Untempered Mortar

In building, it is not difficult to conceal shoddy workmanship temporarily.  But in the long run, cut corners have a way of broadcasting themselves.  A new house can look immaculate until the rains come and show the waterproofing was not done correctly.  That retaining wall may appear straight and true, but before long the plaster can chip off to reveal massive cracks.  A unit may appear clean on inside and out, but a broken sewer main underneath will foul the air as waste ponds.  The lights may work fine, yet a quick peek above the ceiling might reveal a wiring nightmare and deathtrap.

God chose the Jews as His special people and gave them His Laws.  They were pleased to have His guidance, provision, and for Him to fight their battles.  Over the passage of time, however, the Bible describes an erosion towards idol worship and disobedience.  The morality of God's people looked much like the heathen which surrounded them.  They maintained the outer appearance of piety through traditions and sacrifices, but they had heaped false gods to themselves and did evil in God's sight.  The cracks in the walls of their society built upon the foundation of faith in God were evident and clear.  God sent Ezekiel to warn the people of impending judgment for their sins.  He spoke the truth among many competing voices - false prophets who told the people what they wanted to hear.

God was against the false prophets who spoke lies in His name.  They promised "peace" where there was no peace.  They were like the townspeople who complimented the naked emperor for his fine clothes and urged others to agree with them.  The word of the LORD was spoken through the prophet in Ezekiel 13:10-16:  "Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying, 'Peace!' when there is no peace--and one builds a wall, and they plaster it with untempered mortar--¹¹ say to those who plaster it with untempered mortar, that it will fall. There will be flooding rain, and you, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall tear it down. ¹² Surely, when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, 'Where is the mortar with which you plastered it?'" ¹³ Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "I will cause a stormy wind to break forth in My fury; and there shall be a flooding rain in My anger, and great hailstones in fury to consume it. ¹⁴ So I will break down the wall you have plastered with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be uncovered; it will fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst of it. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. ¹⁵ Thus will I accomplish My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it with untempered mortar; and I will say to you, 'The wall is no more, nor those who plastered it, ¹⁶ that is, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace,' " says the Lord GOD."  Every word came to pass, and God's truth will endure forever.

We live in a similar day, when people speak led by their own hearts concerning morality.  The world is keen to be politically correct, but cares nothing for righteousness according to God's standard.  There are false prophets all over the world who build walls to suit themselves, daubed with untempered mortar - sand without enough cement.  Only a fool would render a cracked slab of concrete or structural wall with massive cracks, thinking a slather of mortar will fix the gaps.  No!  A superficial "fix" is no fix at all.  Rebar, epoxy, and concrete engineered specifically for the job are required to restore structural integrity, applied skillfully by trained craftsman.  God would see to it that the lies would be washed away as well as those who spread them.  The lying prophets would be utterly destroyed.

Satan is a liar and thief from the beginning, and he is the author of the social, moral, philosophical, political, and spiritual erosion we see in the world today as people depart from the precepts of God's Word.  He has many mouths spouting lies in every arena, spreading untempered mortar of subjectivity over moral deficiencies.  The structure is dangerously close to falling, yet the untempered mortar is daubed on.  God has been denied, His word scoffed, His people despised and blamed for all the problems in the world.  "A little more mortar and she'll be right," say the liars - unaware their souls and those who trust in them are in mortal danger.

Today is the day for boldness in righteousness, O Christian!  Let us not be those who flee when we are called to the fight.  We serve an everlasting God whose Word endures forever, a Rock of Salvation Who cannot be moved.  Not one who trusts in Him will be ashamed.  David wrote in Psalm 11:1-7, "In the LORD I put my trust; how can you say to my soul, "Flee as a bird to your mountain"? ² For look! The wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow on the string, that they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart. ³ If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? ⁴ The LORD is in His holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. ⁵ The LORD tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. ⁶ Upon the wicked He will rain coals; fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup. ⁷ For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright."

Let us be as Ezekiel who spoke the Word of the LORD, not moved by the desires of his own heart.  The enemy of our souls will continue to smear his falsehoods, but they will not avail him on the Day of Judgment.  It is time to value righteousness over "political correctness," for love is willing to resolutely speak the truth - even willing to die - so others might have life in Jesus.

Commitment and Redemption

Jesus is truly extraordinary.  He is a man of authority, power, and divine wisdom.  At His word the blind were made to see, lepers cleansed, and the lame walked.  Jesus knew who He was, why He had been sent by the Father, and what awaited Him on Calvary.  Yet He set his face like a flint and faced struggles and pain, for the joy that was set before Him.  While every other person would have been blinded by their own pain, Jesus saw clearly the eternal victory of not only His resurrection, but the salvation of all who trust in Him. 

I was struck with a statement Jesus made from the cross in Luke 23:46:  "And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'into Your hands I commit My spirit.' " Having said this, He breathed His last."  The heartbeat of the Son of God stopped on that darkest of days.  It seemed death had conquered the One sent to destroy the works of the devil.  The disfigured body of Jesus might have been buried in tomb hewn out of rock, His body wrapped in linen.  But the story was not over.  The Pharisees and Sadducees may have been giving high-fives to each other like the penguins in the Madagascar movies, but their celebrations were cut short with Jesus rising from the dead.  David the sweet psalmist, king, and prophet, wrote something centuries before which Jesus alluded to in His last words.  Christ's crucifixion had been finished, but Jesus was not finished!

