Gift of Suffering

I was reminded of the film Silence today, specifically how the persecution of Jesuit priests by the Japanese for the sake of the Gospel proved ineffective to stop their ministry.  The antagonists found their brutal tortures only seemed to goad the priests to further sacrifice to spread the Good News of Christianity.  In the film, the Japanese changed their approach and discovered they made inroads to hinder the ministry by making the congregants suffer.  This created a conflict within the priests who felt personally responsible for causing the pain, suffering and death of the local people.  Had those missionaries considered the teaching of scripture, it perhaps would have changed their outlook to realise believers are appointed by God to suffer and were never at the mercy of their enemies.

Hearing this, some may see this appointment to suffering as a blight upon God's goodness and righteous character.  But how can one say this when Jesus went through suffering and crucifixion for our good and will ultimately end our suffering forever?  A biblical perspective is suffering is actually a gift (our flesh would gladly avoid receiving or return if it could) as it says in Philippians 1:27-30:  "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸ and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. ²⁹ For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, ³⁰ having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me."  Remaining steadfast in suffering by faith in Jesus--without  any fear of enemies--reveals faith to be genuine and powerful to save.  We can rejoice to suffer for Christ knowing it has been ordained of God for us to believe in Him but also to suffer for His sake.

A key theme of the book of Philippians is exhorting Christians to rejoice in the LORD always, and this rejoicing in God was despite all the trials and suffering Paul experienced.  Further on in the letter he wrote in Philippians 3:8-11:  "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; ¹⁰ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, ¹¹ if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."  Paul viewed suffering the loss of all things for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ as a most worthy trade.  His genuine faith resulted in righteousness being credited to him and thus he would experience the presence of God, the power of the resurrection to life, and fellowship of Christ's sufferings.  Suffering was something Paul and all Christians can share in common with our Saviour Jesus, and this draws those who trust Jesus closer to Him day by day.

It may be easier for us to personally experience suffering for Christ than to watch others suffer.  But we are not without hope or help in this case, even if we are ourselves helpless to change the situation or end the season of suffering.  That is what God has promised to do.  Know that in our suffering God is working to accomplish good things we never dreamed possible--like love increasing and abounding towards all and establishing hearts blameless in holiness (1 Thess. 3:11:13).  If you have faith to endure suffering and loss of all things for the sake of knowing Christ, we can exercise that faith that God is good and sovereign in the lives of other believers as well.  Glory to God for His redeeming grace, for He is truly able to make all things work together for good to those who love God.

The Scale Insect War

I have found gardening challenging in Sydney.  It feels like something is always against you, whether it be nutrient poor soil or clay, variety of turf or weeds, birds or extreme heat.  Grubs and insects also pose a problem that can go unnoticed until damage is done to roots or leaves.  The most recurring problem I have in our area is scale insects that attach themselves like barnacles to the top and underside of leaves as well as digging into the branches.  I don't know how long scale insects were on our lime tree until I noticed them by looking closely, and only then did I begin to realise the extent of the infestation and the damage they were doing.

From what I have read, the scale insects draw nutrients from the tree and then excrete honeydew which attracts ants and causes sooty black mould.  The mould doesn't directly harm the tree, but when it builds up on the leaves it can inhibit photosynthesis and cause leaves to drop off.  Quiet and sedentary, scale ignored will drain a tree of life.  Suffice it to say, it would not do much good to wash the leaves with water and mild soap unless treatment is applied to the root cause:  scale insects.  At first I started occasionally removing the scale insects by hand and washing off the black mould.  But it was only a matter of time before the sedentary scale was almost magically back on nearly every leaf in great numbers (thankfully the tree is small).

The only way to rid the tree of scale was by making the treatment of scale the first priority, for half-hearted measures only provided temporary benefits.  I looked online and bought Neem oil to spray on the tree every 3 - 4 days after removing the scale by hand.  Every day as I look into the yard through a window, the light passing through the leaves reveals small black dots of scale that sneakily hug the underside of leaves and dodge the spray.  As of now I am still in the thick of battle with scale that has required daily attention for weeks.  The pests were hardly hindered when I waited weeks before cleaning and treating the leaves, and my experience shows that my desire to have a tree free of scale will not and cannot happen unless I do something drastic about it.

This is a good object lesson concerning our need to declare war on sin and folly in our lives--without holding anything back.  Half measures will accomplish no lasting benefit and only provide opportunity for infestation to persist and wreak havoc.  It is a great shame when sinful thoughts, desires and actions begin to have a place in our minds and hearts.  Like the scale that drain vitality from a tree, so sin saps our spiritual strength and hinders our growth and fruitfulness.  A tree planted by rivers of water that brings fruit in season can be infested with scale insects, and thus there must be close, regular inspection of our hearts.  The fruit of our lips can be indicators all is not well in our hearts, and it is the Holy Spirit who does this inspection and brings conviction of sin.  God will use His word, others and our own conscience to expose sin inside us, and He gives us the ability to repent of sin and do what pleases God.

One recurring problem with sin that hinders our fellowship with God and fruitfulness as Christians is not always seen as deadly or troublesome as sin that damns the unregenerate to hell.  Some do not see sin that is not leading to death as a "salvation issue."  However, in one sense it is a salvation issue, for having been saved by grace through faith we are called to abound more and more in living in the way that pleases God!  Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches.  If God calls us to bear fruit and prunes us so that we would bear more fruit, then sin needs to be dealt with immediately and most severely.  Our problem may not be sins in themselves but hindrances or habits that prevent us from being spiritually healthy.

David sang 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."  He also penned in Psalm 51:6-7:  "Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. ⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."  Jesus compared the Pharisees with whitewashed tombs that were clean in appearance but inside were unclean and polluted by dead corpses who defiled others.  Unless we make renewed effort to put off sin in the fear God and walk in humble obedience before Jesus our LORD and Saviour, any Christian can end up resembling them.

Dealing Faithfully

When a person sees a need and puts a plan together to accomplish something good, it doesn't guarantee good results--even for kings.  King Joash noticed the temple was becoming dilapidated and in need of repair, so he commanded dedicated gifts and census tax brought by the people were to be received by the priests for the purpose of repairing the temple.  It seems years passed before it was evident the priests continued to receive money but no work had been done on the building.  The priests had plenty of responsibilities already, and I suspect not all of them were skilled builders who were able to address the disrepair.  After the king confronted the priests for their inaction on the repairs, they agreed not to receive any more money or be the ones responsible for fixing the temple.

A new plan was put into motion in 2 Kings 12:9-12:  "Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest, bored a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one comes into the house of the LORD; and the priests who kept the door put there all the money brought into the house of the LORD. ¹⁰ So it was, whenever they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the king's scribe and the high priest came up and put it in bags, and counted the money that was found in the house of the LORD.¹¹ Then they gave the money, which had been apportioned, into the hands of those who did the work, who had the oversight of the house of the LORD; and they paid it out to the carpenters and builders who worked on the house of the LORD, ¹² and to masons and stonecutters, and for buying timber and hewn stone, to repair the damage of the house of the LORD, and for all that was paid out to repair the temple."

