire I share to see those who make false claims to face a reckoning so they would stand corrected, take back the things said and be more careful in the future.  We have all said things we have regretted immediately but were too proud to confess our error, and other times it was not until someone reacted that we took the time to examine ourselves in truth, were convicted and repented.

Ultimately God will bring a reckoning upon everything we have said, typed, emailed, texted or even thought in our hearts as Jesus said in Matthew 12:35-37:  "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. ³⁶ But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. ³⁷ For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."  It can be an act of love for God and for others to call attention to things people have said so they might recognise the error of their words and ways.  Out of the fear of offending others or because we realise we are not without flaws ourselves we can be slack in this area, and I include myself.  But we see examples of this in the scripture we ought to take to heart and put in practice as led by the Holy Spirit, for sometimes the responsibility for a reckoning lies with us.

God asked pointed questions at times to His faithful followers like when He asked the prophet, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"  He asked Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry?"  Jeremiah 37:18-19 provides another example:  "Moreover Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, "What offense have I committed against you, against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison? ¹⁹ Where now are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, 'The king of Babylon will not come against you or against this land'?"  After Gaal had boasted in his strength Judges 9:38 says, "Then Zebul said to him, "Where indeed is your mouth now, with which you said, 'Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?' Are not these the people whom you despised? Go out, if you will, and fight with them now."  If God holds people to account for what they say, it is fitting we as children of God would do the same in the fear of God.

What the kid ready retaliate and throw hands on the playground has all wrong is the desire to inflict pain and punish the offender for hurtful comments.  Our modern-day fault can be the opposite, to ignore such comments out of fear as if the words were never said yet stow them away secretly in our hearts.  Like a viper held in our bosom a root of bitterness can grow and poison our attitudes and perspectives of others and foster division and discord.  Should so-called watchmen make predictions that do not come true it is fitting we would question them and not excuse them without a reckoning.  There is no need to enter a debate or argue with one who will not heed God's word or sound reason, but humbly speaking the truth in love ought to mark our conduct with all.  Should our words lead to us being reviled as Jesus was, let us not threaten or revile in response, knowing He is the One who will bring the ultimate reckoning--not only of what was said but how we responded to it.

Longsuffering of Our LORD

Tonight as a family we read through 2 Peter 3 that speaks of coming judgment which will result in the elements of the universe being on fire and dissolving in fervent heat.  It will be part of the God-ordained process of ushering in the new heavens and earth where righteousness dwells.  2 Peter 3:14-15 reads, "Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; ¹⁵ and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation--as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you..."  It is evident faith in God is to completely shape our view of the future as something to be looked forward to rather than dreading.

Nowhere in scripture are believers urged to dread what the future holds when our good God holds us close continually.  When I was a kid people would employ descriptions of a future state to put people in fear of punishment or being "left behind" to prompt them to respond to the Gospel message.  While it may not have been the best way to share the Gospel, it isn't fear of what's coming that should cause us to turn to God.  Peter urged those beloved by God to look forward "to these things" and be diligent to be found by Jesus in peace, being blameless.  Though we desire for the rapture of the church and Jesus to come quickly according to His promise (and we mean soon rather than being an unexpected surprise), consider that every day God demonstrates longsuffering is salvation:  an opportunity for people to be saved from the wrath to come and to be saved for the kingdom of God.

Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:13, "But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived."  The world is corrupted with sin and will grow worse, and there will be deceivers in the church who are deceived themselves.  This ought not cloud our view of Christ, nor should this put us in fear.  God has given us the truth of His word; God is with us and in us by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus Christ intercedes for us and bids us to approach Him to find mercy and grace in time of need.  Every day God allows us to remain on the earth is an opportunity to serve and glorify Him, to bring others to the knowledge of Christ and His love.  God is willing to continue to be longsuffering towards this world that is begging for judgment for sin so people have more opportunity to turn to Him.  There are Christians who, if God were to take them today, would not receive a full reward.  God desires them to turn to Him so they can receive all He has in store for them.

