God's Enduring Mercy

Psalm 136 has the highest concentration of the mention of God's mercy in all the Bible--24 times in 24 verses.  Over and over the phrase is repeated, "For His mercy endures forever."  There are only 11 other occasions in the Old Testament this exact phrase is used.  God's mercy has been well described in the 1828 Webster's Dictionary:  "That benevolence, mildness or tenderness of heart which disposes a person to overlook injuries, or to treat an offender better than he deserves; the disposition that tempers justice, and induces an injured person to forgive trespasses and injuries, and to forbear punishment, or inflict less than law or justice will warrant. In this sense, there is perhaps no word in our language precisely synonymous with mercy. That which comes nearest to it is grace. It implies benevolence, tenderness, mildness, pity or compassion, and clemency, but exercised only towards offenders. Mercy is a distinguishing attribute of the Supreme Being."  Man's natural disposition is thoroughly contrary to mercy, but God's mercy endures forever.

God's mercy is demonstrated by who God is as it is written in Psalm 136:1-2:  "Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. ² Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever."  His mercy is seen through everything He has done, does and will do, for His mercy endures forever.  The song references things God has done which, on the surface, may not seem merciful.  But we can know without a doubt God is merciful, and as His people we are in the best position to receive and benefit from it continually.  Man often credits himself for what God alone is responsible for as He extends the richness of His grace to all people--even to His enemies.

The song recounts how God smote Egypt in their firstborn as the final plague the LORD visited upon the nation who oppressed His people.  Pharaoh showed no mercy to the Hebrews, for he enslaved them and commanded their male infants be cruelly thrown into the Nile river.  Before the final plague was unleashed upon Egypt, God mercifully provided a way for everyone who believed and obeyed Him to be spared by striking the blood of a male lamb or goat of the first year they ate for dinner upon the doorposts and lintel of the family home.  God did not have to warn anyone; God was under no obligation to preserve life He created.  His mercy was revealed by the great salvation and deliverance of His people, for His mercy endures forever.

There were times in the history of Israel when they suffered greatly for their sin as the Law of Moses had forewarned.  When the prophet Jeremiah looked around and felt like all his hope and strength had perished, he came to realise the hope that remained in God in Lamentations 3:22-25:  "Through the LORD'S mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. ²³ They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ²⁴ "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I hope in Him!" ²⁵ The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him."  The consequences of sin were awful and brutal (for the soul that sins will surely die), yet there remained hope in God because His mercy endures forever.  Born again followers of Jesus Christ are granted eternal life by the Gospel because God's mercy endures forever.  There is no question if God is merciful:  the question is will we hope in Him, wait for Him and seek Him?

What God Pleases He Does

"For I know that the LORD is great, and our Lord is above all gods. ⁶ Whatever the LORD pleases He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places."

Psalm 135:5-6

God is the sovereign creator over all, and whatever pleases Him God does.  No one has any right or authority to criticise or condemn Him, even though man makes a habit of doing this.  God has given mankind the freedom to choose what we say and do as those created in His image, yet God is the only being who always does what is right.  With the understanding God has given us, limited by our short-sighted human perspective, we can complain God is not on task when we are unwilling to trust; we suspect He is not working because we are waiting.  The irony is when it seems God is not actively working, He is accomplishing His good purposes we could never imagine.

We catch a glimpse of this in John 11 after Jesus received word His friend Lazarus was sick.  Mary and Martha were assured of Jesus' love for them and their dying brother, and likely assumed because Jesus loved them He was obligated to come at once and heal Lazarus.  Jesus did not do this.  He waited until after Lazarus was "sleeping" in death and explained His purpose in waiting to wake Him in John 11:14-15:  "Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. ¹⁵ And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him."  Among the disciples of Jesus, there was at least one (Judas!) who did not believe.  Rather than sparing Lazarus from illness and death, Jesus allowed him to die physically so others could be born again and receive eternal life by faith in Jesus when they saw His mighty works.

When Jesus came to Bethany, Lazarus had been dead 4 days and the village was bustling with mourners who came to comfort Mary and Martha who were bereaved of their brother.  Jesus went to the tomb of Lazarus and wept, and this demonstrated His genuine love for him and those who had suffered great loss.  He then commanded the stone to be moved from the entrance of the tomb.  John 11:41-45 reads, "Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. ⁴² And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." ⁴³ Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" ⁴  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go." ⁴⁵ Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him."

Isn't this incredible?  While Mary and Martha felt Jesus was not helping them by healing Lazarus, He purposed to save sinners by raising Him to life.  The miracle of people being born again is as great a miracle as Lazarus physically walking out of the tomb.  The sign of Lazarus being raised up was another demonstration of God's grace to prove beyond a doubt Jesus was the Christ, the resurrection and the life, and that people by faith in Him could receive eternal life in His name.  This passage teaches us even when God has not answered our prayers or done our will, He is still working to accomplish His glorious purposes.  As people raised to new life by faith in Jesus, may our lives be a living testimony of God's  grace, love, and power to redeem so others will believe on Jesus Christ and be saved.  How good it is that what God pleases He does!

Unity in Christ

God gives wonderful gifts to mankind, and we tend to take them all for granted.  Ageing can be difficult when we feel entitled to the fit body of a young person that heals quickly, is more coordinated, can recall information without a struggle, can see more clearly and hear easily.  When I was a kid I had a wrist contusion that required me to wear a splint for a few weeks.  There were many things that were instantly difficult and showed me how much I took for granted--like the ability to hold a fork, wash myself and tie shoes.  It is easy to take a healthy body for granted because God designed our bodies wonderfully, and we can also take the Body of Christ (the church) for granted too.

