The LORD Roared From Zion

"The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will diminish their brightness. ¹⁶ The LORD also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; the heavens and earth will shake; but the LORD will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel."

Joel 3:15-16

The prophet wrote of the day of the LORD, a future judgment of the nations by the almighty God of Israel.  When I read this description there are striking similarities to when Jesus died on the cross.  For three hours darkness shrouded the globe and the sun and moon did not shine.  Before He lay down His life Jesus cried out from the cross, "It is finished!" and there was an earthquake.  The Lion of the tribe of Judah roared from Calvary to signal His ultimate, everlasting victory.  For followers of Jesus Christ at the time it was a troubling, tragic turn, for the One they believed was the promised Messiah was slain.

What they did not realise in that moment was Jesus had taken upon Himself the sins of the world and thus faced judgment deserved by sinners.  His great purpose for coming was fulfilled in revealing the Gospel, the New Covenant, the love of God, gained victory over sin and death, crushed Satan underfoot, and put to death the Law of Moses that could only condemn.  One of the soldiers who looked on mused out loud:  "This surely was a righteous Man!"  By faith in Jesus sinners are deemed righteous by the righteous Judge of all the earth who provided atonement with His own blood.  The hope of forgiveness and eternal life was assured by all Jesus accomplished in His life, death and resurrection.  His future return to earth was affirmed when He was conveyed alive into heaven before many witnesses.  

Coinciding with Christ's return, judgment will certainly come upon the world for sin.  The prophet declared, "...The LORD will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel."  God will shake the heavens and earth, yet in light of future troubling events God's people need not be shaken in mind or resolve.  God IS our refuge, shelter and strength.  The stability of a building begins with a solid foundation, and those who hear Jesus' words and do them He likens to a man who built his house upon the rock.  Though exposed to powerful and raging elements that would make houses built on sand an utter ruin, all who trust and obey Jesus are girded with strength and enabled to endure.

When a flood, fire or tornado passes through a community there can be one or two houses standing and we wonder how that is possible--that destruction could be so widespread yet one house stands resolute.  There is no need to wonder when the Christian endures trials and troubles:  it is Jesus who enables us to stand in the power of the Holy Spirit.  It is not our willpower, effort or commitment but Jesus Christ.  We are works in progress, but concerning salvation, righteousness and strength we have heard from the mouth of Jesus Himself:  "It is finished!"  Let us praise the LORD for His goodness and for His wonderful works to the children of men!

God's Wisdom and Word Outlasts

When my sons were younger they enjoyed watching Sponge Bob, and I have seen my fair share of episodes over the years as well.  Recurring characters Mr. Krabs, the owner of a successful diner, has a rival named Plankton who manged a floundering establishment called "The Chum Bucket."  Mr. Krabs knows the success of the Krusty Krab is due to their hugely popular menu item, the Krabby Patty.  Plankton's evil, always-foiled plan is to infiltrate the Krusty Krab to steal the Krabby Patty formula so he can be a successful restaurateur himself.  This sort of scheme is not limited to silly cartoons but occurs in business, sport, the military and wherever hidden information exists that could be potentially used to damage rivals or benefit self.  This happened in the early church, and it still occurs to this day.

After Jesus Christ appeared to Paul and revealed the Gospel to him, Paul boldly preached this message of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus to the Gentiles.  Initially some Jews were skeptical of and even opposed this, supposing the reception of the Gospel was only for Jews--or those willing to convert to Judaism.  Paul wrote in Galatians 2:3-5, "Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. ⁴ And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage), ⁵ to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you."  Paul demonstrated the Gospel does not require a Gentile to keep the Law, for Titus (who was Greek) was not compelled to be circumcised.  This incident came about because false brethren infiltrated the church gatherings, not with the intent to worship the LORD Jesus and break bread in fellowship, but to sway people to keep the Law of Moses.  They had a hidden agenda and before long it became evident, and Paul was wise to their treachery.  He held fast to the truth of the Gospel and was bold to withstand them on the solid ground of the Gospel.

There is no shortage of people who claim to have a new revelation from God that detracts or deters from the Gospel, people who seek to infiltrate churches, Bible studies and home groups to poach believers for their own agenda, to make followers of their sects or themselves rather than Christ.  How blessed we are to have the unchanging, perfect word of God that prevents us from being led astray by false doctrines and undue emphasis.  By God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit genuine believers are able to expose and outlast the schemes of false brethren and those who come into churches with false humility, who are wolves in sheep's clothing.  The Good Shepherd Jesus Christ is able to mark these deceivers who are deceived, and the gentle child of God need not fret over them.  Bible-teaching churches will have these sorts of visitors come and go, and may the word of God they hear preached move them to repentance rather than condemn.

In a chapter where Paul confronted the heretical view Jesus had not bodily risen from the dead within the church, there was no hand-wringing.  Instead he concluded the passage with thanksgiving to God and an exhortation to endure in 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 :  "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."  God gives us the victory through our LORD Jesus Christ, and therefore we can be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in the work of God knowing our labour is not in vain.  The real brethren through Jesus will outlast the false ones.  Through our LORD Jesus our labour is not in vain in the LORD.  To Him be all glory, honour and praise, the God who girds us with strength, encourages us and give us victory now and forever.

