The Real Thing

Having watched a lot of sport over the years, Hollywood is notorious for missing the mark completely with the depiction of sport.  At times I have wanted to pull my hair out when I see things allowed to occur in a boxing match that would never fly in a professional bout.  Mistakes in small details betray complete ignorance of the rules, basic physics and technique that in my eyes undermines the believability of a film.  Admittedly I am picky, but while zooming in on the ball on a long drive in golf or while playing baseball a home run is launched or a fastball is pitched, the ball should not have topspin in slow motion.  I tend to steer clear of sport-themed movies because I enjoy watching actual sport--not dramas that use sport thematically but have no resemblance to the real thing.  I do like Hoosiers, though (maybe because I never played organised basketball).

The one thing Hollywood historically does as bad or worse than sport is the depiction of pastoral guidance.  Movies can have this thing where a person facing conflict goes into an empty church to sit or pray and has an interaction with a collared minister who is hanging around.  To this day in those scenes I cannot recall one minister direct anyone to Jesus Christ or provide wisdom from God's word.  In Man of Steel the nervous priest asked, "What does your gut tell you?"  The priest in Million Dollar Baby had a more awkward, even bizarre interaction:  "Frankie, I've seen you at Mass almost every day for 23 years. The only person comes to church that much is the kind who can't forgive himself for something."  After indirectly warning Frankie not to commit murder, the priest simply stood up and walked away.  Either the writers of these scenes have never been to church in their lives, or they have been going to the wrong church.

The Bible gives very different guidance concerning those who find themselves at a crossroads.  Infinitely better than going with our gut Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."  Is it guilt that ought to move a person to go to church every day--as if God is not able to forgive sins and justify the souls who repent and trust Him?  The Bible speaks of a woman named Anna who was at the temple in Jerusalem day and night because she was devoted to God in Luke 2:36-37:  "Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; ³⁷ and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day."  Perhaps if those movie ministers opened their Bibles and considered Christ, they would have spoken wisdom worth heeding--and not judged people poorly because of their devotion.

God is not far away from the soul who seeks Him, for He has spoken plainly in His word and come to earth in the person of Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit has been sent to fill every Christian, for these redeemed children of God are now His temple and dwelling place.  Oh, that people would know and understand God!  Would to God all foolish notions (perpetuated by Hollywood or otherwise) be swallowed up by a true relationship with the living God by the power of the Gospel who loves us, is with us, and will never leave or forsake us!  My prayer is if people do indeed wander into a church in a search for God and His wisdom, that they find in me and all God's people genuine love, compassion and grace because we lead every seeker to Jesus.

Loving God's Law

During a morning walk today signs of activity were all around:  the magpies hopping around looking for feed, galahs sailed overhead, and other walkers and joggers were out in force.  The local oval was quiet and serene as the sunrise began to shine over the trees--the silence suddenly broken by the strained grunts of a shirtless man in tiny shorts stretching.  That wasn't the only odd thing that I observed, for as a car drove by a newspaper was hurled from the open window over my head and landed expertly on a driveway.  The resident of that house had already set up a sprinkler to water the turf, and it seemed like the perfect morning to water the grass, enjoy tea or coffee, and browse through the paper.

I find it fascinating how different people's interests and daily activities can be.  One person looks forward to retiring from paid work so they can sleep in late, while another loves rising early to walk or water the lawn.  One person enjoys having a cuppa on the veranda and watching the birds, while another prefers to be indoors and read the paper or the Bible.  By God's grace, I am blessed knowing I do not need to wait for retirement to look forward to enjoying future retirement because I can enjoy today and every day.  These days I do look forward to rising early for a walk, to read the Bible and pray.  Retirement from paid work cannot offer me a life I cannot have presently, for God and His goodness remains the same.

Yesterday I was struck with the love of the psalmist for God's good commandments, judgments and statutes in Psalm 119.  Psalm 119:46-48 reads, "I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed. ⁴⁷ And I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I love. ⁴⁸ My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on Your statutes."  Speaking for myself, there is not a law in Australia or the United States that I love.  It is far more likely there are laws or ordinances I dislike and disapprove of than laws I love.  When it comes to God's word and laws, however, I can honestly say I do love them because they are of God; they are true, righteous and good.  By the Law is the knowledge of sin and reveals our need for a Saviour and pardon.

Is there found in you delight to do God's commandments because you love them?  Do you spend time considering God's statutes?  Are you moved to worship God as you read His commands and judgments?  David meditated on God's Law day and night, and Paul affirmed believers ought to meditate on what is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of a good report, virtuous and praiseworthy:  isn't God and all He has said fit this description?  In The Fellowship of the Ring Bilbo famously said, “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door...", and it is exciting opportunity every time we open God's word to behold the wondrous wisdom of our glorious God and hear Him speak--a blessing I love much more than a walk in the park.

Two or Three Witnesses

The Bible has unexpected encouragement in well-known passages and the more obscure.  I found great encouragement in a passage that is often quoted in part, that Jesus said when two or three are gathered in His name, there He is in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20).  Most often this is said to encourage people who gather at church or in a corporate prayer meeting to emphasise God's faithfulness to be among His people, to hear and answer prayer, to guide and direct those who gather.  This is all true and wonderful.  Yet the context of the passage gives encouragement in circumstances that can be disheartening:  when dealing with conflict among believers and administration of church discipline.

Jesus taught if a believer was offended by another Christian, the offended party was to humbly go and tell him the fault that caused offence with the aim of reconciliation.  If the one who did wrong was unwilling to listen to the concern of the offended party, Jesus said one or two more believers should accompany the next meeting that "in the mouth or two or three witnesses every word may be established" (Matthew 18:16).  This was not a new concept for Jewish Christians, for it was written in the Law in Deuteronomy 19:15:  "One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established."  The one or two who accompanied the first person needed to be convinced the offender had indeed done wrong--not to simply go along as moral support or as a favour for a friend.  The idea held forth is two or three of God's people, having been guided by God's word and Jesus Himself who was among them, were able to discern right from wrong and make sound judgments.

Immediately following this teaching, Peter asked how many times he needed to forgive a sinning brother.  Jesus then spoke a parable where binding and loosing--in context the ascribing of guilt or proclaiming pardon--is illustrated along with two or three witnesses.  Jesus said one servant owed a king a great debt, and he begged to be forgiven.  His king had compassion on him and forgave him the immense sum he owed.  Then he went out and grabbed a fellow servant who owed him a small debt (by comparison), and he was unmoved by the pleadings of his fellow servant for more time:  the man who had been loosed from a great debt had him arrested and thrown into prison.  Matthew 18:31 then illustrated the intercessory action of two or three witnesses:  "So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done."  The king listened to His servants and took action against the wicked servant who had been forgiven much but refused to forgive his fellow servant who begged him.  The king commanded the man who was loosed to be bound and pay back his debt in full, for he showed no compassion to his fellow servant.

Jesus Christ is the KING OF KINGS, and whether we have done wrong or been offended by others we are to humble ourselves before our LORD and one another, knowing we have been loosed from a debt of sin we could never pay.  As the Judge of all the earth Jesus will always do right, and by faith in Him we can submit to our brethren in love, knowing Jesus is in the midst of our gatherings.  Should we be the one who refuses to forgive or stubbornly continues in doing wrong, we should be circumspect and humble because our King is in our midst.  Those who are grieved when they observe injustice, lack of compassion or corruption can come to Jesus Christ in prayer, knowing He will hear and answer.  Just two or three witnesses is sufficient to establish a matter and begin legal proceedings on earth, and the same is true in a spiritual sense concerning matters of offence and discipline among believers.