Beloved believer and follower of Jesus Christ, we have a future worth looking forward to because of our glorious Saviour who is good.  Let us heed God's word to be diligent to be found by Him in peace with Him and one another, to be without spot and blameless, and consider the longsuffering of our LORD is salvation.  We are being saved, and one day God we will receive our salvation in full according to His good promise.

Stand Fast in Grace

I enjoy illustrations from real life, and these can be found in the scriptures, our own experiences and those of others.  Recently I read an illustration that reminded me of a past experience and caused me to consider the jarring effect grace can have on our lives--in the best way.  I smiled as I came across this story in Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman:

"During my senior year at the Christian high school I attended, Mr. Hollingsworth was my chemistry teacher.  He did something a little unusual for our last final of the year.  He had been reading an article by Charles Stanley on the grace of God and wanted to show us what grace looked like.  He handed out a test to all of us that we knew would be difficult.  We had been preparing for this test for several months.  Before we began to take the test, he told us, "I want you to read through the entire test before you begin to take it."  As we read through the test most of us realized we were in trouble.  We should have studied more.  But then I got to the end of the multiple-page test and read these words at the bottom:  "You can try and get an A by taking this test or you can just put your name on it and automatically receive an A."  This was not a difficult choice.  I immediately signed my name, walked up to the desk, and headed out, thanking Charles Stanley for saving my chemistry grade.  But there was a girl in our class who was the daughter of the biology teacher.  She was quite intelligent and had studied hard.  Apparently she got quite upset because she had spent so much time studying, and it wasn't fair that everyone else was getting an "A" for nothing.  She stayed and took the test on principle.  If she was going to get an "A" she was going to earn it.  And a fan says, "I'm not taking any handouts--I can do this on my own."  They spend their lives carrying around the heavy burden of religion and making sure others carry that weight as well." (Idleman, Kyle. Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus. Zondervan, 2016. pages 80-81)

I had a similar experience with a final exam in university.  I had been doing well in the course, and crammed for hours to ace the final test and secure top marks.  While there were tests I did not look forward to because they were unexpected or challenging I approached with trepidation, I was ready for this one:  bring it on!  As the class commenced my professor started writing a list of names on the board and mine was included among them.  He said, "If your name is on the board, you are free to go.  You have top marks and there is no need to sit the exam."  A bit surprised by this unexpected turn of events, I experienced conflicting feelings.  Like the girl who wanted to take the chemistry exam on principle, I too had spent hours studying and I didn't want to feel like I had wasted my efforts.  But then again I was receiving the grade I had worked for through the term and was free to leave, so I was glad about that.  I even felt a little guilty I was being spared sitting the exam when a hundred others weren't.

I cannot say my experience in university was a life-changing experience, but the grace shown made a lasting impact in my memory.  There are plenty of final exams I do not remember taking at all that I spent hours pouring over them, yet I do remember the exam I never took!  The comparison pastor Idleman made concerning the one who refuses to receive grace rings true in my estimation, for I have sat in that seat many times.  I have identified with the older brother in the parable who was annoyed his father showed more favour to a wayward son than him; I have also seen myself in the vineyard workers who laboured in the heat of the day imagining I deserved more than those who only worked the last hour.  Receiving God's grace changes us and transforms our perspective towards Him and others.  The one who knows they need God's grace is more apt to freely offer it to others, and how great is our need.  Without the grace of God we perish, and by grace through faith we have new life.

When God's wisdom and grace become the principle thing, it exposes how our sense of justice has been distorted by our self-righteousness.  Our frustrations over unfairness reveals our lack of love and compassion towards others.  Jews in the early church struggled with their tendency to justify loading Gentiles with the Law they nor their fathers had been able to bear.  Gentiles received the Gospel by faith in Jesus and then were deluded to imagine the work God begun in the Spirit they could accomplish by efforts of their flesh.  Romans 5:1-2 is good to recall often:  "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."  Let us stand fast and continue in the grace of God (Acts 13:43) and rejoice in the hope of God's glory.