The desire to repair the house of the LORD was good, but the initial plan did not go to plan.  Having people give their money by placing it in the box prevented the priests using it for another purpose, and the money in the box established a budget to hire carpenters, labourers, masons, stonecutters and to procure materials for the work.  The apportioned money was given into the hands of those who actually did the work, and there was no need to require an account of their spending because the workers "dealt faithfully."  The priests and workers were both trustworthy in their service to the LORD, and it is a great blessing when God's people are faithful in their business.  I do not view the lack of financial accountability as a pattern for modern businesses or churches to follow, but the integrity shown by all parties is certainly admirable and sets a high standard for all God's people in His service.  God's people ought to be trustworthy.

The financial needs of the priests were supported by another means as 2 Kings 12:16 says:  "The money from the trespass offerings and the money from the sin offerings was not brought into the house of the LORD. It belonged to the priests."  During a walking tour of Sydney, a common place to visit is the Rum Hospital--which was literally funded by the sale of 60,000 gallons of spirits.  I wonder how many of those who purchased spirits needed medical attention as a result!  It was deemed inappropriate for money given as a trespass offering for sin would be used to make new pillars, doors or tiles of the house of the LORD.  Yet the money given for sin was suitable to meet the needs of priests and was their portion to support themselves and their families.  This situation that unfolded during the reign of Joash shows a good end is the result of organised, proper means, and how important it is to carefully observe if the agreed-upon plan is being implemented.  When a plan with a good aim is not having the intended results, it is time to gather together those who deal faithfully and put a new plan into action.

Appointment of Affliction

Today at Calvary Chapel Sydney one topic of discussed in the sermon was how God appointed Christians to affliction and also to endure with joy.  To believers who faced persecution and suffered for the sake of Christ, Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13, "And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, ¹³ so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.  God had constructive and redemptive benefits for the appointment with affliction the Thessalonians and all Christians, to the end God would establish our hearts blameless in holiness.  We might not prefer or enjoy the process, but we cannot fault God or His results.

When I think of dentist appointments, they are more of a "should" or "have to" rather than I "want to."  The only time I would welcome or gladly anticipate a dentist appointment is when I experiencing terrible pain and am desperate for relief.  When it comes to affliction God appoints for us, we typically do not see our need for it or the benefit it will provide.  By faith in God we are enabled to trust Him in the midst of pain, knowing He will bring good out of the trial in His miraculous, glorious way.  His intent is for us to rejoice in Him and grow in love of God and others--especially when our flesh would rather avoid or escape from our circumstances.  His desire is to bring us to a place of contentment and surrender in Him that we are willing to face and joyfully endure every trial He allows us to face.

During a mission trip in Cambodia, I observed an inconsolable young boy who had been brought to a dental clinic.  Fearful and crying, this little lad could not be calmed by his pleading family or the dentist who was kind and gentle.  The family who brought him said he often cried himself to sleep because of pain from decaying teeth that needed extraction.  Simply administering the anaesthetic proved a difficult chore, and after much consoling (and likely threatening!) from the family, the task of numbing the area was done.  But whenever the dentist drew close the boy would move violently and made dental work impossible.  Because the boy was unwilling, ultimately the dentist declined to attempt the procedure.  I was surprised how quickly the demeanor of the boy changed.  He was pleased the whole operation was over and smiled for the first time, but there was one huge problem:  his decaying teeth had not been addressed.  The pain he would face later when the anaesthetic wore off would be a constant reminder of the reason for being seen by a dentist!

How many times have we been like that dear little boy, suffering from fear and pain during a divine appointment with affliction without comprehending God's purpose behind it?  It would be a shame that our unwillingness to submit our lives before the LORD in faith would deprive ourselves of blessings God has in store for us.  God desires our trust of Him would grow and our love would abound to all as we choose to rejoice in our Saviour in every season of life.  In this world there are plenty of opportunities to give place to fear, bitterness or worry, but we are called to be casting our cares upon the LORD Jesus who cares for us.  As our hearts increase in love God is able to establish our hearts "blameless in holiness," and our LORD Jesus Christ is at the door.  If we value teeth that are straight and free of decay at great monetary cost and physical discomfort, we ought to desire our love to increase and abound--even if an appointment with affliction is God's means to achieve this.

The Christian's Witness

Under the Law of Moses, a minimum of eyewitnesses were required to sentence a guilty murderer to death.  This shows the weight God puts upon the words people spoke in testifying of a person's guilt or innocence.  The Law contained safeguards against false testimony in Deuteronomy 19:16-19:  "If a false witness rises against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing, ¹⁷ then both men in the controversy shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days. ¹⁸ And the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother, ¹⁹ then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother; so you shall put away the evil from among you."  The result of carrying out justice against false witnesses was powerful motivation to only speak the truth.

In conversation, when someone tells me the outcome of a rugby match, how many years he has been married, or how many children he has, I am inclined to believe him until I see evidence that suggests otherwise.  I do not demand a birth certificate be produced to believe today is someone's birthdate or to confirm what his or her middle name is.  The ironic thing is, the one who demands to see a birth certificate to verify the date or place of birth could subsequently deny the authenticity of the document!  Such a one may never be convinced of the truth because they are unwilling to believe--not because of the lack of evidence.  The Law of Moses identifies liars as false witnesses, and thus there are witnesses that speak the honest truth.  The Bible reveals God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit to be the epitome of a true witness.

The apostle John testified of the reality of the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ, being an eyewitness of His glory.  He testified in 1 John 1:1-3:  "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life--² the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us--³ that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ."  John observed, heard and touched Jesus Christ before and after His death and resurrection.  John said the spirit of antichrist was already in the world who denied Jesus came in the flesh, yet the Holy Spirit bore witness Jesus indeed came in the flesh in 1 John 5:6:  "This is He who came by water and blood--Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth."

Jesus was identified by water and the Holy Spirit when baptised by John the Baptist, for the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove and alighted upon Him.  John the Baptist testified in John 1:34, "And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."  Jesus was shown to be human in His crucifixion on Calvary and was confirmed dead by a Roman soldier.  John 19:33-37 reads, "But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. ³⁴ But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. ³⁵ And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. ³⁶ For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken." ³⁷ And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced."  By water, blood and the Holy Spirit testimony of Jesus Christ being the Son of God has been given.

Verses we discussed last night at Bible study I found very encouraging in 1 John 5:9-10:  "If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. ¹⁰ He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son."  Since we receive the testimony of a man without requiring an oath to believe, the witness of God is far greater and always true.  Having been born again by faith in Jesus, every Christian has the witness of God--the Holy Spirit--in himself!  Based on His true testimony we are assured of many glorious truths mentioned in 1 John 5:20:  "And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life."  How awesome it is to know the Son of God has come and given us wisdom to know God who is true and that we are in Christ.  He is the true God and eternal life, and we are His witnesses!

