Blind Pride

Asking questions can be a good thing, but it is good to consider motivation why questions are asked.  "There's no such thing as a dumb question," I have heard people say, but questions can be asked with wicked intent.  We see an example of this when Eve talked with Satan in the Garden of Eden.  The crafty serpent asked in Genesis 3:1, "...Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?"  Satan knew very well what God said; he was not ignorant of what had God clearly spoken to Adam.  His question paved the way for an opportunity for him to criticise and contradict God and lure Eve into sin.  Satan's tactics and aims reveal a proud heart can ask questions with intent to find fault with or to criticise God rather than submit to His wisdom.

Satan answered God with questions in Job 1:8-12:  "Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?" ⁹ So Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing? ¹⁰ Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ¹¹ But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" ¹² And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person." So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD."  God drew Satan's attention to something He knew the devil recognised, that Job was a blameless man who feared God.  Rather than admitting God's worthiness to be feared or that Job was upright, Satan claimed Job only behaved thus because God protected and provided for him.  Satan claimed God was wrong about Job, and asserted he would curse God to his face if he lost his wealth.  God then gave permission for Satan to do his worst--but forbid him from hurting Job.

After the devil stripped Job of his wealth and killed his children in one day, in the midst of Job's grief he worshipped and blessed God.  Satan was wrong about Job, not that he would ever admit it.  The next time Satan appeared before God, the LORD asked Satan the same question:  if he had considered Job, an upright man who avoided doing any evil.  Job 2:4-6 reads, "So Satan answered the LORD and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. ⁵ But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" ⁶ And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life."  See how Satan moved the goalposts!  He ignored his previous claims and how he missed the mark, and he persisted in his view God was wrong about Job.  He implied God had unfairly stacked the deck and manipulated Job's response.  The devil said Job would curse God to His face if he was struck with a severe illness.  Again, God allowed Satan to do his worst.  Job's upright conduct showed God was right about Job all along, and it was the devil who was all wrong.  His arrogance and pride prevented him from taking away anything positive from the interaction.

Satan is the sort of being who will accuse God as evil for condemning anyone, yet does not take issue with God saving everyone.  He would water down the Gospel so it is no longer the Gospel and powerless to save.  The fact all will not be saved is reason enough for the proud to refuse the offer of salvation God freely gives through the Gospel.  God desires all would come to repentance, but like the devil many refuse to humble themselves before God and submit to Him by faith.  They refuse to be saved by Christ because other people may not be saved.  C.H. Spurgeon's comment on infidels fits Satan and the children of pride very well:  "Infidels, poor creatures, do not know their own arguments till we tell them, and then they glean their blunted shafts to shoot them at the shield of truth again."  The evidence of Job's upright conduct was there for Satan to see and has been immortalised in God's word forever, yet it did not change the devil because he will not change.  The human will can be stronger than reason and hard evidence, and stubborn pride has led more to eternal ruin than ignorance of the truth.  The devil is proof of that.

Yoked With Christ

When Jesus invited people who were weary and heavy laden to take His yoke upon them and learn humility from Him in Matthew 11:28-30, it is ironic because it was a call to labour.  The realisation people are weary and burdened does not lead us to suggest placing a yoke on their shoulders as a solution.  We tell them to take a break, to cease from labour!  The point is, Jesus is easily able to carry all loads that burden and crush us, and it by submissive labour by the side of Jesus we will find rest for our souls.  His yoke is easy and His burden light because Jesus is mighty, strong and our Saviour.  In drawing near to Jesus by faith and labouring alongside with Him, Christians find joyful rest.

As someone who worked in a building trade for more than a decade, one of the things drummed into workers was the need to learn to work and talk at the same time.  Some people never learn this lesson:  when they begin talking, their hands stop working.  Workers who were slow to learn this lesson worked alone until they did.  While working with Jesus does not always take the form of manual labour, Paul called out Christians in the Corinthian church who had become distracted from Christ and factional over their preferred preachers or loyalties due to whom God personally used in their lives.  People like Paul and Apollos were elevated by great people who esteemed them for the fruitfulness of their ministry.  Paul exhorted the people to return to the unity they had by faith in Jesus and to glorify Him, knowing it was Christ who will reward His faithful followers.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:5-9:  "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? ⁶ I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. ⁷ So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. ⁸ Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building."  Men of God like Paul and Apollos were only fruitful because they were "of God" and ministers who could only offer others what God freely provided for them.  One planted, another watered, and God gave the increase.  Again and again Paul downplayed the glorification of people who do God's work--people who were the epitome of faithful labourers--because God is responsible for all spiritual fruitfulness.

All Christians are called to work together with Jesus, and each one of us will receive our own reward according to our labour and all by His grace.  The last verse is an amazing truth:  in Christ we are God's fellow workers; we are God's field and His building.  God chooses to plant the good seed of His word in us that bears spiritual fruit.  Our lives have been built on the foundation of faith in Jesus Christ who is the chief Cornerstone.  We are God's servants, His purchased possession and chosen dwelling place.  Knowing this is our identity in Christ, it ought to unify us as believers to labour together to promote Him.  We are privileged to have been given duties by our LORD and Saviour, yet at the same time who are we?  We are souls who were heavy laden who found rest for our souls in Christ.  Let us unite with those who are yoked with Christ, knowing God will give the increase.

Insidiousness of Idolatry

As a kid in church, I struggled at times to comprehend what idolatry was because I did not bow down to idols in a shrine or burn incense to images.  Whenever idol worship was mentioned by our pastor at church, it was often connected to things I didn't have, like houses or cars.  I faintly recall the prime description of an idolator being a man who on a weekly basis was constantly washing, polishing and buffing his shiny car on the driveway.  This did not make sense to me because waxing cars was foreign to my life.  I did not own a car, and washing a car of dirt and grime seemed to be good stewardship of a gift from God.  I never connected the dots that the brand of car or its pristine condition could be an outlet of pride that delighted in promoting an image of self which is idolatry.

Reflecting on my youth, even the definition provided for idolatry was not a definite thing, for it was deemed anything we put in God's rightful place.  If God had yet to be given His "rightful place" in my life, how was I to determine what idolatry was?  Idolatry is very insidious because it goes right to the core of our beings, affections and desires, always rooted in self but does not always concern the same outward things.  An image can be worshipped as an idol, yet the idolatry goes beyond bowing before the gilded figure--dig deeper and idolatry is connected to why we worship an idol, because we have chosen to seek benefits for ourselves and by our efforts from anything other than God.  It is easy not to make a graven image, but idolatry is a sin all people naturally have a serious problem with because we love self and shrink from walking by faith in God.

Paul explained how subtle idolatry is to believers in Colossians 3:5-7 says, "Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, ⁷ in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them."  Commands against idolatry are not just at the beginning of the 10 commandments but also at the end.  "Coveting is idolatry," Paul asserted.  The heart of idolatry is covetousness and self-seeking, living as if we are God or serving someone, an agenda, ideology, or our own image rather than trusting and obeying God.  Idolatry, like pride, lust and envy, are matters of the heart the Holy Spirit is able to identify and expose within us so we might repent and submit to God moving forward.