The God of Life

Recently images were released that were captured by the James Webb Space Telescope which cost about 10 billion dollars over two decades.  Superior to the Hubble telescope, the hope of scientists is images it collects from deep in space will lead to new insights and discoveries.  The NASA website puts it this way:  "Webb will solve mysteries in our solar system, look beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probe the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it."  On an ABC radio program yesterday during a news segment a reader said the telescope will provide the "explanation for life itself."  These sound like grand ambitions indeed.  I'm no astronomer or astrophysicist, but I have the sneaking suspicion the more we discover the more unanswered questions we will have.  And how many scientific discoveries were the means of overturning what we previously thought we knew to be true?

Wouldn't it be ironic if answers and revelations people invest decades and billions of dollars hope to discover beyond unseen reaches of the galaxy have already been provided?  There is no doubt value to what scientists will observe with the Webb telescope, but God has already revealed Himself as the Creator of all living things.  Many have heard this report yet do not agree with it; they do not like it and thus look for other explanations.  God has spoken in the quiet of our conscience and we will tune our frequencies to decipher static from space in a search for "intelligent life."  We will look beyond the miraculous abundance of life on earth to the distant galaxies, thinking there is something way out there to teach us when God's word we can hold in our hands and read in our own languages holds the key to everlasting life.

Before we who believe in the existence of God begin to foolishly feel smug over our knowledge of God who created the universe, the reality is God's people are notorious for not listening to Him.  Those who know God do not necessarily trust Him, and those who know God speaks truth do not always listen to or obey Him.  God has drawn near to us yet we drift from Him in ignorance.  Isaiah 48:16-19 says, "Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, I was there. and now the Lord GOD and His Spirit Have sent Me." ¹⁷ Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go. ¹⁸ Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea. ¹⁹ Your descendants also would have been like the sand, and the offspring of your body like the grains of sand; his name would not have been cut off nor destroyed from before Me."

We desire unbelieving people who do not know God to come to faith in Him, to acknowledge and trust in Him:  in this passage God expresses fervent desire for His people to draw near to Him, walk in His ways and experience His perfect peace.  Anyone can be guilty of admiring creation over the Creator, ascribing greatness to what was made rather than the Maker.  We can make our questions an idol even God must bow down before rather than receiving His revelation we can only know in part--and we can ask the wrong questions anyway.  It is remarkable:  one person sees the amazing pictures taken from the Webb telescope and marvels over how they are seeing "the place where a lot of the atoms inside your body were formed," and others marvel over the glory of God who made the heavens, earth and us.

The answers to life are not in distant galaxies only discernible through time-lapse photography:  God has spoken to us and provided us life by His grace because He loves us.  We ought to come near to God and hear Him, for He is our Redeemer and the LORD our God.  He is the living God and thus speaks today.  God is not a impossible puzzle to be deciphered but the almighty Creator who reveals Himself to us as all-knowing, all-powerful and perfectly good.  James 4:8 exhorts us, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded."  Let us not be as the children who do not like the answer Dad gave us so we seek out an answer from Mum, turning from God in the hope science or anything else will give us the answer we are looking for or are more comfortable with.  God is the God of all comfort, and if you want to know anything about life it is found in Him.  The observable universe has much to consider and marvel over, and in our glorying let us glory in our Saviour who IS our life.

By His Side

Years ago I heard an illustration in a sermon that made me smile because it agreed with my experience.  He talked about taking his dog for a walk and how the dog pulled on the lead, eager to smell everything and explore everywhere.  "I've got plans!" the dog was saying in his head.  The pastor said this can resemble us at times, thinking much of our plans when going on a walk was God's plan all along.  It is the person walking the dog who knows their route and destination.  Even if the dog is a reason to go on a walk it is the walker's decision to bring them along for the journey.

We can have all sorts of plans, ambitions and dreams, and these are not bad in themselves.  What the child of God is wise to realise is God has plans and purposes for us we never imagined, and sometimes if we were told the circumstances or trials due to lack of faith we would face we would dread and seek to avoid them!  Peter wrote to beloved believers in 1 Peter 4:12-13, "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; ¹³ but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy."  Fiery trials are not to be viewed as unwelcome guests by us because we know God has ordained them to exercise our faith.  In being partakers with Christ's suffering for following Him, we are also partakers of His glory and joy.