By faith in Jesus Christ, we have a connection with God and one another in the church which is miraculous, supernatural and wonderful.  We who were once foreigners and enemies of God have been accepted into the beloved, chosen and blessed by the LORD who we now know as our heavenly Father.  Through the Gospel, Jew and Gentile have been united as one with Christ and we are privileged to have fellowship with God and one another.  There are many professing Christians in the world and in many places many Christian denominations to choose from, yet the fellowship of believers is totally unique in this world.  From a group of sinning strangers God has created brothers and sisters in Christ.  Groups of friends, hobbyists, sports enthusiasts, or work mates apart from Christ cannot experience the oneness we share with Christ and one another.

Psalm 133:1-2 illustrates this unity well:  "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! ² It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments."  The psalmist extolled how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.  The anointed of Aaron as high priest is a compelling example of how pleasing and unique our calling as God's people truly is.  The holy anointing oil was something most Jews could only smell and would never touch their skin, for it was reserved for the service of the tabernacle and temple before the LORD.  But the unity God's people can enjoy is precious and at the same time abundant, even as the poured oil ran down Aaron's head, through his beard, and soaked to the edge of his priestly garments.  Aaron was privileged and at the same time humbled to be chosen as high priest, in himself unworthy to  be accepted or to serve the holy LORD.  That is why he needed to be anointed to fulfill his God-given role.

Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Anointed One, our great High Priest.  He prayed before His crucifixion concerning His disciples He sent into the world in John 17:20-23:  "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; ²¹ that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. ²² And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: ²³ I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me."  As Aaron was physically anointed with oil, so all Christians have been anointed by the Holy Spirit and perfectly united with Christ and one another as one the world may know the Father sent the Son Jesus Christ and loved us as He loved His only begotten Son.  How wonderful it is to be chosen, accepted and anointed as members of God's body, the church!

Even as our physical bodies are not always functioning properly, so the church at times can have the spiritual equivalent of aches, pains and illness.  As the Corinthian church illustrates, divisions and conflicts can arise within the church and lead to serious problems.  Despite our falling short of God's perfection, the blessing of the fellowship and unity we have with God and one another outshines all other connections and relationships because unity in Christ profoundly deep and eternal, transcending our earthly existence and all our differences.  How good and pleasant it is to have brethren everywhere and to be united together in the rest, peace and joy of our glorious Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Rather than taking God or the church for granted, let's thank Him for the opportunities He grants to enjoy fellowship with God and one another continually.

Christ's Call to All

I have observed people refer to the role of pastor as a "calling" rather than a career, and this is true.  However, I suspect this reference may hinder people from understanding every Christian has been called by God regardless of their role in church ministry.  It may give the impression that if one is not a pastor, they have not been called by God to anything important--which is untrue.  All God's people are called to serve and glorify Him.  In Oz Guinness' book The Call, he makes a distinction between the general call of all Christians and then specific, personal calls to each individual.  The second call can only be answered well when the first call is responded to with faith in Christ, humility and obedience.

The call of God upon the lives of each Christian is not an enigma only deciphered by dreams, visions or dramatic divine revelation, for it comes into view as clearly as our initial call to receive the Gospel.  Whether we are willing to answer God's call by yielding ourselves to Him is another matter.  God's call comes to us; we do not need to go seeking it.  As we seek the LORD, what He calls us to do becomes increasingly clear by God's word, His grace and the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth.  Samson was called by God as a Nazarite from the womb, one who would begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines.  He did not aspire to this role, but it was God's call upon His life.

We may all wish we were as Samson, called to be the sovereign God's battle axe swung against the Philistines.  Our call may not be as dynamic because we are not endowed with supernatural physical strength or established as a ruler over a nation.  Jesus called for all to come to Him in John 7:37-39, "On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. ³⁸ He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." ³⁹ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."  Answering this call of Christ in obedience by faith expresses our need only Jesus can supply.  The fact we have answered God's call is not a sign of strength but weakness, an admission of folly only God's wisdom can refine.

Our security and strength is not in our calling but in Him who has called us:  Jesus Christ, the Son of God!  Do you know what your calling is?  God's calling is true of every Christian:  to be conformed into the image of Christ, to bring glory to Jesus as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:30-31:  "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption--³¹ that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD."  Peter said when we do well and suffer for it, this is acceptable to God.  To this we are called, for in so doing we walk in the steps of our LORD Jesus who lived free of sin, did not speak deceitful words or threaten, and He committed Himself to God who judges righteously (1 Peter 2:21-24).  Our calling is in our weakness to rely on God for strength to fulfil Ephesians 6:10 in our lives:  "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might."

The Bible is littered with such passages that flesh out God's call upon all Christians.  How wonderful that being called, chosen and empowered by God is not only for Nazarites, judges or pastors but for all God’s people.  We could not be born again or saved without being called by God, and Jesus calls us to believe on Him, to look to Him and come to Him.  Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."  Answering God's call never gets old because we always need Him, and He is always worthy to be praised and obeyed.

The Scene of the Fall

Today I walked by what could be called, "the scene of the fall."  I took a tumble a couple months back when I kicked a raised kerb on the footpath during a morning walk before daylight.  It seems the local council took notice of the lifted kerbs in the area and ground them flat to prevent others from tripping like I had.  Without me notifying anyone, the council put into practice a principle of Romans 14:13:  "Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way."  A council worker observed the raised area, judged it to be uneven and unsafe, and ground it flat to remove the walking hazard.