Colossians 3 as well as 1 Corinthians 10 connect sexual sin with idolatry, and seeking to look at sexually provocative images provide a better concrete example of idolatry than polishing a car.  Images in the Bible at times are described as obscene, not only because they were images worshipped rather than God but because of anatomic features people lusted over.  We can look at crude wooden or ceramic images and not lust over them, but people did as Ezekiel 20:30 says in the NIV, "Therefore say to the house of Israel: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: will you defile yourselves the way your fathers did and lust after their vile images?"  Idolatry is directly connected to satisfying the desires of self, whether it be through money, power or sex.  Those crudely carved images people lusted over was a foreshadowing of pornography.  Society has largely moved on from glossy centerfolds of models posing nude by themselves, for now pornography is mass produced that depicts sex, people being degraded and pretending they are enjoying themselves.  Idolatry is at the heart of this abomination that results in lust, covetousness, adultery, fornication and all manner of vice.

My hope is to shed some light on the insidious nature of idolatry that fuels the fires of lust, greed and covetousness.  If we only deal with the symptoms--selling a car or deleting pornography from our devices--we have not dealt with our idolatrous hearts that refuse to trust God, are embittered because our selfish desires and expectations are unmet, the fact we are dissatisfied with God and the life He has given us.  From the very beginning mankind looked upon the chance of being like God as so attractive that Adam and Eve chose to disobey God.  That seed of idolatry was planted in the spiritual DNA of mankind and has plagued us ever since.  Thanks be to God, for He frees us from the curse of sin when we are born again by faith in Jesus Christ.  It is then we must rally to war against the sin in our members, against idolatry that beckons us with wanton glances and sexual advances.  Praise the LORD 1 Corinthians 10:13 is true for Christians:  "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

Keeping Words and Worship

As the book draws to a close Revelation 22:6-7 says, "Then he said to me, "These words are faithful and true." And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. ⁷ "Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book."  Many people are drawn to read Revelation to catch a glimpse into what the future holds, yet Jesus is not content to satisfy our curiosity.  This revelation of Jesus Christ provided John on the island of Patmos is for us to hear and keep, to remember what God has said and to put His word into practice.  The study of the Scripture, whether narrative, poetry or prophecy, is a call to heed God.

While we can be content to know the truth, God's desire is that we would by faith abide in the Truth.  The apostle John wrote in an epistle in 3 John 1:4:  "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."  In a parable Jesus told of a father who told his two sons to work in his vineyard, the one who said he would go was not as commendable as the one who actually went.  Based on the words of Jesus, blessed is the one who reads Revelation as a book that is a call to the personal action of obedience to God in light of what is revealed concerning Jesus.  It is good for us to read all God's word with this intentionality, not just to learn what is true and right, but to order our lives accordingly to please God.

Following on from the promised blessing of Jesus to all who keep the word of His prophecy, Revelation 22:8-9 states:  "Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. ⁹ Then he said to me, "See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God."  This is the second time recorded in Revelation John fell at the feet of an angelic messenger to worship him and was rebuked, for God alone is worthy of worship.  Since John fell at the feet of an angel to worship due to revelation from God, it is entirely possible we can do the same figuratively before human messengers used by God.  We may not physically prostrate ourselves before them or kiss their feet, but we can subtly give people honour and praise God alone is worthy to receive.

There are two directives in the immediate context of keeping the words of the prophecy of Revelation:  do not worship God's servants, and worship God alone.  There are many people who are admirable and good examples as God's servants who excel, yet not one of God's servants is worthy of worship.  Jesus is the Good Shepherd we are to seek and trust, the KING OF KINGS before whom we bow, the one who has our affections and attention, the LORD of LORD we serve joyfully.  When Jesus visited their home, Martha was distracted by much serving while Mary did the needful thing of sitting at His feet to listen to Jesus.  It is good to "get things done" with labour sanctified as done unto the LORD, yet it is also good for our hearts and bodies to be still and rest, knowing He will accomplish all things.

Psalm 95:6-7 exhorts God's people:  "Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker."  I have heard people speak of taking a stand for God, and there are times to do this publicly.  There is also a time to take a stand for Christ on our knees privately, devoting time to worship Him because He is God, is worthy of all honour, and we are commanded to worship Him.  Blessed are those who keep the words of the prophecy of God and worship Him alone.

Christ's Judgment Seat

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."

2 Corinthians 5:10

Today at Calvary Chapel Sydney I mentioned how the dead will be raised to appear at the Great White Throne judgment to be judged according to their works.  Those who names are written in the Book of Life will appear before the judgment seat of Christ.  Knowledge Christians will be judged by Christ provokes us to consider what this will involve.  The fact Paul wrote this to believers leads me to believe this is a subject people do not know much about, and frankly there isn't a great amount of detail provided.  At times people have been keen to offer their opinions on what this judgment entails, yet the little God has plainly said is infinitely superior to man's ideas.

When we speak of final judgment and the eternal state, there is much we do not and cannot know.  Based on what the Bible teaches us and has revealed to us, there are some suggestions we can soundly reject.  The most common is at the judgment seat of Christ we will be confronted with all our sins, that God will pick our lives apart (publicly, of course!) by rehearsing our transgressions.  Nothing could be further from the truth, for Jesus has already atoned for all our sins, cleansed us entirely and imputed Christ's righteousness to us.  The judgment seat of Christ is not for the dead (spiritually) but those who have been born again and granted eternal life by faith in Jesus.  It is a judgment where we receive rewards or possibly suffer loss.  2 John 1:8 says to believers, "Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward."  No rewards God gives could ever be earned by our merits:  they are only received by God's grace.

Having received Jesus Christ as Saviour, each believer is called to wisely build on this foundation--hearing and obeying the words of Jesus.  Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15:  "Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³ each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. ¹⁴ If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."  People who build a house in an area prone to fire will select materials suitable to resist and endure fire.  In a similar manner, all who realise our lives will be judged by Christ's fiery gaze ought to live in the way we know pleases Him.  Jesus freely supplies enduring building materials the Holy Spirit produces in our lives.  Proverbs 14:1 says, "The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands."  The wise build on a solid foundation, and the foolish rely on themselves or things of this world that cannot endure.

In a parable Jesus told, a master gave talents to his servants according to their ability, left on a long journey, and then settled accounts with each of them upon his return.  Consideration of this raises a question in the light of the judgment Christians will face:  have we wisely invested the life, resources and gifts God has given us for His sake?  Have we laboured to be fruitful with God's things or have we sought to serve ourselves?  Jesus said in Matthew 25:20-21:  "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' ²¹ His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'"  The master in the parable commended his faithful servant upon his return, and Jesus will commend all His servants who serve Him faithfully.  The servant viewed all the talents as being his master's, and we serve Christ faithfully when we acknowledge our lives are God's and we are not our own because we have been bought with a price--the precious blood of Jesus.

We can have all confidence in view of standing before the judgment seat of Christ because of all Jesus has accomplished for us through the Gospel.  Having been born again and forgiven by Jesus, we know we are accepted in the beloved and are citizens in the kingdom of God.  If our confidence is ever in our ability to be faithful or to impress God with our efforts, this is confidence horribly misplaced.  All confidence must always be completely in God, knowing when we are found faithful it is His doing for He has given us His Holy Spirit to help, guide and comfort us.  To God's people who will stand before Him and be judged, Jesus commanded humble, faithful obedience in Luke 17:10:  "So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.'"  Any good that arises from our efforts is all God's doing, and we ought to do good because our Saviour has commanded us and provided an example.  Those who fear and trust God ought not to fear future judgment, for God's perfect love casts out all fear.