Suffering is a part of life on earth for every person.  The difference between the unbeliever and the believer is Christians have a balm for our wounds, rest for our souls and consolation that is infinitely greater than our pains.  If we balk at the idea that God's plans and purposes for us involve suffering, we only need to look to Christ's sufferings on Calvary.  He was an innocent and righteous man who was betrayed, condemned and crucified for the sins of the world.  Considering Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice we can receive 1 Peter 4:19:  "Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator."  The suffering we face for the sake of Christ is according to the will of God, and faith in Him enable us to receive this and commit our souls to Him in doing good.

We can content ourselves with thinking God is able to bring good things out of bad situations we might only know about in the eternal state in heaven.  But Peter laid out in the beginning of this epistle very clear purposes we can plainly know today in 1 Peter 1:6-9:  "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, ⁷ that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honour, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, ⁸ whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, ⁹ receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls."  Unless our faith in Christ is able to endure trials, it is not genuine and thus unable to save.  Being brought through trials with love and joy in Jesus brings praise and honour to Christ and is evidence of our eternal salvation and redemption.

God sent Jesus Christ to seek and save the lost.  God's will is that Jesus Christ would be glorified, and when we endure fiery trials with love of Jesus His purposes are accomplished.  With faith in Christ we have fellowship with God and find comfort and rest for our souls.  Aren't God's plans higher and better than ours?  We would choose to avoid the trial completely, yet God would have us right by His side in the thick of it as He leads us safely to glory.

God Is Creator

"I have made the earth, and created man on it. I--My hands--stretched out the heavens, and all their host I have commanded."

Isaiah 45:12

Many times God identifies Himself in scripture as the God who created all things, and thus He has supremacy over all things that were, are and will ever be.  It is strange to me, bizarre even, when professing believers deny this foundational and simple fact of God's character by ascribing to Darwinian evolution as an explanation for the origin of man, the earth or the universe.  God says He is the Creator also says He is the LORD, a Saviour and King.  In allowing His status as Creator to be undermined, all the rest can tumble along with it.  Either God created the feathers and behaviours of ducks, geese and eagles to be different from one another, or we must credit the blind, dumb chance of evolution.

God often told His people to remember what He had done, and in remembering His work in creating the world and birthing the nation Israel from slavery in Egypt was a boon to their faith in present trials.  Since God is able to say, "Let there be light!" and there was light, He can shed light on the darkest circumstances we may face.  Hear the word of the LORD in Isaiah 45:5-8:  "I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, ⁶ that they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other; ⁷ I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things.' ⁸ "Rain down, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together. I, the LORD, have created it."

During our lives on earth we will encounter many ideas and notions that vie for rule over our lives.  God is the LORD in truth, yet man can be content to serve lesser gods--even himself.  Men have given themselves over to the praise of men; some have committed themselves fully to an art form, sold out for money or the pursuit of various pleasures and power.  Many bow down before the god of evolution as the cause of the diversity in living things, glorifying the creature over the Creator.  God gives every person, based on considering the evidence with rational minds He has provided us, the opportunity to decide He is indeed the Creator who does these things, or He is not really the LORD He claims to be.

Since God has stretched out and commands the host of heaven, how humbling it is He would reveal Himself to us as our Creator, the God unlike any other:  He forms the light and creates darkness, makes peace and creates calamity.  He does all these things and accomplishes His divine purposes which are glorious, resulting in salvation and righteousness.  God sent His only begotten Son Jesus for the express purpose of redeeming mankind and giving us eternal life Darwinian evolutionary processes cannot observe, provide or promise.  If you believe God is the LORD of all, why deny He created all things like He said?

Man Repents and God Relents

We are blessed beyond words God graciously chooses to make Himself known.  He is unapproachable in glory yet revealed Himself to us that we fear Him and walk in His steps.  There remains a lot of misconceptions and erroneous caricatures of God which persist to this day, that He is ruthless or bloodthirsty, that He takes pleasure in punishing evildoers.  We humans have a tendency to project our own faults on others, and God is not excluded.