Course Corrections

Whether riding a bike or driving a car, there are countless course corrections required as to navigate along the correct route.  Slowing for speed humps, avoiding debris, and changing lanes require minute adjustments to navigate roads safely.  Paved roads are often marked with bright and reflective paint so lanes are clearly delineated.  There can also be reflectors glued to the road that make an audible noise and physical sensation to notify a driver they are exiting their lane and entering another one.  On long stretches of highway it is not uncommon to have grooves cut into the bitumen that make a loud sound (kind of like a TIE fighter in Star Wars) to warn drifting drivers they are heading off the road.

One thing I considered recently was how God established more boundaries that delineated crossing into sin as time went on.  Adam and Eve only had one prohibition, and that was not to eat of the tree in the midst of the Garden of Eden.  After the flood God established the murder of human beings as a sin to be avoided and also made man responsible to administer justice on murderers.  It was not until after the children of Israel came out of Egypt that God gave them the Law of Moses and the 10 Commandments that dealt with the proper worship of God and commands to avoid the sinful sexual conduct that was rife among the nations.  History shows mankind's natural inclinations are always to do what God reveals later to be sin, and God's people were to heed His commands rather than follow the downward spiral to ruin that we observe in this world.

Those who have repented of their sin and turned to Jesus by faith have made a huge course correction in their lives.  Christians are people whose lives were headed straight to hell who have been born again by  faith, and now our life consists of trusting and obeying Jesus.  As we have been spiritually changed within, this transformation should be reflected in our decisions.  During our Christian pilgrimage, we can be faithfully following Jesus and still daily course corrections are needed.  This change of direction may not be as overtly drastic as when we first came to Christ, but these intentional adjustments are just as important to maintain fellowship with Christ.  In driving, small course corrections are the difference between hitting those bumps and steering back to the centre of the lane or careening off the road and ending up in a ditch.

Paul said by experience in 1 Corinthians 6:12:  "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any."  There were things Paul did that he discovered were not helpful, even things that began to bring him under the power of something or someone other than the Holy Spirit.  This required an intentional course correction, to steer his life back into the centre of God's will.  He later wrote in the same epistle in 1 Corinthians 10:23:  "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify."  Not everything that was lawful or appropriate for Paul to do was helpful or edifying.  By God's grace he recognised habits and pursuits that were not building him up in faith and godliness.

As born again Christians, it is good for us to consider what small course corrections God would have us implement in our lives when we realise a good thing can be taken too far, we have drifted from seeking the LORD, or our priorities are out of line with God's will.  Instead of looking through the lens of whether something is legal or lawful, it is better to consider whether our food, drink, sex life, a habit or activity is helpful, brings us under its power or edifies us.  Repentance from sin shouldn't be narrowly viewed only as a 180-degree turn from sin but even a one-degree course correction to turn from what is becoming or has become sin for us as the Holy Spirit guides us to walk righteously.

Moved by Prayer

After some meetings I have attended I later thought to myself, "Now that was a waste of time."  A prayer meeting has never been one of those meetings.  Even when it was a struggle to arrive at the meeting on time or there were other pressing matters, meeting to pray with others or alone before the LORD is always a productive and encouraging blessing.  The Bible teaches us when we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us--and God never disappoints (James 4:8).  We are easily disappointed and frustrated, but faith in God exercised by prayer brings sure expectation of good now and in the future.

I was edified to read a couple chapters in Spiritual Leadership yesterday, and here is a highlight of what was included on the subject of prayer:

"One of the most frequently quoted of Hudson Taylor's statements is his expression of conviction that "it is possible  to move men, through God, by prayer alone."  In the course of his missionary career he demonstrated its truth a thousand times.  However, it is one thing to give mental assent to his motto, but quite another thing consistently to put it into practice.  Men are difficult objects to move, and it is much easier to pray for temporal needs than for situations which involve the intricacies and stubbornness of the human heart.  But it is in just such situations that the leader must prove his power to move human hearts in the direction in which he believes the will of God lies...

To move men, the leader must be able to move God, for He has made it clear that He moves them through the prayers of the intercessor.  If a scheming Jacob could be given "power with God and with men," then is it not possible for any leader who is willing to comply with the conditions to enjoy the same power? (Gen. 32:8)

Prevailing prayer of this kind is the outcome of a correct relationship with God.  Reasons for unanswered prayer are stated with great clarity in Scripture, and they all center around the believer's relationship with God.  He will not be party to petitions of mere self-interest, nor will He countenance impurity of motive.  Sin clung to and cherished will effectively close His ear.  Least of all will He tolerate unbelief, the mother of sins.  "He that cometh to God must believe."  Everywhere in prayer there is the condition, either expressed or implied, that the paramount motive in praying is the glory of God." (Sanders, J. Oswald. Spiritual Leadership. Marshall Pickering, 1986. pages 82 & 84)

God cannot be moved by force, but He delights to move by childlike faith of those who seek Him and make their requests known to God, believing He is able to do everything.  It is not possible for anyone or anything to move God by an act of the will or power of man, but God grants us faith to pray that He move and work according to His will.  Psalm 55:22 says, "Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."  Because our God is immoveable and eternal, we are always upheld by His grace.  At the same time He gladly moves in response to our praying, and this should encourage us to be casting our cares upon the LORD who cares for us.

The Burrito Lesson

I was reminded recently of an interaction with a stranger in the car park of a Mexican restaurant near Point Loma in California many years ago.  After enjoying some carne asada burritos, an impromptu game of hacky-sack broke out in the carpark between a few university-aged friends and myself.  A man approached our circle, not to join in with our clumsy game, but to ask for money to buy a burrito because he was hungry.

We looked at each other hesitantly because we weren't certain the man was telling us the truth.  So after a brief back and forth we agreed we would be happy to buy him the burrito he asked for.  He immediately began backpedalling on his initial request.  "I'm more hungry than I thought," he said, "and I'm gonna need something that really sticks to my ribs.  A burrito ain't enough.  I need money for the carne asada combo plate."  Ah, now the motivation became clear!  It seemed the man had a hunger a burrito could not satisfy.  We mused, "If you're really hungry, why would you turn down the burrito you asked for?  A burrito was enough for each of us.  Seems like it's the money you're after and not the burrito."  The man insisted he was hungry and would spend the money on the combo plate, but in the end he walked away from the offer of a carne asada burrito because it wasn't quite enough food for his ravenous appetite.

This was a case when actions spoke truer than words.  Had the man hungrily inhaled the first burrito, I have no doubt we would have given him a second or even a third just to see him mow through them!  But the man's actions spoke of a person who had his heart set on receiving money to spend on something other than a burrito.  His request for a burrito was dishonest from the start because he had an ulterior motive:  to use the request for a burrito to collect money to spend on something else.  The man insisted he was on the level, but his actions said something completely different.  It was only by us offering to provide the burrito it brought awareness that is was never about buying carne asada burritos or combo plates:  it was about money.