Fair, Just and Right

"Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not fair.' Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair?"

Ezekiel 18:25

Through the prophet Ezekiel, God addressed the accusations of His people against Him that He was not fair when they were the ones being unfair.  In other translations "fair" is rendered equal, just and right.  As is always the case, man's sense of justice and righteousness who criticised God was skewed by his own sinfulness, bias and self-serving agenda.  God is perfectly fair, and He is also merciful, gracious, loving and compassionate.  His heart is not inclined to destroy people but to save them.  Yet if rebellious people are hellbent on destroying themselves and refuse His offer of forgiveness and salvation, He will let them have their way.  Everyone receives the opportunity to make the decision if they will submit to what God says is right or stubbornly affirm their own way is right.

God laid the function of justice according to His Law in Ezekiel 18:26-30 to draw sinners to Himself as giver of life:  "When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies. ²⁷ Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. ²⁸ Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. ²⁹ Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not fair.' O house of Israel, is it not My ways which are fair, and your ways which are not fair? ³⁰ "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways," says the Lord GOD. "Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin."  The Law of Moses judges a man according to his merit in every circumstance and not on his reputation or track record.  A man does not avoid punishment when he has killed a man because he had not killed anyone for 30 years.  Iniquity has been committed and prior good behaviour does not exonerate him from being held accountable for his crime.

On the flip side, one who had been thieving and extorting money for years, should he freely confess his guilt and repay all he stole with interest as the Law demands, such would not face the penalty of theft.  The one who considered and turned away from all his transgressions with repentance would not be incarcerated or executed.  He was deemed free of sin and free to go.  The children of Israel thought this was unjust of God when He is only fair, just and right.  I find it ironic God is righteous and His Law is very effective to reveal our sinfulness, yet man's inclination is to try to find fault with God and justify himself when only God can justify us.  Our natural hearts are so bent and corrupted by sin the existence of God's Laws actually stir us to transgress them.

Apart from God, iniquity would have been all our ruin.  But thanks be to our righteous God who has revealed Himself and provided a way of forgiveness and righteousness, for salvation and deliverance is not found by efforts to keep the Law, but by righteousness imputed by faith in Jesus Christ.  Though the Law of Moses holds forth a righteous standard, it gives us no strength or ability to keep it.  Trying to justify ourselves by the Law can only condemn us, yet the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe.  Anyone who demands justice will receive it, and those who appeal to their good works cannot justify themselves and remain condemned for every infraction.  But those who admit they are sinners and repent, trusting in Jesus who atoned for the sins of the world, He will justify, sanctify and glorify according to His promise.  How good it is God is just and gracious, merciful and righteous.

God has extended the offer of a relationship with Him as a father to a beloved son or daughter--not a transactional relationship according to our demands to have our way.  It is by faith in Jesus we become children of God and receive the blessings and benefits spoken of in Psalm 103:10-14 and other places in the Bible:  "He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. ¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; ¹² as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. ¹³ As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him."  Praise God He is faithful, trustworthy and cares for us, perfect in all His ways.

Repentance Not Regretted

When people are guilty of having done wrong, those who have been wronged or are tasked with administering justice often look for signs of contrition in the guilty.  Judges pronouncing sentence upon a convicted felon and children alike look with discerning eye to judge the sincerity of others to see if they recognise their guilt.  We can reject apologies given by people who do not sound sorry at all.  What this can lead to is the development of the hypocritical skill of sounding or appearing "sorry" that is not indicative of our hearts.  As children we learn looking and acting sorry can be the required currency to be exchanged to sweep our transgressions away, and it is a small price to pay.  Others feel guilty for doing wrong but are too proud to admit it.  Rather than humble contrition when confronted, they can become agitated and angry, offended anyone would suggest they are worthy of blame.

It is remarkable how different people respond to correction and how our feelings and thoughts impact our reactions to the same event.  Correcting one person humiliates them and they want to hide, and another is glad to be set right and shakes hands gladly.  After their sins are exposed one person is carefree to the point you wonder if they understand plain words, and another is so wracked with guilt they visibly weep.  A passage I read this morning reminded me of Solomon's words in Ecclesiastes, that to everything there is a season and for every purpose under heaven.  There is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.  Jesus explained it was the appropriate time to celebrate and feast when the bridegroom was present--not a time for fasting.  There is a time and season for feasting as well as fasting, and nature as well as scripture teach us it is God who determines what season it is.  Whenever we have sinned it is the season for repentance, and like summer brings heat repentance results in rejoicing.

In Nehemiah 8, Ezra the priest and scribe along with Nehemiah and other leaders in Israel, gathered the people together to read and teach from the Law of Moses.  As the people stood and heard the words of God explained to them, their understanding of the Law prompted them to weep because they realised their sin before their holy God.  Nehemiah 8:9-12 says, "And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn nor weep." For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. ¹⁰ 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." ¹¹ So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, "Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved." ¹² And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them."  It was good the people sorrowed over their sin, but the Levites explained the people were not to remain perpetually sorrowful:  they were called to rejoice, feast and bless one another with good things.  Sorrow and feelings of guilt were not God's demand upon His people but that repentance for past sins lead to joyful obedience presently.

Isn't this a good exhortation for God's people today?  What would it have benefitted God's people to lament their previous ignorance of God's Law and wallow in shame as those without hope, to fast when commanded to feast?  Should they mourn perpetually their disobedience to God or how miserly they had been toward one another when God called them to obey God with rejoicing and giving that very day?  Sorrow for sin does not constitute repentance as Paul wrote to believers 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."  Being made sorry in a godly manner leads to gain for it produces repentance leading to salvation that is never regretted.  True repentance frees us from the pangs of grief and sorrow that drag a soul down to hell, for Jesus has provided the atonement and salvation with His own blood.  In Christ regardless of our past sins we always have cause for rejoicing--and all by His grace.

Earnestly and Carefully

"After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired the other piece, from the turning of the wall unto the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest."

Nehemiah 3:20

In the section of Nehemiah that explains who repaired the wall and gates of Jerusalem and the specific areas each person or group worked on, the verse concerning Baruch stands out because it shows how he worked.  The rebuilding of the walls, gates and bars of Jerusalem was a huge group effort, and people took up tasks outside their normal field of expertise to collaborate to accomplish the building project in a relatively short time.  Baruch's earnestness to repair a section of the wall is a good illustration of the focus, diligence and dedication God's people ought to exercise in their service unto Him.

Webster defines "earnestly" as "warmly, zealously, importunately, eagerly, with real desire."  Of all the people who laboured on the wall, Baruch was the only one described as working earnestly.  The NKJV rendering of the same word is "carefully," and this provides a helpful clarification.  Earnestness does not mean a person works efficiently, for desire to accomplish a job speedily can result in haste, wasted effort and materials, and inferior results.  I remember a friend of mine was so zealous to use his new power saw in one day he cut through 3 power cords which required valuable time to repair and replace.  Working earnestly with care conveys diligence combined with accuracy.  Baruch sounds like a worker who was pleased and felt privileged to contribute in the work effort.