It is possible to have a perfectly flat footpath and still trip over our own feet and fall down.  But if we are the ones who have fallen, we ought to be circumspect and more careful when we pass by that way again.  When I came to the area where I fell, I took care to walk more to the middle of the footpath.  The wise do the same when it comes to falling into sin, and the term "fall" may be a misnomer in many cases.  Many times we dive into sin like a swimmer does a pool, taking to it like a duck to water.  I have seen clips of people accidentally falling into pools while doing maintenance or when talking on their phone, but sin is rarely an accident.  Sin is natural to our flesh and often intentional, even habitual.

Sometimes we have failed to recognise our attitudes, outlook, judgments, actions, motives and words are sinful, and because He loves us God convicts us of our sin.  His word is like a light that shines in the darkness of our hearts and reveals how contrary to God we actually are.  Other times our sin is premeditated, and there are well-worn paths to sin we have habitually frequented.  As Proverbs 26:11 says, "As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly."  I always wondered what our dog was thinking when he did weird things like eating grass or returned to eat his own vomit.  I don't believing thinking had anything to do with it, for he was an animal driven by instinct.  He did so because he was a dog, and those are commonly observed behaviours in dogs.  In his parable Solomon said dogs and fools act according to their nature, and fools express their folly by repeating it.  Without thought of God, fools do not learn from their folly and on their own cannot change.

Having been born again by faith in Jesus Christ, we no longer are to walk as fools--who live as if God did not exist.  We no longer have a "sin nature" because Jesus has made us new, raised from death to life.  We are empowered by God to put off the deeds of the "old man" and sins associated with life apart from Christ, and we can do as Ephesians 4:23-24 says, to "...and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."  Though we continue to live in a body of flesh that has a hearty appetite for sin and tries to justify itself in pride, we are to walk wisely and remember what led to previous falls.  We ought to avoid what has caused us to sin in the past and ensure we do not stumble others.  Even if the council worker hadn't leveled the footpath, by God's grace I was not doomed to fall again.

Knowing I had fallen and can fall again today prompted me to walk wisely and carefully.  It would have been foolish for me to walk away from the "scene of the fall" proud I didn't fall today, scoring a victory over that dumb kerb!  We can make the mistake of feeling proud of ourselves for avoiding where we stumbled in the past only to have another sin like pride overtake us because we believe we are sufficient in ourselves due to our knowledge, maturity or spirituality to avoid such errors.  How we need to rely on Jesus to walk uprightly!  God save us from sin and flesh that repeats its folly!

Fearing the LORD

Jesus taught His disciples in Luke 12:4-5, "And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. ⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!"  Rather than fearing man, we ought to fear God for His infinite power and eternal justice.  He is able to do to us what no man can, for He holds mankind accountable forever to His righteous standard.  This power of God who knows the hearts of men and has authority over life and death ought to put us in awe.

The Bible gives us another reason to fear God because of what He does for us!  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."  If God treated us according to what our sins deserve, we would never be able to stand before Him.  God does not turn a blind eye to our iniquities and sins, nor does He shrug them off.  God provides the means of forgiveness and pardon by the price paid by the LORD Jesus Christ on the cross, for His blood provided atonement for the sins of the world.  When we repent of our sin the LORD freely forgives us, but the satisfaction of God's justice required a price to be paid--and He paid it all.

Psalm 34:8-10 reveals we ought to fear God for all He gives us:  "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! ⁹ Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. ¹⁰ The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing."  God who created us supplies all our needs according to the richness of His grace, and blessed are those who trust the LORD and fear Him.  We fear Him because He is not only able to meet our needs, but does so faithfully without fail.  When we thought we had need of nothing, He saw we were miserable, poor, blind and naked and did everything to redeem and draw us to Himself with cords of love.

Every aspect of God's character is glorious, good and worthy of our fear.  If we respect someone for their physical strength, knowledge or achievements, shouldn't we fear God for all He is, what He does and gives ?  Having had our eyes opened to God's goodness, we ought to fear God for what He does to us, for us and all He gives us.  Since we have been brought into a relationship with God by His grace, we ought to heed Psalm 2:11-12:  "Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. ¹² Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him."  How awesome is God and worthy to be praised, feared and served.  And how blessed are those who put their trust in Him!

God is Working

I heard a comment recently that gave me pause.  A visitor, upon entering the sanctuary at church, said something to the effect of, "So this is where it all happens."  Instantly a thought popped into my head:  "You'd be surprised how seldom things happen here."  This was not a knock on God's work or His people but to point out the sermons preached, songs of worship sung and prayers to God for about an hour a week is a fraction of the depth and breadth of God's relationship with us.  It is a supremely special time to have fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ at church and an incredible privilege to proclaim God's word.  A lot of awesome and wonderful things happen at church--but one room isn't where it all happens.

I realise the visitor was not making a theological statement, and I did not think what was said needed correction.  What it did likely illustrate, however, is a distinction made in Love, Acceptance and Forgiveness by Jerry Cook between "church as a field" and "church as a force."  The "church as a field" is an approach that suggests church is a building where things happen, and thus it is imperative we coax or invite people into the church so they can be taught and ministered to by a pastor.  The "church as a force" concept is that the church is the Body of Christ comprised of individual members who bring Jesus and His love to minister wherever they go to whomever they meet as God leads them.  The gathering of the church in fellowship to preach the word at set times is good, and to be moved to live for Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit every day is also very good.

