Transgressions Removed

It is amazing the God who knows all things determines not to remember the sins committed by those who have received atonement and forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ.  Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for sins and His righteousness has been credited to those born again by the Gospel.  Hebrews 10:14-17 states, "For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. ¹⁵ But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, ¹⁶ "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them," ¹⁷ then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."  People agree no one is perfect, yet Christians certainly ought to affirm Jesus has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.  There will be no divine recall of our sins in the eternal state, for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ has purified us wholly from sin.

Because we remember wrongs done against us and are prone to hold grudges against others, perhaps we assume God will do the same concerning our transgressions.  We imagine God will trot out all our sins before us because we do not comprehend the extent of what Jesus accomplished on Calvary.  Those who are born again through faith in Jesus have entered into a new covenant in Christ's blood, and even the memories of our faults are washed away on the basis of Christ's atonement God remembers our sins no more.  In many cases we carry guilt for our past sins needlessly when we sin by holding a grudge against ourselves!  It is profitable to us to remember past mistakes so we will recognise and avoid them and do what is right, but in Jesus Christ we are free from all guilt before God.

Psalm 103:10-13 reads, "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; ¹² as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."  The heavens above us stretch beyond we can see with the naked eye, and telescopes that peer beyond our solar system cannot see the end of an endless expanse of space.  God's mercy towards those who fear Him is infinitely greater than this.  It is insightful David did not say "As far as the north is from the south" because this is a fixed distance that can be measured on the earth.  There is a point on the globe when you reach the north pole you begin to travel south, but not so with east and west along the equator:  God has put our sins farther away from us than we can possibly measure--even if we shudder with shame upon their remembrance.

Better than remembering our sins with shame is rejoicing in our Saviour who has forgiven us and remembers our sins no more.  We connect past sins with guilty people so their character become synonymous with their sin:  we call someone a liar, thief or adulterer.  Jesus came to call sinners to repentance to save them.  We have all sinned and are sinners, but God remembers the sins of His redeemed no more because Jesus has provided atonement.  Being a sinner speaks of our need met by our Saviour Jesus Christ.  If God has removed our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west, what does it profit to cling to feelings of guilt in our hearts and minds?  How good it is for us to praise the LORD for forgiveness and give thanks by walking righteously.

Love is of God

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another."

John 13:34

Jesus commanded His disciples they love one another as He had loved them.  His faithfulness to love was seen daily and culminated with Jesus demonstrating His love for all people by dying on the cross for sinners.  The greatest loves we experience in this world are mere hints and shadows of God's love.  Because love is of God it is impossible those who do not know God could express or experience such love apart from Him.  It is more than feelings, affection, desire and acceptance because only in God is love fully manifested as 1 John 4:7-8 says:  "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. ⁸ He who does not love does not know God, for God is love."

The worldly concept of what love is as an ideal falls woefully short of the reality.  Dr. Gary Chapman wrote an insightful book that espouses five different "love languages," ways he claims people often give and receive love:  words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch.  While it is true love can be shown by considering the feelings of others, by what we say, do or choose not to do, God's love transcends humanity.  Love is more than giving gifts, writing poems and even selfless sacrifice.  God's love is so great, like the living God Himself it cannot be defined but only described in part.  And the way God's love is described immediately shatters all our assumptions we know what love is.

I never would have guessed the first words Paul used to describe the love of God in 1 Corinthians 13:4:  "Love suffers long" or "Love is patient" (depending on your Bible translation).  Is that how you would describe love?  From a worldly perspective love isn't attractive or desirable at all but more like a heavy burden to allow someone else to carry.  The One who delights to carry this burden is God because God is love.  Everything He does is patient, kind, without envy, boasting or pride.  Connecting patience with others as a primary way of demonstrating love to them helps me see if I love others or not.  As children of God, patience is to mark our lives as is exhorted in 1 Thessalonians 5:14:  "Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all."  We are called to love the unruly, fainthearted and weak by patience at all times.

Consider the exhortation given to naturally impatient people in James 5:7-11:  "Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. ⁸ You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. ⁹ Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! ¹⁰ My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. ¹¹ Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful."  If we grumble against one another or have unsettled hearts filled with worry, we are not being loving and patient as we ought.  Job is an example of a man who loved God and his patience whilst suffering revealed this truth.  Though it did not feel like it because of the fiery trial God allowed, Job's perseverance in patience caused him to receive the blessing of God's compassion and mercy.

Love suffers long and is patient.  How this fleshes out in one regard what Jesus commanded His disciples to do when He said, "Love one another."  Since love is of God as those born again and beloved by Him we are empowered to suffer long and continue in kindness and compassion towards all.

Jesus and His Reward

"And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work."

Revelation 22:12

Woolworths has a program called "Everyday Rewards" which allows shoppers to scan a card to "earn" rewards.  For me, scanning my card for purchases saves a small amount of petrol and provides a $10 credit I can use to buy groceries.  It is relatively painless trade-off which provides benefits which are better than nothing. :)

Jesus told His followers He is coming quickly and His reward is with Him.  Upon Jesus' return to earth He will establish His kingdom, will judge His enemies and reward His servants.  The words of Christ give me cause to pause and wonder:  do I value Jesus and the rewards He offers by His grace as much as He loves me?  When I was young in the faith, the idea of reaping eternal, heavenly rewards drove me to service and self-denial, but at the core of this was selfishness.  I wanted to be a standout; I wanted accolades and riches for myself.  At some point I realised this was wrong and the pendulum swings toward the opposite extreme.  I was quite content with Jesus and the everlasting life He promised and was pleased to be accepted by Him--reward or not.

This view masked a false humility, a hidden arrogance seen in the servant who hid his master's mina in a handkerchief.  If we are called to desire the best spiritual gifts Jesus offers now according to His will (which will pass away), should I curtly dismiss the rewards Jesus has promised to give us for eternity?  While it is true we should value the Giver over the gift, let us not count His gifts as nothing.  In offering a gift God is glorified, and when we humbly receive a gift it is also for His glory for we ourselves are not our own.  Rewards received from God cannot be earned:  these are gifts according to the goodness of our God He delights to offer and we are privileged to use for His benefit.

Jesus did not hide the fact our service unto the LORD now will result in heavenly rewards and benefits.  We know it is wise to plan ahead for our future on earth, and it is even more sensible to lay up treasures in heaven because our affections rest on God who dwells there. Those who walk by faith and not by sight will be rewarded in this life and eternal life to come as it is written in Hebrews 11:5-6, "By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him"; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. ⁶ But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."  Faith exercised in obedience to God pleases Him and such He will reward with abundant life now and forever.  With our eyes fixed on the LORD Jesus, let us acknowledge His faithfulness to graciously reward those who diligently seek Him.

God Is For Us

It is interesting what motivates people.  Many sports teams employ "bulletin board material" of negative comments from an opposing team they will soon face to motivate athletes to make their opponents eat their words.  Knowing the odds are stacked against a team or player goads them on to try even harder.  The underdog doesn't always win the game, but when they do you can be sure they will mention it.  During interviews we have heard things like, "No one gave us a chance to win today..." or "We proved all the haters wrong."  After the Houston Astros eliminated the Minnesota Twins from the MLB playoffs, shortstop Carlos Corea said, "I know a lot of people don’t want to see us here. But what are they going to say now?"  Believing it is you against the world can motivate people to try that much harder to prove others wrong.