This is good for Christians to keep in mind when people (Christians or not) ask us questions on matters of faith.  We can be frustrated when we do the equivalent of supplying the burrito as requested and it is rejected as unsatisfactory because it was not enough.  No amount of burritos will ever be sufficient when one does not want a burrito in the first place!  In these situations, more important than answering the question is to address the questioner to see what their motivation is in asking.  With God's help we are best equipped to ascertain the heart of the matter and be guided in His wise ways in how to lovingly respond--even when someone is the victim of their own dishonesty and left empty.  In due time hunger pangs may bring them back for a burrito, and it will be a joy to share a meal with a truly hungry soul.

Cursed No More

Prior to God's overthrow of Jericho, the Hebrews were strictly warned not to take any spoils from the city.  Joshua warned the people in Joshua 6:18-19:  "And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. ¹⁹ But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the LORD; they shall come into the treasury of the LORD."  Anyone who took of the spoil was robbing God of what was consecrated to Him and would bring an accursed thing into the camp.  History has shown that on every occasion God has established something as sin, someone will choose to transgress His command--and the fall of Jericho was no exception.

There was a man named Achan who took gold, silver and clothing from Jericho and buried it in his tent.  No one but his immediate family was privy to this trespass until the children of Israel were routed by a relatively small number of fighting men of Ai.  36 men of Israel died while the rest ran for their lives, unable to even stand before their enemies.  Joshua prostrated himself before the LORD with grief, wondering and questioning why such a disaster had come to pass.  God had full knowledge of what had happened and said in Joshua 7:11, "Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff."  Bringing the accursed things into the camp brought a curse, and the solution was simple:  identify the guilty, take away the accursed things, and execute judgment upon the transgressors.

It is no surprise the children of Israel were unable to stand and contend with their enemies unless God helped them.  What fills me with wonder is though the children of Israel fell before the men of Ai, by God's grace they were strengthened to overcome the curse of sin by exposing transgression, confessing their sin, and ridding themselves of the accursed things.  Sin is more powerful than any man or army, for there is no man who can purge themselves of sin's curse that brings separation from God and eternal death.  They could not stand before a handful of enemies due to their sin, but by God's power they were able to overcome the great sin that cursed them and rendered them powerless.  By faith in God, repentance of sin and humble obedience to God, God restored the children of Israel to a close relationship with Him.

Here is a great encouragement for Christians who have a relationship with God through faith in Jesus.  We do not have the strength or power in ourselves to save ourselves from sin any more than the Hebrews did when they faced the warriors of Ai.  But when we confess and repent of our sins, we are divinely enabled to cast all accursed things from us and be reconciled to God according to His covenant and grace.  1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  As Jesus Christ has overcome the curse of sin and death, we are made victorious by faith and live in joyous submission to His holiness.  

A Soothing Aroma

In preparation for a recent Bible study, I considered how not all smoke is the same.  When I was fitted as a tradesman for a half-face respirator to remove asbestos, we were told to breathe normally while our instructor sprayed irritant smoke all around the seal.  The concept was the irritant smoke would provide clear evidence the mask was incorrectly fitted when the person started coughing.  The irritant smoke was harmless--unlike the microscopic fibres we were trying to prevent from lodging in our lungs that could lead to cancer and death.  Our instructor, because he was a bit of a mean old fellow, insisted everyone take an unmasked whiff of the irritant smoke for his own amusement.  And for the record, it really is irritating.

I have sat around many campfires that resulted in smoke blowing into my eyes that made them burn and water.  After blinking back tears and holding my breath, I moved from one side of the fire only to have the breeze shift and smoke me out yet again.  This was the experience God described in dealings with His people when they provoked Him to anger with their disobedience and hypocrisy in Isaiah 65:2-5:  "I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, according to their own thoughts; ³ a people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face; who sacrifice in gardens, and burn incense on altars of brick; ⁴ who sit among the graves, and spend the night in the tombs; who eat swine's flesh, and the broth of abominable things is in their vessels; ⁵ who say, 'Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am holier than you!' These are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all the day."  The self-righteousness of God's rebellious people were like someone intentionally blowing cigarette smoke right in the face, an unpleasant experience everyone tries to avoid.

In contrast to irritant smoke, the burn of a campfire or the smell of cigarette smoke blown in the face, the gentle waft of smoke whilst smoking meat is another experience all together.  Unlike those who scramble to escape the caustic smoke from a fire outdoors, people are often drawn to the smell of smoked meat to say, "Something smells good!"  The aroma from a smoker is one that speaks of careful preparation, seasoning of select cuts, careful temperature control and the intent to partake of delicious flavours of life-sustaining food with others.  Gatherings before the LORD often involved feasting, and the smell of sacrifices offered by faith from hearts marked with joy, gratitude and generosity were pleasing to both man and God.  After Noah offered clean animals in sacrifice to the LORD following the flood Genesis 8:21 says, "And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, "I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done."

It was not the offering of burnt sacrifices that pleased God but hearts that were made righteous by faith in God revealed by obedience to Him.  When the hearts and lives of God's people were not submitted to Him, He wanted nothing to do with their sacrifices--even though the smell of roasted beef smells delicious to us.  God spoke through the prophet in Amos 5:21-22, "I hate, I despise your feast days, and I do not savor your sacred assemblies. ²² Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings."  The people did not comprehend God valued obedience over sacrifice!  Yet when God's people humbled their hearts in repentance from their sins and amended their ways, He was pleased with their obedience as it is written in Psalm 51:19:  "Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then they shall offer bulls on Your altar."

Jesus did not fault the Pharisees for tithing of their firstfruits and herbs, but His complaint was they neglected the weightier matters of the Law.  He said in Matthew 23:23:  "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone."  He also said in Luke 11:42:  "But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone."  We do well to tithe of our increase of God, but our gifts become the equivalent of irritant smoke before the LORD instead of sweet aroma when we neglect to love others or walk justly.  Let us not pass by or neglect to examine our hearts, confess and repent of sin, and labour to do the things that please God.  If we prepared our hearts before the LORD as circumspectly as we prepare smoked brisket or ribs to serve guests to eat, we will have done well.

Blessed by Jesus

Jesus Christ proved to be the answer to the longing in Job's heart.  When this God-fearing man suffered greatly in a trial, he mused in Job 9:32-35:  "He is not a man like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. ³³ If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, ³⁴ someone to remove God's rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. ³⁵ Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot." (NIV)  Job realised God is infinitely greater than man and he lacked a mediator or advocate between himself and God.  Job felt he was being unjustly treated, not realising God's intent to show Himself merciful, compassionate, and to doubly bless him in the end (James 5:11).

What Job observed God also acknowledged by the word of the LORD through the prophet in Isaiah 59:16:  "He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; and His own righteousness, it sustained Him."  God saw fit to provide the Man and Mediator man lacked by putting on human flesh and coming to earth.  The living God sent Jesus, His only begotten Son, to seek and to save sinners and to provide intercession for them after His death, resurrection and ascension to heaven.  God Himself brought salvation for sinners, and He provided the required payment for sin by shedding His own blood.  Because Jesus is our great High Priest, He is the one we ought to rely upon to effectively communicate our prayers--not priests, elders or pastors.

