Ol' John Ploughman

At any given time I seem to be reading a couple books at a time.  I recently raided my dad's bookshelf to re-read a classic, Charles Spurgeon's "John Ploughman's Pictures and More of His Talk."  I do not know the exact date of publication, but it was likely written in the late 1800's.  There is hardly a man who ever lived who had the wit, wisdom, and common sense of this beloved preacher.  I enjoy reading his works because the LORD uses him not only to hold forth the wisdom of God in a masterful way, but in so doing humbles me concerning my weak words.  If you ever find an author who exposes your best attempts as feeble and joyfully goads you to do better, procure and read as many of those books as you can!

Here is a delightful paragraph I read the other night on page 84 of the aforementioned book which contains witty proverbial sayings to go along with pictures:

"The worst sort of clever men are those who know better than the Bible and are so learned that they believe that the world had no Maker, and that men are only monkeys with their tails rubbed off.  Dear, dear me, this is the sort of talk we used to expect from Tom of Bedlam, but now we get it from clever men.  If things go on in this fashion a poor ploughman will not be able to tell which is the lunatic and which is the philosopher.  As for me, the old Book seems to be a deal easier to believe than the new notions, and I mean to keep to it.  Many a drop of good broth is made in an old pot, and many a sweet comfort comes out of the old doctrine.  Many a dog has died since I first opened my eyes, and every one of these dogs has had his day, but in all the days put together they have never hunted out a real fault in the Bible, nor started anything better in its place.  They may be very clever, but they will not find a surer truth than that which God teaches, nor a better salvation than that which Jesus brings, and so finding my life in the gospel I mean to live in it, and so ends this chapter."

Here is another portion from pages 85-86:

"We have all heard of the two men who quarreled over an oyster, and called in a judge to settle the question:  he ate the oyster himself, and gave them a shell each.  This reminds me of the story of the cow which two farmers could not agree about, and so the lawyers stepped in and milked the cow for them, and charged them for their trouble in drinking the milk.  Little is got by law, but much is lost by it.  A suit in law may last longer than any suit a tailor can make you, and you may yourself be worn out before it comes to an end.  It is better for to make matters up and keep out of court, for if you are caught there you are caught in the brambles, and won't get out without damage.  John Ploughman feels a cold sweat at the thought of getting into the hands of lawyers.  He does not mind going to Jericho, but he dreads the gentlemen on the road, for they seldom leave a feather upon any goose which they pick up.

However, if men will fight they must not blame the lawyers; if law were cheaper, quarrelsome people would have more of it, and quite as much would be spent in the long run.  Sometimes, however, we get dragged into court willy nilly, and then one had need be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove.  Happy is he who finds an honest lawyer, and does not try to be his own client.  A good lawyer always tries to keep people out of law, but some clients are like moths with the candle, they must and will burn themselves.  He who is so wise that he cannot be taught will have to pay for his pride."

A Lasting Work

As I think back about the four-plus years I spent on staff at Calvary Chapel El Cajon, there were many building projects and repairs I performed.  Our fellowship is in the process of vacating portions of the building because we have sold it to a school.  This school plans to spend the summer doing major renovations and remodeling of the structure.  I think about the hours spend scraping and replacing floors, fixing hardware, patching and painting walls, organizing and sorting paint and supplies which will be completely rubbed out.  Walls I have patched will be torn down; cables I have run will be cut; pipes I have fixed will be removed and re-routed.  It's depressing in a way, to think of all that hard work being undone.

I have come to realize it is not the work itself which matters.  The labor of a custodian whose efforts are erased in the moment he leaves the restroom he has cleaned or masons who built cathedrals which have stood for centuries can stand on equal footing.  One work clearly outshines the other according to man's perception, but whatever is done for the glory of God will stand for eternity and be rewarded by Him, though all memory of it has faded from the earth.  The poetic adage of C.T. Studd still rings true today:  "Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last."  Everything done in the flesh for God is as chaff, fit only for the fire.  The testimony of the strength of the flesh may stand for thousands of years, but a small fleeting thing done led by the Spirit for God will last forever.  As Jesus says in Matthew 10:42:  "And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward."  A cup of water is consumed and eliminated, but God remembers and rewards something even as insignificant as this when done for His glory.

It is time we stopped regarding the work as the thing to be admired:  we must worship and admire the KING of kings with our works.  It is for this purpose we have been created and redeemed.  Titus 2:11-14 states, "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, [12] teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, [13] looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, [14] who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works."  The man who lays the carpet, the one who vacuums the carpet, and the one who removes the carpet and replaces it with tile all have great reward if done for the glory of God.  It is not for the sake of reward that we serve, but for the sake of our great God who loves us and gave His own life for us.  Whatever we do, may it be for the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Inheritance, Right, and Memorial

Nehemiah is one of my Bible heroes.  Talk about a guy who was completely devoted to God, unshakable in faith, was fearless in obedience and speech, a prayer warrior, kept others accountable to God, and a hard-core straight-shooter.  He was a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes and God moved Nehemiah to lead the Jews in rebuilding the wall surrounding Jerusalem.  If I had to pick a guy I admire most in the O.T., it would likely be Nehemiah.  Thankfully I don't have to pick one!