Repentance as Needed

Yesterday I went on a bushwalk with friends from church on the Ku-ring-gai track to Berowra Train Station and started from the station.  It was a cool morning, and the canopy of trees prevented the light drizzle from soaking us through.  Our small party encountered a couple lyrebirds, heard the wailing of black cockatoos, saw a wallaby, and removed a couple of leeches as we trudged along the 10km track by a creek that seemed more like a river.  By the end of the walk a decent rain began to fall as we hoofed it to our vehicle.  After a slow drive home through traffic, I was pleased to change out of wet clothes (and ensure my prickly feet were leech free!) and relax.

A couple hours later I scratched my side and felt something strange:  a textured, raised area that was not part of me.  I suddenly realised I had picked up a tick that hitched a ride home with me.  Because of the location I wasn't able to see it clearly or grab it with tweezers, and thankfully my son was able to remove the tick.  After close examination of the tick before and after death, it appeared the tick had not drawn any blood.  Then I had a close examination of my body, ensuring there were no additional ticks.  Thankfully all I have to show for the experience is a small welt and what turned out to be an impromptu sermon illustration.

In our church study of the book of Jeremiah, a recurring theme is how God called to His erring people and sent prophets daily to identify sin, urge them to repent and turn to God--yet they were unwilling.  Jesus came preaching repentance and the kingdom of God, and thus repenting of sin should not be viewed as a one-off thing but to be done as needed.  Like children who are filthy from playing the yard, we might assume one bath a day is enough.  As kids there were days we didn't have a bath; certainly one is enough!  We felt it was too much to ask for us to bathe after a bath though we were sweaty from running and rolled in the grass.  But washing was needed before bed because we were unclean, and this is why bathing usually happened after playing in the yard.  Jesus said we are not only to forgive one who repents 7 times, but 70 times 7.  What we don't always consider is we are the one who needs forgiveness over and over because we sin.  When we do wrong, as needed we should confess our sin, repent and do what is right instead.

Galatians 6:1 says, "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted."  We can be aware of our sinfulness before committing it, and by conviction of the Holy Spirit, God's word and our conscience we can also discover we are sinful in ways we didn't notice before.  As we go through life, we can pick up sinful habits as easily as having a tick latch onto us.  For the sake of our health it is beneficial to remove ticks soon as possible after noticing them, and it is even more important to confess and repent of sin for our spiritual health as needed.  Even as I could not remove the tick myself, we need to willingly expose our sin to the the LORD so sin that clings to us can be removed.  We like to view ourselves as the spiritual ones who seek to meekly see people overtaken in trespasses restored.  We don't always see ourselves as ones needing help of God and fellow believers to be restored to fellowship due to sin and weights that sap our spiritual vigour.

Knowing there were leeches and ticks on the bushwalk meant thorough examination of the body was important, and realising our fleshly inclination to sin ought to move us to examine our heart, thoughts, motives, words and deeds.  If we will be forgiven of sin we need to repent, and thus we ought to repent of sin as needed--even 490 times a day.

Enter Into Peace

God's thoughts and ways are past finding out, yet He miraculously reveals Himself to those who trust and seek Him.  The Bible is full of revelations from God for people in ancient times as well as today, for God does not change.  His word and wisdom are timeless and will endure forever--even after the heavens and earth pass away.

Today I read a passage that sheds light on God's ways in Isaiah 57:1-2 that we do not naturally consider:  "The righteous perishes, and no man takes it to heart; merciful men are taken away, while no one considers that the righteous is taken away from evil. ² He shall enter into peace; they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness."  Though God has created mankind in His image, there is great diversity between each one of us.  We all have bodies with faces, our own personalities and perspectives, and how different they can be from others!  Even as God designed each one of us individually, knitting us together in the wombs of our mothers, God knows when we will be born and the day and hour when we will breathe our last.  God-fearing people have been killed in a tragedies, and others died in their beds before tragedy struck.

When we suffer the loss of a godly friend or family member, we can keenly feel the loss.  The prophet Isaiah made the point in his day righteous people perished and they were not mourned.  It never entered into the minds of people the timing of their death was ordained by God to prevent them from experiencing coming judgment for evil.  We see an example of this when the wife of Jeroboam came to the prophet Ahijah to inquire concerning a prognosis for Abijah, her young son who was gravely ill.  Ahijah gave her the bad tidings he was sent to give her in 1 Kings 14:10-13 as a result of Jeroboam's sin:  "...therefore behold! I will bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male in Israel, bond and free; I will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as one takes away refuse until it is all gone. ¹¹ The dogs shall eat whoever belongs to Jeroboam and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the field; for the LORD has spoken!" ¹² Arise therefore, go to your own house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die. ¹³ And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he is the only one of Jeroboam who shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something good toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam."

God would bring disaster upon Jeroboam, and in days to come the men of his house would be denied the honour of a burial and memorial.  Their carcasses would be scavenged by dogs and carrion birds--with the exception of young Abijah, whose death would be lamented and he would be buried with royal honour.  Why would he die in his youth?  Not because he would grow up to be a vile person, but God saw in him as a child "something good toward the LORD God of Israel" in all Jeroboam's house.  God knew what He had in this little lad, and when everyone wished for his full recovery God was pleased to bring him home--knowing the great evil what would befall the house of Jeroboam on account of sin.  Those who share the perspective of the apostle Paul who preferred to be absent from the body and to be present with the LORD can gladly welcome God's wisdom, mercy and salvation (in His time and way) when He ushers us into peace in God's presence forever, home at last with our Saviour Jesus Christ.

The death of the body precedes being present with the LORD in eternal glory.  Since our righteousness is in Christ who rose from the dead, though our bodies will die our spirits will live--clothed in a new body that will never see corruption.  It is natural to mourn the loss of a loved one, but we never need mourn the present condition of the redeemed, glorified soul who is finally where they belong:  in peace and rest forever.  What peace we have in Jesus who is our Peace!

The Steward and Young John

Yesterday I leafed through a book by C.S. Lewis titled The Pilgrim's Regress, and it is one of the more clever and thought-provoking allegorical tales he wrote.  Perhaps the most memorable moment for me is when young John is brought to meet the "Steward" (a minister) who spoke concerning the "Landlord" who represents God.  Lewis presents a scene which brilliantly conveys how confusion, hypocrisy and lack of integrity are blights that obscure the Gospel message and the love of God from people.  With supreme focus on behaviour rather than the heart, using fear to control rather than sharing God's love which liberates, it is a masterful presentation of legalistic religion without a relationship with Jesus.  All I can say is, enjoy--and take it to heart so we as Christians do not resemble the Steward to the young Johns in our lives.