Paul explained this important role Jesus continues in to this day in 1 Timothy 2:1-6:  "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, ² for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. ³ For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time..."  God heard the longings of Job and the desire of every human being for justice, help and hope in troubling times, and when we pray to God Jesus is our Mediator and Advocate.  This truth is echoed in 1 John 2:1-2:  "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ² And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world."  Scripture tells us Jesus lives to make intercession for us, dedicated to our salvation and every need (Hebrews 7:25).

As we pray for ourselves and others, Jesus also prays for us.  Knowing Jesus Himself is handing our case, we can rest assured He will communicate our desires clearly for our good.  God also blesses us by filling believers with the Holy Spirit who helps us as it is written in Romans 8:26:  "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."  Unlike courts that operate with limited hours and plan hearings months in advance, we are invited to enter the LORD's presence in our moment of need by prayer.  Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."  Little children may not always be permitted in the presence of an earthly king, but Jesus commanded the little children not be hindered to come to Him.  He took those little ones in His arms and blessed them, and in heavenly glory He lifts us in His arms to the Father so we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Forgiven, Cleansed and Holy

Memes have their place in this world, but among my general rules of thumb is never to use them as source material for any Christian belief, nor should they be assumed to be accurate.  In the case of one meme I read recently, I was not able to verify the accuracy of the quote so I will not repeat it in full.  With an aim to support the extra-biblical concept of purgatory, the quote suggested it was impertinent to imagine an instant after dying any sinner could enjoy being in the presence of God.  An "additional divine operation" was required on the soul before entering into God's presence with joy, and to say otherwise was to "underestimate either your sinful nature or God's holiness or the gap between them."

When I read this quote a rebuttal came to mind:  "Or the author of this quote seriously underestimates the work Jesus did on the cross."  Jesus said those who receive Him by faith are born again, and this means receiving a new nature and to be washed clean from all sin.  Paul wrote in Romans 6:5-6, "For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin."  Whilst we continue to live in bodies of flesh after being born again, our "old man" was crucified with Christ.  Having been cleansed from all sin and filled with the Holy Spirit, we are therefore able to present ourselves as living sacrifices unto God.  The new heart God promised to give His people by the word of the LORD through the prophets is ours by grace through faith in Jesus.

Because God has cleansed us from all unrighteousness and adopted us as His children, it is not presumptuous to say we are positionally holy as God is holy.  There are no degrees of holiness, for all who are born again are sanctified in Christ.  The apostle wrote in 1 Peter 1:13-16 to believers:  "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; ¹⁴ as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; ¹⁵ but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ¹⁶ because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."  Holiness is not something we can muster up or do by any effort of the flesh, but God has created us to be holy by virtue of our spiritual birth.  This new identity in Christ is something we constantly fail to measure up to due to the frailty of our flesh.  That is why believers are exhorted again and again to strive to forsake sin and do what pleases God, working out our own salvation with fear and trembling--for it is God who works in us to both to will and do of His good pleasure (Phil. 2:13).

Having been born again by faith in Jesus, Christians are assured our sins are forgiven.  1 John 1:9 says to the believer who sins:  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  Paul was confident at the death of his body he would be in the presence of the LORD (2 Cor. 5:8)--and this wasn't because he was self-righteous or his deeds could make him holy.  He was a man who laid claim to being the chief of sinners!  From his own mouth we can judge him of needing further refinement in the eternal state--that is, if you believe Jesus was unable to cleanse him from all unrighteousness!  There is no need for Christians to go through the "boot camp" of purgatory to enter heaven, for Jesus has already claimed complete victory over sin and death through His resurrection.  By faith in Jesus Christians have been cleansed of all sin, Christ's righteousness has been imputed to us, and we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.  As long as we remain on this earth is the fitting season for our refinement, and may we submit to God in every trial He allows.

God's Way or Ours

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."

Joshua 1:7-8

After Joshua was chosen and called by God to lead the Hebrews into the land of promise, God commanded him to be strong and courageous in heeding God's commands written in the Law.  He was not only called to familiarise himself with God's commands but to speak of them, meditate in them day and night, and observe them faithfully.  If you are not aware, there were hundreds of commands and prohibitions in addition to the 10 Commandments detailed in the Law of Moses.  Observing God's Law was a huge, life-changing demand placed upon Joshua he was responsible to keep before God--in addition to leading the Hebrews like Moses before him.

In observing God's command to Joshua, it is important not to reduce the relationship God and Joshua shared as transactional:  you do this, and I will do that.  God did not say He would make Joshua's way prosperous if he kept God's Law:  God promised Joshua would make his way prosperous and have good success in fulfilling his responsibility by choosing to walk in the way God revealed in His Law.  God had already told Joshua the way he and the children of Israel ought to live, and by going God's way their way would be prosperous.  In His wisdom, God allows people to face good and bad consequences of our own decisions.  Before Joshua and all His people, God placed clearly marked paths that lead to life or death, and under Mosaic Law they would be blessed or cursed depending on their choices and performance.

During a recent study of the book of Romans, we discussed how Paul explained the Law is good and by it is the knowledge of sin.  The Law of Moses does not provide any ability to keep the Law without fail!  The Law acted as a schoolmaster to bring Jews and Gentiles to Jesus Christ to be justified by faith and declared righteous by God's grace.  Jesus identified Himself as the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Jesus went beyond the requirements of the letter of the Law, for Jesus said many times while teaching His disciples:  "It has been written...but I say unto you..."  It is not by what good things we do or by sin we avoid we are made righteous but by faith in Jesus the Messiah.  God's word has revealed the Truth we ought to believe, and the Law, Psalms and prophets wrote concerning the Prophet like Moses God would raise up--and Jesus is more than a prophet but Immanuel, God with us, who frees us from the curse of sin and death.

All mankind proved unable to follow the the Law that revealed the righteous way to live, and Jesus has been revealed as the Way we can follow by grace through faith in Him demonstrated by obedience.  Having been born again by the Gospel, this ought to transform our hearts, minds and lives more than Joshua having a new leadership role.  Day and night we are to be led by our Saviour we seek to please by heeding wisdom of His word and the guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit.  Jesus said in John 14:15, "If you love Me, keep My commandments."  Jesus commanded His disciples to love one another as He loves us, and by this all people will know we are Christ's disciples.  It is Jesus who leads us in the way of prosperity and success in doing God's will, and God places the choice before every one of us if we will choose to make God's Way our way.  If we choose to go our own way, we hinder our own prosperity and success.  If we trust Jesus to save us forever, we ought to heed Him in living today.

Jesus In The Flesh

During Friday night Bible study, we discussed how the divinity of Jesus is often more the focal point than whether or not Jesus was a person who lived years ago.  Though the modern date and year hearkens back to the existence of Jesus, John warned there were people in His day that denied this.  He said matter-of-factly in 1 John 4:2-3:  "By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, ³ and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world."