As there are people who want to do the least amount of work possible for the most pay, there is a person who puts off doing hard work as long as possible to do as little as possible.  This is unbecoming of a child of God who has been granted life, all resources, ability and opportunity to serve the LORD and one another faithfully.  Paul wrote to believing slaves in Colossians 3:22-24:  "Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. ²³ And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ."  In building Baruch worked towards a completed wall that would provide security, protection and a clear vantage point, and in all we do the child of God is to fulfill our obligations to labour as doing it for God's sake.  In this way all our labours are sanctified with earnestness and sincerity of heart, knowing our reward is not only found in a job completed--but confidence in receiving the reward of the inheritance from Christ.

It is satisfying to see a job coming along well and finally complete, yet the reward of the inheritance Jesus gives is far better.  Jobs finished today will always require maintenance going forward, but what we receive as Christ's inheritance is infinitely greater and enduring.  Christians are promised an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance reserved for us in heaven (1 Peter 1:4), and the LORD is our inheritance as it is written in Psalm 16:5:  "O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; you maintain my lot."  Rather than working to gain, we are to labour from the place of already having all things, being satisfied in Jesus Christ our Saviour who is our life.  No longer is our mindset to be, "What's in it for me?" or "What do I stand to gain?" but in confidence in our eternal inheritance we put our hands to the plow and our necks to the yoke for Jesus Christ is our portion we have already received and rejoice in.

Freethought and True Freedom

Those who read the Bible without faith in God--that He is and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him--will find themselves hopelessly hamstrung, blind and ignorant of the spiritual riches presented to them in God's word.  Those who read Scripture to find fault with God, His Laws or His people will have no problem doing so because mankind's spiritual perceptions are naturally distorted, and there is nothing easier than projecting our faults onto others and justifying ourselves.  Those who willfully deny the truth made evident by God erect endless obstacles for themselves which faith according to God as revealed in His word easily clear away.  I was reminded of this when I thumbed through a book written by an atheist who penned multiple volumes to espouse his hatred of God and defiance of Him.  A learned and intelligent man, no doubt, but lost in a morass of willful unbelief only humility before God can deliver from.

My first tip this book was not exposition of the Ten Commandments but a scathing critique of God and any who trust in Him came from the name of the publisher:  "Freethought Press Association."  My hypothesis was "freethought" was in opposition of what some term being "brainwashed," those who have latched onto religious traditions and beliefs who are assumed incapable of thinking for themselves at all.  Apparently all hope is not lost, for secularists are willing to go to great lengths in the hope of eroding faith of the simple.  It is no wonder such people banded together to form an association, really an antichurch and antichrist organisation to espouse numerous critiques of God and express their disdain for the suggestion of His existence.  It was very easy to affirm my hypothesis in minutes, and a smile formed on my lips as I observed the author predictably hold forth straw man arguments, false equivalence, out of context quotations and the blasphemy of lowering the God of Israel to nothing idols of heathen nations to justify misguided claims.

While the author of this tome felt a level of indignance necessary to goad him to attempt to refute and deconstruct 10 commandments one by one, I feel no such need to refute his work at all because God has already spoken for Himself.  I have no problem with such people:  it is clear such have a problem with God, and any argument I bring forth will do no good.  If someone will not see, I cannot make them see even when I try.  Jesus is the One who opens the eyes of the blind, and praise the LORD He still does so to this day.  Jesus frees us from the bondage to sin and unbelief the "Freethought Press Association" is deceived to think is freedom.  Though secular, it appeared the author laboured under proud illusion the self-righteous Pharisees did when confronted by Jesus Christ, for they believed themselves illuminated and branded Jesus as a deceiver of the people when the opposite was true.  They were deceived to think they knew the way to eternal life when Jesus revealed Himself with countless signs to be the Way, the Truth and the Life--the Way by faith they would not go.

John 8:31-36 says, "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. ³² And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." ³³ They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?" ³⁴ Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. ³⁵ And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. ³⁶ Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."  Unbelieving Jews took umbrage with the suggestion the disciples of Jesus who were free (thus insinuating they were not free) for according to their reckoning they had never been in bondage to anyone.  Going back through history, it is amusing they could say this when Hebrews had been in bondage in Egypt for over 400 years and in Babylon for 70 years.  But Jesus knew and perceived the true bondage they suffered throughout their history and currently suffered:  bondage to sin.  Jesus revealed Himself to be God in the flesh, as He proved He was able to forgive sins.  Unbelief is sin, and the Pharisees were in complete bondage to it, though they saw themselves as free.

Jesus taught when a person repents of sin and trusts in Him, He forgives sinners whom He makes born again.  We are all born slaves to sin and as a result face eternal death as sins's wages, and those who are born again by faith in Jesus are made sons of God and receive eternal life as a free gift.  God frees those who trust in Him from sin and makes us free indeed--free to know God and do His will, free to have fellowship with God, to be spiritually fruitful, free to serve God however He leads us by His grace, free to receive correction and repent sincerely, free to forgive and give grace to others, free to enjoy fullness of peace and joy, free to think with divine insight worldly wisdom cannot supply.  The LORD God and His word grant discernment to recognise bondage from true freedom and avoid the woes of Isaiah 5:20-21:  "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! ²¹ Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!"  Blessed is the one who sees as God sees, seek to do as God pleases, who affirm the wisdom of God and admit their own folly.  Those who realise they are lost in the dark and come to Jesus as the Light of the World in faith will be made free indeed, but those who are wise in their eyes and lead people from faith in Christ as Saviour (who makes free indeed!) will remain in darkness and bondage.

Going to the Heart

When it comes to treating illness, we know the importance of identifying the root cause rather than seeking to only alleviate symptoms.  Taking an Aspirin may relieve a headache, but it will do nothing to treat a tumour that is causing intercranial pressure.  Negative symptoms are usually major components that prompt us to seek medical help, and in this way a bad symptom can be a positive thing.

I have spoken of my ongoing battle with ongoing scale problems in previous posts, and yesterday I had a breakthrough.  I discovered the reason I am losing the scale battle is because I had been focused on the symptoms rather than the root cause:  ants that place, farm and protect scale to feed on honeydew scale produces!  I had noticed ants on the tree, but I had no idea they were the culprits who persistently placed scale at strategic locations where there was fresh growth.  This knowledge has shifted my tactics dramatically because the scale was only a pawn in this battle.  Eliminating the ants is the first and most important step of ridding the tree of scale.  Unless I deal with the root cause, the symptom will persist.

In a recent study in Revelation 18, I had a similar enlightening moment concerning the Greek word "pharmakeia" that is translated "sorcery" in the KJV and NKJV.  During my youth a lot of teaching I was exposed to about this word happened to be in the 80's and 90's, a time marked in America with a "war on drugs" that aimed to better educate and rid the nation of the scourge of illicit narcotics.  Because "pharmakeia" bears a resemblance to "pharmacy," the application was often along the same popular lines of the day, to connect street drug use with witchcraft as abominable in God's sight.  While this is a fair point, to reduce the meaning of sorcery or "pharmakeia" to drug use runs the risk of doing exactly what I did with the scale--looking at it as the problem in itself when it was merely a symptom of ant activity--it more resembled a shoot than the root.  Unless the root cause of idolatry and self is dealt with drugs, sorcery, pride and sin will persist in a person.