"...The Steward lived in a big dark house of stone of the side of the road.  The father and mother went in to talk to the Steward first, and John was left sitting in the hall on a chair so high that his feet did not reach the floor.  There were other chairs in the hall where he could have sat in comfort, but his father had told him that the Steward would be very angry if he did not sit absolutely still and be very good:  and John was beginning to be afraid, so he sat still in the high chair with his feet dangling, and his clothes itching all over him, and his eyes starting out of his head.  After a very long time his parents came back again, looking as if they had been with the doctor, very grave.  Then they said that John must go in and see the Steward too.  And when John came into the room, there was an old man with a red, round face, who was very kind and full of jokes, so that John quite got over his fears, and they had a good talk about fishing tackle and bicycles.  But just when the talk was at its best, the Steward got up and cleared his throat.  He then took down a mask from the wall with a long white beard attached to it and suddenly clapped it on his face, so that his appearance was awful.  And he said, "Now I am going to talk to you about the Landlord.  The Landlord owns all the country, and it is very, very kind of him to allow us to live on it at all--very, very kind.'  He went on repeating 'very kind' in a queer sing-song voice so long that John would have laughed, but that now he was beginning to be frightened again.  The Steward then took down from a peg a big card with small print all over it, and said, 'Here is a list of all the things the Landlord says you must not do.  You'd better look at it.'  So John took the card:  but half the rules seemed to forbid things he had never heard of, and the other half forbade things he was doing every day and could not imagine not doing:  and the number of the rules was so enormous that he felt he could never remember them all.  'I hope,' said the Steward, 'that you have not already broken any of the rules?'  John's heart began to thump, and his eyes bulged more and more, and he was at his wit's end when the Steward took the mask off and looked at John with his real face and said, 'Better tell a lie, old chap, better tell a lie.  Easiest for all concerned,' and popped the mask on his face all in a flash.  John gulped and said quickly, 'Oh, no, sir,'  'That is just as well,' said the Steward through the mask.  "Because, you know, if you did break any of them and the Landlord got to know of it, do you know what he'd do to you?'  'No, sir,' said John:  and the Steward's eyes seemed to be twinkling dreadfully through the holes of the mask.  'He'd take you and shut you up for ever and ever in a black hole full of snakes and scorpions as large as lobsters--for ever and ever.  And besides that, he is such a kind, good man, so very, very kind, that I am sure you would never want to displease him.'  'No, sir,' said John.  'But please, sir...' 'Well,' said the Steward.  'Please, sir, supposing I did break one, one little one, just by accident, you know.  Could nothing stop the snakes and lobsters?"  'Ah!...' said the Steward; and then he sat down and talked for a long time, but John could not understand a single syllable.  However, it all ended with pointing out that the Landlord was quite extraordinarily kind and good to his tenants, and would certainly torture most of them to death the moment he had the slightest pretext.  "And you can't blame him,' said the Steward.  'For after all, it is his land, and it is so very good of him to let us live here at all--people like us, you know.'  Then the Steward took off the mask and had a nice, sensible chat with John again, and gave him a cake and brought him out to his father and mother.  But just as they were going he bent down and whispered in John's ear, 'I shouldn't bother about it all too much if I were you.'  At the same time he slipped the card of the rules into John's hand and told him he could keep it for his own use."  (Lewis, C. S. The Pilgrim’s Regress: An Allegorical Apology for Christianity, Reason and Romanticism. 3rd ed., Fount, 1990. pages 29-31)

Living by God's Grace

Recently I came across an article that focused on "voluntary assisted dying" that seemed to be a propaganda piece that praised those who pursue dying on their "own terms" as having immense courage.  I do not believe suicide--whether medically assisted or not--is in itself a badge of courage.  Greater courage can be shown in choosing to live despite pain and a terminal diagnosis--looking to the LORD who gave us life in the first place.

One thing that is often missing when the "taboo" subject of assisted suicide is reported on is any acknowledgement or mention of God.  It is ironic (but not surprising!) God who knit us together in our mother's wombs would be left out of the conversation by those who embrace a humanistic or even a nihilistic perspective.  It wasn't long ago I was given paperwork by my doctor to write down my end of life plan, whether I wanted to be fed by others if I was unable to feed myself, or if I would refuse to be given any nutrition if I experience advanced dementia.  Undoubtedly these are uncomfortable topics to dwell on, and I did not view one option as more "courageous" than another.

Courage is defined as, "Bravery; intrepidity; that quality of mind which enables men to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness, or without fear or depression of spirits; valor; boldness; resolution."  Jesus demonstrated immense courage when He went up to Jerusalem knowing He would be betrayed, arrested and crucified when He was innocent of wrongdoing, young and in good health.  My dad showed courage in being subjected to cancer treatments and facing a terminal prognosis without depression or feeling sorry for himself.  He suffered great discomfort and anguish, and was never far from tears.  But as he looked to Jesus in faith, he continued his course gladly until God took him home.  My mum and family also demonstrated courage in caring for Dad faithfully, knowing his time on earth would come to an end in God's time.

In no way do I want to cheapen or dismiss the pain and difficulties that have led people to choose to die on their own terms.  Speaking for myself, however, it does not require any courage for me to live or die on my own terms.  Me living on my own terms is actually one of bondage to selfishness, fear, anxiety, cares and worries.  It is by faith in the living God in whom courage is found we can face a difficult day without fear, to be brave despite weakness and limitations, and to obey God rather than following our own hearts.  God is gracious to allow us to reach our limit, discover He is gracious and merciful, and to learn to trust Him with peace in our hearts and praise on our lips despite pains.  Knowing God gives and takes away, it is right to commit the length of our days to God who has wisely numbered them.

The suffering, sorrow and pain of this life will soon be over--even if it feels like it will never end.  Those who trust in Jesus Christ are assured of eternal life in His presence where there is no illness, pain, tears, sorrow of death.  God gives His people assurance of His kindness today and always as is written in Isaiah 54:10:  "For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has mercy on you."  Death is not our friend, advocate or refuge:  God is!  There is no illness God cannot cure, and no condition greater than His love and power to save.  Psalm 27:14 says, "Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!"  Better than waiting to die, we are to wait on the gracious LORD who strengthens us.

God is Reasonable

The almighty God who created all things is beyond all reason due to His omnipotence and power, and yet He is also most reasonable.  Caricatures of God set forth by unbelievers portray Him as being ridiculously unreasonable, easily infuriated, carried away with violence, being unjust and brutal.  This is merely a projection of the worst of man's natural tendencies, and none of these are remotely accurate of who God has revealed Himself to be in the Bible and by the Person of Jesus Christ.  People have done horrid and wicked things in the name of God, but they were not God.  God's holy name ought not be dragged through the mud because evil people claimed to be doing His will--when in reality they acted according to their own wicked desires.

God never makes unreasonable demands of people, for He supplies wisdom and strength for all who trust in Him.  God gave Adam freedom to eat of every tree in the Garden of Eden (including the tree of life) and told him not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the midst of the garden.  Adam was plainly warned that should he eat of that tree, he would surely die.  God created Adam and made him a living soul because He desired Adam to live and have enduring fellowship with Him.  Disobedience to the holy God is sin, and sin would bring certain death.  Even as a father or mother warns their child of danger and seeks to protect them, God warned Adam of the consequences of eating from that one particular tree.  When Adam and Eve sinned by eating the fruit, it was they who were being unreasonable in light of God's revelation.

When God spoke to the children of Israel through His word and the prophets, He did not have unreasonable expectations of them.  God did not require anything that we do not expect of our own children.  He said, "...Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you." (Jeremiah 7:23)  The bar was set quite low, for God wanted His people to listen to Him, obey Him and receive correction when they erred.  He did not demand perfection, for that would be unreasonable given our sinful state.  God did not insist they do His will without ever telling them what pleased or displeased Him.  He did not trick or trap a soul.  God spoke using words they could understand and that they agreed to do--except rebelled and disobeyed.  They were the unreasonable ones, assuming the all-knowing God did not know how corrupt they were or the omnipotent God could not discipline them.  Seeing God had revealed Himself by His creation of the world, His mighty works and in writing, God's people were most unreasonable to imagine they could fool Him.

Romans 12:1 says to God's people, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."  Since God has revealed Himself in the Person of Jesus, demonstrated His love by dying on the cross, proved His power over sin and death by rising from the dead, pardoned us sinners, declared us righteous and granted us eternal life as His redeemed children, it is entirely reasonable we present our bodies a living sacrifice to God.  It is reasonable for us to avoid sin that brought death and choose to live in the manner that is acceptable and pleasing to God.  It is reasonable we present ourselves to God as His obedient servants, but we are the unreasonable ones in our relationship.  We must be born again to begin to be reasonable--made new creations by faith in Jesus--and we must learn to yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit who fills, gifts and makes us spiritually fruitful.  As little children learn to reason, it is reasonable we as children of God learn to align our thoughts and lives with His wisdom.