Gnosticism was a heresy in the early centuries of the church whose adherents claimed to have secret knowledge of God, and it was believed through secret knowledge they alone comprehended one could be freed from illusions of darkness and "saved."  Gnostics would not have denied Jesus came to earth, but claimed He did not have a human body--it just appeared that He did.  They viewed physical matter as inherently evil and only what is spirit is good.  This created a situation where anything done in a physical body was of no consequence because what is done in the spiritual realm matters.  These views are totally contradictory to the revelation of God and sound doctrine in the Bible.

From a biblical perspective, it is very important to establish Jesus did indeed come to the earth as a human being in a physical body.  Unless Jesus was born He could not die for sinners, and if He did not die He is not risen.  If Jesus Christ is not risen our faith is futile, we are still in our sins and everyone is headed to everlasting destruction!  John said those who do not confess Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God, and this is the spirit of Antichrist which was already in the world in John's day.  There are people today who do not hold to Gnosticism yet deny Jesus came to the world as a historical figure.  Perhaps by casting doubt on the historicity of Jesus they hope to spare themselves the need to consider His life, words, works, death and resurrection--and His promise to return in judgment.

Though the Antichrist has not yet been revealed, that malevolent and deceitful spirit was already at work in the world, and it is through the revelation of Scripture Christians are made wise to it.  To call Jesus "Christ" is to acknowledge He is the promised Messiah, the anointed one of God who will save His people from their sins.  Jesus being born in human flesh, dying on the cross, and bodily rising from the dead are all fundamental, essential doctrines of Christianity.  To deny any of these facts is to deny Jesus Christ as revealed in the Bible.  Those who confess Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and we can say this by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth, who provides understanding of God's word, and helps us to walk in God's will.  The spirit of the Antichrist at work in the world ought not trouble us as Christians, for we serve the Christ who is greater than all, stands ready to save us and will deliver us from the wrath to come.

God Who Tries

Reading the Bible with faith in God works to change our perspective and outlook.  Being the word of God, the Bible is the upright standard by which all claims, assumptions and beliefs are measured by.  When I hear a cliche, read a quote or see the heading of a video, my immediate response is to consider if it is biblically accurate.  A heading that grabbed my attention yesterday was, "God will try to warn you."  While it is clear people do not always heed God's warnings, the Scripture is clear God does not "try" to do anything--as if He lacks the ability, skill or wisdom to do everything.  Job concluded in concerning God's ability in Job 42:2:  "I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You."

God does not "try" to warn people:  He warns them.  Whenever God says He will do something, His doing it depends entirely upon His righteousness and almighty power.  In the song of Moses God declared in Deuteronomy 32:39-43: "Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; nor is there any who can deliver from My hand. ⁴⁰ For I raise My hand to heaven, and say, "As I live forever, ⁴¹ If I whet My glittering sword, and My hand takes hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to My enemies, and repay those who hate Me. ⁴² I will make My arrows drunk with blood, and My sword shall devour flesh, with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the heads of the leaders of the enemy."  God does not "try" to kill or make alive; He does not "try" to judge His people or render vengeance upon His enemies.  His arrows will not miss their target, and His sword will always hit its intended mark.  As Proverbs 21:30 says, "There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the LORD."

We may try to heed God's warnings and forget.  We try to do what is right and fail, but God never fails to fulfil the words that go out of His mouth.  He does not try in vain to communicate to us, but we fail to listen to Him or heed His word.  What God does with His warnings is He "tries" us, to test to see if we will obey Him or not.  He refines us as gold is refined in a crucible and allows us to experience trials to purify our character and strengthen our faith.  He tries us by chastisement for the purpose of restoring us to Himself by repentance.  God does not "try" to try us, for even when we resist His guidance and refuse to go His way His will is being accomplished through His divine tests.  Glory to God He is not like a man who tries and falls short of perfection, unable to do all He intends.

With confidence in God's ability to do everything, we ought to rejoice in His omnipotent power and goodness as it is written in Deuteronomy 32:43:  "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people."  God will avenge the blood of His servants, render vengeance to His adversaries, and will provide atonement for His people.  As surely as Jesus Himself provided atonement for the sins of Jews and Gentiles with His own blood, God will take vengeance upon His enemies.  Without straining or working at all--without trying--God does everything He says He will. 

What I Love About Heaven

Whenever I gather with fellow believers in Christ, it is a small foretaste of heaven.  The kingdom Jesus rules that is not of this world and is eternal, and Jesus connected His kingdom with paradise in His statement to the thief on the cross:  heaven is a place that is perfect as God, where nothing can enter that defiles, where there is no sadness, sickness, crying or death.  While the Bible does not go into great detail about heaven--likely because we lack the capacity to comprehend the glory of it--we are comforted, encouraged and inspired by considering what has been revealed.

Many Christians look forward to going to heaven to finally be free of the struggles, conditions and pains of our lives on earth.  Others eagerly await the prospect of uniting in fellowship and worship of God with saints we have never met in person and to reunite with loved ones who preceded us into glory.  These reasons, while perfectly good and reasonable, I do not believe can move the needle compared to being in the glorious presence of God in person.  In our human bodies corrupted by sin we cannot even look at God's face and live, and to see our Creator before our eyes, to sit as His table, to join with the angels in worship and to be embraced by Jesus Christ Himself is awesome beyond reckoning.

There are things I love about heaven that far exceed the beauty of united believers who gather in Christ's name.  In heaven we will have no need to ask, "How has work been going?" or "How has the week gone?"  It will always be present day in heaven, and there will not be anything to catch up on.  While people have different motivations for going to a church service or Bible study, everyone who will be in heaven will want to be there (rather than anywhere else) and we can know God has joined us together.  Another thing I love is that there will not be anywhere we need to go that severs times of personal fellowship--like lunch plans, needing to run to the shops or go to the gym, or needing to leave because you are weary from a packed schedule.  A lot of our conversations at church involve what has happened or we are planning for outside of church fellowship.  What I love about heaven is the perfect, complete union we will experience in mind, heart and love with Christ at the centre while retaining our individuality and intimate friendship with one another that includes everyone all the time.

When we are enjoying ourselves we wish the moment would never end; when we have an incredible experience we would prefer to never need to leave:  the presence of God in heaven will satisfy these fleeting desires of our hearts beyond our comprehension.  On earth all good times must come to an end, but what I love about heaven is it will be a perfect place for us to experience the rest God has promised to give our souls forever.  By the grace of God we can experience peace that passes understanding and fulness of joy in this life, but due to our forgetfulness and weakness it is only in fits and starts.  God grants us a foretaste of heaven with His presence in our hearts and in fellowship with one another in the church, and may this inspire us with the glorious future together God has in store for all who love Him.

Sovereign Redemption

Those who believe the LORD is sovereign over all do not believe in coincidences that fall outside God's knowledge or power.  Everything that seems incidental can be employed for God's good purposes.  He can use things that seem even pointless and annoying--like being tired and being unable to sleep--to humble the proud and exalt the lowly.