I have observed a similar sentiment among Christians as well.  Some identify with the biblical imagery of being a soldier (when we in Christ are also compared to children, bondservants, ambassadors, sheep of His pasture, the church as the Bride of Christ, etc.) so exclusively nearly everything seems an attack to overcome.  They feed off negative comments to prompt them to be even more bold in their witness as they follow Jesus.  They see opposition, persecution and trials as proof they are "doing something right" for the LORD.  It is like they are motivated to do their best to stir up others however they can to affirm their labour for the LORD is legitimate, opposed by Satan and thus approved by God.  It seems like without negative affirmation this battle-hardened warrior wonders where they fit in or what purpose they serve.  They feel more useful "in the trenches" employed in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy who seeks to slay them rather than training recruits in a secure base away from fighting in survival skills or to how to work together as a team.

While it is true in this world we will face tribulation and persecution for our faith, I'm not convinced the opposition we face is the best motivator for us to walk in love towards God and others.  Instead of being encouraged by resistance or how other people or circumstances seem against us, how about rejoicing that God is for us?  Paul declared in Romans 8:31-37 as one called, justified and was expectant to be glorified by God, "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? ³³ Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." ³⁷ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."

Paul faced many trials and suffered much for the cause of Christ, and the knowledge of God who was for Him made as nothing all that could be against him.  Paul was confident in God's grace, justification, Christ's resurrection and intercession.  It was the love of God for him that compelled Paul to press on in sanctification amidst countless tribulations because he was more than a conqueror through Jesus who loves us.  We can choose to feed on negative press to motivate us to godliness, yet how much better is it for us to focus on our glorious Saviour who loves us and gave His life for us.  Instead of glorying in the opposition or in ourselves to rise up against it, how good it is Jesus is risen for our sakes and intercedes on our behalf, that we can find mercy and grace to help in time in need.

Following Jesus Together

Ten years have passed since the beginning of my adventure in Australia.  It seems like a lifetime ago in 2002 I was living in southern California and working in a trade when God suddenly revealed to me while doing yardwork the plans He had for me:  "You will preach, and you will be sent."  I could accept this easily enough because nothing is impossible with God, but I had many questions which in due time God answered.  It became evident Australia was the place God planned to send me long before I knew how He would do it or when.  Along the way God has provided encouragement when needed and from unlikely sources.

When I was in the preparatory stages of answering the call to minister in Australia, I was introduced to lives of two missionary women who deeply impacted me and still do this day:  Gladys Aylward of England and Isobel Kuhn of Canada.  As I read their stories it reinforced the God who called them to China was the God who called me to Australia.  The struggles and difficulties I have faced pale in comparison to the situations God empowered these ladies to endure and overcome.  I read a biography of Gladys recently I could hardly put down.  I sat beside her on lonely train rides in a foreign land where no one spoke English, freezing with cold in the midst of a war, when her expectations of ministry were shattered, when she was made to care for stubborn mules, inspect feet and when she took in orphaned children.  It is easy to idolise the vessel God employs to do His work, but all glory and honour to God for doing His miraculous works through His people.

These missionaries and sisters in Christ will always have a special place in my heart because of my connection with them as fellow servants of the living God.  They had no idea the way God would use them in the foreign mission field and how they have ministered personally to me these many decades later.  Their faith and reliance upon God who guided and provided for them is inspirational, their insights encouraging and obedience always a timely exhortation.  Reminiscing of all God has done in my life has a place for the purpose of acknowledging His goodness, yet this is not the season to remove my hand from the plow and look back:  I must look to the LORD who has much more He intends to accomplish in these days by His grace.  Complacency and self-sufficiency go hand in hand and always lead to sloth and negligence.  God has good purposes and plans for all of us to do His work, not just with the apostles in the New Testament or missionaries to China:  God calls you and me to follow Him faithfully with great joy wherever He has us as He leads the way.

May our lives provide testimonies which extol and honour our glorious LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ, and may the influence of our words and deeds prompt those in ages to come to follow and trust Him too.  Isn't it wonderful when we follow Jesus it inspires other Christians to follow Him more closely?

The Holy Pursuit

Recently I finished reading a short book titled Enjoying Intimacy with God by J. Oswald Sanders.  There was one passage in particular which impacted me concerning our need to keep growing and embrace our sanctification.  By extension it also relates to my need to develop and grow as a member of the body of Christ and the role God has given me.  Sanders wrote:

The important thing is that we must "press on to maturity" (Hebrews 6:1).  Keep on growing.  Too many Christians become stuck in their Christian lives--"stuck between Easter and Pentecost," as Dr. Graham Scroggie put it.

I once knew a godly Christian woman who was dying of cancer.  She knew she had only a few days to live.  Her husband was attending to her needs, trying to make things as easy as possible for her.  She said to him, "You must not make things too easy for me.  I must keep growing, you know."  Her life of intimacy with God had brought her to a state of spiritual maturity in which she was more concerned about growing up into Christ than about her own very real pain and discomfort.  We too need to be ambitious to increase in our knowledge of God.

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews urged his readers to cultivate such an ambitions, in these words:  "Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity (6:1).  Dr. Alexander Smellie pointed out that the King James Version renders it, "Let us go on."  The Revised Version puts it, "Let us press on."  Bishop Westcott prefers to phrase it, "Let us be bourne on."

"The truth is that it needs all three to disclose the verb's significance and wealth.  Put them together, and they speak to us of three dangers which beset us as we look to the perfection front.  There is the danger of stopping too soon.  There is the danger of sinking into discouragement.  And there is the danger of supposing that we are alone."  How gracious God is to make provision through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, for our being "bourne on to maturity." (Sanders, J. Oswald. Enjoying Intimacy with God. Discovery House Publishers, 2000.pages 114-115)

The potential dangers mentioned by Sanders are real for all who follow Christ.  It is easy to stop too soon, to sink into discouragement or imagine we are alone.  We are called to press on to maturity and in ministry, looking to God for guidance and strength.  Apart from Him we can do nothing, but the Holy Spirit empowers us to do all things according to His will.  The weakness of our flesh is no hindrance to God's work, for it was in that place Paul discovered God's strength made perfect.  The directive given by Joshua to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh in Joshua 22:5 is fitting for believers to heed as well:  "...to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul."  The Christian walk is to be marked by the pursuit of Jesus and cleaving to Him, for He is our Life.

Cleansed by Grace

"Thus you shall separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness when they defile My tabernacle that is among them."

 Leviticus 15:31

Because God is holy and people are not, through the Law of Moses God instructed the people so they could distinguish between clean and unclean.  The tabernacle where the presence of the LORD dwelt was a holy place and those deemed unclean needed to wash or offer the required sacrifices before they could appear before Him.  God was gracious to warn His people of the dire consequences of bringing uncleanness into the tabernacle because it would cost them their lives.  This "Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle" (Colossians 2:21-23) mentality fostered by the Law had the appearance of wisdom, but could do nothing to render a man righteous before God or cull the insatiable desires of sinful flesh.