Amending Ways and Doings

God commanded Jeremiah to stand at the gate of the temple and proclaim in Jeremiah 7:3:  "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place."  God repeatedly urged His people to thoroughly amend their ways and their doings because they were out of the way--having gone out of the way because of the sinful dictates of their hearts--and their deeds were wicked as well.  People who heard the word of the LORD through Jeremiah were not receptive to such exhortations.  Those who are wise and fear God will take His word to heart with humility and obedience, knowing God is perfect and we are not.  As long as we live in these bodies of flesh in a world corrupted by sin, amendment of our ways and doings will be required regularly.

The word "amend" is more than "change," for it means to add what is lacking.  When it comes to soil, amendments need to be added and mixed with the existing soil to correct a problem with soil pH, poor water retention, too much clay, lack of organic material and nutrients.  Understanding the concept of amendment requiring adding what is missing was a lightbulb moment for me.  We can take notice of outward sins and make the mistake of working to to cull them from our lives by willpower alone (with a variety of motivations that can even be selfish), and this can make little difference.  One reason we fail to change is we have tried to remove a sinful practice without adding what was missing; we often try to manage symptoms without addressing sin's source in our hearts and minds.  Putting forth effort to stop doing what is wrong without first doing what is right will be a fruitless endeavour, like trying to put on the "new man" without putting off the "old man" with his sinful deeds.  We must first be born again and walk in the Spirit, and then we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.  But we don't always walk in the Spirit, do we?

For soil to be properly amended, the ground must be prepared by breaking up the clods and removing debris.  As amendments must be thoroughly integrated, mixed and watered into all the soil, so we should integrate God's word into all aspects of our lives.  God pointed out the need for the children of Israel to amend their ways and doings--and these are not synonyms.  A way speaks of a course of life, a road that is leading to a destination.  Going our own way puts us on the wrong road that always leads to ruin.  Our "doings" speak of our thoughts, decisions and deeds.  One not need to be a licensed driver to understand being on the wrong road will lead us to the wrong destination, and focusing on checking your mirrors and maintaining a safe distance will not put us on the right path.  When we discover our ways are sinful, the only right turn we can make is to Jesus Christ with a repentant, contrite heart.

If we will truly amend our ways and doings, we must acknowledge we need to add what is missing to our lives that only Jesus can supply by His grace.  It is not sufficient to restrain ourselves from murder, but to love one another as Jesus loves us.  Deciding stealing is wrong and we should stop doing it may not ever be put into practice until we find our contentment in Christ and view giving to God and others as a privilege and blessing.  Praise the LORD for the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives who guides us into all truth, who teaches and helps us to comprehend and obey God's word.  Progress may seem slow, but every step of faith in Jesus is truly a monument of God's grace toward us.  Hosea 10:12 says, "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you."

Seek the LORD

During our Friday night Bible study, we discussed the importance of seeking God intentionally.  Unlike the children of Israel who went up to the tabernacle or temple where the presence of God dwelt according the Law of Moses, Christians are now the temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us (1 Cor. 6:19).  Somehow, someway, seeking God can be neglected in the shuffle of Christian service and spiritual disciplines, our actions becoming the end in themselves rather than drawing near to God in worship, praise and thanksgiving.

Going to a church service--is going to a church service.  Being in a particular place doesn't mean we are seeking the LORD or waiting on Him.  It occurred to me that going to church without seeking God is like going to the airport but never boarding.  The whole purpose of going to a bus, train station or airport is to take a mode of transportation to a particular destination.  Now it is likely we have been to a station to drop or pick someone up, and thus we fulfilled the purpose for going there.  But to go to a station and not drop anyone off, pick someone up or board transport ourselves, we have missed an opportunity.

Speaking for myself, I would never go to an airport unless I had a specific reason for going that involved the aforementioned activities.  Yet I confess I have gone to church services and did not seek the LORD:  I was just there to attend a service.  I participated in singing and heard preaching from God's word; I found insights interesting and enjoyed catching up with fellow believers.  But I didn't necessarily seek God.  I hadn't prepared my heart to approach the awesome, holy, almighty God like people who washed in a mikveh, put on clean clothes and brought their offerings to the priest to be sacrificed.  It is a good to go to church and be in fellowship with Christians, but seeking Christ ought to be central.

God's grace is wonderful, for even when we fail to prepare our hearts to seek God and are caught up in activities, God is able to speak and work wonders in our lives.  He is patient, compassionate and merciful.  God delights to reveal Himself to those who are far from Him and pursues the wandering soul--even if they have never been to a church service.  When we make God our destination, we will find Him when we seek Him with our whole hearts.  Psalm 27:7-8 says, "Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. ⁸ When You said, "Seek My face," my heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek."  In all our seeking and service, may we seek the LORD!

To God Belong Escapes from Death

"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation! Selah ²⁰ Our God is the God of salvation; and to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death."

Psalm 68:19-20

The LORD reminded me today that to Him belong escapes from death, for He is the God of our salvation.  This is a theme found throughout the Bible, and the book of Daniel provides several examples.  Daniel and his companions were spared from death when Israel was defeated by Babylon, and they were brought to Babylon to be trained, tested and serve king Nebuchadnezzar.

When the king became furious with his wise men and astrologers who could not tell the king what he had dreamed and suggested his request was unreasonable, he ordered their execution--Daniel and his fellow Hebrews included.  They cried out to God in prayer and appealed for Him to reveal the king's secret in His mercy.  After praising God, Daniel went before the king and told him the dream and interpretation which concerned the latter days, and the lives of Daniel and the rest of the wise men were spared.

King Nebuchadnezzar later constructed a massive image of gold and commanded all his assembled princes, governors and leaders to bow in worship when music was played--or else they would be thrown alive into a burning furnace which was on site and prepared for the occasion.  When Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego refused to bow before the image, they were hauled before Nebuchadnezzar himself.  He gave them a final opportunity to bow and said, "If you do not fall down and worship before the image I made, that same hour you will be cast into a burning fiery furnace:  and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?"  Well, the king was given a first-hand opportunity to witness the God of Israel do just that, for He saved His servants who trusted in Him:  the LORD to whom belong escapes from death.  Though the heat was increased sevenfold, God preserved the lives of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego.

After Babylon fell before the Medes and Persians, Daniel was promoted by king Darius to be first of three overseers of 120 princes over the whole kingdom.  Envious men proposed legislation with an aim to destroy Daniel, saying if someone over a 30 day period prayed to anyone other than the king, those guilty would be thrown into the lion's den--knowing Daniel would continue to pray to the God of his fathers.  It all happened as they hoped:  Daniel prayed to God, he was convicted under law could not be altered, and he was thrown into the lion's den.  What they had not counted on was God sent His angel to shut the lion's mouths and they were unable to harm him!  Daniel emerged from the den of ravenous lions unharmed.  To God belong escapes from death He grants to those who trust in Him!

In contrast Psalm 68:21 says, "But God will wound the head of His enemies, the hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in His trespasses."  The wicked men who conspired against Daniel and accused him, by the command of the king they were rounded up with their families and the lions broke their bones in pieces before they came to the bottom of the den.  As Nebuchadnezzar learned--following God saving him from his deadly pride--that all His works are truth, His ways judgment, and all who walk in pride God is able to abase.  King Darius declared in Daniel 6:26-27:  "I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God, and steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall endure to the end. ²⁷ He delivers and rescues, and He works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions."