Haman the Agagite was a proud, arrogant fellow who held a privileged position of wealth and influence as a nobleman in Persia.  Other nobles and common people bowed before him--with the exception of Mordecai the Jew.  This greatly annoyed Haman, to the point he schemed to exterminate all the Jews because of honour Mordecai denied him.  Over the course of time, Mordecai foiled two eunuchs who plotted against the king, and the king's life was spared.  Mordecai honoured the God of the Israel and the king of Persia, but declined to honour a descendant of Amalek who hated the Jews and sought their destruction.

After a banquet of wine, Haman's happiness quickly evaporated when he saw Mordecai ignore him.  He complained to his family who suggested he build a tall gallows to hang Mordecai and ask the king for permission to hang him.  Esther 6:1-4 says, "That night the king could not sleep. So one was commanded to bring the book of the records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. ² 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 honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?" And the king's servants who attended him said, "Nothing has been done for him." ⁴ So the king said, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king's palace to suggest that the king hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him."

It just so happened that night the king could not sleep, and it just so happened they read through the chronicles (reading that can put one to sleep), and just so happened to read of Mordecai the Jew who helped the king.  The king perked up at this point, wondering what honour had been bestowed upon the one who saved his life--and nothing had been done.  Just then, Haman entered the court to suggest Haman kill Mordecai the king desired to honour.  This was the beginning of the end for Haman, and it was the beginning of the exaltation of Mordecai who ultimately assumed Haman's privileged role.  We can see with eyes of faith the sleepless night of Ahasuerus and the choice of reading material was no accident.  This is encouraging to us that when we struggle with insomnia, God does not struggle to enact His redemptive purposes.

We may not see a connection between our sleepless night and salvation of others from death; we do not often recognise God's impeccable timing between us reading a Bible passage and others receiving honour, yet God is able to do all this and much more.  Knowing God is sovereign does not mean we can avoid sleeplessness but enables us to find rest for our souls--even if we toss and turn.  The king's sleeplessness resulted not only in Mordecai saving his neck but helped lead to the salvation of the Jews from Haman's wicked scheme.  Isn't it awesome what God does and the remarkable way He employs to do it?  When we can't even fall asleep, He is able to save.

Serve God with Gladness

While Nehemiah served as cupbearer to the king, Artaxerxes astutely recognised Nehemiah was sad and that it was due to grief of heart.  This was the first time Nehemiah had been sad in the presence of the king, and there were potentially serious consequences for Nehemiah as this was forbidden.  Yet the king's expression of concern was genuine for Nehemiah's welfare, and the LORD gave him favour in the eyes of the king, queen and his brethren in Israel he sought to assist in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem to bring an end to their reproach.

Artaxerxes desired Nehemiah to serve with gladness, and this is true concerning the God of Israel.  As our Creator, He has provided all things for us to thrive in this life and in the eternal state by His love, grace and goodness.  David sang to God with confidence in Psalm 16:11:  "You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."  We have joy in the presence of those who delight us, and in God we have a Saviour who loves us and helps us by giving us the indwelling Spirit who makes us joyful.  Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit along with love, peace,  patience, goodness and countless other good things.

God's people did not always serve Him with joy and gladness (despite the kindness God showed them), and this resulted in severe consequences as Moses said in Deuteronomy 28:47-48:  "Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, ⁴⁸ therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you."  God gave His people great abundance of all things, yet they did not serve God joyfully.  Serving God was burdensome as they murmured, complained and grumbled.  They sought to find satisfaction and fulfillment by what was not God and could never please them.  Because they did not serve God joyfully and gladly with the abundance God gave them, He would see to it they served oppressive enemies while being in need of everything.

Isn't it better to serve God with joy and gladness than die under the oppression of our enemies, seeing everything we have as gifts from God who loves us?  Serving God is a great privilege and not a burden, for He helps us every day and is the lifter of our heads.  Trials and struggles do depress us at times, but at the mention of our LORD Jesus our spirits rise up with sure expectancy of help and deliverance.  Should we serve depression and sorrow when in God's presence is fullness of joy?  Every trouble and tribulation will pass, and all that will be left is our glorious God and a life to be joyfully spent with Him.  God has taken off the yoke we wore that chained us to sin, self and Satan, and how glad we ought to be to be free of bondage, out of darkness and to walk joyfully in the light of life.  Let us serve the LORD our God with joy and gladness, for He is our all in all.

Love From the Heart

Because the end of all things is at hand, 1 Peter 4:8 tells believers to be sober, watchful in prayer and have fervent love among ourselves because "love covers the multitude of sins."  Love keeps no record of wrongs and thus does not view others through the lens of prior offence, even when someone has done or said offensive things.  The love of God guides us to forgive one another without keeping track of all the times we have forgiven them.  We are enabled to love one another because God's love is abundantly provided by the Holy Spirit God has given us.  Christians are to be known for their love for one another that is demonstrated by more than words or feelings.

Recently we had a built in closet installed in our house, and having observed builders over the years I have arrived at a maxim that is similar to what Peter said in his epistle:  "Builder's bog and caulk covers a multitude of flaws."  I would even say butchery, but I do not want to malign that honourable profession that supplies quality meat for consumption.  I also do not want to paint a bad picture of hard-working tradies either, but the reliance upon covering up problems rather than doing things right has been a common observation of mine.  When the work is completed at first glance everything seems fine, but upon closer inspection the defects seem to multiply.

For instance, I discovered a bit of skirting that had been cut out had been caulked back into position--after neglecting to remove the nail!  Apparently there are those who use painter's caulk as glue, and the unsightly problem created was worse than doing the job correctly from the start.  Attached are a couple of pictures to illustrate what the caulk concealed.  What I overlooked because it was inside the closet looked ugly when I took a closer look, and it looked even uglier when brought into the light.

When the prophet Samuel was quite taken with the regal appearance of Eliab, God explained a truth we can relate to the concealed skirting in 1 Samuel 16:7:  "But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."  We look on the outside, but God looks at the heart.  We can cover over bitterness, grudges and unforgiveness with polite manners and smiles, yet we cannot ever fool God (or even people at times!).  Moses told God's people when they sinned against the LORD they could be sure their sin would find them out (Numbers 32:23), and our attempts to conceal our sin of refusal to love and our lack of grace will fail.  Praise the LORD He can create in us a clean heart by the power of the Holy Spirit, for Jesus works in us to make all things new.

Thinking and Praying

"Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the land which You have given us, just as You swore to our fathers, 'a land flowing with milk and honey.' "

Deuteronomy 26:15

I was encouraged by reading this passage today of a prayer prescribed to those who obeyed God in giving their firstfruits according to His command.  What I love about it is it acknowledges God's sovereign rule and power over all, for He is able to see His people wherever they may be.  The people were to pray for God's blessing upon God's people and their land which He had given to them.  The request for blessing was not because they lacked blessing from God, but they prayed with the understanding that their land and their very existence were blessings from God.  Praying according to God's command demonstrated faith their expectation of future blessing would be found in Him.