Consider the words of Psalm 31:1-5:  "In You, O LORD, I put my trust; let me never be ashamed; deliver me in Your righteousness. ² Bow down Your ear to me, deliver me speedily; be my rock of refuge, a fortress of defense to save me. ³ For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name's sake, lead me and guide me. ⁴ Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, for You are my strength. ⁵ Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth."  Death for people on earth is a period at the end of a sentence.  Death in the physical realm is as we say in Australia, a "full stop."  But did you notice in verse five the statement Christ quoted from the cross ended with a semicolon?  There was no full stop between committing His spirit to the Father and Christ's redemption.  The price for sin had been paid, for atonement had been made for all who repent and trust Him.  As a lamb without blemish, Jesus was an acceptable sacrifice for sin.  Jesus had been delivered from His body, and would rise again in a glorified body days later in everlasting, immortal glory.

For a Christian, death of the body is not a "full stop."  Our bodies will cease to function, but those redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God will be raised up even as He was.  We will someday ascend to where He is, even at the right hand of the Father.  When Jesus fed the 5,000, He instructed His disciples to gather up all the fragments of bread and fish "that nothing be lost" (John 6:12).  Jesus cares for men more than bread, and implores we who are alive and remain to seek to gather those who are lost and perishing.  Bread has a limited shelf-life, and we only have a short while remaining on earth.  Let's follow the example of Jesus and keep our hand to the plow, for night is coming when none can work.

Levi Lusko: Through the Eyes of a Lion

This morning I finished Levi Lusko's book, Through the Eyes of a Lion.  It was a powerful testimony of God's faithfulness and wisdom gleaned through the unexpected death of his beloved daughter.  It is real, inspirational, and profound.  He wrote, "On the night she went to heaven, I did for Lenya what a daddy should never have to do.  I reached out and closed my little girl's eyes.  What I never expected was that God would use her to open mine." (Lusko, Levi. Through the Eyes of a Lion: Facing Impossible Pain, Finding Incredible Power. T, 2015. 182. Print)  This book is one of those practical, useful keepers I guarantee you will find hard keeping.  Buy two or three copies, and don't be surprised when they are all out on loan.

One particularly poignant moment came when Levi and Jennie received a call from the hospital and was faced with the excruciating request to donate her corneas and heart valves.  It must have been unthinkable.  It reminded me of my cousin Jimmy Thomas who suddenly died from a bee sting.  Death is always a tragedy, and him being a donor to help others became a redemptive aspect of his life - despite unspeakable pain and loss.  In Levi writing this book, in a sense he allows everyone to see his pain and suffering through eyes moistened with tears.  It is an encouragement to take heart in Christ despite the pain and difficulties you have and are going through, and how God is faithful to provide opportunities for you to bless others for their eternal benefit.

C.S. Lewis wrote in The Problem of Pain, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” Lusko echoed the words of Lewis and wrote "pain is a microphone" in recognision of the platform and voice God has provided all who have suffered and found light and life in Jesus.  When the time comes for each of us, may we be those brave and courageous souls in our Saviour Jesus Christ who fully give ourselves to Him and others.  Thanks Levi for the book which was over too soon, and to Jesus Christ our inspiration, Saviour, and Redeemer who has defeated death:  the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

Fellowship and Communion

"I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. ¹⁶ The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?"

1 Corinthians 10:15-16

Every word of God is pure, and all have deep significance.  Recently God has been teaching me the meaning of the Greek word often translated "communion" and "fellowship" in the Bible:  koinonia.  According to the Strong's Concordance, the word "koinonia" is translated into English King James Version as:  "fellowship" twelve times, "communion" four times, and "communication," "distribution," and "contribution" once each.  Whereas "fellowship" and "communion" can seem subjective and vague, the last three words effectively paint the picture of koinonia in practice.

"Fellowship" is a word often loosely connected in church circles with gathering with other Christians for worship, or to share a meal or activity.  Koinonia does not occur by virtue of people being in the same building at the same time or doing similar things:  it only happens when we communicate concerning things which glorify God, distribute to one another of what God has provided for us, and contribute to the benefit of others according to the gifting and resources God has freely given.  When the church was first established, Acts 2:42 describes the culture:  "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers."  The apostles contributed through the ministry of the Word and prayer, and the people communed with them.  Koinonia is not fostered through receiving, but primarily through giving of what you have received from God.  This is practically seen when disciples sold their properties and laid all their proceeds at the feet of the disciples to disperse to those who had need (Acts 4:32-35).  That is koinonia.

People commonly refer to the Lord's Supper as "taking" or "receiving communion."  Gathering in one accord and eating of the bread which symbolises the broken body of Jesus and drinking of the grape juice (fermented or not) that symbolises the shed blood of Christ is in obedience to Christ's command, that we remember and proclaim His death until He returns.  But "communion" is not a ritual, nor is it simply something to be received.  If we truly desire communion with Jesus Christ, we must communicate, distribute, and contribute.  We are called to offer more than our presence, open mouths, and bellies:  communicating to God through prayer, offering up ourselves sacrificially, freely giving to God all of our lives.  Gladys Aylward calls this, "our completed tithe."  God does not ask for one hand or a finger, for the blood of Christ has purchased our total life, mind, body, and soul for eternity.  Koinonia is giving to God what is rightfully His by practical contribution for the edification of the Body for God's glory.

Koinonia is not what you can receive from God, but what you can give back to Him compelled by His love.  Fellowship and communion at your church is not about rituals, programs, or joint activities, but the giving of yourself, your time, gifts, and abilities to edify others for the glory of God.  The next time you gather around the LORD's table to remember the price He paid for you, will you remember to contribute yourself?  Jesus has given all:  what have you given Him?