The apostle Peter was a man raised observing the Law of God and had been taught the difference between clean and unclean:  he knew how to wash after touching an unclean object, if he was unclean by a personal issue and what foods were to be eaten or avoided.  After the resurrection of Jesus, Peter stayed with a tanner named Simon and experienced a divine revelation.  He had gone up on the rooftop to pray and was hungry as he waited for food to be prepared.  Acts 10:11-16 says Peter "...saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. ¹² In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. ¹³ And a voice came to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." ¹⁴ But Peter said, "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean." ¹⁵ And a voice spoke to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed you must not call common." ¹⁶ This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again."

Even as the Law of Moses was a revelation to children of Israel concerning the difference between clean and unclean, Peter and all others in the church needed to be instructed how Jesus fundamentally changed the definition of what is clean and unclean.  Jesus came to earth not to destroy the Law but to fulfill.  He lived perfectly according to the Law and His righteousness infinitely exceeded the scribes and Pharisees.  Jesus offered Himself as the Lamb of God without blemish to atone for the sins of the world.  The handwriting which once condemned believing sinners was nailed to the cross with Jesus, and the wall of separation between Jew and Gentile was broken down to comprise the Body of Christ, the church.  Through the Gospel both Jew and Gentile were cleansed of sin and accepted into the family of God, regenerated by the Holy Spirit who indwelt them.  The context of the revelation at Joppa makes it plain the point of the vision was not Peter's kosher diet but Gentiles he continued to view as unclean and separated himself from whom God had cleansed.

It was a shocking surprise after Peter went to the house of Cornelius when the Holy Spirit fell upon his Gentile hearers and they spoke in tongues as the Jewish believers had on the day of Pentecost.  Peter and his travelling companions marveled how God cleansed by faith in Jesus those they historically viewed as unclean:  they too had become the temple of the Holy Spirit who dwelt within them.  There is no sin so great God cannot cleanse, no uncleanness in body or soul God refuses to purify from a heart that trusts in Jesus.  Uncleanness in God's people who defiled the tabernacle were at risk of losing their lives because God is holy.  When the Holy Spirit takes up residence in a follower of Jesus Christ that person is cleansed and made holy as God is holy.  We are not clean because of the efforts of our flesh to avoid eating a kind of meat or avoid sitting on a chair an person deemed "unclean" under Law may have sat upon, but because of the cleansing presence and power of God who has redeemed us.

Paul wrote to believers in 2 Corinthians 3:2-6:  "You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; ³ clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. ⁴ And we have such trust through Christ toward God. ⁵ Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, ⁶ who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."  Jesus established a new covenant which superseded the old covenant of Law.  We are not righteous because we appear in Jerusalem three times a year or tithe of our increase:  we are cleansed from sin, made righteous by faith in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit fills us.  The letter of the Law demands our blood, and Jesus shed His blood so all who repent and trust in Him can have eternal life.

What God has cleansed we should not call unclean, and those whom God has cleansed should be viewed as clean too--even when their convictions differ from our own.  Why should we condemn what God has cleansed?  May the LORD provide the revelation personally each of us need to bring to light our legalism and liberalism which strays from the love of God and others in Christ Jesus.  Let us acknowledge because we are in Christ we have been wholly cleansed by Him:  we are cleaner than those who washes in water, offers thousands of bulls as sacrifices or keeps the Law best they can.  Praise the LORD what is impossible with men is possible for God who cleanses us by His grace.

Christ Who Cleanses

I've been reading through Leviticus in the mornings and it struck me how leprosy is different from other uncleanness in that it cannot be washed away.  A person who contacted an unclean thing could wash in water and be unclean until evening, but lepers themselves were unclean.  There was no washing away the disease or the stigma of an incurable illness which required lepers to live alone outside the camp.  The Law of Moses required them to wear tattered clothing, cover their upper lip and cry out "Unclean!" to all who drew near them.

One of the more involved rituals in the Law was for the ceremonial cleansing of leprosy.  It seems a strange thing, to have an established process for lepers to be declared clean when lepers remained lepers.  The tone of the scripture implies cleansing was possible, yet there was never a suggestion as to how a leper could be healed.  Apart from Moses who was enabled by God to use leprosy as a sign and Miriam whom God miraculously healed when Moses prayed, Naaman of Syria was the only person called a leper in the Old Testament who was healed.  Jesus said in Luke 4:27, "And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."  There may have been lepers who were somehow cleansed besides Naaman, but none are mentioned by name.

When Jesus ministered in Israel, there were many occasions when He cleansed lepers.  After Jesus healed a leper Mark 1:43-44 reads, "And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, ⁴⁴ and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  Leviticus 14 goes into great detail of what was required to deem an ex-leper as clean under Mosaic Law.  Birds, scarlet, an earthen vessel, cedar wood, and running water were required for the first stage; three lambs, oil and flour were needed for the second.  A leper who was cleansed was required to shave all the hair off their body and would be anointed with blood of the sacrifice and oil.  The ambassadors David sent who were shamed when their beards were cut were allowed to dwell away from Jerusalem until their beards had grown, so great was their shame.  I imagine a leper who shaved beard and even eyebrows was glad to do so even though it made him nearly unrecognisable because of the joy of being cleansed and being joined with family and society.

The cleansing of a leper and the forgiveness of a sinner have similarities:  lepers and sinners have no ability to cleanse themselves.  The power of Jesus was required to cleanse lepers, and only those who trust in Jesus Christ as LORD and Saviour are washed in His shed blood and anointed with the Holy Spirit.  As lepers were required to live outside the city, so sinners are cut off from God by our transgressions and doomed to eternal destruction.  The freshly-shaved leper would have looked markedly different from his former self, and all who are born again by faith in Jesus are transformed and made new creations through the Gospel.  Where the comparison becomes a contrast is there is no involved ritual which requires weeks for a sinner to be born again, for when we repent and trust in Jesus God accomplishes this in an instant.

Proverbs 20:9 states, "Who can say, "I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin"?  The answer to Solomon's query is no one because there is none good, no not one.  God is the only One who can cleanse hearts and purify souls, and Jesus Christ is the Messiah who gives new hearts to those who trust in Him.  David spoke wisely when addressing God in Psalm 51:10 because He alone is able to fulfill his request:  "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."  A cleansed leper was no longer leprous could rejoice in restoration, and God supplies abundant joy for forgiven sinners.  How great is our gracious LORD who does for us by His sacrifice what we cannot earn for ourselves!

The Faithfulness of God

It has been 10 years to the day that I arrived in Sydney on a Religious Worker's Visa to serve at Calvary Chapel Sydney as pastor.  I came without my family to begin preparing for the adventure of immigrating to a foreign land without any knowledge of how things would turn out.  All I can say is God is faithful and provided for our family at every step.  For all we gave up there was also gain beyond our expectations.  The difficulties and uncertainties were tempered by the greatness of the God who called us and would never leave or forsake us.  Just the fact we are still here after all this time is an amazing testimony of His grace and goodness.

It is fitting as I reminisce over the past 10 years in Australia I am struck by the contrast of how much God has done and how little I have accomplished.  It is true what the scriptures affirm, that in my flesh dwells no good thing.  Anything that resembles good from my efforts is all by the grace and power of God working in and through me, and this favour I do not deserve.  How good it feels to give all credit to God for doing the impossible time and time again, and for allowing me and others to be witnesses of His glory even in trials, pain, and trouble.  1 Corinthians 1:9 says, "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." 