What happens when a person thinks the sanctuary is where it all happens--and nothing seems to be happening?  If their expectations are unmet, if people do not see or hear what they are accustomed to, they may just go to another church.  They may say, "The worship is dead" when that statement may be more indicative of their own feelings or spiritual slumber more than the hearts of God's people.  They might lament the lack of miraculous healings, spiritual deliverance or people falling to the ground because that to them is part of the church experience.  I have observed that when people do not see things are happening, they may not believe God is working.  The temptation follows to make something happen, and this is not good when it is of the flesh and not of God.

One thing I love about God is He does not judge according to appearances but examines the heart.  I believe, even when we do not see anything visibly happening, God is at work for our good and His glory.  The one who shouts excitedly is not more filled with the Holy Spirit than the silent saint who repents or wonders at the awesomeness of God.  The one who raises their hands or falls to their knees is not more "spiritual" than the person just sitting there.  Our hearts are where God is always working, and when the LORD begins to transform our hearts our thoughts, decisions, attitudes and actions change too.  God is always at work as Moses sang in Exodus 15:11:  "Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you--majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?"  In a warehouse, in a purpose-built church building, in our homes, with music or in silence, in the heart of a person sitting on a chair or laying on a bed, God is working wonders.  That is a reason why we gather together in worship as a church--to testify of the awesome things God has done, is doing and will do.

Repentance and Joy

"Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

1 Peter 5:5

God's call for Christians is to submit to God and one another in the fear of the LORD, to be clothed with humility.  To "submit" is to willingly place oneself in subjection to, and this is the attitude and posture we see in Jesus Christ who submitted to His Father in heaven and did His will.  In His humanity Jesus relinquished His own will to do the Father's will, even when it meant going to the cross joyfully as a sacrifice for sinners.  Knowing God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble, we are called to submit to God.  It is not by asserting ourselves but through submission to God we are divinely enabled to walk in victory.

James 4:6-10 connects submission to God with our ability to resist the devil:  "But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." ⁷ Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."  Nowhere in Scripture are Christians commanded to take the fight to the devil, for Christ has already defeated him.  At the same time he can prowl about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  Those who are clothed with humility and submit to God are an exercise in futility for satanic assault, and he will flee from those who subject themselves to God without a fight.  Even if trials and temptations come to us, in drawing near to God He draws near to us to help and deliver.

Notice the purifying, sanctifying power of God's presence in the life of a believer!  As light exposes dust in the air and cleaning one area of tile or grout exposes how dingy and dirty the rest of the floor is, so the Holy Spirit reveals sin we are called to repent of, forsake and teaches us what good to do instead.  Like children who resist washing, we may read of lamenting, weeping, and laughter turning to mourning as a bad thing, something to be avoided.  Such may wonder, isn't God loving?  Doesn't He want us to be comforted and happy?  God does not keep a person comfortable in their sin.  He loves us so much He sent His Son to die to atone for our sins--not so we could be happy and content to continue in sin.  When God makes us aware of sin, we are to answer His call to repentance which involves remorse and grief for our wickedness in God's sight coupled with confidence God will forgive those who confess their sin (1 John 1:9).

When the rich young ruler came to Jesus and acknowledged his lack, Jesus directed him to sell his goods, give the proceeds to the poor, and follow him.  Matthew 19:22 says, "But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions."  Rather than confessing his idolatry and love of money, the young man was sorrowful because he would not repent.  Had this man sorrowfully repented of his sin and obeyed Christ in faith, he would have rejoiced like the man in the parable who found the pearl of great price, having found in Jesus something infinitely more valuable than all he possessed previously.  He would have been lifted up with joy by the LORD who was well-pleased in him!  There is infinitely greater sorrow in refusing to repent than by humbling ourselves in contrite repentance, for the end of repentance is life with fullness of joy by God's grace.  What freedom, joy and light we have in forgiveness and a new beginning with God!

After writing a letter that rebuked Corinthian Christians for their sin, Paul followed up in 2 Corinthians 7:9-10:  "Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. ¹⁰ For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death."  Godly sorrow produces repentance that leads to salvation, but the sorrow of this world produces death.  We observe sorrow of this world in Cain, for all he could think about when confronted for murdering his brother was himself:  "My punishment is more than I can bear!"  Contrast this with the tax collector in the parable Jesus told who would not even lift his eyes to heaven but beat his chest and exclaimed, "God be merciful to me, a sinner!"  It was the man who humbled himself in repentance for sin who went home justified.  If you have no sorrow or remorse for sin, if your repentance is only heaviness and gloom, it may be you have yet to repent of sin at all.