God or Mammon

"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

Luke 16:13

"Mammon" is a word I have never heard in everyday conversation, and this is a likely factor why it is not understood.  The most common alternative in Bible translations for mammon is "money" (capitalised in the NIV), but the meaning is greater than dollars and cents.  In his book The Call, Os Guinness goes beyond a definition to provide a useful description that helps us better understand Christ's meaning:

"Jesus' use of Mammon (Aramaic for wealth) is unique--he gave it a strength and precision that the word never had before.  He did not usually personify things, let alone deify them.  And neither the Jews nor the nearby pagans knew a god by this name.  But what Jesus says in speaking of Mammon is that money is a power--and not in a vague sense, as in the "force" of words.  Rather, money is a power in the sense that it is an active agent with decisive spiritual power and is never neutral.  It is a power before we use it, not simply as we use it or whether we use it well or badly.

As such Mammon is a genuine rival to God.  The recurring biblical demand confronts us:  "You shall not worship the work of your hands."  Jesus challenged his hearers to choose one master or another--God or Mammon.  Either we serve God and use money or we serve money and use God.  Ultimately we follow what we have loved most intensely to its natural destination--eternity or death--"for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Guinness, Os. The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life. Thomas Nelson, 2003. pages 134-135)

God is the Creator and giver of all gifts, and good things God has provided can lead to a spiritual mutiny in our souls, and our flesh tends to corruptly serve the gift rather than the giver.  Jesus illustrated the impossibility of serving two masters:  if one master said to kneel and another demands the servant stand, only one of the commands could be followed.  A servant obeys the master he loves, whilst the master he disobeys he plainly loves less.  Loyalty to Jesus Christ can be shown in our Spirit-led stewardship of the wealth He gives us, and if we are ruled by money we are not walking in obedience to God.  Our flesh suggests it is possible to please both masters, as if wealth and gain is a guarantee of God's approval--that wealth and God are the same--bringing down God to the level of money we control.  Jesus struck a contrast between God and mammon so His followers would not fall for this selfish ruse.  What we serve demonstrates who we love most.

In contract negotiations for big money in sport, government or business people will say, "It's not about the money."  It would be naive and deceitful to say money has nothing to do with it, otherwise people would contribute their skills, talents and time without financial renumeration.  Jesus put Himself opposite mammon because our desires, ambitions and needs are God's rivals we naturally side with.  In denying ourselves, taking up our cross daily and following Him, we are called to look to Jesus to guide us in giving when we would rather sock it away or spend it on ourselves.  Our flesh would rather have  the financial security that comes from having money in the bank when God would have us learn to find our present and eternal security in Him alone.  As we regularly give a portion of increase God gives us back to Him (1 Cor. 16:2), the power money once had over us is shattered and we begin to realise the inestimable wealth we have in Jesus.  If money management is a pain point, the LORD may stretch  us on the rack of divided loyalty so we might repent and experience the freedom and joy of giving freely as God does to us.

The 10 Letter Word

Sometime during my life, "punishment" became a bad ten letter word that was an indicator of a heavy-handed parent, one who might as well admit to abusing their child.  I can understand serious concern how consequences for doing wrong are meted out because parents, teachers and others in positions of authority have committed abuses, but the Bible shows punishment in itself is not sinful or morally wrong.  God punishes evildoers, and what those in authority must understand is they are not God and must answer to Him for their deviation from love, mercy, compassion and justice.  It is the love and fear of God that ought to govern God's people in the administration of discipline.

I have experienced leaders at schools, camps and the workplace who embraced positive affirmation to a degree that made me squirm with discomfort more than harsh censure.  Instead of identifying bad behaviour and enforcing a clear boundary with corrective measures, some feel compelled to tell everyone how wonderful and amazing their conduct has been.  Had those words come from my mouth, I would have been guilty of lying through my teeth based upon my observations and convictions.  Sometimes bad behaviour occurs when a boundary and clear consequences were not adequately spelled out, and once this is done there is no excuse for those in authority not following through with their own stated policies when there is clear, willful disobedience.  When leaders neglect to take appropriate action, a warning is reduced to an idle threatening which leads to habitual and greater transgression.

Webster defined "punishment" with important distinctions:  "Any pain or suffering inflicted on a person for a crime or offense, by the authority to which the offender is subject, either by the constitution of God or of civil society. The punishment of the faults and offenses of children by the parent, is by virtue of the right of government with which the parent is invested by God himself. This species of punishment is chastisement or correction. The punishment of crimes against the laws is inflicted by the supreme power of the state in virtue of the right of government, vested in the prince or legislature. The right of punishment belongs only to persons clothed with authority. Pain, loss or evil willfully inflicted on another for his crimes or offenses by a private unauthorized person, is revenge rather than punishment."  There are different kinds of punishment that are to be done in an appropriate way in the fear of God.  Punishment is not merely inflicting pain as retribution--"You angered me so I will hurt you"--but has the aim of instruction, correction and restoration.  When punishment is abandoned for vengeance, we transgress upon God's sovereign territory.

I remember years ago there was an unruly youth at a centre where I worked.  We had a simple disciplinary approach taken from soccer for the kids who attended:  a yellow card was a warning, and a red card meant ejection.  While we always encouraged the children and praised good behaviour, we also needed an effective way to communicate what behaviour was unacceptable.  After serving more red cards to one youth than all other children combined, I sought the LORD and His wisdom because the red card punishment was not resulting in correction or reformation.  I was led to consider the words of Jesus in Matthew 18:15-17:  "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. ¹⁶ But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' ¹⁷ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector."

My immediate response was, "That's not going to work."  But I chose to heed God's word and put the principle of Jesus' teaching into practice.  I had a conversation with the youth who claimed to be a Christian.  I explained that if I needed to give a red card again, we would have a chat with all the kids at the centre, that the youth would be prohibited from entry until there was a change of heart and willingness to follow the rules.  It wasn't long before the red card was issued, the conversation was had before all the children, and the youth was not permitted to attend.  A couple months later, we were all blessed by God's answer to prayer when the youth returned willing to apologise and had a different attitude.  There may have been a couple of yellow cards given after that, but never again a red card.  I cannot emphasise this enough:  it was not our system but God who made all the difference.  God was faithful to His word and loved me and the unruly youth enough to teach us all valuable lessons that made a difference for good.

I urge you brother and sister in Christ:  trust God enough to put His word into practice concerning administering punishment and discipline to those God has entrusted to you.  Love is shown by being patient and kind, by being slow to anger and not keeping records of wrongs (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).  Abuse of authority is unloving, and it is also unloving to neglect appropriate discipline.  Should the temper flare and the flesh bristle with offence, immediately stop and examine your own heart before the LORD, repent of vengeful desires, and humble ourselves before God.  Then, even when it feels uncomfortable, have a conversation where you specifically identify the boundary and how it was transgressed.  Seek the LORD for what are appropriate consequences should the line be willfully crossed again.  Proverbs 13:24 says, "He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly."  Praise God He is gracious and merciful with His administration of discipline to us when we err, communicating His love without fail.

Faith Pleases God

There was likely no one more surprised than my dad when I embarked on a career in mechanical insulation.  He remembered very well my aversion to the feeling of gyprock (drywall) dust as a youngster, and he likely figured I was simply not cut out for jobsites and able to endure the dust, noise, fumes and physical labour.  After over a decade in the trade there was probably no one more surprised than me when the LORD opened a door to being a youth pastor in full-time ministry.  Working in a trade was by no means wasted time, for it prepared me for the rigours of pastoral work in countless ways.  I did not begin a career in a trade to please my dad, but I switched into a new line of work with the desire to please God.

It's an interesting dynamic that people who are not particularly fond of their dads wish they could please them.  Dads can be hard--at times even impossible--to please.  I was blessed to be assured of my dad's love and support regardless of my job or career choice, yet not everyone experiences this level of acceptance with their father.  It is possible, however, to live in the way that pleases God--our heavenly Father.  If pleasing our earthly father is a pleasant thought, how much more is pleasing our Father in heaven!  Paul prayed in Colossians 1:9-12:  "For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ¹⁰ that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; ¹¹ strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; ¹² giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light."