Yesterday was a great reminder of the faithfulness of God who hears prayers and provides for our needs.  Some might chalk it up to coincidence or wishful thinking, but I am glad to credit God for what only He can do.  In the afternoon I heard drops of rain sporadically pelt our roof.  The weather has been dry of late and I was not aware of rain being predicted.  I said aloud in the company of my family, "LORD, send the rain because we really need it!  Make it a flood--not a bad one, but with lots of rain."  Moments later hail and rain was absolutely bucketing down to the point I ran outside to cover my car with a thick blanket to protect it from hail damage.  This is something I never thought to do in Southern California where hail is rare and rarely bigger than a pea.  Laura and I stood looking out on the street from our room, marveling at the volume of water that rushed like a river past our house.

After the downpour, which lasted about 20 minutes, a rainbow appeared across the street exactly in the place it had a day previously.  I have never known rainbows to occur in the exact same location and I can tell you where it ends:  right on our street!  The God who causes rain to fall, makes rainbows appear in the skies, gave us eyes to see them and minds to turn towards Him, the God who was faithful to Noah, He is my God who has been faithful to me all my life.  The God who allows the ground to harden and grass to wither in heat also opens the heavens and causes refreshing, life-giving rain to fall.  The Almighty God has chosen to make a covenant with faithless people by His grace, and He causes rain to fall on the just and unjust.  The God who enabled me to become a citizen of Australia and buy a house will one day welcome me as a citizen of Heaven into the place prepared for me by His grace.  In God, His faithfulness, provision and promises I will be content.

A Powerful Testimony

A personal testimony is a useful witness for believers of the transforming and saving power of Jesus Christ through the Gospel.  The impact can be lessened when the focus is primarily on the sinful season of life before Christ or a conversion experience itself.  This leads to people thinking their "testimony" is boring or ordinary if they were raised in a Christian home and did not have a dynamic shift from drug-dealing pimp to pastor.  Those who glamorise a sensational conversion can potentially encourage people to seek a feeling or moment comparable to what they have heard to affirm the reality of God's work within them.  If a testimony stops at conversion, it isn't much of one.  A testimony without the Gospel lacks the power to save.  As a child of God in relationship with Jesus Christ there is much more to say with Him as the primary focus.

A testimony does not need to be long to have great impact.  I remember asking a friend how his wife changed after trusting in Jesus.  After a brief pause he said, "When she became a Christian she became a totally different person.  It was a good change."  It was not the person she was previously which impacted him but the loving person she became and continued to be day after day.  I like what pastor McGee said about the witness of a changed life:  "Note that Zacchaeus did not come to the door and say, "I want to give my testimony:  Jesus saves and keeps and satisfies."  Rather he said, "Half my goods I will give to the poor, and I will make right the things that have been wrong."  By this I know he has been converted.  And, friend, this is the only way the world will know that you are converted.  They do not know it by testimony; they know it only by what they see in your life.  If it were not for his changed life, I would never know that this old publican got converted." (Thru the Bible, Vol. IV, pg. 333)

When a person is born again through faith in Jesus, there will be a contrast inside and out compared to how we used to be.  Focusing on what we used to do or how much better off we are now misses the point entirely:  a testimony isn't so much about how we have changed but Who has transformed us by grace through faith!  The Pharisees grilled the man born blind Jesus miraculously healed so he could see clearly.  They asked, "Give glory to God, for we know this Man is a sinner."  The man answered in John 9:25, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see."  The difference between this man's testimony and ours is at this point he had never seen Jesus, for he had been sent to wash in the pool of Siloam and came away seeing.  The Pharisees were hung up on how Jesus did miracles rather than the signs He did leading them to rejoice, believe, and follow the Saviour Jesus.  They cast the man out of the synagogue for his impertinence to suggest Jesus was of God because of the miracle He had done.

John 9:35-38 reads, "Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" ³⁶ He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" ³⁷ And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you." ³⁸ Then he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him."  The man had been cast out of the synagogue, but he was not alone because Jesus sought and found him.  How different life would be for a person who had been born blind who suddenly could see perfectly, and even more profound is the difference in a person who has passed from life to death through faith in Jesus, knows God who speaks with him, worships His Creator and follows Him every day.  Now that is a testimony worth sharing that brings honour and glory to God!

Speak God's Word Faithfully

I am amazed how the Bible remains as relevant as ever:  the very issues faced by the early church concerning practices, doctrine, liberty and society are ongoing.  Seeing the scriptures have been inspired by God for our learning, one might assume the lessons would have been learned by now.  Alas, our own lives are a testimony against this idea.  Like the children of Israel who saw God's miraculous wonders and did not obey Him, we can be exposed to the teaching of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit and remain in darkness.

Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  There are a lot of people who claim to have knowledge to shed light on the true meaning of the scriptures who distort the truth, a practice far more dangerous than outright lies.  With the internet it has never been easier to share the scriptures or espouse twisted interpretations of them than today.  It is very easy to choose interpretations which suit our own prejudice and bias and to reject wholesale those who do not align with our current understanding.  With our feet firmly planted in the truth of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, the light of God's word guides us to a safe haven like a lighthouse does a ship in a stormy sea.

I increasingly appreciate the power of God to reveal Himself and to protect us from error.  In the days of Jeremiah the prophet, people prophesied falsely in God's name and shared dreams which contradicted the word of God spoken through him.  In a land rife with error Jeremiah did not try to censure or oppose all the error which floated around.  God spoke in Jeremiah 23:28-29:  "The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?" says the LORD. ²⁹ "Is not My word like a fire?" says the LORD, "and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?"  There is a difference between the word of men and the word of God even as chaff is separate to wheat.  Chaff is the thin, papery and indigestible covering of grain which blows away in the wind and is lost forever during threshing.  Wheat can be planted, produce a crop, be ground into flour to make bread and sustains life.  Chaff and wheat grow together yet are fundamentally different.

God's word is not threatened, undermined or undone by dreamers and false prophets.  God does at times speak through dreams and through prophetic utterances, but His word spoken faithfully and rightly divided provides all people need to thrive.  God compared His word to a fire that consumes, a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces.  Prophets spoke God had not spoken to, and they ran when He had not sent them.  They were spiritual plagiarists and forgers, repeating lies rather than speaking God's word faithfully.  God was against the false prophets and would hold them to account.  The exhortation given to Jeremiah is a fitting one for those who fear the LORD today:  we have His word and let us speak God's word faithfully.  It is implied we would also walk according to it in the fear of the LORD.

Jeremiah 23:32 says, "Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams," says the LORD, "and tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not send them or command them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all," says the LORD."  Better to stick to the truth revealed through scripture than to rely on dreams for guidance.  There were reckless prophets before Jesus, and those promoting falsehood remain to this day.  If we will profit and cause others to do so, let us be those who seek the LORD and speak His word faithfully.  There are many who recklessly lead others to err, but what is the chaff to the wheat?  Should we cease from sowing grain to pursue those who scatter chaff?  God's word is good and satisfying for our souls, and we ought not to become weary of feeding on it, following and sharing it.

The Life-Giving God

 Often God does not answer our prayers in the way we expect.  Because we believe there is no time like the present for God to do His miraculous works we can become disillusioned and complacent when nothing good seems to happen.  So many of our problems stem from a perspective which focuses on the problems rather than God who is sovereign, powerful and glorious.  We forget God operates outside of the confines of times to accomplish His purposes which are far greater in scope and impact than our requests give Him credit for.

