The Perfect Work of Patience

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

James 1:2-4

Yesterday the sermon at Calvary Chapel Sydney included this exhortation and encouragement for all followers of Jesus Christ.  God allows trials and adversity of all kinds to accomplish His good purposes.  Instead of being annoyed, frustrated or worried about the outcome we can count it all joy to face trials which test us.  Just like a student sits an exam because he is included in the class, God tests and disciplines us because we are His children He loves.

A precious metal is placed in a crucible and intense heat is applied because it is a precious metal which requires further refinement to be even more valuable.  A child of God can know the various trials He allows are not for our destruction but an opportunity for the fruit of the Spirit of joy (among others) to be manifested in our lives.  In contrast to the works of the flesh Paul wrote in Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."  The testing of our faith produces patience which can be described as cheerful endurance and continuance.  Our joy is according to the knowledge God intends to perfect and complete us so we can rejoice in the process as well as the result.

We understand a baby needs time to develop in the womb to survive and be a healthy infant.  Slow cooked BBQ needs to be cooked well past being "done" for tough cuts to become tender.  Bread and cakes need to be baked through to have a soft and spongy texture.  The process isn't just something to be endured but can be celebrated because without it there will be no fresh sourdough or delicious chocolate cake in the end.  It is good to recognise God's ends can be different than ours:  we are focused on finishing a task or ending suffering but God uses adversity to refine our faith.

Solomon spoke the uncomfortable truth in Ecclesiastes 7:2-5:  "Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men; and the living will take it to heart. ³ Sorrow is better than laughter, for by a sad countenance the heart is made better. ⁴ The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. ⁵ It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools."  It is God who enables us to endure because He is the God of all comfort and is able to comfort us in all affliction (2 Cor. 1:3-5).  In the trial and affliction is when we realise afresh how much we lack and how we are insufficient in ourselves to endure.  This leads us to learn to rely upon God, seek and enjoy rest in Him--and not merely to seek strength or power from Him.

Freedom Within Boundaries

"This is what the LORD commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, 'Let them marry whom they think best, but they may marry only within the family of their father's tribe.'"

Numbers 36:6

The daughters of Zelophehad came to Moses with a concern.  Because their father only had given birth to daughters and the inheritance of land was passed down through sons, in years to come their land would pass to a different family and tribe.  Moses brought their case before the LORD who provided guidance in how the issue was to be rectified.  They were free to marry whomever they thought best but were to marry within their family.  Marrying a first cousin was a very common practice in the ancient world and remains a norm in middle eastern countries to this day.  Their obedience to God's directive would ensure the inheritance of land given them by lot would remain in the family for generations to come.

This concept of complete freedom within the boundaries God set is seen frequently in scripture.  Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden were free to eat from all the trees in the garden except for the tree right in the middle:  the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  If they desired to live, they needed to heed the limits God had set.  The freedom God gives people is to be fully enjoyed within the confines of God's righteousness, goodness and love.  The freedom Christians have in our relationship with God through faith in Jesus is not to be used as an excuse or license to sin, but it is the freedom to do righteously according to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit.  This freedom is within the boundaries of God's love.  As sheep of the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ we can use our freedom to foolishly wander from the flock, but the best use of our freedom is in the pasture God has graciously provided in the presence of our Saviour.

The pattern of freedom within the boundaries God establishes can be seen in many aspects of life:  in a marriage relationship, family, work, ministry and worldly pursuits.  All is lawful but not all edifies, and it is good when we walk wisely and circumspectly in obedience to Jesus.  God has given us a will that is best surrendered to the will of God to do what we know is right according to Christ's example and God's word.  When Paul compared the Christian walk to an athlete competing in a match, he reminded believers of the importance to strive lawfully according to the rules of the event.  Those who transgress the rules will be disqualified by the judge, and the same idea applies to our need to walk in God's love, forgiveness and grace towards all.

The boundaries for the Christian walk are not supplied by the Law of Moses but by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.  2 Corinthians 3:17 says, "Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."  This liberty is freedom from the slavery of sin and freedom to do what pleases and glorifies God.  By faith in Jesus we are all made part of the Body of Christ, and the function of a hand is not to benefit only itself alone but the entire Body.  In the context of having Jesus as our head Ephesians 4:16 says, "...from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love."  Praise God for the freedom we have in Jesus and for the infinite boundaries of His love!

The Unexpected Miracle

God is always working, and He works miraculously in unexpected ways.  Like Namaan who imagined the prophet Elisha would wave his hand over him to heal him of leprosy and was disappointed when directed to dip seven times in the Jordan river, we can assume the best course of action for God to take.  Dipping in water wasn't nearly as flashy as invoking the power of God with a wave, but God sovereignly required faith by humility and obedience to a basic task Namaan needed to do.  Namaan's miraculous cleansing shows God is faithful and worthy of our trust.

Yesterday afternoon I was blessed to see the LORD work in an unexpected way through a lost pair of glasses which were swept away in the surf.  Upon hearing the news, I returned to the area where the glasses had been washed away.  I had no idea where the glasses were, and the chances of me finding them washed on the beach were minuscule.  As I walked alone on the beach with eyes scanning the breaking waves, I prayed God would provide the glasses my friend needed to see and participate in the group's activities.  Confident God knew where the glasses were and his need, I prayed they would be deposited miraculously at my feet.  There was not a shred of doubt God was able or willing to answer the prayer of faith.  After awhile I walked away from the shore without the glasses in hand.

I was unable to find the lost glasses, but my prayers were more than answered.  A friend of ours living almost 2 hours away was able to pick up another pair of glasses from the home of my sight-challenged friend and brought them to us by nightfall.  The needed glasses were not thrown at my feet scratched with sand according to my request but carried safely to him personally by a brother in Christ who demonstrated the generous, sacrificial love of Jesus.  What do you think is more amazing:  that God could cause an ax head to float, lost glasses to beach themselves on the shore or for a person to willingly, cheerfully drop everything to drive nearly four hours in total to deliver a pair of glasses because he was asked?  That to me is the most marvelous, for in this deed the love of Jesus is manifested.

The unexpected miracles God does in and through people who trust in Jesus should not passed over for the overtly supernatural manifestations of God's power.  Whether God answers our prayers immediately in the way we think He should or not, let us continue to ask believing, knowing He will accomplish His good purposes even in a mundane thing like a lost pair of glasses.  Praise the LORD who only does wonderful things!

A Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to God

History is an excellent teacher that reveals how society tends to drift from the intended purposes of forefathers.  The national holiday of Thanksgiving in the Unites States is a testimony of this.  When I went to school, in connection with Thanksgiving we learned about the Mayflower and Plymouth Rock, dressed up as pilgrims and Native Americans, and traced our hands to draw turkeys.  We were taught the pilgrims and Indians gathered for a meal to give thanks to God.  In recent years Thanksgiving has almost wholly given way to "Turkey Day" in the media.  This year was the first year I heard people wanting the holiday struck from the calendar because of the assertion at its root Thanksgiving is a celebration of colonisation and subjugation.  This accusation is far from the truth.

I decided to look into the history of Thanksgiving as a national holiday and was pleasantly surprised to see no mention whatsoever of the voyage on the Mayflower, no reference to Native Americans or turkeys:  it was a day appointed by president Abraham Lincoln for all the United States to give thanks to God.  The time frame of this day of thanksgiving and praise to God is compelling because in 1863 the United States were in the midst of a prolonged and bloody civil war.  George Washington and individual States had set apart various days for thanksgiving to God, but Abraham Lincoln is the one who enshrined Thanksgiving as a national holiday.  Here is a copy of Abraham Lincoln's "Thanksgiving Proclamation" for all to read:

"The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union."  --Abraham Lincoln

In the midst of a global pandemic God remains as worthy of thanksgiving and praise because He remains glorious and good.  When all the trappings of what many celebrate as "Turkey Day" are stripped away, God shines forth with undimmed grace, provision and kindness despite our sinful, idolatrous and wicked ways.  Even when people are at war with God and all that He stands for, He offers hope, peace, liberty and eternal life to all who trust in Him.  May our lives be a proclamation of thanksgiving and praise to God for the wonderful blessings He has provided us and the healing available to souls and nations who honour Him.

Marvelous are God's Works

I read a news article yesterday about a "monolith" being found in Utah desert that hearkened back to the ground-breaking science fiction film by Stanley Kubrick, 2001: A Space Odyssey.  As a person who believes the biblical account that God created the heavens, the earth and all living things, the irony of the situation is most amusing.

The 9NEWS article begins, "A bizarre four-metre high metal block found in the isolated wilderness of the Utah desert is the work of a dead sculpture artist, his former agent believes.  Officials from the Utah Department of Public Safety Aero Bureau stumbled upon the shiny monolith on November 18 while conducting a survey on big horn sheep.  The object has no signifying marks but appears to have been bolted to the ground with "human-made rivets".  The metal block in isolated wilderness is called "bizarre" because reason tells us polished stainless steel never presents itself naturally in erect monoliths.  Based upon our knowledge of the world and the identification of rivets (which are always man-made with a matching male/female components and pressed together) confirms without a doubt it was placed there by someone.  The debate is only about who might be responsible--with no one arguing this shiny block occurred by chance.

Isn't it ironic people debate the sudden appearance of a stainless steel object in a desert but little consideration is given to countless living things which teem upon the earth and reproduce after their kind?  In 2001: A Space Odyssey the existence of primates living in a barren wilderness to me is a far more curious and improbable development than the sudden appearance of a looming, inert monolith.  The same living, reasoning people who assume a monolith must have been constructed by someone because of the design cannot see and refuse to acknowledge their existence on this planet is far more impossible and necessitates being created.  Is not a human being infinitely more complex than a sculpture of steel?  When I consider the intricacies of the human body and the ability of people, plants, animals and insects to reproduce after their own kind, I gaze upon living beings which cannot reasonably have arisen by chance and natural selection alone.  It would be infinitely easier for a block of steel with "human-made rivets" to appear in the desert without a sculptor than for a male and female human being to exist at the same time on this planet and produce a healthy baby without a Creator.

David acknolwedged God as his Creator who knows all and does marvels in Psalm 139:11-19:  "If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," even the night shall be light about me; ¹² indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You. ¹³ For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. ¹⁴ I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. ¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. ¹⁶ Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. ¹⁷ How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! ¹⁸ If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You."  It is a small marvel a block of shiny metal would be erected in the desert compared to the marvel God is who created man and does miraculous things, whose thoughts toward us are more numerous than the grains of sand.  Great is the LORD and worthy to be praised!

What God has Done!

When we moved into our house, we were tasked to point out flaws in craftsmanship with painter's tape to be repaired by the builder.  For months the blue tape had become familiar decor, signposts and reminders of flaws all around.  Since our builder has "done a runner" (as we say in Australia) and will not be back to rectify the blemishes in the walls and paint, this morning I went throughout the house and removed all the tape.  I can't tell you how much better things look without those attention-grabbing bits of tape.  There are actually more blemishes now, seeing as the tape removed some poorly adhered paint, but the eye is not drawn to the defects as before.

As I picked the tape off the walls, ceiling and woodwork, it provided insight of our tendency as humans to find faults in ourselves and draw attention to them.  There is no question we all have our faults and one common to man is to look for flaws and focus on them.  Our power to see and perceive is a blessing but we can turn it into a curse.  The irony is we are drawn notice the flaws of others because we are flawed ourselves, for we do not need to be perfect to find fault.  All is faulty before the holy, righteous God who chooses to bless instead of curse:  He gives grace and justly imputes righteousness to those who trust Him.

Balak hired Balaam to curse Israel, but all he could do was bless God's people.  These people at times had sin in the camp, yet God's view of them was most favourable.  Balaam announced in Numbers 23:20-23, "Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it. ²¹ "He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them. ²² God brings them out of Egypt; He has strength like a wild ox. ²³ "For there is no sorcery against Jacob, nor any divination against Israel. It now must be said of Jacob and of Israel, 'Oh, what God has done!'"  What favour God had shown His people!  What grace, that God would dwell among His people and not focus on their faults because their sin was covered by an atoning sacrifice.

Like my eyes are drawn to blemishes in building, so our eyes can be drawn to focus on our own faults and those of others.  Those who cover their sin shall not prosper, and neither is it profitable to judge others critically without God's grace.  Freely we have received God's grace, and freely we should give it.  Take the tape off the walls, and remove the fault-finding blinders from our eyes which are common to men.  It is not that people are perfect but we do so because our great God is perfect and has beauty beyond this world who loves, accepts and forgives us by His grace.  In light of poor workmanship we could ask those who painted our house, "What did you do?"  We are far better served to dwell on "What God has done!" with praise to Him. 

Affliction is...Good?

"It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes."