When Nehemiah began the building the walls of Jerusalem, not everyone was pleased about this development.  Though he had the approval and financial backing of King Artaxerxes and God moved upon many Jews to put their backs to the work, Sanballat and Tobiah among others despised that any would seek the welfare of the Jews.  Throughout the book of Nehemiah we see them scheming and trying every possible way to distract, threaten, or place fear in the hearts of the Jews.  When they laughed scornfully at Nehemiah for his efforts, he says this to them in Neh. 2:20:  "...The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem."

Nehemiah knew his efforts alone would amount to nothing, but God would cause His servants to prosper and prevail though their enemies threatened them.  But the part of the statement which jumped off the page to me is the second half.  If a statement is true, then the exact opposite is also true.  Nehemiah was inferring in his statement to Sanballat and Tobiah that he had a heritage, a right, and a memorial in Jerusalem.  The word "heritage" is translated from "allotment, or inheritance."  Jerusalem was the place where God placed His name, and directed King David and Solomon his son in the building of the temple there.  For this reason the children of Israel had a right to Jerusalem:  a right to build, inhabit, protect, and worship according to God's will and commands.  Every sacrifice offered was a "memorial" before the Lord, and the Jews had a rich history of worship in Jerusalem.

I immediately began to think of the spiritual application for those who rest in the New Covenant of Christ's blood and have been born again by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Followers of Christ are now the Temple of the Holy Spirit and we have a heritage, right, and memorial by the grace of God.  The worship of God no longer confined by geography or a dot on a map:  Christians are blessed to be able to come before God's throne room of grace with Christ as Mediator and Intercessor at any time, from any place.  God is seeking those who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

Christians have an eternal inheritance in the heavens which does not wax old or fade away.  Jesus spoke to Paul in Acts 26:17-18:  "I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, [18] to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me."  All have a right to Christ because He has said, "Whosoever will."  God loved all people so much He sent His only Son so whoever believes in Him will not perish but receive eternal life.  Christians receive righteousness imputed through faith.  1 Cor. 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."  The prayers of Christians rise as a memorial before God.  Cornelius had a vision during which an angel of God spoke to him:  Acts 10:4 says, "...Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God."  It is through Christ and the grace of God we have an inheritance, righteousness, and a memorial before God.

Let us refuse to be cheated of our rights as children of God by scorn, intimidation tactics, or attacks of the enemy!  We do not claim our rights out of selfish ambition, but we stand upon the firm promises of God.  As Christians we must receive what God has given and choose to abide in Christ.  May His boldness, courage, and zeal rest upon us to fulfill our calling for His glory.

Don't miss the point!

A great difficulty within mankind is we so often miss the point.  For instance, I have heard messages preached and seen books written upon the Jewish dietary law outlined in Leviticus and Deuteronomy.  A common point made is God's wisdom of the law deemimg certain animals unclean, such as shellfish, anything in the sea without fins and scales, or mammals with a split hoof which do not chew the cud.  "God protected His people," some would point out, "by eliminating potentially hazardous foods such as pork, crustaceans, buzzards, and bats which are known to carry diseases and parasites."  This statement alone may be true:  however, I disagree with the premise.  I believe that by obedience to God's law His people were blessed and protected, not because of evidence pointing to certain animals being clean and others unclean.  God doesn't need science to validate His miraculous protection, but science certainly needs God!

Cows are clean under the law, yet many people to this day have been sickened through disease from beef.  Chicken is considered Kosher, but I myself have suffered from leftover chicken!  The fact remains that people in countries all over the world have eaten all manner of things living and dead, cooked or uncooked, for thousands of years without ill effect.  What was God's point at the end of laying out rules concerning diet? Leviticus 11:44-47 reads, "For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. [45] For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. [46] 'This is the law of the animals and the birds and every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps on the earth, [47] to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten."  The main point is God is holy and His people are to be consecrated unto Him.  Nothing God does is arbitrary, but in His wisdom He clearly defined rules what His people were to eat and what they were to avoid eating.  God desires his people to be consecrated to Him alone.  While some people made a god of their belly, God's people were to be consecrated and separate unto Him.  The same is true to this day.

It is God who makes a man holy from the inside.  A man can never be holy by the things he does, for there is nothing holy within him.  Jesus says in Matthew 15:10-11, "...Hear and understand: [11] Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."  What the heart conceals the mouth reveals, and no amount of outer submission to rules will change a man's heart.  By God's grace only faith in Jesus Christ can do this.  Paul continues this line of thinking in 1 Cor. 10:25-26:  "Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience' sake; [26] for "the earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness."  Anything which is sold in the market is fair game, Paul says.  This must have come at a shock to Jews who for their entire lives had carefully monitored the contents of every mouthful.  The MAIN point?  1 Cor. 10:31 sums it up:  "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

One of the maxims hammered home in my English classes throughout school was, "Keep the main thing the main thing."  It seems like Christians are pulled in every direction except the most meaningful, which is a closer walk with Jesus Christ.  It is a voluntary path we walk as believers and one that Satan will do everything in his power to distract, disillusion, and dissuade us from following Christ.  He lusts for glory but he will allow us a taste if it means Christ is robbed of honor.  When we honor and obey God, He will cause us to prosper.  This does not mean we will be rich in worldly wealth, be famous or popular, or even succeed in the eyes of others.  James 2:5 says, "Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?"  Let us decide to be consecrated unto God, fully trusting and pleasing Him.  Just because we think we understand God's plans doesn't mean we do.  His ways are past finding out!