Connection With Christ

The saving faith of a Christian is according to knowledge revealed in God's word, for "...faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)  In a sermon titled "Faith," C.H. Spurgeon made an excellent point, that faith is more than believing something is true but requires assent with it.  This perspective and attitude towards God's word is well illustrated by his quote:  "I love it all; I give my full, free, and hearty assent to every word of it, whether it be the threatening, or the promise, the proverb, the precept, or the blessing.  I believe that, since it is all the Word of God, it is all most assuredly true." (Spurgeon, Charles H. Spurgeon’s Sermons. Baker Books, 1996. pages 369-370)  Here is an illustration involving the Niagara Falls Spurgeon used to show how faith in Christ supplies an indispensable union with God:

Some years ago, two men, a bargeman and a collier, were in a boat, and found themselves unable to manage it, being carried so swiftly down the current that they must both inevitably be borne down and dashed to pieces.  Persons on the shore saw them, but were unable to do much for their rescue.  At last, however, one man was saved by floating a rope out to him, which he grasped.  The same instant that the rope came into his hand, a log floated by the other man.  The thoughtless and confused bargeman, instead of seizing the rope, laid hold on the log.  It was a fatal mistake; they were both in imminent peril, but the one was drawn to shore, because he had a connection with the people on the land; whilst the other, clinging to the log, was borne irresistibly along, and never heard of afterwards.  Do you not see that here is a practical illustration?  Faith is a connection with Christ.  Christ is on the shore, so to speak, holding the rope of faith, and if we lay hold of it with the hand  of our confidence, he pulls us to shore; but our good works, having no connection with Christ, are drifted along down the gulf of fell despair.  Grapple them as tightly as we may, even with hooks of steel, they cannot avail us in the least degree...

Faith, then, is an union with Christ.  Take care you have it; for, if not, cling to your works, and there you go floating down the stream!  Cling to your works, and you go dashing down the gulf!  Lost, because your works have no hold on Christ, and no connection with the blessed Redeemer!  But thou, poor sinner, with all thy sin about thee, if the rope is round thy loins, and Christ has a hold of it, fear not! (Spurgeon, 376-377)

The sermon concluded with Spurgeon's strong pleadings for people to love Christ, believe in Him and turn to Christ from their sins in repentance.  By God's grace, an appeal to reason is powerful when coupled with a conscience softened by the Holy Spirit.

And now, dear hearers, shall I down upon my knees, and entreat you for Christ's sake to answer this question in your own silent chamber:  Have you faith?  O!  answer it, Yes--or No.  Leave off saying, "I do not know, or I do not care."  Ah!  you will care, one day, when the earth is reeling, and the world is tossing to and fro; ye will care, when God shall summon you to judgment, and when he shall condemn the faithless and the unbelieving.  O!  that ye were wise,--that ye would care now; and if any of you feel your need of Christ, let me beg of you, for Christ's sake, now to seek faith in him who is exalted on high to give repentance and remission, and who, if he has given you repentance, will give you remission too.  O sinners, who know your sins!  "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and ye shall be saved."  Cast yourselves upon his love and blood, his doing and his dying, his miseries and his merits; and if you do this you shall never fall, but you shall be saved now, and saved in that great day when not to be saved will be horrible indeed.  "Turn ye, turn ye; why will you die, O house of Israel?  Lay hold on him, touch the hem of his garment, and ye shall be healed.  May God help you so to do; for Christ's sake!  Amen and Amen. (Spurgeon, 382-383)

The Western Wall and God's Grace

I received an antique book titled The Land of Christ that boasts over 160 photographs "which were obtained by the publishers only after long, arduous and expensive labor."  The book provides a glimpse into the life of people in Israel at that time--and also gives unpleasant insight into the largely antisemitic and bigoted views of the writer towards Jews, Arabs and Bedouins through unflattering anecdotes.  Much of the reprehensible commentary does not bear repeating, yet I found great pleasure in noting how different Jerusalem is now from the time the book was written.  Here is a photo taken at the Western Wall in the book published in 1895, a place I have visited several times myself.

The writer said the Jewish inhabitants of Jerusalem at the time were about 5,000, and the writer showed no respect for them in his remarks.  A portion of the blurb reads, "The sight is a pitiable one in many ways.  The abject poverty of most of the mourners excites sympathy rather than derision.  The hope and faith for a restoration to power which animates these people would be sublime if their degradation were not so low as to remove them from a possibility of admiration."  These devout worshippers were seen as the lowest of human debasement and their prayers described as "hopeless supplications."  How I wish the author who penned this disgraceful commentary had read the Bible and observed the Jewish people in Jerusalem today, for he could come to realise the God of Israel gives hope to the hopeless and answers the prayers of His people!  God is moved by the faith of those who cry out to Him, and by His might He restored the Jewish nation to power and prosperity who were once made to be exiles in their own land for nearly 1,900 years.

The glory of God is seen in His deliverance, endurance and prosperity of the Jewish people as the LORD spoke through Moses in Deuteronomy 7:7-10:  "The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; ⁸ but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. ⁹ Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; ¹⁰ and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face."  God redeemed the children of Israel from the house of bondage in Egypt, and God was faithful to bring them into the land He promised to give them as an inheritance, driving out nations that were greater than they.  The secret (which is no secret!) of the strength of the Jewish nation is their God, the Creator of heaven and earth who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him.  According to God's promise He has gathered those who were scattered, miraculously doing what was altogether impossible.  As it is written in Jeremiah 31:10-11, "Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, 'He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd does his flock.' ¹¹ For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of one stronger than he."

Those who assembled at the Western Wall over a century ago, those poor dismissed and despised by men, demonstrate the power of their awesome God to deliver His people as we observe at the Western Wall today.  God has blessed and strengthened the Jewish nation exceedingly, and Christians ought to be inspired by the faithful devotion to God seen in the old photographs and to this day in the holy land.  Here is a picture of the Western Wall I took in 2015, and the unique rock carving can be seen several stones higher on the wall today as further excavations have taken place.  A horizontal darkened line shows the level where the pavement used to be.  Those gathering to pray at the wall are standing just beneath the point their forebears stood above them.  Parts of the wall that were unseen previously have now been revealed, and may it be so with the God of Israel as He opens the eyes of people to His faithfulness, mercy and grace through Jesus Christ.  People may despise and hate us now for our devotion to Christ, but may generations to come joyfully acknowledge how awesome and praiseworthy our God in part by our faithful prayer and obedience to Him.