Psalm 119:71

Being afflicted is not fun, but scripture teaches it is beneficial and providential.  To be afflicted is to be abased, humbled, to depress and look down.  Affliction does not feel good but does great good.  The psalmist wrote in a preceding verse in Psalm 119:67, "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word."  Failure to keep God's word led to affliction that prompted one suffering the consequences of sin to look to God, learn His statutes and walk in them.  Solomon wrote of the benefits of sorrow in Ecclesiastes 7:2-3:  "Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men; and the living will take it to heart. ³ Sorrow is better than laughter, for by a sad countenance the heart is made better."

Because we care about others it is natural we are not pleased to see them suffer affliction.  We can be afflicted through their affliction, and thus our motive to bring it to a swift end can be self-serving.  Our desire is for the affliction to end so we pray God would change the circumstances or attempt to intervene.  It is comforting to know behind all affliction people endure is a sovereign God full of love who is able to redeem it for His good purposes while refining our character.  I wonder if sometimes our short-sighted efforts work to undermine what God intends to accomplish through affliction.  We miss the point:  we imagine the appropriate end is for affliction to end, whilst God's end is to change people for good.  No matter how much we attempt to shoulder the load, the one who is afflicted (like a woman carrying a child in her womb) has a load only they can carry.

Our natural tendency is to seek help from people rather than God like the sick seek medicine from a physician.  This is well illustrated in Israel and Judah, and God spoke through the prophet in Hosea 5:13-15:  "When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to King Jareb; yet he cannot cure you, nor heal you of your wound. ¹⁴ For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear them and go away; I will take them away, and no one shall rescue. ¹⁵ I will return again to My place till they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me."  God's people recognised they were suffering but did not seek the LORD:  they sought the help of foreign kings and idolatrous nations.  God would tear His people as a lion yet not to utterly destroy or consume them.  He would afflict them, take them away and return to His place--until they acknowledged their offense before Him.  God is longsuffering and willing to wait.  Though painful for Him, God knew how affliction would positively impact them:  after years of sinful wandering they would finally seek Him earnestly.  Instead of seeking the end of their affliction they would go to the One who graciously chastened them and could cure them.

Is not the wisdom of God past finding out?  How marvelous is the grace of God to deal thus with His erring servants faithfully.  It gives Him no pleasure to see people suffer and even die in their sins so He will redeem affliction for our good.  Out of great affliction the prophet Jeremiah said in Lamentations 3:22-33:  "Through the LORD'S mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. ²³ They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ²⁴ "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I hope in Him!" ²⁵ The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. ²⁶ It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. ²⁷ It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth. ²⁸ Let him sit alone and keep silent, because God has laid it on him; ²⁹ Let him put his mouth in the dust--there may yet be hope. ³⁰ Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him, and be full of reproach. ³¹ For the Lord will not cast off forever. ³² Though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies. ³³ For He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men."  The LORD alone supplies balm for an afflicted soul.

For the Christian, no affliction is forever.  It is meted out for a season by the grace of God with compassion according to His steadfast mercy and faithfulness.  Our greatest griefs are all swallowed up in the goodness of our God.  James 5:13 bids us in our affliction to shift our focus to God:   "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms."  God is faithful to comfort those who mourn and turns our sorrow into joy.  Affliction shows us God alone is our only hope and leads us to Him.  No one need wait a moment to receive the salvation Jesus Christ provides today for all who trust in Him, and having received so great a salvation we wait on Him patiently.

Like People, Like Priest

There rests in the hearts of many people a persistent belief that putting the right people in charge will solve problems in society.  The big problem is this is simply untrue.  Many politicians and leaders have been chosen or elected who promised change and have been unable to stop moral decline, poverty and crime.  The unfounded hope in the hearts of people, this longing to enact positive, enduring change through education, programs and politics have often been disappointed.

The hopelessness of good leaders overcoming bad citizens was laid bare in Hosea 4:9-10 in a warning God gave His people concerning future judgment:  "And it shall be: like people, like priest. So I will punish them for their ways, and reward them for their deeds. ¹⁰ For they shall eat, but not have enough; they shall commit harlotry, but not increase; because they have ceased obeying the LORD."  God's people banked their trust on having holy, sanctified priests who served God and ruled over them.  The problem was these priests were chosen from people who had ceased obeying the LORD.  We think the influence of a good priest will have a sanctifying effect on the population, but the opposite would occur.  The people were corrupt so the priest would be corrupt like them.  Gone was any hope of salvation or help from sinful man.  The people were dissatisfied with God's provision and guidance, and even a godly man would not correct their error.  This is telling, for God's people later rejected the Messiah Jesus Christ God sent to save them from sin.

The realms of business, politics and religion have no hope in themselves to guide mankind to truth, redemption, reconciliation or peace:  these are found only through becoming a new creation through faith in Jesus Christ.  In Him we have a sure foundation, hope of heaven and rest for our souls.  It is only God who created man who can save man from hatred, hopelessness and despair.  Without the satisfaction found in God nothing will satisfy; no amount of lovers or idols will suffice.  The greatest men and women among us will someday be gone and their accomplishments swallowed up by negligence, complacency, greed and apathy.  Haven't your hopes been dashed enough to prove beyond a doubt only God as revealed in the Bible has the power to save, the One who rose from the dead and lives?

Glory In the LORD

God's glory is shown in using weak vessels to accomplish His awesome purposes.  He does not need us but chooses to use us and make us fruitful for His glory.  I remember a conversation I had with a pastor who spoke how amazed he was people kept turning up to church week after week:  "They just keep coming back," he said.  There are many conversations I have no memory of, but I recall this one because it struck me as odd.  I could have understood his confusion if he was the only one responsible for people coming to church, but won't God honour His word?  Isn't He at work in the heart and minds of people to remind and compel them to respond in obedience to gather in His name?  Since fellowship is prompted and sustained by the Spirit of the Living God, his surprise (feigned or not I could not tell) to me was surprising.