See what the LORD said in Jeremiah 26:2-3  "Thus says the LORD: 'Stand in the court of the LORD'S house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD'S house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Do not diminish a word. ³ Perhaps everyone will listen and turn from his evil way, that I may relent concerning the calamity which I purpose to bring on them because of the evil of their doings.'"  Being a righteous and just God, the sins of His people demanded judgment.  God sought an opportunity to relent from doing them harm by exhorting them to turn from their evil ways:  if they would repent of their sin, God would relent.  They were heading towards certain destruction, and God illuminated the way of life so they would choose His way instead.

God is not cruel or mean to urge the prophet Jeremiah not to "diminish a word" of His severe warning, for that would provide the strongest impetus for them to change.  Sometimes it takes a life-threatening illness to prompt a person to make changes to their lifestyle because it did not previously seem necessary.  God gave everyone an opportunity to heed His word in the Law and Prophets, for He supplied a way of escape through faith and obedience to Him.  When the destruction of Jerusalem was assured because of the people's refusal to obey God, only a fool would blame Him for their plight because He provided sure hope they dismissed.

The diminishment of the warnings of God's impending justice for sinners, whether they know and trust God or not, is a potential reason people do not recognise a pressing need for repentance of sin.  The dire warnings did not mean people would necessarily believe and repent, but this was the responsibility of the hearers.  Jeremiah's responsibility was to speak all the words God commanded him to those who would come to worship in the LORD's house without diminishing a word.  God tells us like it is whether we approve or not, and praise God His purpose is to relent from doing harm our sins demand.

My God Came Down

God's word is more than a treasure we hold with our hands or read with our eyes.  It goes to work on our hearts and minds, revealing the reality of God's goodness to people who were once blind and in spiritual darkness.  It has power to cleanse our minds from error as we drink it in and works to strengthen our faith as we heed it.  It reveals plainly spiritual and practical realities that were in operation long before we were  made aware of them.  Paul said he would not have known sin except by the Law of Moses, and we Gentiles would not have known or recognised Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah without God's word.

It is remarkable how God chose to inhabit human form and come to earth to seek and save sinners Himself.  It was incredible enough when He thundered and spoke from Mount Sinai; it was wonderful how He spoke to Elijah in a small, still voice.  Yet God did more than stoop to behold us in our condemned state, for He became one of us.  He brought the power, wisdom and love of God down to our level as He walked among men.  Luke 6:17-18 says of Jesus, "And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, ¹⁸ as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed."

After calling His apostles on the mount, Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place--literally and in a spiritual sense.  He came down to the level of people who were from all over, a multitude of Jews and Gentiles who came to hear Him, be healed of their diseases and delivered from the torment of unclean spirits.  They were healed because they came to Jesus who is able to save all who come to Him.  The miraculous healing Jesus performed was a sign that directed people to consider Who He was, that He was the Messiah God prophesied would be sent.  They would see the excellency of God in what He would do among them as Isaiah 35:4-6 reads, "Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you." ⁵ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. ⁶ Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert."

Who but Jesus has opened the eyes of people born blind, cause the deaf to hear and the lame to leap?  Who else can give the Living Water of the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?  Though His vengeance is yet to be displayed to all, let us praise Him with our whole hearts for coming down to our level, for revealing Himself as the Light of the World to those who were in darkness awaiting eternal judgment. May our praise, gratitude and thanksgiving be lifted up to His throne of grace, where having sat down He reigns on high over all.

Seeing Our Need

There are things in life that do not resolve well on their own.  Without medical intervention there are a myriad of health problems which persist until they are intentionally treated.  I remember my Granddad had cataracts, which is a clouding of the lens in the eye.  It progressed to a point while driving he struggled to make out whether the light was illuminated green or red!  After submitting to a surgical procedure, he was able to see clearly.  With the advances of technology, what was once a risky operation with common poor outcomes is now safe and very effective.