One thing I observed of sorcerers in the Bible is their intention to draw people away from the worship of the true God.  Pharaoh's magicians sought to duplicate God's wonders to show their idols and powers were superior to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Simon the sorcerer in Acts 8 amazed the people in Samaria with his magic arts and claimed to have the power of God.  He desired to draw attention to himself.  The Jew Bar-Jesus in Acts 13 sought to draw the proconsul away from faith in Jesus Christ.  In Acts 19 Christians in Ephesus gathered their books of magic and burned them because they were completely opposed to faith and obedience to Jesus.  This goes to the root of what "pharmakeia" is:  a seductive, deceptive lie that man can be god.  To reduce it to "doing drugs" misses the heart of rebellion that can manifest itself in countless ways.

How important it is for us to go to the heart of the matter, and Paul did this with his exhortation to believers in the church in 2 Corinthians 7:1:  "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."   God has promised to dwell in us, have fellowship with us and receive us as a father does his children.  Having been forgiven and cleansed of sin, in the fear of God we are to perfect holiness by cleansing ourselves--by repenting of sin in our minds, hearts and actions.  Our efforts to "say no to sin" will be just as ineffective as saying "no to drugs" when our hearts are inclined to please ourselves rather than God.  Being born again transforms us, and God's desire is for us to continue changing by further yielding to Him inside and out.

God's Awesome Judgments

God is the Judge of all the earth who only does right, and He holds to account every person according to His word and the testimony of our conscience.  Even people who deny God's existence will be weighed in the balances and found wanting like King Belshazzar.  Though a Babylonian ruler who had not been given the Law of Moses, God judged him for his arrogance to live contrary to knowledge of God who humbles the proud, as Nebuchadnezzar his father experienced personally.  The prophet said to him in Daniel 5:22-23:  "But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. ²³ And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified."  Though Belshazzar had never willingly entered into a covenant with God, he and all people created in His image will be judged by Him according to our works.

God does not turn a blind eye to the transgressions or pride of His own people who willingly enter into a covenant with Him, for Scripture makes it plain judgment begins at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17).  Judgment will not end there (as some would prefer), for the ungodly, proud and disobedient God will surely hold to account as well.  Any smugness found in us that is pleased to see others others judged and condemned ought to be repented of and tempered with humility, knowing we will be required to give an account of our lives before the LORD of hosts.  God is gracious and merciful to bring incremental judgments in our lives along with trials and pains, to the end we will be further refined and purified.  One reason God allowed the Hebrews to face enemies and attacks within Canaan was to see if they would obey Him or not, to provide every opportunity for them to learn of His goodness, provision and salvation.

I have observed people who have been brought up in a version of Christianity that is preoccupied with setting up boundaries to prevent sin and then judging others who have a different standard as people "holier than thou."  Isaiah 65:5 says before God this hypocrisy is like billowing smoke that burns His nostrils all day.  Activities people viewed as sinful in themselves years ago (like playing cards, dancing or going to the movies) has changed for some people, but the proud and hypocritical spirit observed in the Pharisees according to the Gospels has endured.  What is important to comprehend is God will hold us accountable to our exercise of liberty according to our knowledge, our conscience, His word, and how we walked in love for Him and others.  We will not be judged on the basis of convictions other people maintain, but we will be judged if we willfully sin under the guise of liberty or place others under a legalistic yoke of bondage Jesus did not prescribe--for He does nothing of the sort.

I am often impressed and awestruck with the wisdom of God in His judgments, for those who violate His word and will are taken in their own net.  God made a covenant with His people those who sold themselves as servants to pay off debts were to be released after 6 years, and in Jeremiah's day they released servants only to force them back into bondage.  The LORD through the prophet declared in Jeremiah 34:17:  "Therefore thus says the LORD: 'You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and every one to his neighbour. Behold, I proclaim liberty to you,' says the LORD--'to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine! And I will deliver you to trouble among all the kingdoms of the earth."  Those who imagine themselves free to do as they pleased were then given liberty by God to sword, pestilence and famine.  Better to bind ourselves to please God with gladness and hearken unto His words than to bind ourselves or others with legalistic burdens or fall into the snare of sin disguised as liberty.  Consider how God's ways and wisdom are past finding out, yet He is gracious to show us His awesome works.

Answering God's Questions

When I watch reporters interview politicians, I admit I am often bemused how direct questions are rarely (if ever!) answered.  It is remarkable how questions are dodged as skillfully as Neo evaded bullets in The Matrix and replaced with rehearsed talking points that take shots at political opponents.  How non-sequitur answers became the acceptable norm, I'll never know.  Imagine asking your son, "What did you eat for breakfast?" and hear him answer, "13% of kids don't even eat breakfast."  I would respond, "Answer the question, please.  Why are you being evasive?"  An honest question warrants an honest answer.

If we would require our children to answer direct questions directly, we ought to be those who answer questions God asks us.  The questions God asks in the Bible are not "gotcha" questions, but are designed to deal with matters of our heart, life and faith.  "Good question!" we acknowledge when we hear it, but hearing the question does not mean we have bothered to answer it.  As long as God's questions remain questions we do not carefully consider and honestly answer, we will not receive the personal illumination God intend to provide through them.

I did a cursory search of questions Jesus asked, and I found many of them His disciples never directly answered--in public, anyway.  One might say there is no need to answer Jesus because He already knows the hearts of men, but then again people often refused to answer Jesus to avoid self-incrimination.  It would be impossible for Christ's enemies to avoid detection if they honestly answered the question, "Why do you seek to kill me?" (John 7:19).  Those who posed dishonest questions to Jesus were met with direct questions they could not avoid the implications of--much to the delight of onlookers.  Though we see Jesus ask questions that go unanswered in the Bible, we can know those questions are also for the reader to consider, answer, and take Christ's teachings to heart.

One example from the book of Matthew was when the disciples were afraid of perishing in a storm on the Sea of Galilee.  Matthew 8:26 reads, "But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm."  Matthew 14:31 details the response of Jesus after Peter began to sink and cried out to Jesus to save him:  "And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"  Another example (which couldn't be answered immediately because it was in a sermon) is found in Matthew 6:30:  "Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"  All of these questions are good for the child of God to consider:  why are we afraid when Jesus is with us?  Why do we doubt Jesus can save us?  Why is our faith so small in God's provision of clothing for us when God has provided even for grass that is here today and gone tomorrow?

Fellow believer, as you read God's word I encourage you to personally answer the questions God asks.  God's questions through Jesus, prophets and even random people in scripture may seem completely irrelevant to us, even as disciples who believed Jesus was the Son of God--were ironically asked directly by Jesus concerning their lack of faith in Him.  It is in answering these questions honestly the Light of the World shines in our hearts, and the Holy Spirit reveals unbelief, doubt and fears to be repented of so we might walk in the light as Jesus is in the light.  Questions Jesus asks are not to condemn or shame us but to draw us closer to Himself and increase our faith.

Drawn By Love

An illustration many Christians are familiar with concerns a common way how shepherds dealt with wayward lambs or sheep.  The story goes a shepherd would carefully break the leg of the sheep, immobilise the limb, and carry the animal around.  By needing to rely upon the shepherd for everything, a strong bond was forged between the sheep and shepherd and the wandering issue was over.  A problem I have with this story (one I have likely perpetuated over the years) is there is no biblical evidence of this practice.  There is scant or any evidence outside the Bible this was ever a common way to correct sheep that wander.  I place this among the often parroted illustrations because we heard it from someone we respect and it made sense at the time.  The more I think about it, however, the less sense it makes.