In his book Lectures to My Students, I came across something C.H. Spurgeon had to say on the matter:

"Oh, brethren, we ought to preach feeling that God means to bless the word, for we have His promise for it; and when we have done preaching we should look out for the people who have received a blessing.  Do you ever say, "I am overwhelmed with astonishment to find that the Lord has converted souls through my poor ministry"?  Mock humility!  Your ministry is poor enough.  Everybody knows that, and you ought to know it most of all:  but, at the same time, is it any wonder that God, who said "My word shall not return unto me void," has kept His promise?  Is the meat to lose its nourishment because the dish is a poor platter?  Is divine grace to be overcome by our infirmity?  No, but we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us." (Spurgeon, C. H. Lectures to My Students: Complete & Unabridged. Ministry Resources Library, Zondervan Publishing House, 1989. page 194)

Knowing preaching and teaching is God's work should not promote slackness in preparation or delivery, but wisdom causes our hearts to glorify and praise God when it is useful.  I tend towards pride like other people, and I have learned by God's word coupled with experience if there is anything good found in me it is solely due to God's grace.  Should there be no visible profit from my efforts I cannot blame God for it, yet fruitlessness ought to prompt thorough self-examination to see if the fault is mine.  I ought to own my failures and folly so I might repent, and all glory goes to God who does all things well.  Clutching even a little glory or credit for ourselves is the subtle start of disastrous straying from God.  Such are like Samson who was lulled to sleep on Delilah's knees, who awoke out of sleep without realising the Holy Spirit had left him.  He said, "I will go out as before and shake myself free" yet was promptly overcome, bound, blinded and imprisoned.  Proud Christians may encounter a worse end without an opportunity for redemption, and God keep me from such insidious folly.

While it is surprising how God employs a poor platter or earthen vessel to communicate His word and wisdom, let us not linger there:  may the weakness of the instrument foster praise for the God who works miraculously and marvelously.  What is the strength of a pillar without a solid foundation?  The use of the weak to reveal God's might is His divine plan as explained by Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31:  "For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. ²⁷ But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; ²⁸ and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, ²⁹ that no flesh should glory in His presence. ³⁰ But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- ³¹ that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD."

Life Without Controversy

One blessing of the internet is the ability to share information and communicate, and this is also one of the greatest curses:  the spread of misinformation.  The internet is a prime breeding ground of rumours and conspiracy which have duped many.  When these thoughts germinate and take root in the minds of people, legitimate reporting and research are condemned as disinformation:  information that is deliberately misleading to promote sinister agendas of shadowy figures behind the scenes.  What is true can become so convoluted those taken in by conspiracies will not part with their views, even when it kills them.

I read an article yesterday of a nurse in South Dakota who allegedly expressed her sadness there are patients infected with COVID she has treated who used their last breaths to deny the existence of COVID.  It may very well be disbelief in COVID that led to careless behaviour which enabled them to initially contract the illness.  I have learned that it is impossible to change the hearts and minds of people no matter how hard I try, whether it involves politics, conspiracy theories, sport or religion.  For every fact, report or statistic shared, everyone seems to have their own preferred sources which confirm their beliefs.  This can be very disheartening when misinformation turns into an obsession nothing has the power to shift--not even the truth which has supporting evidence.  To think a person could be admitted to the hospital with a fever and respiratory issues, be diagnosed with COVID by the experts to whom they entrusted their recovery, and then for them to refuse the diagnosis as propaganda or call their doctor a liar blows my mind.

Great is the blindness of the human heart without the illumination and guidance of the Holy Spirit!  Without a doubt as human beings we all have our blind spots, but if the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness (Matthew 6:23)!  The death of the body is a tragedy, and the eternal death of the soul infinitely more terrible.  Jesus miraculously opened the eyes of a man born blind who later met with Jesus and believed He was the Son of God.  Having his eyes opened the man trusted in Jesus, his soul was saved from hell and was granted eternal life.  The scribes and Pharisees believed Jesus was a sinner and a deceiver and refused to believe on Him though Jesus did many signs that affirmed His claim of being the Messiah.  John 9:39-41 reads, "And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind." ⁴⁰ Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, "Are we blind also?" ⁴¹ Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains."  The Pharisees were self-righteous and thus remained in their sins.  They believed Jesus was wrong and they were right:  this revealed they were more blind than the man born blind.

If the Pharisees had confessed their blindness, through faith in Jesus they would have been able to see He was the Way, the Truth and the Life, the LORD and Saviour sent to save sinners.  When we adopt a humble posture before God, admit we are fallible and easily fooled He guides us into all truth and our souls find rest.  The ones who believe they cannot possibly be wrong in a controversial matter are already wrong whether they realise it or not.  People must place their faith in something, and only faith in God and His word will never lead us astray.  Of course there are people who attempt to twist the scriptures to suit their beliefs but fallacious arguments and distortions of scripture can be exposed by rightly dividing the word of truth.  If a person does not believe they are sick they will not go to a doctor:  if they believe they are sick and the doctor says they have COVID, why wouldn't a person believe it?  This shows faith is powerful.  Faith in self is a snare, and God will be faithful to reward those who trust Him despite our fallibility.

In the world and online there is no shortage of controversy, but 1 Timothy 3:16 has it right:  "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory."  As believers let us hold fast and walk according to this doctrine at the cost of our lives and refuse to promote controversial beliefs which cannot profit souls.

More Than Reminders Needed

Reminders are useful because we easily forget.  But even the best reminders have their limitations and do not always serve their intended purpose because we are the weak link.  We can be distracted, fall into habits, and be overtaken with behaviours that impede our ability to do our part to follow through.

I was struck recently concerning how many memorials and reminders are in the Bible.  After God delivered His people from a Philistine attack, the prophet Samuel set up a stone he called "Ebenezer" and said in 1 Samuel 7:12, "Thus far the LORD has helped us."  God directed the Hebrews attach a fringe of blue on their garments so they would remember to keep God's commands (Numbers 15:37-39).  When the children of Israel crossed the Jordan river on dry ground 12 stones were stacked in the place where the feet of the priests stood.  To stop the people from murmuring against Moses and Aaron, God made Aaron's stick to bud, blossom and yield almonds overnight.  Then He commanded it be laid up as a token before the Ark of the Testimony to silence their opposition (Numbers 17:10).  God placed the rainbow in the sky as a token of the covenant He made with man and the earth after the great flood, that He would never again flood the earth to destroy all flesh (Genesis 9:12-15).  God would look upon His bow and remember His covenant, and it directed men to remember God.  Even Jesus told His disciples to receive communion together in remembrance of Him.

Making reminders does not ensure people will remember.  This is seen after the children of Ruben, Gad, and half-tribe of Manasseh made a replica of the altar at the tabernacle when they returned to the east side of the Jordan.  Because their land was divided by the Jordan river they were concerned future generations would forget their obligation to offer sacrifices to God at the tabernacle in Shiloh, and the remaining tribes of Israel might question their right to do so.  Joshua 22:28 shares their explanation for building the altar:  "Therefore we said that it will be, when they say this to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say, 'Here is the replica of the altar of the LORD which our fathers made, though not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between you and us.'"  It is ironic the people who had the real tabernacle and altar along with the eastern tribes who desired their descendants to follow the LORD and built the large replica were unsuccessful.  Judges 2:10-11 explains, "When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel. ¹¹ Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals..."  This reveals reminders are useful, yet they provide no guarantee people will heed them.