As cataracts are a condition which progress over time and cause blindness, so it is spiritually with pride.  If left unchecked, pride progressively leads to the destruction of people and nations--and pride does not appreciate being checked!  Even as cataracts are often a result of the ageing process, it seems success and prosperity can play a role in feeding and coddling pride.  At one time king Saul was a humble man, but only after a matter of years of being crowned he was no longer small in his own eyes.  He sought praise and adoration of his people, blowing a trumpet to announce his successful military operations.  King Nebuchadnezzar also was filled with pride, and though being warned by God was likely unwilling and unable to humble himself because he was saturated with it.  The person blinded by a cataract cannot see what they are blind to.

Pride is not only a dangerous pitfall for the powerful or wealthy.  After God delivered the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt, He warned them not to be lifted up with pride and forget the LORD God and all He had done for them:  they needed God in prosperity even as they cried out to Him for help in poverty.  Moses wrote to God's people in Deuteronomy 8:11-19:

"Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, ¹² lest--when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; ¹³ and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; ¹⁴ when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; ¹⁵ who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; ¹⁶ who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end--¹⁷ then you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.' ¹⁸ And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. ¹⁹ Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the LORD your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish."

When we have eaten and are full, we lack hunger that prompted us to eat in the first place.  Having a comfortable house, stores of food and money to purchase all we need can cause us to forget how much we still need God.  Amazingly, pride would cause the perspective of the people to be distorted to believe it was by their power and might of their hands that was responsible for their prosperity rather than God who delivered them from slavery, led them through the wilderness, protected them from harm, miraculously provided water from the rock, fed them with bread from heaven.  God brought them through difficult trials to humble them to learn to fear the LORD and rely upon Him for all things, for He is the source of all good we enjoy.  God made a covenant with His people to exclusively serve Him, and if or when they were lifted up with pride and deviated from his covenant, it would be their ruin.

Cataracts have been blinding people for millennia, and pride has led to the condemnation of Satan, kings and people from the beginning of time.  Samuel couldn't do anything about Saul's pride, and Daniel couldn't do anything about Nebuchadnezzar's pride.  Like my Granddad needed to make an appointment and go to the doctor, to humble himself to undergo a procedure, so we must each humble ourselves before the holy God.  Unlike cataracts which only affect a portion of people, pride is endemic to all people.  In His wisdom, God allows things we see as bad or negative to remind us of how much we need Him.  If you look around and see things as bad and growing worse, then our role is to humble ourselves before God.

Consider what God said to Solomon after he dedicated the temple in Jerusalem to the LORD with feasting in 2 Chronicles 7:13-16:  "When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, ¹⁴ if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. ¹⁵ Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. ¹⁶ For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually."  The implications of God's promise is immense when we consider the new covenant by the blood of Jesus makes every born-again Christian the temple of the Holy Spirit.  We ought to have no allowances for pride in us (though it rises up continually in the flesh), for Jesus came to seek and save lost sinners.

It is for us, fellow believers, to humble ourselves, pray and seek the LORD's face, to turn from our wicked ways, and we have the promise God will certainly hear our prayers and answer.  He has forgiveness and healing for the land of all who draw near to Him in faith.  A land may be marred with bloodshed and soaked with tears, yet there remains hope in God.  His eyes are open to see believers' plight and His ear attentive to our voices, for He has chosen and sanctified us by grace.  We are His precious, purchased possession for all eternity.  God said of the temple that once stood, "My eye and My heart will be there perpetually," and this is true regarding the presence of the Holy Spirit who resides within us.  How humbling it is to know God, and blessed it the man who knows He needs God in prosperity.  Such will even praise and thank God in adversity, for it is a gentle, merciful and gracious reminder of our need for Him always.

Our Treasure in Heaven

The circumstances depicted in Genesis 13 are good for us to consider:  will we lift our eyes and take for ourselves, or will we wait on the LORD who bids us lift our eyes to receive all He has provided for us?  How good it is to realise all we need for life and godliness is in Him alone!