There is one key and indispensable element to pleasing God as it is written in Hebrews 11:6:  "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."  Those who do not believe in God's existence will not go to God, for they do not believe He has done anything or would be able to do anything.  Jesus is revealed as God made flesh, and He preached repentance from sin and the kingdom of God.  Those who heard the message of the Gospel, when mixed with faith, profited them when they responded to it in faith, submission and obedience:  they repented of their sin, believed Jesus is the Christ, and walked in obedience to Him.  It is God who provides wisdom, spiritual understanding and fruitfulness, and having been born again by faith in Jesus we are able to fully please Him by continuing to trust in Him and repent of sin.  The way we came to Jesus Christ by faith is the way we walk with Christ.  Sorrow for sin and repentance leads to acceptance and rejoicing by God's grace.

Some might imagine God's expectation of His children is perfection, that once we know the truth we will never transgress.  Those who have been children and raised children realise this is totally unrealistic.  Parents desire their children to be honest with them and admit when they have done wrong, to show genuine remorse for disobedience, and to take steps to do better moving forward.  Sometimes signs of remorse in people are merely for show, yet the LORD knows our hearts.  It is good for people to go to God in their sin, confessing their faults with contrite hearts--at our conversion and whenever we are convicted of our guilt going forward.  God will not crush and condemn the humble soul who in faith willingly comes to Him for forgiveness and pardon:  it is the one who asserts they are without sin who remain in sin.  It is amazing that having sinned we please God by repenting of our sin, and all heaven is moved to rejoice over one sinner who repents, one who was lost but returned to God in humble contrition.

It's Hell Without Jesus

There is good reason to be wary of anyone who claims they will usher in a new world by their policies and ideology.  Like conquerors who built their homes on top of the cities they took and reduced to rubble, it is only a matter of time until the homes atop the tel are knocked down and made a ruin by new occupants.  Victory in battle or the ballot box may be thrilling, yet leadership that heads in a progressive direction--away from God and values that helped establish a country in the first place--precedes a downward spiral.  Those who claim by their leadership can create utopia for all assert the ability to do something only God can do.  God said in Isaiah 65:17 of a glorious future He will usher in:  "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind."

The Bible teaches that when people or nations lose their way and become corrupt and lawless, it is not that they need to head in a new direction:  they need to return to the old good paths God has established and choose to walk in them.  Jeremiah 6:16 reads, "Thus says the LORD: "Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'"  One fault of man passed down from the very beginning by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden was to follow in Satan's footsteps to desire to be God, to be free to do whatever we will, to speak the word and for it to be fulfilled.  The humanistic and atheistic ambitions to establish a utopian society have never been realised and cannot stand because God--who alone is able to create new heavens and earth and transform man from within into a new creature--has been cut out of the picture.  Mankind is incapable of creating or doing anything new; he is incapable of saving a nation or even himself!  Disregard of our spiritual need for a relationship with the living God leads to ruined minds, bodies, souls and societies.

Many have tried to usher in their ideal age with legislation, and when this falls short they resort to force and control.  When they fail, there is an easy excuse that the status quo was not sufficiently demolished or the foul roots of the previous establishment have undermined a most worthy plan.  Inability to reap the rewards of capitalist, communist or socialist agendas are blamed on the lack of sufficient money, political power, resources or commitment of the common man to prove their ideals sound in reality despite incredible human cost.  The blame often falls on people who become expendable.  The starvation under Mao's Great Leap Forward, the killing fields of Cambodia, propaganda that elevates leaders or the government to godlike status, these are not relics of a distant past:  the implementation of deceptive and authoritarian measures defiant of God and His word continue to this day.  Many aspiring leaders follow Absalom's way of promising justice for all by deceitful and unjust means.  Consider Absalom's approach in 2 Samuel 15:4-6:  "Moreover Absalom would say, "Oh, that I were made judge in the land, and everyone who has any suit or cause would come to me; then I would give him justice."  ⁵ And so it was, whenever anyone came near to bow down to him, that he would put out his hand and take him and kiss him. ⁶ In this manner Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel."  Absalom was a murderer, thief, adulterer, deceiver and liar unworthy of honour or rule.  His rebellion did not last long, but the human toll was terrible.

The desire of people to be God shows our need as those created in God's image to humble ourselves and submit to God; our ambition to rule and for our word to stand shows the importance of heeding God's word and take our stand on it.  There is something in utopia that is attractive because it hints at the peace, prosperity and rest that is found in Jesus Christ alone--God who makes us new creations.  People who do not believe in God hope there is a heaven, and this desire to go to heaven comes from God who will create a new heaven and new earth where righteousness dwells because He sits on the throne.  We are all invited, but people are unwilling to enter in the Door (John 10:7-9) God has swung wide open to us by faith in Christ.  The concept of communal living and all working together for the common benefit hints at the unity people can have by faith in Jesus Christ, united by the Holy Spirit, and loving one another as Jesus loves us.  God's sovereignty, love and grace is conspicuously absent in the ideal world of many people, yet without God man's best efforts result in a hellscape of oppression, control, persecution, poverty, punishment and death.  The world has no idea how the presence of God and the love of Jesus Christ through the church and the wisdom of God's word have worked to protect, preserve and redeem nations to this day:  providing light in darkness, hope for the hopeless and salvation for sinners.

The conception of utopia falls woefully short of the plans God has revealed for all who love and trust Him, eternal life in the presence of our glorious Saviour forever.  Revelation 21:3-5 says, "And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." ⁵ Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."  Jesus has overcome pride, sin and death, and He will make all things new forever--and this includes us.  No society on earth has ever boasted freedom from death, eternal damnation, sorrow, crying or pain, but this is the future God has in store for all people who trust in Him.  You can keep your wistful dreams of future utopia, for I have infinitely better in Jesus Christ today and always.

The New and Living Way

In family Bible reading, we have come to a series of psalms that provide brief overviews that testify of God's wondrous dealings and faithfulness to the children of Israel.  In facing present difficulties, how good it is to fix our eyes on God and consider His awesome and marvellous ways.  In a world that exuberantly shouts out the Fleetwood Mac refrain "You can go your own way!" and is intent on asserting and pleasing self, God has provided the only way to eternal life by faith in Jesus Christ.  This is a life free of bondage to sin, self and death entered into by denying self and following Jesus.

To the children of Israel who faced attacks from Assyria, would ultimately fall to Babylon and be brought into captivity for 70 years, in God there remained hope of a glorious future.  Through the prophet the LORD declared in Isaiah 43:15-19:  "I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King." ¹⁶ Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the mighty waters, ¹⁷ who brings forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power (they shall lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick): ¹⁸ "Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. ¹⁹ Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."

God's word hearkened back to His mighty power displayed during the exodus from Egypt when He made a way through the Red Sea to deliver His people from the Egyptian army that pursued them.  The "way" God made was much more than just a way out of trouble but the way of salvation by faith in God.  For the Hebrews, the God's way was entered into by faith and literally was a path to life, leading to fellowship and worship of God, and the destruction of their enemies.  To people who would be brought into captivity in Babylon, God would do a new thing, making a road back from captivity to Jerusalem and the land of promise.  As God miraculously caused water to flow from the rock in the wilderness, God would provide safe passage and supply all their needs in the desert.

Another way God fulfilled this word was heralded by John the Baptist who in the wilderness prepared the way for the revelation of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.  In a spiritually dry and barren world, Jesus identified Himself as the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6).  Jesus said whoever believes on Him will out of his belly flow rivers of Living Water, speaking of the Holy Spirit the Father would send.  Going our own way brought us to ruin, yet God has provided a new and living way to God through faith in Jesus--the One who bid all who are thirsty to come to Him and drink (John 7:37-38).  The Hebrews drank water from the rock in the wilderness and thirsted again, yet those who come to Jesus by faith--the living Way God has provided--will ask and receive the Holy Spirit who is a fountain that springs up within us into everlasting life (John 4:10-14).