God Saves and Transforms

Recently I recalled a boy from my youth who quickly gained a reputation for clumsiness during fishing trips.  The first time we went fishing with him, he let go of the net in the water and stared as it (inexplicably to him) drifted down to the depths.  Then he managed to fall off the dock into the water.  The very next time we went fishing in Mission Bay at dusk he shouted with excitement as he sprinted on the beach, "Where's the water?" and kept running until the water reached his knees, tripped over and fell in.  He spent the rest of the evening wrapped in a sleeping bag by the fire.  Let me tell you, there was never a dull moment with this kid around.  Every time we fished, without fail, somehow he found a way to be soaked to the skin.

The fishing incidents from the past will always be in my mind, and frankly it has been so long I cannot remember the boy's face or name.  He has long since grown to be a man and perhaps far excels me in fishing knowledge and skill.  It would be silly for me to assume he is the same now as I perceived him then because we have both grown up.  I have been in the position of being relegated to how I used to be, and that doesn't feel great--especially when we have experienced personal growth.  When I told my dad my intention to apply for an apprenticeship program, he smiled as he expressed the irony of my choice:  "And this is the kid who hated drywall dust on his hands."  I don't know that anyone enjoys being covered with fine dust, but that childhood aversion was easily laid aside in the desire of a profitable career.

As those born again by faith in God, we above all others should acknowledge the power of God to save and transform people into new creations.  "People don't change," someone recently remarked, and we can likely supply evidence to show people have not learned a lesson or continue to repeat the same mistakes.  Yet we ought to allow for people to have the opportunity to change because of our awesome God who works to sanctify us from within.  I remember a girl years ago at a youth centre I oversaw years back who often was at the center of drama.  I was convicted by the LORD when I viewed this girl through the lens of her past wrongs and thought to myself, "Here we go again."  Her disrespectful and disobedient behaviour was what I came to expect, but the reality is God can and does change people.  My outlook and our relationship turned around when I started saying instead, "Today is a new day."  Every 24 hours, God graciously gives us a new day that provides the opportunity for a new beginning.

It is wonderful how God used a stubborn girl who refused to change as a means to change me from my stubborn ways of how I viewed her and others, putting them under the burden of the past they could not change.  As sure as this is the day the LORD has made, He is able to transform people into His image.  Some require a long time and an involved process, yet today could be the day they submit to God's transformational love and power and are changed for the better.  We can choose to break the moulds of judgment we have formed of people we know based on how they were knowing God is working to make us more like Him today.  Let us rejoice in our God and the new day He has given us knowing Psalm  74:12 is true:  "For God is my King from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth."  God doesn't change, and praise the LORD He can change us.

Love Without Discrimination

Jesus taught we are not to discriminate concerning loving others, for we are to follow the example of Jesus who loved His enemies.  He commanded His disciples do the same in Matthew 5:45, "...that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."  Jesus used rain as an illustration of God's gracious provision for all, for God does not reserve the rain only for people who please Him.  God demonstrates His love for all by showering rain on the just and the unjust.  Job observed God also causes the rain to fall in the wilderness where no man is, satisfying the desolate places so herbs can spring forth (Job 38:5-7).

I was reminded of God's love and provision for all people by a Bible passage in Judges.  After God empowered Samson to kill 1,000 Philistines with the fresh jawbone of a donkey, he suddenly felt incredibly thirsty to the point he wondered if he would die!  He cried out to God who caused water to spring from a hollow place in Lehi, and Samson drank and revived.  Judges 15:19 goes on to say, "...Therefore he called its name En Hakkore, which is in Lehi to this day."  Samson named it "the spring of him who called" and it remained flowing in Lehi to the time the book of Judges was penned.  We read of many times in the Bible God miraculously answered prayers, and we might assume such wonders were only for those specially used by God.  This passage reveals the spring of water which flowed "to this day" was not just for Samson's sake, but for all who were thirsty who passed that way--Hebrews, Philistines, for anyone who was thirsty as a testimony of God's faithfulness and goodness to all.

Wasn't God gracious to hear the prayers of His people and also provide water for His enemies too?  The water that revived Samson could also have refreshed Philistines after a raid upon the land of Judah as they reveled in plundering God's people.  The Philistines had not cried out to God for water as Samson did and perhaps attributed their refreshment to the provision of Dagon, their god.  Yet the fact they drank fresh water in a desolate place from the rock was a testimony of the God of Israel who loves all people, who gives good gifts out of His grace, who makes the sun to rise on the evil and good, who sends precious rain on the just and the unjust.  God knows every soul who is His redeemed possession, yet He does not withhold love from anyone.  Jesus did not die for the Jews or for those who repent, but for the sins of the world so all could come to repentance through Him and have eternal life.  Not all are willing to come to Jesus in faith, but God extends the Gospel to them just the same.