We can write the time and location of an important meeting in our diary and forget to check it; we can set an alarm to wake up early and continue to dismiss the notifications.  Our forgetfulness can lead to slackness in business and in the LORD's service.  All the reminders in the world are powerless to change our hearts, and reminders are no substitute for the LORD's presence.  That is a glorious truth of those who are born again by faith in Jesus Christ.  He does more than remind us:  His love compels us.  Even those who sewed a fringe of blue on their garments were still condemned by their sin willfully or by ignorance.  We can keep the command of Jesus to gather and remember Him by receiving communion together, but the rite itself has no power to save, guide or help us:  it is Jesus Christ who is our all in all.  The God who gave men brains with memory is able to prompt us Himself, and blessed is the one who responds in faith and obedience.  God is mindful of us and needs no reminders.  No man can follow and serve God without God's help, and praise God for all the reminders we have of His faithfulness.

The Victory of Jesus

 As a kid who grew up in the church, I was taught Christians were in a "spiritual battle."  The range of views and degrees of emphasis placed upon this battle by different people was a source of confusion for me.  Some people acted like that battle could only be won by the intense efforts of people to "put on the armour of God" and to be "prayer warriors" delving into "spheres of influence."  Others who were also well-grounded in the truth of God's word seemed to give "spiritual warfare" far less publicity.  Some often felt "under attack by the enemy" when difficulties arose, prayed for God to mobilise angels on their behalf and for a "hedge of protection."  Some saw the battle as out there in the world with an unseen enemy, others saw this conflict more as personal and internal; others felt they were on the front lines whilst others said without a care, "The battle is the LORD's."

One of the great challenges of doctrine around spiritual warfare is terminology often used to explain aspects of it are not found verbatim in scripture.  Over the years believers have developed words linked to doctrinal truth which mean different things to different people and involve a range of subjective applications.  Many doctrines can be extended to a point of being extreme and drift away from the truth of God's word, and thus we must always be vigilant to be grounded in the Bible.  It is imperative believers hold to the sovereignty of God and His infinite power, that before Him the greatest powers of evil must flee as light before darkness.  Jehu called out to the eunuchs, "Who is on my side?" and the only way we can be victorious is when we are on God's side by faith in Jesus Christ.

I have lately been thinking about the prayers of Jesus and believers in God throughout scripture and I must confess many prayers I heard in my youth--and prayers I have repeated because I followed their example--are foreign to biblical examples.  For instance, I cannot find a time anyone prayed for God to send angels, His ministering spirits who do His bidding.  We can find many examples of God sending angels in scriptures, and there is certainly no prohibition to do so.  Personally my convictions do not allow me to do so, for it is akin to telling God how to handle His business as the Almighty.  Who am I to tell Him what He should do or how He ought to do it?  Besides, I would rather have the protection of God Himself than His servants, the One who graciously sets a hedge of protection rather than the hedge itself.  We might be content to know God's plans, but better to know the God who plans and whose will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Isn't the Giver better than the gift?

As I was contemplating the nature of the spiritual battle we face as believers who have an adversary who is compared to a roaring lion and seeks whom he may devour, 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 came to mind:  "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, ⁵ casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, ⁶ and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled."  It is true there is an enemy of our souls, but he does not cast a shadow on the Lover of our souls Jesus Christ.  While the Bible has parallels of soldiers with followers of Jesus, Paul told believers in Corinth they should not imagine the spiritual battle should be fought according to the flesh.  Therefore the basis of the warfare is not what their efforts but on who Jesus is and what He has done.  Paul addressed a group of believers and they were to address sinful aspects of their fellowship which were contrary to Jesus and the Gospel.  They needed to be obedient to God themselves before they could rightly administer church discipline.

This exhortation given to the corporate church is also appropriate to take to heart personally.  They are not glamorous or flashy but our weapons are mighty in God for pulling down strongholds that exist in our own minds.  Though God has taken up residence in our hearts, there are arguments and contradictory thoughts we are called to take captive to the obedience of Christ.  "But aren't we to put on the whole armor of God?" some might ask.  Of course, but remember Paul's use of the armour was for illustrative purposes and revealed the wide range of protection afforded us by the Holy Spirit.  When we put on Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh, we are protected as we walk in the Spirit.  God protects us physically and spiritually even when He allows a messenger of Satan to buffet us as in Paul's case.  If we lose the inner battle of faith in Jesus all is lost, and we resemble people starving in the keep of the castle behind thick walls.  When we exalt God and His knowledge in obeying Him, we walk in the victory Christ has won.  How awesome is this!

Godliness With Contentment

Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 6:6, "...godliness with contentment is great gain."  Being content in itself is not necessarily good, for people can be content to remain in sin or feel content without knowing God.  Those who have contentment without godliness will lose all, for their lives and all they posses will be ultimately taken away from them.  The one who is made godly by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, sanctified and serving the LORD according to His leading and rejoices in God's provision and faithfulness, in all situations of life this one shall be content and be fruitful for the kingdom of God.

Even after being delivered from sin and death by the Gospel we are not God, and we live in an ungodly world.  There is a tendency in all of us to drift towards covetousness and envy, to give room for feelings of discontent to grow.  Instead of taking these thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ, like the children of Israel after God brought them out of Egypt we can justify our lack of contentment and gratefulness to God by looking back.  After eating manna for awhile in the wilderness, the children of Israel and the mixed multitude among them wept because they wanted meat to eat.  But where could a sustainable source of meat for such a great congregation be found in the wilderness?  They remembered the fish, melons, cucumbers and leeks they enjoyed in Egypt:  they conveniently and foolishly forgot the harsh bondage they suffered when they previously cried out to God for deliverance.

The people complained, and God who was among His people heard it.  The response of God was strong against people marked by discontent through unbelief in Numbers 11:10:  "Then Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent; and the anger of the LORD was greatly aroused; Moses also was displeased."  Why were they complaining and weeping hopelessly when they could have cried out to God in faith who loved and saved them?  God's words to Moses shows the sinister reality of complaints without contentment in Numbers 11:18-20:  "Then you shall say to the people, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the hearing of the LORD, saying, "Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt." Therefore the LORD will give you meat, and you shall eat. ¹⁹ You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, ²⁰ but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have despised the LORD who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, "Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?"

