Merciful and Mighty

During a night of prayer and praise we enjoyed recently at Calvary Chapel Sydney, we sang the famous hymn "Holy Holy Holy" by Heber and Dykes.  A line in the song stood out to me powerfully in a fresh way, affirming God is merciful and mighty.  These characteristics are in no way contradictory, but from a worldly perspective the two rarely coincide.  To be merciful is not viewed as mighty, and the mighty do not need to be merciful.  Yet the mercy and might of the Almighty God is praiseworthy, and I relish this constant reality of God's eternal nature.

Psalm 103:8 says, "The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy."  God does not only show mercy, but He is merciful.  To be merciful is to be compassionate and kind, especially when there is ample justification to be otherwise.  The Webster's 1828 edition Dictionary defines "merciful" as, "having or exercising mercy; compassionate; tender; disposed to pity offenders and to forgive their offenses; unwilling to punish for injuries; applied appropriately to the Supreme being."  Though God is absolutely just, the psalmist affirmed concerning God in Psalm 103:9-11, "He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. ¹⁰ 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."  God's mercy should not be incorrectly interpreted as weakness or indifference.  He is full of mercy, but He is also mighty.

Because God is Almighty He is also merciful.  There is great power demonstrated in restraint and self-control as well as by the righteous execution of justice.  Concerning their enemies, Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 7:21, "Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible." The psalmist Asaph also sang in Psalm 50:1-4: "The Mighty One, God the LORD, has spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun to its going down. ² Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God will shine forth. ³ Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous all around Him. ⁴ He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people."  To be "mighty" has the connotation of strength, power, vastness and greatness.  God is mighty and nothing He has created has the right even to question Him, even as a clay vessel cannot rightly question the potter who formed it.

God is merciful and mighty, and I love these attributes of God like the countless others revealed through scripture and His wondrous works.  One who loves God cannot accept His mercy without affirming His might.  His might magnifies His mercy towards sinful men.  He has not dealt with us according to our transgressions, though ultimately He will.  All who die in their sins without atonement will be judged according to to perfect law, and the wages of sin is death.  His might is seen both in restraint and judgment, and is to be greatly feared.  His mercy should not overshadow His might, and His might will never trample His mercy.  Holy, holy, holy is the LORD God Almighty!

Examine Your Beliefs by God's Standard

"Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding."

Proverbs 23:23

My eldest son Zed returned yesterday from a school service trip to Cambodia.  They helped with a building project, ministered to children in slums and orphanages, and provided food to people in need.  They also gained valuable life experiences - like how to bargain in the markets.  A good thing to know before buying in places like the Russian Markets in Phnom Penh is things are rarely what they seem.  Fakes, knock-off products, and carefully repackaged used items sold as new abound.  Tourists, willing to risk a few bucks for a potential bargain, support an industry which survives largely on deceit and fraud.  There are many legitimate sellers, but those able to pass off fake as genuine are encouraged to continue plying their illicit trade with each sale.

Case in point:  Zed and some of his mates came back from Cambodia with some "real" fake coins from the United States.  And they didn't come particularly cheap.  While the boys were pleased with their ability to haggle with the sellers, they paid far more than the coins are actually worth.  Because they are copies of supposed sterling silver coins, a single United States penny is of greater monetary value as legal tender.  But I am grateful for these coins, for with them comes priceless life lessons purchased for cheap.

These coins illustrates the value of familiarity with the genuine in avoiding the fake.  Those boys had never heard the "ping" of a silver coin, did not think of the magnet or bleach test, and did not even know the weight of a genuine coin!  Because the sellers refused to drop below a certain price, the boys assumed they must be at least that valuable.  It is funny to me how greed fueled the whole affair:  fake coins were minted and sold at inflated rates by greedy sellers to greedy people who are only thinking of resale value!  Zed, like his mates, were willing to take the chance that what they were buying was fake in the wistful hope they were indeed genuine.  When it comes to a few coins, the risk is relatively low.  But how great is cost for buying falsehood which poses a spiritual truth!