How good it is for us to be like Jesus who loved His enemies like the spring of living water continued to flow and refreshed the parched and weary!  Having been born again by faith in Jesus, God intends the Living Water of he Holy Spirit to flow from us to others so they too can receive the love, grace and forgiveness of Jesus through our witness.  We are not to hinder the flow of God's love and goodness from our lives depending on whether we feel people are deserving of it or are pleasing or acceptable to us.  Before Christ came into our lives we were never acceptable to God because of our sin, pride and stubbornness:  should we arrogantly return to these sins in refusing to love others as Jesus does, having received so great a Saviour and salvation by God's mercy?  May Christ in us be the answer to prayers of others not yet prayed to meet a need presently unknown by others, that they too may be born again and find rest for their souls in Jesus Christ our LORD.

Praying For Others

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

Romans 8:31

While it is among the shorter words in this verse, the conditional "if" written here has some of the largest implications.  Reading the passage in context, Paul already established God is for those who are for Him, having provided His only begotten Son to save sinners.  Paul taught there was now no condemnation to those who are in Christ and walk according to the Holy Spirit.  Those who are born again by faith in Christ have the Holy Spirit within them and are children of God.  Paul was so confident of God being for His people, having made us joint-heirs with Christ with whom we will be glorified, he declared in Romans 8:18, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

If God is for some people, it follows He can be against them too.  This can be observed throughout the Bible, that God is against those who do wickedly--like prophets who prophesied out of their own hearts rather than the word of God.  God said through the prophet in Ezekiel 13:8-9:  "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you," says the Lord GOD. ⁹ My hand will be against the prophets who envision futility and who divine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of My people, nor be written in the record of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord GOD."  The LORD said concerning Babylon in Jeremiah 50:31:  "Behold, I am against you, O most haughty one!" says the Lord GOD of hosts; "for your day has come, the time that I will punish you."  This is entirely consistent with the character of God in the Scripture, that He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).

God is not one of those human fathers who us deluded to imagine his child can do no wrong, one who shows nepotism by willing blindness to our faults and folly:  every one of His adopted children by the Gospel is a sinner who does wrong.  That is why Jesus came to provide forgiveness, pardon, salvation and guidance out of His goodness.  While we were still sinners, God demonstrated His love for all by Jesus laying down His life on Calvary.  What wondrous grace, that when we were against God He was for us.  His longsuffering is salvation, for He is not willing that any should perish but all come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).  Self-righteousness can lead God's children to feel entitled to God's grace and condemn others, to set ourselves against those who live contrary to God--and assume a posture that is not Christlike.

I have lately been encouraged by Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:43-45:  "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."  Notice Jesus commanded His disciples to pray for their enemies, not against them.  God is clearly against those who do wickedly, yet as recipients of His grace, mercy and love we are to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who spitefully use and persecute us.  This is God's intended path of our sanctification, for Jesus concluded in Matthew 5:48:  "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."  Better than praying against those who oppose God, we can pray for what we know is God's will revealed in His word.  God's people walk in wisdom to pray in alignment with His word rather than against others.

Avoiding Offence

When people are convinced they are right about something and other are mistaken, they can be brash, aloof or dismissive of others and their opinions.  For a great deal of my life I wrongfully valued being right over being meek and gentle like Jesus is.  I was more satisfied in having my facts straight than helping others who could be spiritually likened to lost people in the dark.  By God's grace, He made me aware of my sinful tendency and has worked in my life to transform my perspective, to care more about others and to direct them to Jesus Christ the Saviour than trying to prove my point.

In our Bible study last night, we discussed Matthew 17 and I was intrigued by an interaction Jesus had with Peter in Capernaum.  After they arrived in the city where Peter dwelt on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, Peter was approached by Jews who collected tribute money for the temple tax from those 20 years old and above who were numbered according to the Law of Moses.  Nehemiah 10:32 also speaks of an ordinance made by the people to give 1/3rd of a shekel yearly to support the service of the temple.  They asked Peter, "Doesn't your master pay tribute?"  Peter affirmed He did.  When Peter entered the house, Jesus asked him preemptively:  "What do you think, Simon?  Who do kings of the earth charge tribute?  From their own children or strangers?"  Peter correctly answered king tax strangers, for their own house is exempt from paying tribute.

Jesus affirmed, "Then the children are free."  He continued speaking in Matthew 17:27:  "Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you."  From a spiritual perspective, Jesus and Peter were justified not to pay the tribute demanded of them.  Yet Jesus did not make this a point of contention, lest they offend those who came to collect the tax.  It was not a point Jesus belaboured with the men, going into an involved discourse to demonstrate He was exempt from paying the tax.  Instead, Jesus directed Peter to go the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that came up first.  The fish would have a piece of money that would cover the expense of the tax for them both.

I am impressed at the effort Jesus went through, not only to avoid unnecessary offence, but to instruct Peter of spiritual matters and increase his faith by obedience.  As a fisherman, Peter had caught countless fish--and likely not one of them had a coin in its mouth!  Thus faith in Christ was required to do as Jesus said, believing it would be as Jesus said.  This is the only passage in the Gospels and New Testament which speaks of fishing with a line and a hook because fisherman primarily used nets.  Speaking as someone who has never fished with a net and only used a line and hook, it is interesting Jesus made no mention of what bait to use.  By Peter's faith in Jesus and obedience to His command, it is implied all happened as Jesus said and the tax was paid.  When we are compelled to pay an unexpected tax we can complain, let our annoyance and inconvenience be known, or scold others for just doing their jobs.  Jesus meekly avoided offending the tax collectors and used it as a teachable moment for Peter that resulted in great gain of understanding and faith for him and also for us today.  Jesus showed being correct is no excuse for causing unnecessary offence.

