Jesus Says Amen!

It struck me the other day how remarkable it was of the thief crucified with Jesus to say to Him, "LORD, remember me when you come into your kingdom."  In doing so he demonstrated great faith which perceived more than what he could naturally see.  Over the head of Jesus was a sign inscribed by the hand of Pontius Pilate with the accusation brought against Him:  "JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS." (Matthew 27:37; John 19:19)

Never had a king been so ill-treated by His own people, being accused as an evildoer by envious men with His subjects shouting to the Roman ruler as one man, "Crucify Him!"  He hung battered from blows and brutal scourging, covered in gore, barely recognisable as a man.  The thief who lived his life in violation of God's law and initially reviled Jesus had his eyes suddenly opened to the reality Jesus was indeed the Christ, the Son of God and Son of David who would have an everlasting kingdom.

In desperation the dying man cried out to the One who willingly laid down His life on Calvary never having sinned, "LORD, remember me when you come into your kingdom."  He looked beyond the nails which held the dying Man on the cross with eyes of faith which knew Jesus was going to live beyond the cross.  He knew Jesus had a kingdom and He would somehow live to sit on the throne.  The criminal knew Jesus would be able to remember him in the future and begged him to do so.  Luke 23:43 says, "And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."  Instead of trotting out the man's faults, which were many and deserving of death, Jesus responded to the man's humble request in faith with the promise of eternal life.

In the original language the word translated "assuredly" here is "amen," a word which means the same in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and English.  It is a common practice to conclude our prayers to God with "amen" in agreement with God to hear, but how wonderful it is for God to graciously respond with "Amen!" to our requests!  Those who come to Jesus Christ with faith in Him He rejoices to receive.  Do we have faith as this condemned criminal to pray what seems on face value to be impossible yet believing God is able and will keep His word?  Jesus has promised to give eternal life to all who repent of sin and trust in Him.  The words He spoke in Matthew 11:28-30 can be fulfilled today in your life by our risen LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ if we will meet His conditions:  "Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Power With God

God is truly all powerful.  The creation of the universe, global catastrophes, and miraculous might are just the edges of His ways.  It is remarkable to me how God has all authority and power, yet men can move Him through humble requests.  Many times God stated His intention to do something, and when those who feared Him spoke with God He relented.  God remained righteous and good, yet mountains were moved and inevitable judgment delayed by a simple request.

This morning I thought back to the time after Jacob left Laban's house as a wealthy man with many children.  He heard Esau was coming to meet him with hundreds of men and he was concerned for the safety of his family and himself.  That night the biblical account says he wrestled with a man until the breaking of day.  This man and how they began to engage in the tussle is not explained in scripture.  But reading on shows this "man" was much more than an ordinary man, for he simply touched Jacob and his hip was dislocated with an injury which caused him to limp for the remainder of his life.

Jacob refused to release his hold on the Man who Jacob came to realise was God in the flesh, an encounter with the pre-incarnate Christ.  He would not let go until he received a blessing from the Man he wrestled with.  Genesis 32:28-30 reads, "And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed." ²⁹ Then Jacob asked, saying, "Tell me Your name, I pray." And He said, "Why is it that you ask about My name?" And He blessed him there. ³⁰ And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."  The Man changed Jacob's name to Israel and blessed him, and in a moment he went from "heel catcher" to "governed by God."

What is not mentioned in this passage is the manner of Jacob during the marathon wrestle through the night.  We might think it was sheer grit, determination, or skill at wrestling which caused Jacob to prevail in a struggle with God.  Hosea 12:3-5 says of Israel, "He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and in his strength he struggled with God.⁴ Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed; He wept, and sought favour from Him. He found Him in Bethel, and there He spoke to us--⁵ that is, the LORD God of hosts. The LORD is His memorable name."  Jacob struggled with God and prevailed not by physical might but his power with God was in weeping and making his request known to God in desperation.  His faith was rewarded with God graciously bowing to his request.  The God who moves mountains and can put a hip out of joint with a gentle touch can bless, transform a person from within, and alter an eternal destiny.

Those who have power with God do not do so by the power or might of the flesh but by the Holy Spirit who works in the lives of men.  Tears are not a magic formula to having our requests granted, yet they can indicate a broken heart God delights to heal.  Like a father who loves his children and supplies them with good things, God is pleased to hear and answer us.  God has given to each a measure of faith and those who humble themselves before God in prayer believing have access and help in God's throne room of grace in time of need.

Iniquity By Default

"You have plowed wickedness; you have reaped iniquity. You have eaten the fruit of lies, because you trusted in your own way, in the multitude of your mighty men."