There are people all over the world who hold their beliefs tightly, having purchased them at great personal cost.  They have invested their hearts, minds, and lives in what they believe.  For every true thing God has said there are countless counterfeits.  Satan and his mob churn out counterfeit religions and beliefs continually, and people queue up for them.  Because they do not know the truth, they buy into all manner of error.  But the things many people deem precious are not legal tender before God.  How guilty before God is a man who passes on the counterfeit as truth!  There are a series of tests even a layman can do to determine if coins are genuine or not, and the same is true concerning the Bible.  One does not need to be an expert to put the Bible to the test.  The archaeological, historical, geographical, and prophetic evidence and fulfillment is clear for all to see.  The consistency between books, the abundance of manuscript evidence, the authorship of eye-witnesses, and the unparalleled wisdom of the Bible is unique.  Because the Bible is the authentic and genuine Word of God, it sets forth the standard by which all belief and practice must be judged.  Textbooks change, "spiritual" books are revised, but the Word of the LORD will endure unchanged forever.  Once you have bought the truth, don't sell it at any price.

Truth can bear examination.  How silly would it be to suspect your coins are fake, but because of shame or embarrassment never have them examined by an expert?  Are you willing to put your personal beliefs under the scrutiny of God's Word?  Is it is worthy risk to invest in coins without knowing what a real Silver Eagle looks like?  Too many people buy into satanic lies, thinking they are a sound future investment, and on the day of judgment their entire collection will be deemed worthless before the God before whom all must answer.  Truth is objective and narrow, even as there is very specific criteria to deem Silver Eagles genuine.  One belief is not as good as another.  So how do you know if your beliefs are legitimate or not?  The Bible (preferably a translation) will reveal this to you.  Ask born-again Christians or a pastor.  In a world filled with darkness and deception, God's Word provides light to direct our lives.  As it is written in Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Put Those Mistakes to Work!

Yesterday morning I was listening to Calvary Chapel Radio New Zealand, a broadcast streamed online to the world.  Packed with great scriptural content and music, I highly recommend!  During yesterday's broadcast, Jon Courson provided a practical example.

He talked about how Joshua made a mistake by unwittingly making a treaty with the Gibeonites, a neighbouring group who pretended to be from a distant land.  Seeing their mouldy crusts of bread and ragged clothes, Joshua believed them to be truthful.  Because Joshua didn't seek the LORD, he struck a deal with enemies God had commanded Israel to drive out of the land.  Not long after the rulers of Israel became aware of the plot, Joshua 9:19-21 tells us their response:  "Then all the rulers said to all the congregation, "We have sworn to them by the LORD God of Israel; now therefore, we may not touch them.²⁰ This we will do to them: We will let them live, lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them."²¹ And the rulers said to them, "Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for all the congregation, as the rulers had promised them."

This was the point Jon made in his sermon:  when you make a mistake, choose to make that mistake work for you.  That is what the Israelites literally did with this people who deceived them.  They made them water carriers and wood cutters, people who supplied necessities for the worship of God.  Joshua 9:27 says, "And that day Joshua made them woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, in the place which He would choose, even to this day."  What an amazing concept, that our mistakes can work for us to aid us and others in the worship of God.  God is able to redeem even our foolish mistakes for His glory.  Let's seek God how to make our mistakes work for us so He might be glorified and the congregation strengthened and encouraged.

When God Fights

As I have been studying through the book of Isaiah, there are some remarkable insights all would do well to heed.  King Ahaz of the southern kingdom of Judah faced the threat of advancing armies, and he considered what he would do.  Instead of relying upon God alone and walking in obedience to His Word, Ahaz worshiped idols and made an alliance with Assyria.  The prophet provided a sobering example of the northern kingdom of Israel in Isaiah 9:8-13:  "The LORD sent a word against Jacob, and it has fallen on Israel. ⁹ All the people will know-- Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria-- who say in pride and arrogance of heart: ¹⁰ "The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with hewn stones; the sycamores are cut down, but we will replace them with cedars." ¹¹ Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and spur his enemies on, ¹² The Syrians before and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with an open mouth. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still. ¹³ For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them, nor do they seek the LORD of hosts."  In pride Israel did not turn to God in their trouble, and God stirred up enemies against them.