Baruch was a man who feared God who was troubled and dismayed with the state of Israel.  Life was hard and the word from the LORD was not uplifting in the slightest.  When it seemed life could not be any worse, life became exponentially more so!  After Baruch wrote the words of woe dictated by the prophet Jeremiah he thought, "Woe is me!  The LORD has added grief to my sorrow and I find no rest."  A child of God who feels and says this often has neglected to consider the goodness of God who graciously speaks to us and brings comfort to our hearts.  The fiery trial we beg God to bring to an end may be permitted to continue, and the exercise of faith in looking to the LORD will work to refine us through it.

God had a word for Baruch and for those who find rest elusive in Jeremiah 45:4-5:  "Thus you shall say to him, 'Thus says the LORD: "Behold, what I have built I will break down, and what I have planted I will pluck up, that is, this whole land. ⁵ And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh," says the LORD. "But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go."  Baruch was looking for rest where none could be found, in the cessation of judgment from the LORD upon a rebellious, faithless people marked for judgment.  God pointed out how Baruch's lack of rest came from striving to seek great things for himself when he could have been best served seeking God.  God would tear down what He had built like a builder does an unsafe, condemned house from its foundation to make a habitable structure again.

Israel would go into captivity and there would be great adversity, yet God would give Baruch life wherever he went.  In Jerusalem, Babylon and along the way God would be a loving Father to Baruch.  It may not have been the life Baruch would have chosen for himself, but it was better than he or anyone else deserved.  Has not also God been gracious to us through Jesus Christ who is the Resurrection and the Life?  In Christ we are protected and preserved in all seasons of life because our souls have been redeemed by the sacrifice of Jesus who died on Calvary and rose from the dead so we can live forever.  We have a life to live beyond the boundaries of this earth in the presence of God forever!  Isn't He the great One we ought to seek, the God who is with us and will never leave or forsake us?  The God who gave us life knows how to live to the full, and this abundance is ours in Jesus Christ alone.

Encouragement from Discouragement

I spent the majority of this week speaking at a teen camp, and it was a fruitful time.  It was a blessing and privilege to have the opportunity to teach young people about God as we studied Psalm 1.  Much prayer and study went into preparation for the delivery of messages and answering questions.  The LORD didn't just speak through me but spoke to me, and told me exactly what I needed to hear when I needed it most.

The impetus for this post was born out of a discouraging situation.  During one of the talks I misspoke when talking about the boab tree and off the cuff related the tree's incredible ability to store water to a camel.  Of course camels do not "store" water in their humps and thus it was an awful analogy--one I would not be allowed to forget.  A camp film was made which one camper was asked about what he thought about the talks and he did not hold back:  "He botched the talk," he said with a frown.  "Camels don't store water in their humps.  It's fat."  When I saw the footage I was disappointed an off-handed comment would be so distracting and send the wrong message.  Everyone had a good laugh, and it was certainly awkward for me.

Later I was praying and a bit discouraged about my mistake, how it likely (at least for one person!) took away from the impact of the Gospel.  Before bed I felt led to continue reading through the scriptures and arrived at Psalm 7. Though I had read through this copy of the Bible many times I discovered something I never noticed before:  a typo at the end of chapter 7 that ended with a colon instead of a period.

Out of discouragement God brought encouragement!  I had not noticed the typo before and it took nothing away from the meaning of the passage.  In a similar way my error was not a hindrance in any way from people receiving the truth of the Gospel because God's word is living and powerful.  I also found encouragement that the publisher had made a punctuation error but God still chose to use them to print His word.  God chooses to use imperfect people like me who make mistakes and He is able to redeem even our failures for good, to humble us and instruct us concerning our need to rely upon Him.  Isn't it amazing God chooses to use flawed people?  We are all undeserving of the privilege to serve Him as He keeps refining and sanctifying us along the way.  Jesus doesn't wait until we attain an arbitrary level of skill before connecting us as a functional, fruitful member of His Body the Church:  by grace we are saved through faith, and we walk by faith despite our failures.

How glad I was to hear a report at the end of the week that many campers chose to follow Jesus Christ as LORD and Saviour!  All glory to Him who does wondrous things even when we miss the mark.  We are fools to place our confidence in ourselves, experience or preparation:  we are wise to continually rely upon God to lead us and make our feeble efforts fruitful according to His glorious design.

The Joy of Waking Up

There is much about our lives we take for granted.  The fact we fill our diaries with plans suggests we expect to live and undertake future activities.  The reality is our future is wholly in the LORD's hands and we may not rise from our beds:  one day our bodies will lay down never again to rise.  It is good to recognise the sovereignty of God who sustains us as James exhorts us in James 4:13-15:  "Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; ¹⁴ whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."

Did you see that?  If the LORD wills, we shall live!  Our lives on earth and for eternity depend upon the God who is our Life.  We do not know what will happen tomorrow, yet we are secure in knowing God who gives strength for the day and everlasting life through faith in Jesus.  David was a man who learned to trust and rely upon the LORD in many trials.  When his son Absalom rebelled to usurp the throne, the threat upon his life was so intense David did not know if he would live to see tomorrow.  He wrote in Psalm 3:4-6, "I cried to the LORD with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill. Selah ⁵ I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustained me. ⁶ I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around."  For a lot of people the ability to fall asleep is a far greater concern than waking up.  Every time we are wakened from sleep we can rejoice (though it may feel inconvenient!) because God has graciously sustained us.

David also wrote in Psalm 4:6-8, "There are many who say, "Who will show us any good?" LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. ⁷ You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the season that their grain and wine increased. ⁸ I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety."  There were many in David's day who wondered when they would ever see any good.  The year 2020 has copped a lot of hate because of the fires, drought, floods, a global pandemic and financial recession.  But remember believer, the LORD has lifted up the light of His countenance upon us.  Despite trials, strife and uncertainty God puts gladness and fullness of joy in the hearts of those who fear Him.  We can lie down in peace, sleep and be awakened because God has made us to dwell in safety.  There is no doom or gloom in our God who is the Light of the World!  Praise Him for His faithfulness.  We can rise joyfully because our LORD and KING is risen!

The Mundane and Miraculous

As a carpenter for decades my dad has worked on many impressive sites.  One notable home he helped build in Julian was featured in San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles Magazine described as "zero-carbon-footprint, fireproof, concrete house with an observation tower and compound curves everywhere."  It is like a house I have never seen which masterfully combines vision, building skills, architecture with artistry and stunning presentation.  The opportunity to work on such a grand and monumental design is a rare privilege because the house is so unique.  For a builder it is an honour to contribute labour and lend skills to complete a project of overwhelming quality and scope.

It is easy to be impressed by the pictures of magazine-worthy homes in person or on glossy pages, yet the kingdom of God is far more glorious being divine and eternal.  However, the kingdom of God in this world under Satan's sway is not as glamorous:  it involves walking by faith in Jesus and not by sight.  Jesus did not come to earth in His unrivaled glory but as a baby born of a virgin in Bethlehem.  The builders of Babel were able to see the slow progress of their efforts, yet children of God may not see any tangible results of their prayers or labouring in the word of God for decades.  The workers in a vineyard could see the grapes they harvested and felt their baskets growing heavy.  Those who scatter the good seed of God's word to others may never see the seed take root or germinate.  All the time the servants of God do not seek recognition for themselves because we live to glorify our Saviour and Rock of Salvation Jesus Christ.  The glory of the house my dad helped build can be seen by our eyes and will in time fade; the glory of the kingdom of Jesus Christ yet to be revealed in fullness will increase in glory forever.