Jesus Christ Magnified

As a kid at church, I always enjoyed hearing the testimonies of people who had come to Christ.  It was an opportunity to know a fellow Christian better, hear the way God revealed Himself to them, and how God was working in their life currently.  There were many testimonies I heard which had a large emphasis on a life before Christ and various sinful activities they pursued.  It was rare for someone to open the Bible and read verses God had used to change their minds, Scripture that lead to the realisation of their sinfulness and need for salvation.  Had God's word always been proclaimed in those testimonies perhaps they would have been exponentially more spiritually fruitful!

An intriguing situation occurred in the book of Acts when seven Jewish men (sons of Sceva a Jewish leader of the priests) worked as traveling exorcists and took it upon themselves to command demons to depart in the name of Jesus whom Paul preached.  Acts 19:15-16 reads, "And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" ¹⁶ Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded."  The evil spirit knew Jesus the Son of God and Paul His servant, but these sons of Sceva had no part in Christ's kingdom:  they simply applied a formulaic approach based on their observations of Paul.  Without the protection and power of Jesus Christ, these imposter exorcists were overcome and beaten up by the demon possessed man.  Rather than the demon leaving the man he possessed, the hireling exorcists ran naked from the house--their weakness, folly and unbelief exposed for all to see.

When the story spread through Ephesus, Acts 19:17-20 explained the massive impact it had on the hearers:  "This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. ¹⁸ And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. ¹⁹ Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. ²⁰ So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed."  Fear fell on all those who heard of what happened, and the name of the LORD Jesus was magnified who has authority and power over all spirits.  Not once was Jesus beaten up or unable to cast out a demon with His word alone, for He is truly the LORD of all.  What is amazing is how Jewish and Gentile Christians came confessing their deeds, for they had been involved in occultic practices that employed demonic power.  Not only did they testify publicly their deeds but they brought their books containing their incantations and burned them.

The failure of the sons of Sceva to drive out the demon resulted in Christians fearing God and purging the church of sin when people confessed, repented of their sin and burned their books once and for all in public.  The power of sin that was strong in secret was overcome in public view by the fear of God.  The confessing of sin and burning of the magic books showed how "the word of the LORD grew mightily and prevailed."  Reading and studying God's word is vital for the Christian, and when we submit ourselves to God's word through faith and obedience great strides can be made in personal purity and being a godly witness.  It seems while Christians kept their secret books and the Scripture the power of God's word remained dormant in their lives, but when they confessed their demonic dabbling and destroyed their books, God's word grew mightily and prevailed.  May it be through our lives and testimony the name of the LORD Jesus is magnified, and by our confession of sin and reformation the word of the LORD will grow mightily and prevail.

A Cantankerous Christian?

In the C.S. Lewis book God In the Dock, he was asked if there are any "unmistakable outward signs in a person surrendered to God, and if that person could be cantankerous?  "Cantankerous" is defined as, "bad tempered, tending to argue or complain."  C.S. Lewis made good points in his answer:

"Take the case of a sour old maid, who is a Christian, but cantankerous.  On the other hand, take some pleasant and popular fellow, but who has never been to Church.  Who knows how much more cantankerous the old maid might be if she were not a Christian, and how much more likeable the nice fellow might be if he were a Christian?  You can't judge Christianity simply by comparing the product in those two people:  you would need to know what kind of raw material Christ was working on in both cases.

As an illustration, let us take a case of industrialism.  Let us take two factories: 

    - Factory A with poor and inadequate plant, and

    - Factory B with first-class modern plant. 

You can't judge by the outside.  You must consider the plant and methods by which they are run, and considering the plant at Factory A, it may be a wonder it does anything at all; and considering the new machinery at Factory B, it may be a wonder it doesn't do better." (Lewis, C. S., and Walter Hooper. God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2014. page 49)

Judging others based upon appearances is sinful (John 7:24), and measuring ourselves by ourselves is unwise (2 Corinthians 10:12).  Only God knows the hearts of people and the "raw material" found there which requires much miraculous refinement.  Being saved by grace through faith is no excuse to neglect our own sanctification as Christians, for we should live to please God who gave all for us.  This involves us learning to submit to Christ's guidance, instruction and correction.  Reformation and refinement should not be something we look back as occurring primarily at our conversion but things that are taking place today because our fellowship with the holy God reveals our sin; we continue to fall short of God's glorious perfection.  It would be foolish to condemn Jesus Christ because of spiritually immature and sinning Christians, but it doesn't stop people from doing so.  Dear fellow believers, let's not provide easy excuses for people to ascribe folly to Christ our LORD because of our lack of love, grace, Christlikeness or cantankerousness--if that is indeed a word.

Settled Gladness

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!"

Philippians 4:4

Paul exhorted and instructed Christians to rejoice in the LORD always, and this is significant seeing all he had suffered for the sake of Christ and the Gospel.  When Paul penned this letter he was a prisoner though he was innocent of all false accusations leveled against him.  The betrayal by false accusations of his fellow Jews, corrupt Roman governors, and constant persecution did nothing to quench the joy Paul had in Jesus.  Regardless of the circumstances of life, there is always great cause to rejoice in our LORD Jesus.

There is a positive optimism of youth that can be lost over time through disappointment, disillusionment and dashed expectations.  As people grow older, face chronic pain and process losing physical abilities, freedoms and mental acuity, attitudes and outlooks can become increasingly bitter.  This can be true concerning faithful Christians who become sour due to problems they observe in society, heresy creeping into the church, immaturity in fellow believers, or that the Rapture hasn't happened yet!  I find it delightful to see Christians who face difficult hardships and fierce opposition who, like Paul, rejoice in the LORD always with faces illuminated with joy in the LORD.  I find fellow believers like John Lennox inspirational, for when discussing matters of faith with skeptics hostile to Christ in a public forum, his visage shines with joy and peace like Moses whose face glowed from being in the presence of God.

Are you a Christian who is growing increasingly grumpy with the world and others?  Have you become more militant or bold to air grievances and complaints?  In 1 Peter 4, the apostle urged believers to arm themselves with a mind determined not to spend any more time pursuing lusts of the flesh but instead doing the will of God.  He said in 1 Peter 4:3, "For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles--when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries."  Following this logic, haven't we spent enough time looking for hope and encouragement in what is not Jesus?  We have spent enough time focusing on what is wrong in the church or wondering why people do not share our convictions:  how about looking to the LORD, rejoicing in fellowship with the few who attend church gatherings, and seek opportunities to encourage and edify one another in love?  Haven't we spent enough time being disillusioned by fickle folks when we should rejoice in God who is faithful and follow His example?

God's will is for us to rejoice in the LORD always, and may we grow in maturity, established by faith in Jesus, to have our attitude and outlook settled with gladness in God.  Peter wrote in 1 Peter 5:10-11, "But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. ¹¹ To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."  How great is our glorious God and Saviour Jesus Christ who suffered for us for the joy that was before Him!  Unlike the Pharisees who disfigured their faces to show they were fasting, may our joyful countenance in the midst of trials, opposition, and even chronic pain bring Jesus honour and praise.  God knows what you are going through, and we can rejoice in our Saviour who is with us and loves us every step of the way.

Examination and Communion

Today I was drawn to the exhortation of Paul to the Corinthian believers that they examine themselves as they gathered together for the Lord's Supper, a feast which was supposed to illustrate the love of Christ and unity with one another.  Hearkening back to Jesus who distributed bread and wine to His disciples on the night He was betrayed that symbolised His broken body and blood that would be shed for them, this practice was incorporated into regular meals.  Paul rebuked the Corinthians because of their divisions, exclusion of others and excess in these gatherings where the poor went hungry and others were drunk!