Let me preface this by saying, I have never cared for a flock of sheep or even one little lamb.  My only interactions with sheep was at a petting zoo.  In a stinging rebuke to the religious rulers in Israel, God used the responsibilities of a shepherd to expose their failure to serve His people in Ezekiel 34:4:  "The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them."  Among the things good shepherds did was to bind up the broken, but there is no suggestion it was their responsibility to break bones of the sheep.  Shepherds cared for the flock by lovingly nurturing them, protecting them from harm, calling out to them, counting them regularly so the lost might be sought and found, and bringing them back to the safety of the fold.  Breaking bones sounds forceful and cruel--characteristics that marked these wicked rulers but not God.

I was reminded of something that happened long ago that illustrates how love, patience and care makes a better, lasting bond than breaking a bone.  I was house-sitting for a workmate who had a dog named Buddy who was anything but my buddy.  I had dogs growing up and always enjoyed them, but for whatever reason Buddy was timid and did not care to be around me at all.  One morning I awoke to find the back room where Buddy slept in a crate looking like a crime scene:  the poor dog had lost control of his bowels and the mess was everywhere.  After calling the owner and being assured this was not out of the ordinary, Buddy seemed to know I was there to help.  He let me pick him up (and I don't think I had even pet him by that stage), place him in the deep sink, and wash him of his filth.  As the warm water poured over him, I remember him simply staring into my eyes as I talked to him.  Showing love to Buddy when he was willing to receive it marked the beginning of Buddy trusting me, and the ice melted.

It has been a long time since I read A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, but there was a passage that always stuck with me.  Phillip Keller spoke of a quality ewe that was the epitome of a wayward sheep he named "Mrs. Gad-about."  The problem with this ewe is she was a skilled escape artist that was never content to remain in the fold and taught other sheep how to follow suit.  It seems Keller did not consider the broken-leg technique on the ewe, for she had to go.  He said, "...I took the killing knife in hand and butchered her. It was the only solution to the dilemma."  This was not a cruel thing to do because he was moved by love for all his sheep and the good of the flock.  This may not make for a homey sermon illustration, but it rings true with reality how shepherds dealt with problem sheep in their flocks.  Jesus Christ is our Good Shepherd and He laid down His life for the sheep so we can have eternal life.  Our call as sheep of His pasture is to love one another as He loves us.

Shepherds pursued sheep that wandered and were lost; they helped the ones that fell into a pit and broke bones on rugged terrain.  Jesus described the shepherd who left the 99 sheep to find one sheep rejoicing when he found it.  He would carry the sheep on his shoulders, call his friends and neighbours together, and ask them to rejoice with him because he found his lost sheep intact.  There were times this didn't happen, as Amos 3:12 says, that only piece of an ear or a couple legs would be found by the shepherd. The gladness of the shepherd and kindness towards his sheep was more likely to build bonds of love and loyalty in a sheep towards the shepherd than a shattered leg.  This agrees with God's word in Jeremiah 31:3:  "The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you."  When David or Jeremiah spoke of their bones or skeleton being broken by God, it is figurative indication of inner agony--not an allusion to the practice of eastern shepherds.

David sang in Psalm 51:17, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart--these, O God, You will not despise."  God's desire is His people would humble themselves and be broken and contrite due to our sins.  God desires one person to be broken in spirit and heart like David was for his sin before a holy God more than a million burnt offerings.  Breaking a leg does not change a heart. God does not need heavy-handed tactics to convict us of sin nor will He force us to be with Him.  He wants us to love and want to be with Him even as He has demonstrated His love for us as our Good Shepherd by dying in our place.  We can humbly offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God (with all limbs intact!) as a spiritually acceptable offering, made whole by Jesus and transformed by His love.  Even if our physical body is broken we are accepted in the beloved by God's grace because of Jesus.

God's Exceptional Glory

Of all people, kings and queens might be among those most difficult to impress.  Their wealth, fame, power, possessions and land holdings are vast in comparison to their subjects.  They have the authority, ability and right to take anything they want for themselves, to demand even the lives of anyone who may be a threat to their rule and prosperity.  For this reason I find it remarkable how the queen of Sheba was amazed and overwhelmed by the wisdom and glory of king Solomon.  Reports of king Solomon had reached her ears and were intriguing enough to compel her to personally pay a visit to Jerusalem.

After the queen of Sheba was granted a tour of king Solomon's courts, she was overwhelmed by everything she saw--the architecture, clothing and service of his servants, and the grandeur of his entrance to the house of the LORD.  2 Chronicles 9:5-6 says, "Then she said to the king: "It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. ⁶ However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You exceed the fame of which I heard."  I have the sense that the queen of Sheba experienced what we do when we try to capture the beauty of a sunrise or windswept vista with a picture that cannot possibly contain it.  The energy and excitement we feel being in a crowd when the championship game is won cannot be conveyed fully second-hand or by a video.  The queen of Sheba heard great things about Solomon, but no one came close to telling her the full story.

The queen of Sheba came bearing gifts worthy of royalty that included gold, an abundance of spices and precious stones.  Amazingly, 2 Chronicles 9:12 tells us she and her servants left with more than they brought due to Solomon's wealth and generosity:  "Now King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked, much more than she had brought to the king. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants."  This reminds me of when we come to Jesus as Saviour.  We come to Him having heard He loves us, that He died to save us sinners.  When we come to Him in faith and give our lives to Him, as time goes on in our relationship with Jesus we realise we have not been told or have begun to comprehend a fraction of how good He is.  There was no spirit left in the queen of Sheba because she was overwhelmed in Solomon's presence, and God has chosen to put the Holy Spirit within us when we come to Him, not as kings and queens, but as beggars who are undeserving to even speak with divine royalty.

In offering our lives to Jesus, we end up being enriched far beyond what we have ever given by God's grace.  What is lovely is the observation in the text that spices brought by the queen of Sheba were unlike any found in Solomon's kingdom before or since (2 Chron. 9:9).  This is also true concerning the way God has created human beings in His image and how He unites us individuals in the body of Christ, the church.  There is no one else in God's kingdom like you and me, and this is God's doing.  We each bring a unique personality, perspective and spiritual fruitfulness by the Holy Spirit that brings a sweet fragrance and flavour to the kingdom of God.  The almighty God does not lack anything, nor does He need us to accomplish His will, but He delights in us like parents do their own child.  When we offer to God freely what He has already given us, it is we who are enriched and blessed beyond reason.

It is true what is written:  that eye has not seen, ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him--and He reveals them to us through the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).  The queen of Sheba was of another kingdom, so at some point she had to leave king Solomon and the glories of Jerusalem.  For Christians, our glorious Saviour will never leave or forsake us, and we can abide with Him forever starting right now!  How awesome is our wise and holy God who gives us all things to richly enjoy, who supplies all that is needed for life and godliness for eternity.  Whatever we know of God today, we only know a fraction of the greatness of His wisdom and the glory of His kingdom.  When we seek the LORD and His kingdom, everything else will be added to us because it is God's good pleasure to give us the kingdom (Luke 12:31-32).  Rather than weighing us down, our glorious God draws us close and lifts us up.

God Prepares Hearts

Even in societies that have forsaken God, God is gracious and faithful to preserve a remnant for Himself.  The prophet Elijah lamented he was the "only one" who was zealous for the LORD's sake in Israel, but God had reserved 7,000 who had not bowed once to Baal (1 Kings 19:18).  After Jeroboam became king over the 10 northern tribes of Israel, he was instrumental in establishing the worship of idols throughout the kingdom.  He rejected God fearing priests and Levites from serving the LORD and sanctified priests of the lowest (character-wise) of his subjects.