Calories and the Conscience

At a cafe years ago I observed something that was akin to reverse culture shock.  I am originally from California, and while living in Australia shared coffee with a ministry team also from the Golden State.  One fellow's interest was drawn to a particular item he wondered might be too rich--especially since he had not been going to the gym as usual.  After hearing him audibly vacillate between two opinions I encouraged him to order the item as a special treat, for he would possibly never have the opportunity to order it again.  He did so only to pawn it off on everyone else--not because it did not suit his sweet tooth--but because he could not stop talking about how many calories he was putting into his body.

After every reluctant bite he would say something like, "Now I need to go on a jog!" or "That will be another 15 minutes in the gym" and "Don't tell my wife."  As one who enjoys baking and eating desserts of all kinds, this behaviour was most baffling.  If I knew he was going to complain through the whole dish I might have suggested the kale salad as that seemed more suited to his conscience.  I remember another occasion when I watched a father beg his child not to say anything to her mum about the fries he allowed her to have with her meal rather than carrot sticks or apple slices.  I have seen many such interactions over the years and it has taken me awhile to process them.  While the circumstances faced by the early church has changed, the principles about eating, drinking and choosing to walk in love towards others without putting a stumbling block in their way are relevant to this day.

Much has been said that the Bible does not condemn drinking alcohol in itself but drunkenness is forbidden.  We are to be filled with the Holy Spirit rather than being drunk with wine.  The same is true concerning calories:  eating calories is not a sin in itself, whether it is a dessert or a burger from McDonald's.  It is not a sin to eat thousands of calories in one sitting, and it is not a sin to count them and choose not to eat them.  It is a sin, however, when we stand in judgment of others because they eat "junk" or mock people who refuse all meat or fried foods.  Years ago the cliche went, "Cleanliness is next to godliness" and perhaps now "Fitness is next to godliness."  Both of these statements are incorrect.  While there are obvious health benefits to good personal hygiene, having a nourishing diet with moderation and physical fitness, eating dessert with bacon is not in itself a sin.  Lying about it to your wife, that's another story.

The freedom God gives us to eat and drink is not a justification for gluttony.  Instead of giving place to drunkenness, strife and envy Romans 13:14 says, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."  Instead of disputing over the amount of calories we consume or what kind of milk we drink, the following passage can be applied in Romans 14:2-4:  "For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. ³ Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. ⁴ Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand."  It is good for those who want to "eat all things" to show restraint, considering the health of their bodies and at a potluck thinking about others who are hungry too.  If we cannot have self-control, perhaps it is wise not to buy the large tub of ice cream.  Calories are not the enemy, and no one is condemned by them.  Instead of putting pressure on others to conform to our convictions concerning diet, let us walk in love of God and one another with integrity--aware of our own propensity to gluttony and vanity.

The Pursuit of Happiness

Something stuck with me I heard a long time ago:  happiness depends on what happens.  Those who make happiness their aim will often be disappointed, for people and circumstances are always changing.  Happiness can be like a good dream perpetually dangled before us, and the pursuit might be more fun than actually achieving our goals--because they often cannot measure up to our expectations.

While preparing for a sermon my mind was drawn to the smiling, eager face of little children awaiting dad or mum blowing bubbles.  They watch intently as the wand is dipped in the solution, and in moments the air is filled with bubbles that dance away on the breeze.  Some prefer lots of tiny bubbles while others, like me, are always trying to make the largest bubble we can and admire it as it sags under its own weight.  Giggling with delight, happy children run with outstretched arms to the bubble.  Only the smallest touch of the bubble causes it to pop and be lost forever.  But no fear:  there's plenty of magic bubble solution left to make more.

These smiling children enjoy the repetitive game, yet at some point all fun things must come to an end.  Perhaps the fun ended prematurely because a clumsy lad poured out his bubbles or the solution was used up.  Then it is time to wash sticky hands or maybe even take a bath, something that is more a chore than chasing bubbles.  It dawned on me when we make happiness our pursuit, the idea of what will bring us ultimate happiness often drifts out of reach.  Yet should we reach our goal, we will surprisingly find ourselves empty.  The only temporary fix for our disappointment is to set our eyes on the next prize and set after it, imagining this will satisfy us.  The pursuit of happiness leads to emptiness.

The joy of the LORD is fundamentally different than happiness, for it does not depend on what happens.  Paul wrote to the church in Philippi to rejoice in the LORD always, and this is possible because God does not change.  No matter what happens to us we can rest in the goodness of God today and always because He is merciful, faithful, compassionate and loving.  For those who are born again by faith in Jesus Christ He makes us a fountain of the Living Water of the Holy Spirit who fills our hearts to overflowing, and those who are in Christ lack no good thing because He provides all that pertains to life and godliness (1 Peter 1:3).  Knowing the joy of the LORD is ours by grace through faith in Jesus, we can be supremely happy in our awesome Saviour.