The Glorious Gate

In my daily readings I observed various psalms that spoke of gates, and this reminded me of the 80's Terry Clark praise song, "These are the Gates."  The first verse goes, "These are the gates to the Kingdom.  These are the courts of the everlasting King and we enter in with praise and thanksgiving.  We enter in with praise and thanksgiving with praises on our lips, thanksgiving in our hearts, in loving worship of our Lord."  The song captures well the attitude of God's people who enter His kingdom, thanking God with gratitude for the grace He has extended to all people through the Gospel.

In the Old City of Jerusalem today there are many gates with different names with long, storied histories.  The Gate through whom people enter the kingdom of God is distinct and unique because it is a Person sinners enter by faith.  Jesus said concerning the sheep of His pasture as the Good Shepherd in John 10:9:  "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture."  Since Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, He is the exclusive path to God the Father and eternal life (John 14:6).  This righteous Way of salvation was spoken of in Psalm 118, a song filled with Messianic allusions.  Psalm 118:19-21 reads, "Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, and I will praise the LORD. ²⁰ This is the gate of the LORD, through which the righteous shall enter. ²¹ I will praise You, for You have answered me, and have become my salvation."  We could never find or open a gate of righteousness, but God has graciously opened it for us by the Gospel.

When I read this, my mind goes to Psalm 22 that begins with the words Jesus famously uttered from the cross in Psalm 22:1:  "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?"  David prophetically sang of what would take place when Jesus was crucified.  His song contains lyrics the Jewish religious rulers hurled verbatim at Christ with scorn (Matthew 27:43; Luke 23:35).  Psalm 22:16-18 continued from David's perspective:  "For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; ¹⁷ I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. ¹⁸ They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots."  David may have been singing figuratively concerning himself, but by the power of the Holy Spirit he sang literally of what Jesus endured on Calvary.  Psalm 22:21 marks a major shift in the psalm from supplication to praise when God answers:  "Save Me from the lion's mouth and from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered Me."

For all those who believe in the LORD Jesus Christ, our prayers for forgiveness and salvation have been answered with a resounding yes according to the Gospel.  By faith in Jesus we have spiritually entered the Kingdom of God, the narrow way that leads to eternal life.  Our hearts have received Jesus gladly even as subjects rejoiced to open the gates of the city for their returning king to enter.  As many as have received Him, to them Jesus gives the power to become children of God, born again by faith in Him.  Psalm 24:7-10 sings from the page with joy for all God's people:  "Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. ⁸ Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. ⁹ Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. ¹⁰ Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah."  Let us give God praise and thanksgiving, for the victorious King of glory has come in.

God's Word Fulfilled

When Jesus prayed audibly to the Father before the tomb of Lazarus, He acknowledged God always heard Him.  Jesus did not speak aloud so He would be heard but for the benefit of everyone who stood by as He said in John 11:42:  "And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."  He made a clear correlation between what He said and accomplished because of who He was, is and will always be:  the Son of God sent to seek and save the lost, the promised Messiah.  Raising Lazarus from death to life was powerful evidence that affirmed who Jesus was and is.

A similar thing occurred as Jesus enjoyed the Passover feast with His disciples.  All these men had been called personally by Jesus and served Him for several years.  Jesus surprised them by revealing one of His apostles would betray Him in fulfillment of scripture.  To show the emphasis of what Jesus said, here is the passage without italicising John 13:18-19 as it appears in the NKJV:  "I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 'He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.' ¹⁹ Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He."  The first italics are a quote from Psalm 41:9 that would literally come to pass in a matter of hours.  Under the cover of darkness Judas would leave the Passover feast, go to the chief priests to betray Jesus, and then lead them to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane where He would be arrested.

Jesus told His disciples about His soon and unthinkable betrayal by one of His disciples beforehand so they would "believe that I am He."  Note that when italicised words are written in some Bible translations they indicate a word included by translators that does not appear in the original manuscripts to improve the translation.  In this case, removing the "He" helps us understand who Jesus claimed to be:  the I AM, the almighty God who made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  The NIV spells this out plainly in its rendering of John 13:19:  "I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am."  In the presence of Judas and all His disciples, Jesus foretold His betrayal by a disciple--the one He literally handed a piece of bread to--so they would all know He was God in the flesh.  When Jesus was crucified the next day, it seems this fulfilled prophecy was forgotten in their grief.  Jesus again affirmed His authority to cleanse the temple, His divinity and power by His fulfilled prophecies, and His victory over sin and death by His resurrection.

God revealed His identity to His people in Exodus 3:14:  "And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"   This name enshrined in the Hebrew scriptures was remembered well by the Jews to whom Jesus addressed in John 8:58:  "Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."  They picked up stones to kill Him because of what they believed to be blasphemy when Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Previously Jesus drew the ire of religious Jews because He referred to God as His Father in John 5:18:  "Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God."  Jesus was not a Sabbath breaker but the Sabbath Giver.  While they revered their Sabbath traditions, Jesus is the substance of our Sabbath rest that endures forever (Col. 2:16-17).

The fulfillment of Psalm 41:9 and Jesus' words to His disciples in the upper room have been recorded so all might know He is God.  The betrayal of Judas followed the plan and purpose God had from the beginning:  to provide atonement, forgiveness and salvation for all lost sinners who trust in Jesus.  All that Jesus has said will come to pass in God's time, and may our faith in Him grow every time His word is confirmed.  The words of Elizabeth spoken to Mary are true concerning all God's people in Luke 1:45:  "Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."  Praise the LORD Jesus Christ!