Countless nations and men have ignored God and His righteous counsel in dark days.  While the world is facing a threat of jihadists and terrorism, governments are mobilising and strategising to deal with this threat.  Guns, "radicalised" Muslims, and terror cell groups are seen as a massive problem.  In my view, these amount to nothing.  My chief concern is leaders and people of nations are not looking to God or His Word, nor is there repentance for our great sins before God.  We can plan and strategise all we want, invest in state-of-the-art equipment, amass supplies of weapons, armour, and ammunition, but unless God fights for us we fight in vain.  All I hear from politicians is what we are going to do about this growing threat.  What can we do?  Could it be that God is spurning on the enemies of nations who have turned their backs on Him?

In the wake of the shooting in San Bernardino, President Obama gave an address from the Oval Office.  He said, "The threat from terrorism is real, but we will overcome it. We will destroy ISIL and any other organization that tries to harm us. Our success won't depend on tough talk, or abandoning our values, or giving into fear...Instead, we will prevail by being strong and smart, resilient and relentless, and by drawing upon every aspect of American power."  Yikes.  This is far from the wisdom King Hezekiah spoke in 2 Chronicles 32:7-8 concerning their enemies, "Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. ⁸ With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles." There is no rest or comfort for me in the President's words which is found only through faith in God.  Where is God in the President's plans?  These great and swelling words lack any power whatsoever to eliminate threats of violence.  Whenever a man says without an acknowledgement of God, "I will..." or "We will..." it smacks of the tone we hear of Lucifer in Isaiah 14:12-15:  "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! ¹³ For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; ¹⁴ I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' ¹⁵ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit."  Lucifer's heart was lifted up, but God would bring Him low.  Those who walk in pride God is able to abase.

President Obama then laid out a plan to snuff out the threat of terrorism by utilising the military and air strikes, providing training and equipment, working with friends and allies, to dialogue for ceasefires in Syria, and establishing stricter laws and background checks.  What will these profit if we do not look to God first?  He said in his concluding remarks, "My fellow Americans, I am confident we will succeed in this mission because we are on the right side of history. We were founded upon a belief in human dignity -- that no matter who you are, or where you come from, or what you look like, or what religion you practice, you are equal in the eyes of God and equal in the eyes of the law."  From my view, the United States and all who look to them for help or hope are on the wrong side of history.  Our resolve means nothing if we refuse the path of humility and repentance.  When the men of Ai defeated Joshua, it was because there was sin in the camp which needed to be dealt with.  They did not seek God's guidance and were afraid and overcome.  God used the nations of Assyria and Babylon to defeat and take captive His own people as a result of their sin and rebellion before God, and the United States or Australia is in no way different.  If we look to an arm of flesh to save us, how can that turn away the judgment of a Holy God?

The Midianites were a numerous and well-equipped people who oppressed and terrorised the Israelites for years.  When God's people cried out to Him in their affliction, He raised up Gideon to deliver His people with a mighty hand.  Aided by God in whom they trusted, 300 men armed with torches, clay pitchers, and shofars defeated the great host of Midianites - whose swords God turned upon one another.  Could it be ISIS is being divinely aided - not by Allah but the Almighty I AM - to turn the weapons of nations against each other?  History says God is able to use conflicts between people and nations to chasten His people to repentance so they might live.  All are equal in God's sight, and He will not give the United States preferential treatment when it comes to sin.  There is a divine reckoning coming for all who persist in their sin, and also for every nation that in pride lifts itself up to oppose God.  God is patient and longsuffering, but the day of judgment will ultimately come.

Those who know God and are familiar with scripture know how it ends when a people forsake God and refuse the path of humility and repentance:  they lose.  How many loyal servicemen and women will die, how much more blood must be shed on city streets around the world until we come to our senses and repent before a just God?  We cannot blame anyone but ourselves if we do not seek God in our times of affliction.  President Obama concluded with, "God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America."  God has blessed the United States, and a wake-up call is a blessing when your house is burning down around you.  This post is not about blaming God or people, but an exhortation for each person to own his sins, repent, and return to the LORD.  Daniel confessed and prayed for the sins of his people, and Christians ought to do the same when we recognise them.  Hosea 6:1 urges us, "Come, and let us return to the LORD; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up."  Let us return to the LORD!  Sackcloth ought to be our strategy, and humble repentance before God must be our plan.  Brandishing his spear did Goliath no good, for God enabled a shepherd to bring him down with a single stone.  What man or nation can fight against God - and win?