In their hunger for meat the children of Israel did not think to ask God who caused water to flow from the rock, the One who caused manna to fall day by day to sustain them.  They lamented leaving Egypt instead of rejoicing to follow God whose holy presence was among them.  And get this:  discontentment over the divine menu provided them by grace revealed they actually despised the LORD who dwelt with them, preserved their lives and made a covenant with them.  God had brought His people out of Egypt so they could worship Him and they could be sanctified to commune with Him, yet having given space to lust, covetousness, selfishness and envy, the people hated God.  This is a sobering passage because it is likely we all complain more than we realise or would like to admit.

How unbelief blinds us to the goodness of God!  It is not possible to walk in a godly manner without experiencing the contentment and rest found in Him that results in the fruit of the Spirit in all seasons.  Have you ever been discontent and looked back on your old life with fondness?  This is like the man who looks back on his days of being "single" and "freedom" after God answered his prayer for a wife.  It is seen in the woman who is discontent in the job initially she was over the moon to receive as a gift from God's hand because of personality conflicts:  her expectations were unmet and soured her gladness.  It can be ageing people with health struggles as they look back with longing to younger days, lamenting over what they can no longer do when God is with them, graciously sustains them and has eternal plans for them that are good.  When God's people are not thankful and grateful to God, when our hearts are filled with complaints, murmuring and bitterness, godliness with contentment is a foreign ideal because we exhibit hatred towards Him.  Allow this to sink into your heart.

The one who is grateful, satisfied with God's provision and trusts His word is content by faith in God, knowing God will ever be faithful.  It is for good reason believers are exhorted in James 1:16-17:  "Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. ¹⁷ Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."  The Israelites were deceived to imagine the food of Egypt was better than having the presence of God in their midst.  The presence of God is a marvelous, miraculous gift we should treasure above gold, freedom, a spouse or a profitable career.  God is good and does not change, but we are the ones who are variable:  we jump for joy when God answers our prayer and then despise Him because life is not as easy as we expected.  God, deliver us from such turnings!  Praise the LORD His arm is not shortened that He cannot save or deliver!  May our eyes turn to Jesus Christ in faith, and may we demonstrate the truth that godliness with contentment is great gain.

A Sound of Remembrance

God rewards people who exercise faith in Him, and this was often demonstrated through obedience to God's word.  The God who knows the secret thoughts and motives of the heart commanded the children of Israel in Numbers 10:9, "When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God, and you will be saved from your enemies."  God was fully aware when His people were oppressed, but they were called to acknowledge their dire circumstances and sound an alarm with the silver trumpets kept in the tabernacle.  They did so because they believed God would hear and save them in battle.

Upon reading this I was reminded of a situation in the life of King Saul who commanded trumpets (shofars) be blown after a battle in 1 Samuel 13:3-4:  "And Jonathan attacked the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Then Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear!" ⁴ Now all Israel heard it said that Saul had attacked a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel had also become an abomination to the Philistines. And the people were called together to Saul at Gilgal."  Jonathan, the son of Saul, attacked a garrison of the Philistines who oppressed Israel for years.  Interesting, isn't it:  the silver trumpets were supposed to be blown before the battle, yet king Saul commanded shofars be blown after the fight.  The Law of Moses said the silver trumpets were sounded so God would remember and save His people, yet Saul sounded trumpets to broadcast the attack of Jonathan his son (who feared God) upon enemy Philistines to the people.  This is a classic example of "tooting your own horn," to boast in his accomplishments to impress his subjects--even when the victory had not yet been won.

If we lament over Saul's fall from grace due to pride, we do well to examine our own hearts.  Some of the sins of which we are guilty we recognise as sinful, but there are sins of pride which are as natural for us as breathing:  these are sins all the same.  Better to admit our inability to fight our own battles and cry out to the LORD in humility and patience than to fight for ourselves and boast in a brave attack or even a hard-won victory.  It would have been better for Saul to blow the silver trumpet before a battle than to broadcast a favourable outcome afterward, for all victories are by the grace of God.  How much more appropriate would it have been in that case  for Saul to put the shofars away and offer peace and freewill offerings before God for His faithfulness and help.  Instead of sounding the alarm to seek God's help, Saul sought the recognition and help of man.

David, a man after God's own heart that He made king after Saul, wrote in 1 Chronicles 16:23-29, "Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. ²⁴ Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. ²⁵ For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods. ²⁶ For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. ²⁷ Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and gladness are in His place. ²⁸ Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples, give to the LORD glory and strength. ²⁹ Give to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!"  How good it is to proclaim the good news of God's salvation and ascribe to the LORD glory and strength before the battle rather than taking any credit ourselves after the battle is won.  May our lives be a declaration of God's goodness and majesty as we seek Him and offer ourselves as living sacrifices unto Him.

Consider Jesus

 During a prayer meeting last night I was led to read Hebrews 12:1-3 and the exhortation to consider Jesus in verse 3 spoke to my heart:  "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls."  As followers of Christ we are to lay aside weights and sin, run with endurance the race before us, looking unto Jesus who was the righteous Son of God yet maligned like none before Him or since.  The hostility He faced ended up with Him dying a brutal death on Calvary, and because of the joy that was before Him went up to Jerusalem and embraced it.

We are greatly blessed to have the example of Jesus Christ's endurance and perseverance though it was costly coupled with His resurrection from the dead.  Jesus did not hold forth empty platitudes when He said in John 16:33, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."  Disciples of Jesus to this day can be disillusioned because we expect to find peace in circumstances changing for the better, but it is only in Christ we have peace.  In this world we will face tribulation, trials and pain yet despite these we are to be of good cheer because Jesus has overcome.  Before His crucifixion, resurrection and ascension to the Father Jesus was already victorious and prevailed.  Fullness of joy and peace that passes understanding is received through faith when we consider Jesus.

Consider for a moment who Jesus is, the Son of God sent to save lost sinners.  Consider the love He demonstrated by dying for sinners who were hostile towards Him.  Consider the manner of His sacrificial death, how He graciously laid down His life when He could have summoned angelic armies to deliver Him.  Consider what Jesus accomplished when laws and ordinances that condemned us were nailed to the cross, Satan's head was crushed according to God's promise, and all who believe in Jesus have been delivered from death and hell.  Consider Jesus who said, "I will never leave or forsake you" and gives freely the Holy Spirit to teach, help and guide us into all truth.