The priests and Levites took a stand against the king's abominable idolatry by leaving the lands given them as an inheritance and moving their families to the territory of Judah and the city of Jerusalem.  These men refused to bow the knee to the calf idols Jeroboam set up and remained faithful to the LORD.  The rise of king-sanctioned idolatry resulted in a revival of true worship in the hearts of those who took a stand to honour God all across the land as 2 Chronicles 11:13 says:  "And from all their territories the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel took their stand with him."  With one heart and mind to serve the LORD, God galvanised the faith of His faithful servants--and used a wicked ruler to set it in motion.

One might imagine the illiterate and uneducated in the land were like lambs sent to the slaughter because of Jeroboam's idolatrous ways, yet God is able to guide those who fear Him to walk in wisdom even when accountability before men is low.  2 Chronicles 11:16 reads, "And after the Levites left, those from all the tribes of Israel, such as set their heart to seek the LORD God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers."  Like the Levites, those from all the tribes of Israel who set their heart to seek the LORD God continued to travel to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the annual feasts, and brought tithes and freewill offerings.  They rejected the lure of convenience to offer sacrifices to the LORD at the high places Jeroboam set up, for they set their heart to seek God at His temple.

Praise God He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  God has promised all who seek Him will find Him regardless of how secular a society, government or rulers might be like in Deuteronomy 4:29:  "But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul."  God does not weigh our worthiness but is looking for people who seek God with all their heart so He might reveal Himself according to the riches of His grace.  Those who do not prepare their hearts to seek the LORD will do evil (2 Chronicles 12:14), and God holds each person responsible to prepare their hearts to seek Him.  Any who prepare their heart to seek God can know this is evidence of His working in our hearts and lives (Proverbs 16:1).  Let us glory in our awesome God as it is written in Psalm 105:3:  "Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!"

Solomon's Wise Request

King Solomon demonstrated great wisdom before he famously requested wisdom from God.  He would write in Proverbs 4:5-7:  "Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. ⁶ Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will keep you. ⁷ Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. and in all your getting, get understanding."  God is the only source of wisdom, and the Bible shows us how Jesus Christ has become wisdom for us through the Gospel.  Solomon's interaction with God who revealed Himself to Solomon reveals a parallel with the way Jesus directed His disciples to pray.

After Solomon offered a thousand sacrifices before the LORD in Gibeon, that night God appeared to Solomon and said, "Ask!  What shall I give you?"  If you were posed such a question, how might you respond?  I suspect our responses would be similar to rehearsed answers of what we would do if we "won the lottery" or if Aladdin's genie emerged from a bottle and gave us three wishes.  Many people are not content with the offer of one thing (or even three wishes!) but would try to secure the biggest and best possible haul by having more than what was offered.  How greedy and selfish we can be!  What strikes me is Solomon's initial thoughts did not concern himself:  on the forefront of his mind was who God was, what God had done, all God had promised, and His call upon Solomon's life.  It is only when we consider these things will our requests be aligned with God's will.

2 Chronicles 1:8-10 provides Solomon's answer:  "And Solomon said to God: "You have shown great mercy to David my father, and have made me king in his place. ⁹ Now, O LORD God, let Your promise to David my father be established, for You have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. ¹⁰ Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?"  Solomon acknowledged the almighty God's mercy towards his father David, and that God had promised to establish his father's throne forever.  He also acknowledged God's calling upon his life to be king and realised he was incapable to fulfil this calling without God's help.  For these reasons Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge to judge God's people.  Solomon would experience what apostle John explained in 1 John 5:14-15:  "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."  Not only does God hear and answer our prayers according to His will, but He generously provides more than we can ask or think.

In His response, God mentioned many things Solomon could have asked for in 2 Chronicles 1:11-12:  "And God said to Solomon: "Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life--but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king--¹² wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like."  Solomon did not ask for wisdom with the ulterior motive of hoping God would throw everything else in, but he prayed according to God's will to fulfil God's promise and calling upon His life.  When we receive Jesus as Saviour by faith who is wisdom for us (1 Cor. 1:30-31), He provides all we need that pertains to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).  To walk with Christ by faith is to walk in wisdom, and we ought to treasure Him more than all riches, wealth and honour in this world.

Jesus stood outside the door of the lukewarm church of Laodicea and knocked, and He has promised to come in a dine with all believers who open to Him.  Just because a couple is married doesn't mean they live in the same house, eat meals together, have deep conversations, sleep in the same room--or even like each other.  How tragic it would be for our relationship with God to be reduced to a utilitarian relationship, that we only identify as Christians because of what we can get from God, where there is little thought of God throughout the day, and we are more interested in seeing our plans or dreams fulfilled rather than His will for us revealed in Scripture.  Do we look forward to praying with joyful expectation as we seek the LORD and spend time with Him?  In our praying let us remember what God has done, all He has promised, and what He has called us to do and make our requests to see His will accomplished in and through us.

Expanding in Service

There are many churches that operate well, are spiritually healthy and fruitful without having a permanent place of worship.  It is common in Australia for churches to hire out schools or rooms on Sunday because this is what is available and affordable.  That's how it was for the church I grew up attending, and I faintly remember the services being held in the cafeteria of a local high school.  Whether a church fellowship meets house to house, rents a hall, is in the midst of a renovation, building project, or settled in a permanent location, it is always a good season to serve the LORD in one accord with each another.

In a passage I read today, it was instructive on how the service of the Levites changed when the temple was built in Jerusalem.  During decades in the wilderness, one main role of the Levites was to haul the tabernacle and the articles around, to set up and dismantle the tabernacle as the LORD led His people like a flock to the promised land.  A lot of Christians in portable churches look forward to the prospects of having a place to call their own like the Hebrews looked forward to Canaan, where ministry (finally!) goes beyond stacking and unstacking chairs or setting up the sound system and rolling up the cords every week.  It is ironic should these people one day have their desire, they will look back with fondness to the portable season--not for the inconvenience of setting up, tearing down and hauling stuff around--but the blessing to be part of God's work in a practical way with people who love Jesus.  A church being saddled with a building and staff can result in reduced opportunities for regular people to get in the trenches and be part of the work.

With the building of the temple, the scope of the work of the Levites was not reduced but expanded in their service to God and the priests.  Also at David's command the age of the Levites began serving in the temple was lowered from 30 to 20.  Rather than having less to do because the tabernacle no longer needed to be carried and constructed, there was more help needed!  1 Chronicles 23:28-32 explains:  "...their duty was to help the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts and in the chambers, in the purifying of all holy things and the work of the service of the house of God, ²⁹ both with the showbread and the fine flour for the grain offering, with the unleavened cakes and what is baked in the pan, with what is mixed and with all kinds of measures and sizes; ³⁰ to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at evening; ³¹ and at every presentation of a burnt offering to the LORD on the Sabbaths and on the New Moons and on the set feasts, by number according to the ordinance governing them, regularly before the LORD; ³² and that they should attend to the needs of the tabernacle of meeting, the needs of the holy place, and the needs of the sons of Aaron their brethren in the work of the house of the LORD."