When we pray to God, it is useful to pray according to the revelation of God and all He has promised in His word.  We can be confident as we pray according to God's will He hears us, and we have what we have requested of Him (1 John 5:14-15).  For instance, this is true concerning receiving eternal life by the Gospel.  We need not wonder if our prayer for salvation has been heard and answered by God, looking for a physical sensation or seeking a feeling of "peace" when God has already extended forgiveness, salvation and eternal life as a gift received by faith in Jesus.  If our faith flags or we pray without considering what God has said, we may be praying for what God has already provided for us--not that He has withheld anything--but because we have have failed to appropriate all He has given by faith in Him.

The Self-Confrontation manual for discipleship goes into detail of the "unprofitable practice" of praying without thinking.  It says, "You do not need to plead hopelessly for the Lord to be with you or with any other believer, because He is with you already and has promised never to leave nor forsake you (Matthew 28:20b; Hebrews 13:5).  Instead, thank the Lord for His continual presence with you (Hebrews 13:6)...You do not need to pray that God will grant you love for another person, because He has already poured out His love within you (Romans 5:5) and has commanded and enabled you to love (1 John 4:7-12).  Pray instead for His wisdom (James 1:5) and leading (Romans 8:4; Galatians 5:16) to show you how to increase and abound in love to others (1 Thessalonians 3:12)." (Broger, John. Self-Confrontation: A Manual for in-Depth Biblical Discipleship. Inc, Biblical Counseling Foundation, 2009. page 59)

How blessed we are to have a God who hears our prayers and is inclined to answer us because He loves us, and He can rest assured He will always keep His word.  We can have all confidence the all-knowing, all-powerful God who has purchased us with His own blood is attentive to our needs even before we ask.  He has provided the Holy Spirit to help us and Jesus Christ is our Mediator and advocate before the Father.  Rather than hopelessly praying for what God has already promised us, let us praise and thank Him He is faithful to do as He has said.  May He increase our faith and understanding to see how blessed we are as children of God and express our gratitude in prayer as we glory in our awesome Saviour.

Saying and Doing

Over the years, I have observed people whose poor performance exposed an inflated sense of ability and self-confidence.  I played sport with guys who believed their routine plays belonged on ESPN SportsCenter highlight reels, and they were completely blind to their own shortcomings.  One fellow talked up his baseball skills so much I imagined he would be the best player on our team that season--until the moment he walked onto the baseball diamond.  In minutes I began to wonder if he had ever played baseball before, much less used a baseball glove.  There was a confounding disconnect between the claims he made about his abilities and the performance on the field.

Rather than going through our mental archives to dredge up those who "talked the talk" but didn't "walk the walk," it is more profitable and constructive for us to realise we can and likely do this as well in aspects of our lives.  The children of Israel certainly did at times when it came to keeping God's commands.  Since their failings are included in Scripture for our learning there remains a relevant lesson for us.  After Nehemiah and the people in Jerusalem built the wall, there was spiritual revival as God's word was opened, read and explained.  People lamented their great sin before God, worshipped Him and were determined to change their ways.  They went beyond the letter of the Law in making vows and promising to make serving God a priority:  "We will not neglect the house of the LORD."

As we read on, however, it is evident the people did not follow through with much of what they promised to do.  It was only upon Nehemiah's return to Jerusalem he witnessed the total neglect of God's people to keep their word to obey God:  the high priest had allowed wicked Tobiah to live in the temple court, the portions assigned to the Levites had not been provided by the people (so all the Levites and musicians had left the temple), people were working, buying and selling on the Sabbath, and the foreign wives had not been put away!  Nehemiah was beside himself to the point of cursing and physically assaulting those who had been unfaithful to the LORD by defying God's commands.  The high priest's son was included among the guilty, and Nehemiah drove him away.  The words of the people did not match their walk, and we must be on guard against this same hypocrisy.

God holds His people accountable to His word and also to do the things they say.  It is better not to vow than to vow and not follow through, for our "Yes" ought to be "Yes" and our "No" means "No."  Better than saying what we plan to do, we ought to simply do that thing, for actions speak truer than our words.  Solomon wrote in Proverbs 27:1-2:  "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. ² Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips."  Saying what we will do in the future can be a boast we should refrain from.  Rather than talking up our abilities or seeking affirmation or approval from men, we ought to walk according to God's will so He will say to us in due time:  "Well done, good and faithful servant."  Many people have spoken well, but it is those who do well God commends.

Meditating on God's Word

People in Christian circles often make reading and studying the Bible a major emphasis, and rightly so.  It is by reading the Scriptures we hear God's voice and can know His will, and God alone has the words of life.  The exhortation Paul gave to Timothy is fitting for all believers in 2 Timothy 2:15:  "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."  Not only are we given the responsibility to read God's word and learn how to "rightly divide" it, but we have been given the Holy Spirit to help us to this end.  Jesus promised His disciples in John 14:26:  "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."

What is not emphasised as much as reading and study--yet remains indispensable for believers--is our need to also meditate on the Scripture.  By meditate I do not mean in a transcendental sense as the term is commonly used today, but meaning to ponder, consider and carefully weigh what has been said.  It means considering the context of the passage, the circumstances of what is being said, taking time to compare and/or relate it to other passages.  Meditating on God's word means reading, believing God is speaking, and taking it personally enough to keep thinking about what God has said.  It is not enough for us to look at food, but we need to chew it up and swallow it so our body can utilise the nutrition of every bite.  Every word of God is spiritual food for us.  Unlike food that passes through the stomach and is eliminated as waste, the word of God goes into our minds and hearts so that we not only retain knowledge but learn to order our thoughts, attitudes and lives according to God's wisdom.

Psalm 1:1-3 says, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; ² but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. ³ He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."  David said the one who is alive, established and fruitful like a tree by water is he who meditates on God's law day and night.  The Law of Moses commanded kings of Israel were to write a copy of the Law to read every day of his life.  The ruler of God's people was to be one ruled by God's word.  It was not enough to be familiar with God's commands, for God's intent was for kings to submit to His word themselves and walk in humility (Deut. 17:18-20).  Psalm 119:11 says, "Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You!"

When people bother to hide something, there is typically a reason for doing so.  It might be a bad reason, like to conceal contraband or to avoid being in trouble for having stolen property.  We can hide things for a good reason, because we realise we have something in our possession that is precious and we want to safeguard it.  God's word is not to be socked away like gold in a safety deposit box in the bank to be drawn upon only in times of desperate need but like a letter from one we love, our eyes hungrily devouring the words as we read them over and over.  Long ago reading the words of a single telegram message impacted the course of history, and meditating on God's word provides wisdom that transforms our lives when put into practice.  Hiding God's word in our hearts means we possess it, treasure it, are familiar with it, but we remain fascinated by all it means because it is our God's word for us.  As we embark on reading and studying the Bible, we begin to realise how much we don't know.  Meditating on God's word begins to fill some gaps in our understanding and personal application we never noticed were empty.