Tribulation and dashed expectations lead us to being weary and discouraged in our souls when we forget to consider Jesus:  how He loves us, what He has done to save us and the eternal hope we have in Him.  Considering Jesus has a way of causing our problems to shrink as our eyes regain proper focus on God rather than ourselves.  Suddenly we realise in Christ all our needs are abundantly met and we discover strength where there was only weakness:  this strength is not our own but is given us by faith in Jesus.  As Jesus for the joy that was before Him endured the cross, so we joyfully choose to consider Jesus in our decisions, attitudes and actions who enables us to take up our cross daily and follow Him.  Any hostility we face cannot be compared with the consolation we have in our LORD and Saviour, even as no suffering in this life compares with the glory which will someday be revealed in us by God's grace.

And so we run joyfully.  We can keep running because Jesus is the One who has made us new creations, has set the race before us, and He has overcome.

Who Jesus Is Matters

After Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, He taught the people and preached the Gospel in the temple.  What I find compelling is how the way Jesus evangelised is quite different to many modern methods and approaches.  Never in the Gospel accounts did Jesus employ a formula to salvation.  Everyone who heard Jesus was confronted by who Jesus claimed to be and whether they believed Him or not.

I was struck how the major emphasis of the gospel can be the process of how people can obtain salvation rather than primarily focusing on who Jesus is.  There is a way Christians can share the gospel as a checklist for people to tick while the identity of Jesus as the Son of God is glossed over.  The question Jesus posed to Peter is a central tenet of the Gospel:  "Who do you say that I am?"  People had many opinions and theories about who Jesus was, and the scriptures reveal He is the Christ, the Son of God.  Jesus is the promised Messiah who did many signs and wonders confirming His claim to be Emmanuel, God with us.

One thing the priests, scribes, Pharisees and people noticed was how Jesus spoke with the authority of God like no one before Him.  The greatest prophets of God in Israel prefaced statements with, "Thus saith the LORD..." but the phrase was never uttered by Jesus:  He did not speak for God but spoke as God.  When He quoted the Law of Moses He said, "It has been written...but I say unto you..."  Before Jesus healed a paralysed man He said, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."  The scribes took umbrage at that statement and judged Jesus as a blasphemer because they knew only God can forgive sins.  Jesus knew their thoughts and addressed them directly and said in Mark 2:9-12, "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'? ¹⁰ But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"--He said to the paralytic, ¹¹ I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." ¹² Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"

The Gospel is the good news of who Jesus is, the promised Messiah God has sent to seek and save the lost.  Belief in Jesus Christ as God is central to the Gospel as seen in Phillip's interaction with the Ethiopian eunuch.  This foreign dignitary was confused about how to understand and interpret a passage from Isaiah 53.  Acts 8:35-37 reads, "Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. ³⁶ Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" ³⁷ Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."  The interaction of Paul and Silas with the Philippian jailer is a good example of the fundamental simplicity of the gospel.  The jailer ,who was about to commit suicide, was greatly shaken.  He fell down before Paul and Silas and cried out, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"  Acts 16:31 says, "So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."  This is the gospel Jesus preached.

Belief in Jesus Christ results in being born again, our souls miraculously regenerated by the Holy Spirit.  It is true we are to repent of our sins, deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Jesus.  We are called to abide in Christ, bear much fruit, be baptised in water, make disciples of Jesus, be filled with the Holy Spirit, to obey Jesus and love one another as He loves us.  But all these pursuits are pointless and impossible unless we have done the very first thing:  to believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God who became a sacrifice for sinners on Calvary and rose from the dead in glory.  Our salvation is by faith in Christ alone as Ephesians 2:8-10 says:  "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."  Who do you say Jesus is?

Riches that Profit

"Do not overwork to be rich; because of your own understanding, cease! ⁵ Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven."

Proverbs 23:4-5

It is good to set goals during our lives, perhaps even financial ones.  But there is one goal which will never be satisfied even when it is obtained:  the desire for more.  Dissatisfaction with our current income or financial net-worth leads to a lack of thankfulness and generosity with what God has given us.  Many people set their sights on being millionaires from their youth and many have obtained this desire.  There is no evidence the more money people have the happier and satisfied they are in life.  In fact, the evidence seems to suggest otherwise.

The Swedish pop band ABBA wrote a hit song in the '70's titled, "Money, Money, Money."  The chorus repeats, "All the things I could do, if I had a little money.  It's a rich man's world."  A desire for a little money, which as King Solomon says makes wings and flies away, leads to a need for more money.  The perspective of the ABBA song is one of longing for more money so life would require less work and offer more fun.  But this approach assumes being able to afford the things you cannot do now is where happiness can be found.  Through his experience Solomon has something to say about that.

King Solomon was a man in the ancient world with unrivaled wealth, power and peace in the height of his reign over Israel.  He received vast revenues of gold and silver annually to amass anything he wanted:  he acquired land, male and female servants, bought chariots and horses, completed building projects, hired professional chefs and singers, and even imported peacocks and apes.  He gave himself to entertainment, wine, women and song.  Few can say what Solomon did in Ecclesiastes 2:10:  "Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labour; and this was my reward from all my labour."  After doing anything Solomon wanted his conclusion, however, was very different from the romantic notions of the ABBA song:  "Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun."  In the end Solomon, in his great wisdom, realised all he had and did was empty and pointless.

Solomon did not set his eyes on what was not:  he looked upon all he accumulated and accomplished and determined it was vanity.  He could not keep it, and all he had worked for would pass to another who had not worked for it.  Alcohol could not deaden this reality, and all the entertainment, laughter and excitement he enjoyed could not deliver him from depression and hopelessness.  There are few of us who could possibly make the claims Solomon did based upon experience and so we bop along to the ABBA ideal:  if I had a little more money I could work less (though useful work was a source of satisfaction for Solomon) and do more things because "it's always sunny" in a rich man's world.  And exactly when is a person considered rich?  This is a strange dynamic because the "rich" may not view themselves this way as it is more an elusive feeling than objective fact.  The richest people may live like paupers because they do not want to lose what they have--ignoring that one day it will all pass to others:  to family, friends, the government or foundations run by people they cannot hold accountable.

The Bible does not teach we live in a rich man's world:  by grace we live in a world governed by God.  True satisfaction is not found in health, wealth or financial prosperity but in the God who supplies all good things.  Comparing ourselves with others is unwise, and setting our eyes on what is not causes us to pursue the mirage that a little more money is what we need.  Riches certainly make themselves wings and fly away, yet the soul that rests in the LORD and His abundant provision is eternally rich.  The day we believe we need more than we need is a day when faith is exchanged for walking by sight and caters to the love of this world.  The true riches are found by faith in Jesus Christ, as it is written in 2 Corinthians 8:9:  "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich."  Isn't it wise to receive the riches of the Gospel, to value Christ over our temporary net worth on earth?