Hosea 10:13

I forget things or misspeak, but God does not.  He knows all things, having created the world and all the processes therein.  Reading this verse holds forth an important principle by what God through the prophet did not mention.  A farmer typically ploughs furrows, sows seed, and reaps the harvest.  This passage references ploughing and reaping but does not mention sowing at all!  The fact is unless we plant good seed we cannot expect good things to grow.

We see evidence of this all the time:  we turn over the soil to plant flowers or a vegetable garden and all manner of weeds and grass sprout up.  These weeds ought to be pulled because all these do is propagate after their own kind and rob the good plants of nutrition, sunlight, and space.  God used the illustration of ploughing and reaping in the lives of people many times in the Bible.  Paul wrote in Galatians 6:7-8, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. ⁸ For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life."  We reap what we sow, but we also reap what we have not sown--good and bad.

The preceding verse says in Hosea 10:12, "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you."  To reap mercy the children of Israel needed to sow for themselves righteousness.  Because they had forsaken God and trusted themselves they had no righteousness which only comes from God.  They did not have the resources within them to do righteously, therefore they reaped iniquity when they sowed nothing.  Hosea 10:4 also conveyed the results of their sinful speaking:  "They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant. Thus judgment springs up like hemlock in the furrows of the field."  Hemlock was a poisonous, noxious weed which sprang up in furrows.  They had not sowed righteousness so severe judgment from God would be the result.

Hosea 10:13 also teaches what we reap we also eat.  Because they ploughed wickedness they would reap iniquity and eat the fruit of lies.  This all came about because they had forsaken God in whom is all righteousness and wisdom.  They placed their faith in themselves rather than trusting the obeying God.  The did not follow the example of Abraham who believed God and his faith was accounted for righteousness (Romans 4:3, Galatians 3:6, James 2:23).  Without God man cannot sow righteousness and thus will always reap iniquity by default.  Like noxious weeds that spring up in the furrows, so judgment grows for those who depart from God and His ways.

If we want to be partakers of God's mercy and eternal life, we must be made righteous by grace through faith in God.  In our natural state we can only plough wickedness and reap iniquity.  Praise be to God who desires to be found by those who seek Him with their whole heart.  Jesus is coming and our righteousness springs from Him.

Perilous Wealth

It is tragic when people do not have basic necessities for survival like clean water, wholesome food, or adequate shelter.  Billions of dollars of financial aid and countless volunteer efforts go towards helping those in need near and far.  As real the risk is for those who lack, there is also a risk for those who have.  It is ironic those who have great abundance also run the greatest risk of forgetting who they need most:  God.  In the Law of Moses God provided warnings for the wealthy.  Having our needs met by God can cause us to be filled with pride and forget God who provides life and all we possess.

Through Moses God warned His people in Deuteronomy 8:10-14, 17-18:  "When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. ¹¹"Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, ¹² lest--when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; ¹³ and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; ¹⁴ when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage... ¹⁷ then you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.' ¹⁸ And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day."

Jesus said it is easier for a camel to pass through an eye of a sewing needle than for a rich man to enter heaven for good reason.  Poverty and wealth both have their pitfalls, but wealth can blind even God's people to their fundamental need to rely upon Him for all things.  Poverty may lead people in their desperation to theft and degrading employment, but wealth works to lift up man with pride.  Pride leads to self-reliance and self-confidence rather than faith in God who gives man power to acquire wealth.  Conceit leads to self-deception and to forget about God in daily activities.  Wealth makes man a god unto himself, a self-exalted deity to do what he pleases.  Lack prompts a man to seek God to supply his needs, but being full makes this need for God less obvious.

Australia is largely a population of "haves" rather than "have nots."  This warning to the wealthy is one we ought to take to heart because our natural resources, homes, food, technology, education, and employment have been supplied by the grace of God.  He has blessed us so abundantly with peace and prosperity we believe we are entitled to it.  Though we are an admittedly secular society God is the gracious source of the peace and all good things we enjoy.  Because we generally do not acknowledge God as our Creator and King we are tricked into believing He has no place amongst us.  It is God's grace which will one day deprive us of what we view as basic human needs and rights so our eyes in desperation will look to Him again in faith.

Praise the LORD, for what is impossible with men is possible with God!  God makes it possible for a wealthy person to fear and trust God even when riches increase.  We need not set our hearts or affections on what will not endure but continue to seek the LORD.  Our wealth need not be a liability but an asset for God to administer through us for His glory and the good of others.  Proverbs 11:25 contains a valuable principle:  "The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself."  God is generous to us, and the humble soul will not forget it.