How humbling it is to be a worker in the kingdom of God!  God does not need us but has chosen to use us.  Have you noticed all the times in scripture miracles done by God involved objects which had no power in themselves?  Moses cast a tree into the bitter waters of Marah to make them sweet and drinkable (Exodus 15:23-26).  Elisha  threw flour in a poisoned pot of stew and God made it edible (2 Kings 4:38-44).  The prophet threw salt into the spring at Jericho and God healed the waters to this day (2 Kings 2:19-22). He also threw a stick into water and caused a borrowed axe-head to float to the surface (2 Kings 6:4-7).  Jesus placed mud on the eyes of a blind man and told him to go and wash and miraculously was able to see (John 9:6-7).  Normally adding salt does not make water more drinkable, nor does mud on the eyes help to see better.  In all these cases a common, mundane object was chosen to be used sovereignly by God to accomplish His miraculous, redemptive purposes.

Do you see how we are like the tree cast into the water, the flour thrown into stew, or mud applied to the eyes of the blind?  We are nothing in ourselves but according to God's will He uses us to contribute to His glorious kingdom.  All glory to God who has created all things for His good pleasure and will create a new heavens and earth where righteousness dwells.  By grace through faith in Jesus sinners are born again and endowed with the power of the Holy Spirit who gifts us and makes us fruitful.  Having been given fellowship with God we are enabled to contribute to the glory of God's kingdom.  There was no power in the stick, salt, or mud to do the miraculous:  that is God's glorious domain and He delights to employ us to do His amazing, awe-inspiring works with glory which will be revealed in due time.

Built on Love

 During a visit to Israel years ago our group went to an ancient "tel" which is an artificial mound of accumulated rubble that was inhabited by successive victors.  It was common for those who sacked a stronghold to break down the clay structures and rebuild on top of them, effectively wiping the previous civilisation from the map.  Archaeologists determined the tell we toured had at least 24 layers, a depth of destruction and loss through the violence of conquest.  It was ironic that the victors were nowhere to be found as the mound was a ruin of its former glory which passed away long ago.

The ruined tels in Israel paint a stark contrast from the kingdom of God established by Jesus Christ.  The Messiah Jesus came to earth not with angelic armies or chariots of fire but as a humble baby born in Bethlehem.  He did not send His disciples into battle with swords and bows.  He sent them as lambs among wolves without supplies for the journey, walking by faith in God and not by sight.  Jesus promised in Luke 12:32, "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."  What kings of this earth are willing to give their kingdom to others out of love and grace?  This kingdom received by faith would not be one built on the ruins of former civilisations through violence.  It would be established on the Rock of Salvation Jesus Christ who would lay down His own life and shed His blood so all who trust in Him will be born again and receive eternal life.

Since when does a king lay down His life for subjects, much less for ones who are foreigners and aliens from the commonwealth of God's covenant?  Many men have died for king and country, yet Jesus died for the sake of unworthy sinners.  When He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, "Father, not my will but yours be done" Jesus knew exactly what God's will entailed:  He would be betrayed, rejected, condemned and crucified.  Three days later Jesus rose from the dead and confirmed His authority as the Son of God, His power to forgive sins and to provide eternal life by grace through faith.  Jesus Christ ascended to the Father in the sight of many witnesses and has promised to return to establish His kingdom which is in our grasp by the power of the Gospel.  All kingdoms of the world are temporary, but the kingdom of God endures forever.

Knowing we have received the invitation to God's kingdom, this ought to provoke humility in us and service to one another.  After Jesus was approached by the mother of James and John who asked they be at the right and left hand of Jesus when He entered His kingdom, the other 10 disciples were offended because they wanted this honour for themselves.  Mark 10:42-45 says, "But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. ⁴³ Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. ⁴⁴ And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."  Believers are not to be haughty or arrogant but serve one another in love.  Our age gives us no tenure, our fruitfulness provides no honour for ourselves, nor does our sacrifice warrant any respect from others or special privilege.  As slaves of the KING OF KINGS who has purchased us we rejoice to serve and fulfil His good purposes by grace.  All glory and honour to the Most High who has adopted sinners as His precious saints!

The Glory of the LORD

"Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. ³⁵ And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle." 

Exodus 40:34-35

As an apprentice tradesman I was taught concerning safety and confined spaces.  When I worked on ships at industrial facilities this was especially important with the high concentration of burning, welding and cutting.  All employees were warned about the dangers of these spaces collecting invisible gases which could render a worker unconscious and even prove deadly.  We were told if we saw a "man down" in a confined space not to attempt their rescue without first alerting emergency personnel who had the proper breathing equipment.  There have been cases where workers rushed in to help their co-workers only to be overcome by the fumes themselves.

In all the years I worked on ships there were few if any incidents.  However, there was one occasion which involved a confined space that resulted in severe injury.  I saw someone being rushed off the ship by paramedics who caused an explosion when he struck a cutting torch.  Unknown to him a flammable gas (believed to be oxygen) had leaked and settled in the space he was working in and created a combustible situation.  The mix of oxygen in the atmosphere only needs to be one percent higher than the standard 21% to be a potential fire hazard.  The accident was a sobering reminder of the dangers that exist even when strict safety protocols are followed.

After the tabernacle was constructed according to God's command, the priests and articles sanctified, the lamps lit, and all was in place the Spirit of God descended upon the tent in glory.  Moses could not remain in the confined space of the tabernacle because of the glory of the almighty God filled it.  There was no odour like the rotten egg smell of natural gas added for safety; there was no risk of explosion or being overcome by fumes:  it could only be described as divine glory which prevented Moses from entering.  There was such weight to God's power and majesty it was impossible for a mere man--physically fit and spiritually anointed as Moses was--to enter.  It was like when flames have taken hold of a building and the heat is so intense it is not possible to enter.  The God who is unapproachable in glory came and took up residence within the tabernacle in the midst of the camp of Israel.

I find it incredible beyond words our glorious God should take up residence in followers of Jesus Christ who trust Him.  The God who is glorious beyond measure comes not to crush us under His weight but wields a gentle influence, the Almighty who does not force.  Moses knew he could not enter the tabernacle because the glory of God was there, yet the believers whom Paul addressed in 1 Corinthians 6 had forgotten through faith in Christ they had been made members of His Body the Church.  It is sad the presence of God in them could be so overlooked Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? ²⁰ For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."

Instead of making us feel empowered God would condescend to redeem and reconcile sinners to Himself, it ought to fill us with humble, holy reverence.  Moses could not enter the tabernacle because of the glory of God, and He has filled us with His presence as the temple of the Holy Spirit.  As followers of Jesus, we need to remember who we are:  the KING OF KINGS has called us to salvation by grace through faith in Him.  We have been given an unthinkable relationship and connection with the glorious Creator of heaven and earth.  The aspect of personal purity especially concerning sex is of great importance, for a husband who loves and is faithful to his wife will refuse to lust over other women, much less sleep with them.  Blatant adultery is easier to spot than our negligence to glorify God with our bodies.  Our bodies are for the LORD, and the LORD for our bodies.  The One who sanctifies us with His presence we ought to glorify now and forever, and may He glory in us.