Conflict broke out between the servants of Lot and Abram because the land where they settled was not able to support all their flocks and herds.  Abram humbly approached Lot and pleaded that he separate from him, and offered him first choice of where he desired to go.  Lot lifted his eyes and saw the Jordan plain was well-watered, and it was likened to the garden of Eden God made to flourish before the flood.  Genesis 13:11 said, "Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other."  Lot chose what appeared to be the best choice, and they separated from one another.

Genesis 13:14-15 reads, "And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: "Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are--northward, southward, eastward, and westward; ¹⁵ for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever."  By faith Abram received the land and the promise of God of descendants when he was yet to have a son or daughter.  Lot took for himself land that would be rendered desolate in judgment in a matter of years, yet God gave all the land Abram could see with an everlasting promise.

What a good reminder this is for followers of Jesus Christ, that we would look to Him, wait on His counsel and remember His awesome works.  We have been born against by the Gospel and it is God's good pleasure to give us the kingdom where no rust or moth destroys, where no thieves break in and steal.  Our treasure is in heaven because Jesus is there preparing a place for us to abide with Him forever in His presence.  This world and everything in it will pass away, but we have the blessed hope by faith in Christ of an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for us.  May the power of God that keeps us through faith unto salvation also keep us walking in the love and fear of God, looking unto Him with joyful praise as long as we live.

Better than choosing for ourselves what we cannot keep, how blessed we are to be kept by God who has chosen us for His inheritance according to His grace. :)

Jeremiah and Jesus

The Law of Moses is a shadow of the new covenant of the Gospel Jesus would usher in through His death and resurrection.  Like a living, breathing person differs from a human likeness enshrined in a wax museum, so Jesus Christ excels all prophets and rulers who preceded Him.  The Law prepared God's people to receive God's forgiveness and love they could not earn or ever deserve.

Last night I was struck with the stark contrast between the prayer and desires of the prophet Jeremiah under the covenant of Law and Jesus who instituted the new covenant in His own blood.  Consider the prayer of the prophet in Jeremiah 18:19-23:  "Give heed to me, O LORD, and listen to the voice of those who contend with me! ²⁰ Shall evil be repaid for good? For they have dug a pit for my life. Remember that I stood before You to speak good for them, to turn away Your wrath from them. ²¹ Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; let their wives become widows and bereaved of their children. Let their men be put to death, their young men be slain by the sword in battle. ²² Let a cry be heard from their houses, when You bring a troop suddenly upon them; for they have dug a pit to take me, and hidden snares for my feet. ²³ Yet, LORD, You know all their counsel which is against me, to slay me. Provide no atonement for their iniquity, nor blot out their sin from Your sight; but let them be overthrown before You. Deal thus with them in the time of Your anger."

Wow.  Under Law Jeremiah was justified in praying thus, for it followed the tenor of blessing and cursing throughout.  He was zealous for the Holy God of Israel and had bore the brunt of ungodly and wicked schemes.  Jeremiah spoke the truth and was hated for it.  He was persecuted for obedience to God and suffered great grief over their refusal to turn from their wicked ways to God.  Did not Jesus face all that Jeremiah did and more?  Men on earth and Satan contended with Him, and they schemed to murder Him.  They did not just plot wickedness but achieved their end through deceit, lies, betrayal and bribery.  Jeremiah prayed there would be no atonement for those who plotted against him, yet on the cross Jesus provided atonement for the sins of the world.  Among the words He uttered on the cross, those concerning His adversaries were brief and flavoured with love and grace in Luke 23:34:  "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."

Incredible!  Jesus knew His Father knew all things and thus had no need to explain His situation in detail.  Jeremiah desired no atonement or forgiveness of sin for those who had wronged him, but that was and is the desire of Jesus' heart.  Jesus was flogged and asked for them to be forgiven; He was crucified and killed according to their designs but breathed compassion and grace to the Father as He laid down his life for lost sinners.  The Law condemns without mercy, but the Gospel offers atonement and forgiveness by grace.  Followers of Jesus ought not to resemble Jeremiah in desiring the destruction of the wicked but to walk in agreement with the love of Christ that longs for their salvation and redemption.