He advised in 1 Corinthians 11:28, "But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup."  Each person was instructed to examine himself to ensure each one was obedient to Jesus, united in the fear of God, to love one another and repent of sin.  Paul was not erecting an obstacle to fellowship with God or others:  sin is what does that!  Paul encouraged personal examination so people would be discerning of the LORD's body (the church) when they ate of the bread and drank of the cup--not to disqualify themselves due to sin they repented of.  At times in the history of the church well-meaning leaders have taken it upon themselves to examine others and deem them unworthy to partake of communion when there is no one righteous but Christ.  Each person is accountable before God, and thus each one of us in the church ought to examine ourselves.

To refuse to partake of communion because we have sinned is like not coming to Jesus Christ in repentance because we feel we ought to be punished for our sin.  Didn't Jesus provide atonement by His shed blood for the sin of the world in full?  Can we add to His sacrifice?  Is it our feelings of guilt and shame that tore the veil of the Holy of Holies from top to bottom?  To be sure, our sin is a hideous, horrendous thing:  should we add to our sin by resistance to repentance for sin and broken surrender to our Saviour, when He has died so we can live and have fellowship with God and one another today?  The self-examination Paul spoke of was intended to move sinners to repentance that preceded communion, not self-exclusion.  To put ourselves in a self-imposed spiritual "time out" because we have sinned does not seem to take 1 John 1:9 into account for the Christian:  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

There is a person who receives communion who desires to be seen by other people to be receiving it, while another does not receive communion because they feel unworthy.  In a fleshly sense, this may be an honourable thing to do.  From a biblical perspective, however, we are all unworthy by the efforts of our flesh to be born again, to have fellowship with God, to be forgiven or receive communion.  In light of the New Covenant Jesus has established in His own blood, we are called to examine ourselves, to repent of sin, and eat of the bread and drink of the cup knowing we are partakers of the Gospel by God's grace.  Psalm 130:3-4 reads, "If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? ⁴ But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared."  Praise the LORD for the new beginnings He provides day by day for the humble soul that repents of sin in the fear of God.

Grace in Adversity

 "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down."

Daniel 4:37

The almighty God opposes the proud whoever they may be.  King Nebuchadnezzar experienced exactly what James said, that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.  When the heart of Nebuchadnezzar was haughty and proud as the king of an empire, God was able to bring him down without a struggle.  For 7 years the king who reveled in his glory and majesty was reduced to behaving like a beast without understanding.  After God brought Nebuchadnezzar low, at the end of his time he humbled himself before God who restored him to his throne.  For him, humiliation was the path to saving faith in God, humility and wisdom.

The psalmist described the proud soul in Psalm 10:4-6:  "The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.⁵ His ways are always prospering; Your judgments are far above, out of his sight; as for all his enemies, he sneers at them. ⁶ He has said in his heart, "I shall not be moved; I shall never be in adversity."  The proud man is so full of himself there is no desire to seek God and no room for the consideration of God, His judgments or power.  The Bible is full of examples of proud people saying what will happen (that God prevents from happening) and saying what cannot happen (and God chooses to do that very thing).  One reason why God does this is to bring people to their senses, that they might acknowledge His direct involvement, seek Him and may know Him as their LORD.  God is the LORD over all things, and He is willing to go to great lengths to soften hearts and break the pride of the haughty.

In the days of the prophet Isaiah, the Rabshakeh came from Assyria and spoke proud and boastful words against king Hezekiah and the God of Israel--whom he reduced to be just one of many gods that were powerless to save those who served them.  When Hezekiah sought the LORD for help and deliverance, God promised the proud Assyrians would not shoot an arrow or build a siege mound against Jerusalem, for God would zealously fight for His people.  In one night God routed the Assyrian army in fulfillment of His promise.  In the days of Jeremiah, the situation was reversed:  false prophets claimed Jerusalem would not see war or famine when God ordained the Babylonians to be His instrument of judgment against His proud, self-righteous, idolatrous people.  God said in Jeremiah 14:15:  "Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who prophesy in My name, whom I did not send, and who say, 'Sword and famine shall not be in this land'--'By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed!"  The things false prophets presumed could never come upon them, God brought with great force to expose their deceit and affirm His truth and power.  The children of Israel came out of 70 years of captivity a people refined and humbled, wiped clean of idolatry.

It is God's grace and mercy that ordains opposition and adversity for proud souls who boast against God.  Left without rebuke or correction, those who walk in pride would not give God a thought.  God shows His power by doing what to us is unbelievable so we might believe in Him and actively rely upon Him--rather than leaning on our own understanding.  Nebuchadnezzar believed he was the greatest and no adversity could come to him, yet God was able to put him down.  He went down on all fours and crawled around for years, but he was not out because God is compassionate and merciful, desiring all people seek Him and be saved.  God opposes the proud because pride opposes God, and He gives grace to the humble.  Not being God, we all have a problem with pride, and the LORD uses adversity to guide us to greater humility and the fear of God.

Joy That Remains

A main theme in the book of Jeremiah is the need of God's people to repent of sin and return to the LORD.  The fact the prophet addressed people of Israel who were in a covenant with God is compelling for all Christians who are partakers of the new covenant in Christ's blood.  I don't know if there is a worse feeling for Christians who know they are in unrepentant sin and harden their hearts against God and His word.  I imagine this is a reason people can be averse to going to church and hearing God's word preached--for lack of contrition for sin and refusal to repent makes them resemble uncomfortable children awaiting punishment.  I would rather be on the other side of discipline, having apologised and embraced parents who affirmed their love for me.  The sting of discipline was quickly over as I went my way walking on air, everything set right again with parents who loved me enough to correct me.

When God brings brokenness for sin and we finally yield to His correction, repentance leads to great rejoicing.  We see this in the book of Nehemiah, for upon hearing the word of God the people wept for their sin.  Nehemiah 8:10 says, "Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our LORD. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."  It is natural for us to want those who do wrong to realise they have done wrong and express sorrow for harm they caused, and we might continue to beat ourselves up for sins committed long ago.  God identifies our sin, not so we would hopelessly wallow in our sinfulness and failure to please God, but so we might repent, be forgiven and restored to fellowship with God and one another in the church.  Jesus has provided atonement for sin by His own blood so sinners can be cleansed of all shame, guilt and offence and be declared righteous by faith in Him.  Sin depresses us, but God is the lifter of our head and sets us on our feet on the solid Rock of Salvation.  No longer is sin a perpetual cause of sorrow, for "the joy of the LORD is your strength."

Think about when the prodigal son returned to his father:  he willingly returned and humbled himself before his father, well aware of his shameful conduct and how he wasted his father's goods.  The father did not look upon him with condemnation and gruffly rehearse his vile conduct to shame him:  his father ran, kissed and embraced him!  He rejoiced his son was now found and organised a feast to celebrate his son's return.  The repentance of his son--a change of mind that led him to change his ways and return to his father--was the cause of great rejoicing for the father, son, household and in heaven.  There wasn't any joy for the erring prodigal in the pigpen:  it was in his father's house there was only joy and gladness.  The "strength" the joy of the LORD is a word in Hebrew that means refuge, a fortress and defence.  Secure in God's love for us and joy over us, we rejoice and delight to share His love with others.

Jesus said in John 15:9-12, "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. ¹² This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."  Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, and Jesus has spoken to us so His joy may remain in us.  His joy isn't fleeting or fickle, for Jesus gives fullness of joy we can experience that exceeds happiness from what happens.  Knowing we will see Jesus who will never leave or forsake us brings joy no one can take away as Jesus said in John 16:22:  "...you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you."  How wonderful is our Saviour Jesus, for He can turn our sorrow into joy that remains.