God's Delight

"Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is His delight."

Proverbs 11:1

As I read through Proverbs it is no wonder people connected righteousness with good works.  The contrasts are extreme between right and wrong, good and bad, the wise and wicked.  A tree is known by its fruit, a child known by his doings, and it follows a righteous man will do righteously.  The error entered in when people imagined themselves to be righteous because they did right things.  Both Cain and Abel offered sacrifices to God:  Abel's offering was accepted and Cain's rejected because God looks upon the heart.  Samuel was ready to anoint the eldest son of Jesse named Eliab king because of his stately bearing, yet God had refused him and chose David, the youngest of Jesse who was tending sheep.

Proverbs 11:1 says God delights in a "just weight" which conveys honesty in business.  In one sense focusing on the fine-tuning of scales misses the point entirely.  A man for fear of losing business or being jailed as a crook ensures his scales are accurate, and another man in the fear of God dials in balances and measures to honour God and be honest towards others even if it costs him.  Do you see the difference?  When the corrupt tax-collector Zacchaeus came to faith in Jesus Christ, his first order of business was to give half of his goods to the poor and restore all funds he unlawfully excised from people fourfold.  The man whose heart was once abominable before God previously exposed by selfishness, greed and theft was suddenly changed and desired to make restitution.

Attempts to keep the Law of Moses never resulted in making anyone righteous before God:  Law was a mirror which exposed hearts full of sin and a straight line which revealed our natural crookedness.  The Law and the Prophets pointed to Jesus who became righteousness for all through faith in Him.  It is being born again by faith in Christ which causes our sins to be forgiven by the atonement provided in Jesus' shed blood and imputes His righteousness to us.  Paul explained in Romans 9:30-33, "What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; ³¹ but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. ³² Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. ³³ As it is written: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."

Dishonesty is an abomination before a just God, and a just weight is His delight.  Let us not think God cares more about the precision of our measurements than the character of our hearts.  No man can commend himself to God as righteous because he has given every customer a fair share, for God looks upon the heart.  He sees our selfishness and greed, hears our mumuring, grumbling and gossip.  He knows how we use the proceeds of the sale and if He or others are in our thoughts concerning our expenditure.  The one who delights in God and fears Him will be guided righteously by God His redeemer.  When we have done wrong like Zacchaeus the LORD directs His own to repent and make amends.  Having been made righteous by grace through faith, we are to walk righteously and are enabled to do so by the Holy Spirit who convicts us of sin, helps and comforts us always.

God's Chosen Family

When I was born to my parents years ago, they didn't choose me from a litter.  I also did not have the choice of my parents or whether I would have a brother or sister:  God sovereignly brought us together as family and I learned to live with and love them all despite our differences.  A day came when I sought the permission of Laura's parents and asked for her hand in marriage.  After being united by God in matrimony new branches were added to the families we were already connected to.  God has graciously given us sons who are growing up and perhaps will someday enlarge our family even further.

My views concerning the church, the Body of Christ, align well with this approach to family relationships that acknowledges the wisdom and sovereignty of God.  Even as I did not choose my parents, I did not choose my Sunday School teachers, pastor or church I grew up attending and later served in.  A day came when the LORD guided me and my family to settle in Australia and serve in a different fellowship of believers which is part of the same Body of Christ.  We were in no way divorced or cut off from fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ in the United States but the move has enlarged our circle and enriched our lives.

I recall an impactful incident when I attended an evangelism course out of state years ago.  It was a gathering of people at a conference who were keen to share their faith and I perceived in many an undercurrent of dissatisfaction and disdain of their current congregations which did not share their passion for evangelism.  One person murmured, "To me, this is church.  This is where I really fit in."  There was a sense of disappointment as our time together drew to a close because they knew they were heading back to churches that had little emphasis on evangelism.  Their hope was to attend the next gathering of these folks and steeled their resolve to endure months of isolation from "real church."

From my perspective, this seemed to be a case of a hand desiring to be cut off from a body to be with other hands.  Could it be God had sovereignly placed them in a church which had little emphasis on evangelism because they were to take up the charge themselves?  There is a draw for people to be around people with whom they share things in common, and in the church it is Jesus Christ alone who unites us.  There is nothing wrong with evangelists, missionaries, teachers, pastors, women, men and youth gathering together as distinct groups within a church or even meeting together for conferences.  A problem arises when we, out of dissatisfaction with others God has sovereignly joined to us, cut ourselves off from other believers and them from us.  The commitment God showed to the children of Israel because of the covenant He made with them is a good example for us to follow.  Jesus has made a covenant with us by grace through faith, and we ought to extend grace freely to others as we have freely received grace from Him.

Since the church is the Body of Christ comprised of different members with different functions and gifts according to God's will, let us acknowledge our call and the place where He has us is His doing.  It may be God will say to you as Abraham concerning your home church, "Leave your family and go to the land I show you."  Faith in God must be answered with obedience and trust to do so even when it is not our plan or idea.  God may also put you in a position like Jesus who was sent by God to the lost sheep of Israel who would reject Him.  Paul was raised as a Jew yet was called to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles, and his love for his fellow Jews never waned.  Persecution may scatter believers and physical distance may separate us but this will never sever the fellowship with have with one another through Jesus Christ.  Like Paul's advice to the married that they should not seek to be loosed, it is good to bring that level of commitment to serve and contribute at the church where God has us.

Jesus, Unity and Peace

In a increasingly polarised world it is good to remember Jesus has united believers in the church as one.  Instead of being focused on groups or people which should be excluded from the number of "true disciples," it is more useful for us to ensure we personally are in Christ and walking in His love.  Today I was reading about how timber, gold, silver, curtains, loops, and clasps united together to make one tabernacle.  This is one allusion to the uniting of Jew and Gentile in the church, the Body of Christ.  From every nation, tribe and tongue God has comprised a united church filled with the Holy Spirit.

Paul wrote to Gentile (non-Jew) believers in Ephesians 2:11-18:  "Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands--¹² that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵ having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. ¹⁷ And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father."  Remembering our previous distance from God and our unworthiness and inability to draw near to God fills us with gratitude for the access given us by grace through faith in Jesus.

I have heard this passage explained like this:  our sins once separated us from God and through the atonement of Jesus on Calvary the "wall of separation" has been destroyed and united us with Himself.  This is true, however that is not the point Paul makes here.  The context of the passage is the initial distinction and separation between Jew and Gentile, the children of Israel who entered into the covenant of Law and the Gentiles who were foreigners and aliens from the commonwealth of God.  Jesus has broken down the middle wall of separation and created "in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace."  Jesus has united Jew and Gentile as one in the kingdom of God even as timber was gilt with gold in the articles of the tabernacle or the gold clasps hooked to the wool loops.  The Body of Jesus the church is one made of many different members by the same Holy Spirit.  The Gospel was preached to Jew and Gentile alike and by Jesus we all have access by one Spirit to the Father.