A big shift of the focus of the service of the Levites was from carrying stuff to people--serving with their brethren the priests in the worship of God.  Regarding the church, it is important at all stages of development and growth the LORD Jesus be the one we focus on serving as well as edifying and supporting one another in love.  It would be a shame to be more intent on securing or renovating a building than to make disciples of Jesus, and for us to realise disciples can be made and strengthened in these very things.  When a day comes we do not need to load trailers with chairs and sound equipment, we can serve in different ways:  like helping project words during worship, host a prayer group, teach children, contribute financially, help clean, and make hospital or house calls to encourage others.  Having a temple, the Levite's scope of work increased and their usefulness grew instead of diminishing.  Their identity was not in what they did or how they contributed but in their awesome God.

Whether we are perpetually stacking and moving chairs or settled in a building on property owned by the church, at every age there is always good, profitable work we can do in serving our LORD Jesus and supporting one another in His service.  Just being present and demonstrating love for one another at church in obedience to Christ is a greater encouragement than most people realise.

Word of Their Testimony

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death."

Revelation 12:11

In the sermon this morning, this verse from Revelation 12 stood out to me.  Revelation 12:10 said what happened after Satan was cast down from heaven:  "Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down."  The redeemed inhabitants of heaven praised the LORD and rejoiced in God's salvation, strength and kingdom was revealed by permanently excommunicating the accuser of the brethren.  Due to Christ's blood shed on Calvary for sinners, the power of Satan, sin and death is overcome by faith in Jesus.

Those in heaven also overcame Satan "by the word of their testimony."  The Greek word translated "testimony" is "martyrias" which means "witness."  The book of Revelation describes some residing in heaven who were indeed martyred for their faith in previous passages, and this was strong evidence they loved Jesus more than saving their own lives--having been bought with the precious blood of Jesus.  While some people see a martyr's death as an ultimate act of devotion to God, it is only ultimate in that it is the last thing a person can humanly do before their lives end.  In no way do I seek to detract from the courage and fortitude countless Christians have demonstrated in choosing to die for Jesus than to deny Him when their lives were at stake.  The strength and resolve they showed by God's power is commendable, and such sacrifice for Christ's sake ought to be an inspiration for us to live for Jesus every day.

When a witness shares a personal experience with a friend or stranger, testifying of what was seen and heard does not often come with the price of death.  There are places and regimes in the world where witnessing about how Jesus has saved us by the Gospel could potentially put our lives and families at risk.  We ought not be cavalier and foolhardy in our flesh to make waves but humbly led by the Spirit as we follow the example of people who have gone to heaven before us to overcome by the "word of their testimony."  "Word" is "logos," what Jesus is called throughout John 1:1-18, and John affirmed the "Word was made flesh and dwelt among us."  John began Revelation 1:1-2 in this way:  "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants--things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, ² who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw."

In one sense Jesus personifies the word of the testimony of Christians, and our lives are to be living epistles through which God reveals His love, grace, mercy and life to the world (2 Corinthians 3:3).  It is by faith in Jesus Christ we are His witnesses, not merely repeating what the Bible says, but by the evidence of the life of Jesus being lived out in and through us.  When it came time for Jesus to die on the cross, He did not shrink from God's command but set His face like a flint for the joy set before Him.  Paul willingly went to Jerusalem knowing bonds awaited him, yet incarceration was a small thing when he was ready to spend and be fully spent for Christ.  Personal sacrifice for Christ is not reserved for witnesses who face the threat of execution for their faith but for those who live in lands of tolerance and inclusion.  Christians can expect intolerance and exclusion, and considering what Jesus endured we are steeled and encouraged when troubles arise.  Being accepted, included and loved in the kingdom of God is the Gospel message we should boldly share and live out before God--and in full view of others.

Those who have been martyred for Christ's sake are strong witnesses for Him, and every Christian God chooses to preserve alive unto this day has the potential to provide an ongoing witness just as strong by God's grace.  It isn't just those who are killed for Christ's sake who overcome the devil by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, but those who die to themselves daily in following Jesus as His joyful servants wherever He leads.

Overcoming Evil with Good

In 1 Chronicles 7, there is an obscure account of the tragic deaths of the sons of Ephraim, Ezer and Elead, at the hands of the men of Gath over the theft of cattle.  It is unclear whether the sons of Ephraim or the men of Gath were the aggressors.  It seems most likely men from Gath came to steal cattle from the sons of Ephraim during their sojourn in Egypt.  It is also possible the sons of Ephraim, during a trip to Gath before the enslavement of the Hebrews, attempted to take cattle from Philistines and it resulted in their death.  Ephraim was rightly devastated by the death of his sons, and his grief and sorrow continued for some time.  His mourning for the evil which had befallen his house continued to the birth of his next son as 1 Chronicles 7:23 tells us:  "And when he went in to his wife, she conceived and bore a son; and he called his name Beriah, because tragedy had come upon his house."  Beriah means, "in evil."  It seems evil had overtaken Ephraim and his house, and he was profoundly affected by his great loss.

The life of Ephraim shows us how we can be more negatively impacted by grief and feelings of loss than being encouraged by all God has given us.  It is no sin to love others and to care deeply about them, to be overwhelmed by emotions and feelings God has provided us by His grace.  But it is sinful to remain hopeless and despair when God remains good.  Though we live in a world filled with evil (and we are all contributors to the downward spiral in our natural state), we can be glad it need not overcome us.  The Son of God Jesus Christ came into this world and experienced the wickedness of this fallen world in full, for He was betrayed, mocked, condemned and murdered though He was righteous and without sin.  In embracing the human experience He embraced every sinner by His sacrifice, not just to empathise with us but to provide redemption, reconciliation, restoration, atonement, healing and eternal life.  Words fail to describe in full the awesome works God has done through the Gospel for all who trust in Christ, and He has brought enduring hope to lost, hurting, dying sinners.

Paul wrote to Christian believers in Romans 12:21, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."  Israel described his days on earth as "few and evil" compared to his fathers, and evil which flourished in Ephraim's day has continued until now.  Though we live in evil days, through faith in Jesus Christ evil can still be overcome by good--as sure as sinners can be made saints by the Gospel.  Jesus said to His disciples, "Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world," and He demonstrated all power to overcome death (the consequences of sin) by rising from the dead and remains victorious in eternal glory.  To "overcome" means to conquer or prevail.  Christ makes us overcomers when we are born again by faith in Jesus and then willingly submit to Him, presenting ourselves to Him as living sacrifices.  Rather than being conformed to the world, we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, approving of God's will and practicing it (Romans 12:1-2).

Since we are called to overcome evil with good, we must learn to discern between God's ways and the wisdom of this world.  Romans 12:9 says, "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good."  We can be easily overtaken and overcome by evil when we have embraced hypocrisy in our hearts, loving what is evil and being unfaithful to do and think on what is good.  Our love of God prompts us to be faithful to Him in practice:  wouldn't it be a shame for acts of devotion and obedience to God to resemble a "fling" because we remain married and cling to evil?   God's word is able to pierce our hearts and stir our conscience, revealing wickedness in us to repent of and guiding us to do what is good as Psalm 119:104-105 says:  "Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. ¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  Praise the LORD we are not at the mercy of evil, for the mercies of our good God are great.  Knowing death has been conquered by Christ, by His strength and wisdom we can choose to hate evil and do what is good every day--even to rejoice in a sorrowful season.