The temptation of the early church was to place pressure on the Gentiles to live as Jews under Law and for Jews to cast off their heritage and traditions.  Both groups had potential to stumble one another because of their diverse backgrounds, convictions and personal experiences, yet God chose to unite the two as one:  Jesus is our peace, having created one Body redeemed with His own blood.  The knowledge we have been made one body with Jesus prevents us from excluding those God has chosen and accepted as His own.  Having been made one it is the love of Christ that guides us in our interactions with others within and outside the Church.  We ought to demonstrate the same patience and compassion with people who are in Christ to those we desire to introduce to Him and are far off as we used to be.  If Jesus has broken down the middle wall of separation, there is no wall we can justify erecting to protect ourselves or to prevent others from fellowship through Jesus Christ.  Every part of the Body is useful for the whole because it is different than others and thus we can embrace differences for God's glory and unfolding plans.

It requires humility and grace from God to make the personal changes required to walk in unity with all our brothers and sisters.  There is pride, assumptions, and expectations in us God wants to confess and strip from us even as the children of Israel were called to throw out their idols.  The "us" and "them" mentality of circumcised Jews and uncircumcised Gentiles has remained endemic among people to this day and can result in denominational and interpersonal divides.  Jews did not always agree or approve of the practices of their brethren, and liberalism is just as threatening as legalism to undermine and hinder the fellowship of believers.  As much as depends upon us we are to live peaceably with one another knowing we are members of one another as well as Christ.  It is written in Romans 12:3-5:  "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. ⁴  or as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, ⁵ so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another."

People can spend their entire lives trying to "fit in" when Jesus has chosen believers to be part of His Body the church and become our peace.  We can also have a critical mind and find fault with others, effectively closing the door of fellowship to others due to irreconcilable differences.  He has united us with one another by God's grace to supply what the other parts lack.  It is good for the hand to delight to grasp objects and for the feet to be joyfully strengthened to walk and run, but let not the hand imagine the foot is better suited to imitate a hand.  On the heels of exhorting believers to submit to one another in love, Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:1-2:  "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. ² And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma."  It is the one who walks in love towards God and others that is a living sacrifice God delights in, and this is our reasonable service.

Love Is Patient

 Occasionally on a social media news feed I see a story about a neglected or abused animal which has been rescued.  There was the little pony whose hooves had overgrown so it was unable to walk properly, a cocker spaniel with hair so matted it dragged heavily on the ground, and other animals which had disabilities or were abandoned.  The video goes through the transition of recovery, fostering, and re-homing animals that often the rescuer love too much to let go.  There is an understanding these animals need help, patience, and an investment of time to earn their trust with continued love and gentleness.

These animals that have suffered from abuse and neglect can be quite skittish and hostile toward those who desire to help them.  They growl, bare their teeth, and even snap at any who invade their personal space.  Because of what the animals had suffered the animal lovers who hope to help them are compassionate and patient, realising their present condition is largely a result of their circumstances.  Neglect of proper care, food, training, and affection leads domesticated animals to become wild and dangerous to others.  Unwilling for an abused animal to be put down out of convenience, people make it their life's work to rescue, rehabilitate, and love on these animals who have never known love.

It is a sad and tragic reality that many people have experienced a life without experiencing the love of God.  They also can suffer the pain of neglect, abuse, and abandonment.  When I worked with fostered kids I met caretakers at their wit's end to know how to love and help a very angry, manipulative, and vindictive child who did everything possible to bring havoc into the home.  These folks did a wonderful job to continue to be patient with this little one who was hurting and continued to lash out in response to inner pains.  It is not just small children we ought to be patient with but to keep reaching out to hurting people who have suffered and are suffering.  Jesus knows exactly what they are going through and is able by His grace to give us wisdom, gentleness, and patience to demonstrate His love with compassion.

I remember one video where a rescuer moved a bit too close and attempted to pet a neglected animal and was bitten on the hand that drew blood.  "That's my fault," he said.  "You're not ready for that yet."  There would have been some people who would have taken that dog to be destroyed because the dog hadn't progressed quickly enough according to expectations.  Instead the rescuer took the blame for the incident and kept on showing love to the dog with gentle words and embraced slow progress.  This is what God's love looks like, doesn't it?  After coming to Jesus in faith He doesn't disown us because we lash out in anger and are blinded to His kindness and forgiveness by our pain.  Like a good shepherd who knows His sheep and calls them by name, the LORD seeks us out when we have been lost and neglected.

In 2015 "Chris the sheep" was found and rescued in Canberra with a uncut wool coat he had been carrying for an estimated 6 years.  Because no sheep can shear itself he required rescuing to be relieved of his own wool which weighed a whopping 41 kilos!  In a similar way Jesus rescues people from the burden of our sin, neglect, and abuse we have endured.  Removing the fleece occurred at once but Chris then needed to learn what it was like to live with a caretaker and among other sheep.  I do not know what goes on in the heads of sheep, but there is an incredible amount of thinking, feeling, reacting, worrying, fearfulness, and assuming which goes on in the minds of people.  It takes time to grow and develop as a person, and it also takes time to gain dexterity when an injured person needs to learn to walk again after a significant injury.  Let us be those who are patient and gracious to hurting people, that we would not just receive people into a church fellowship but into our lives, homes and hearts with joy.  We love God because He first loved us, and may we keep loving others as unto Him.

God Draws Near

How good is God to draw near to unworthy sinners who draw near to Him!  God promises if we seek Him with our whole hearts we will find Him (Deut. 4:29).  An example of this is seen after the children of Israel sinned through idolatry when Moses met with the LORD on Mt. Sinai.  Exodus 33 describes how Moses daily went into the tabernacle to meet with God and from their tents the Hebrews witnessed the presence of God descend in a cloud upon it.  Overwhelmed with the dire consequences of their sin of which resulted in separation and distance from the Almighty God, the people grieved over their transgression.  The people worshiped when they saw the presence of God who spoke with Moses face to face as a man speaks with a friend.

Moses provided insight concerning one of these private meetings with God.  After Moses asked to see God's glory Exodus 33:20-23 records, "But He said, "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live." ²¹ And the LORD said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. ²² So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. ²³ Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen."  The God who is unapproachable in glory descended and met with a mere man he had a place for.  Isn't that amazing?  God said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock."  Moses drew near to God, and God drew near to him.  God also had a place by Him where Moses was invited and welcome to stand.  God promised to protect and shelter Moses from harm.

Now for those familiar with scripture, the place on the rock God offered extends beyond sedimentary, igneous, or metamorphic rock.  Like the rock from which living water flowed to sustain the lives of God's people in the wilderness, it alludes to the rock of salvation and chief cornerstone who is Jesus Christ the promised Messiah.  David sang in 2 Samuel 22:47, "The LORD lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let God be exalted, the Rock of my salvation!"  It is through faith in Jesus Christ we stand as it is written in 1 Peter 2:4-6 reads, "Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, ⁵ you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame."

The scene of the interaction with God and Moses is an awesome foreshadowing of the relationship made possible through Jesus.  Moses was permitted to see some of God's glory, but it was revealed fully in Christ the Word in John 1:14:  "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."  The Jewish religious leaders did not have a place in their rigid legalism for Jesus, yet Jesus promised He would go and prepare a place in the heavens for all who trust in Him (John 14:2-3).  After Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven the Holy Spirit came upon followers of Jesus without measure.  To think God who descended in a cloud and offered a place on the rock to Moses would prepare a place in heaven for redeemed sinners and make our hearts His holy habitation is amazing beyond belief!  As the song "Joy to the World" exhorts, may every heart prepare Him room as we joyfully declare Him our King.