Read Good Books...Again

 King Solomon admonished his son in Ecclesiastes 12:12, "...of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh."  It is no easy feat to write a book (especially that is widely read), and it is easier to collect books than read them.  It would be a great shame to put our effort into acquiring books to our library without reading them with careful consideration.  Whether our books be many or few, their primary value is not as familiar decor:  we ought to read and re-read them as we welcome their input like dear friends.  The pile of books to be read for the first time can be interrupted as the LORD leads by books we already possess.

One book which has proved to be an invaluable resource over the years is C.S. Spurgeon's Lectures to My Students.  It is by far the most useful book I own outside the scriptures, as it has provided great insights, wise counsel and encouragement from a man of godly character.  One of the chapters which Spurgeon writes from intense personal experience is that on The Minister's Fainting Fits.  The "prince of preachers" was no stranger to seasons of despondency, and the chapter is steeped in compassion as he urges ministers to continue to keep their hand to the plough in following Jesus and fulfill the ministry given to us according to the richness of God's grace. Following are some highlights from the chapter which work to uplift the downcast:

"As it is recorded that David, in the heat of battle, waxed faint, so may it be written of all the servants of the Lord.  Fits of depression come over the most of us.  Usually cheerful as we may be, we must at intervals be cast down.  The strong are not always vigorous, the wise not always ready, the brave not always courageous, and the joyous not always happy.  There may be here and there men of iron, to whom wear and tear work no perceptible detriment, but surely the rust frets even these; and as for ordinary men, the Lord knows, and makes them to know, that they are but dust..."

These infirmities may be no detriment to a man's career of special usefulness; they may even have been imposed upon him by divine wisdom as necessary qualifications for his peculiar course of service.  Some plants owe their medicinal qualities to the march in which they grow; others to the shades in which alone they flourish.  There are precious fruits put forth by the moon as well as by the sun.  Boats need ballast as well as sail; a drag on the carriage-wheel is not hindrance when the road runs downhill.  Pain has probably in some cases developed genius; hunting out the soul which otherwise might have slept like a lion in its den.  Had it not been for the broken wing, some might have lost themselves in the clouds, some even of those choice doves who now bear the olive-branch in the their mouths and show the way to the ark..."

The bow cannot be always bent without fear of breaking.  Repose is as needful to the mind as sleep to the body...Even the earth must like fallow and have her Sabbaths, and so must we...Rest time is not waste time.  It is economy to gather fresh strength.  Look at the mower in the summer's day, with so much to cut down ere the sun sets.  He pauses in his labour--is he a sluggard?  He looks for his stone, and begins to draw it up and down his scythe, with a "rink-a-tink--rink-a-tink--rink-a-tink."  Is that idle music--is he wasting precious moments?  How much he might have mown while he has been ringing out those notes on his scythe!  But he is sharpening his tool, and he will do far more when once again he gives his strength to those long sweeps which lay the grass prostrate before him.  Even thus a little pause prepares the mind for greater service in the good cause..."

If it be enquired why the Valley of the Shadow of Death must so often be traversed by the servants of King Jesus, the answer is not far to find.  All this is promotive of the Lord's mode of working which is summed up in these words:  "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, said the Lord."  Instruments shall be used, but their intrinsic weakness shall be clearly manifested; there shall be no division of the glory, no diminishing the honour due to the Great Worker.  The man shall be emptied of self, and then filled with the Holy Ghost.  In his own apprehension he shall be like a sere leaf driven of the tempest, and then shall be strengthened into a brazen wall against the enemies of truth.  To hide pride from the worker is the great difficulty.  Uninterrupted success and unfading joy in it would be more than our weak heads could bear..."

By all the castings down of His servants God is glorified, for they are led to magnify Him when He sets them on their feet, and even while prostrate in the dust their faith yields Him praise.  They speak all the more sweetly of His faithfulness, and are the more firmly established in His love.  Such mature men as some elderly preachers are, could scarcely have been produced if they had not been emptied from vessel to vessel, and made to see their own emptiness and the vanity of all things round about them.  Glory be to God for the furnace, the hammer, and the file.  Heaven shall be all the fuller of bliss because we have been filled with anguish here below, and earth shall be better tilled because of our training in the school of adversity..."

The lesson of wisdom is, be not dismayed by soul-trouble.  Count it no strange thing, but a part of ordinary ministerial experience.  Should the power of depression be more than ordinary, think not that all is over with your usefulness.  Cast not away your confidence, for it hath great recompense of reward.  Even if the enemy's foot be on your neck, expect to rise and overthrow him.  Cast the burden of the present, along with the sin of the past and the fear of the future, upon the Lord, who forsaketh not His saints.  Live by the day--ay, by the hour.  Put no trust in frames and feelings.  Care more for a grain of faith than a ton of excitement.  Trust in God alone, and lean not on the needs of human help.  Be not surprised when friends fail you: it is a failing world. Never count upon immutability in man:  inconstancy you may reckon upon without fear of disappointment.  The disciples of Jesus forsook Him; be not amazed if your adherents wander away to other teachers: as they were not your all when with you, all is not gone from you with their departure.  Serve God with all your might while the candle is burning, and then when it goes out for a season, you will have the less to regret.  Be content to be nothing, for that is what you are.  When your own emptiness is painfully forced upon your consciousness, chide yourself that you ever dreamed of being full except in the Lord." (Spurgeon, C. H. Lectures to My Students: Complete & Unabridged. Ministry Resources Library, Zondervan Publishing House, 1989. excerpts from pages 154-164.)

Praise of His Glory

"Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, and I will praise the LORD. ²⁰ This is the gate of the LORD, through which the righteous shall enter. ²¹ I will praise You, for You have answered me, and have become my salvation."

Psalm 118:19-21

The psalmist asked God to open the gates of righteousness so he could go through them with praise.  All who attempted to become righteous by attempts to keep the Law of Moses ended in failure without any assurance of salvation.  Even before the Law was given the life of Abraham demonstrated plainly righteousness comes by faith in God alone.  The Gospel of Jesus provides righteousness to all who trust in Jesus Christ who is the Door by faith through whom Jew and Gentile alike must enter the kingdom of God.  If we want to receive salvation, we must enter in by faith in Jesus who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  To these souls by grace God imputes salvation, and all praise to Him.

There is a persistent fallacy that man must work to purify himself or become righteous by effort to be accepted by God.  Because all have sinned and have no power to cleanse or forgive ourselves from sin the only way we can be declared righteous is to have this status imputed to us by God.  It is on the basis of Christ's substitutionary, atoning sacrifice on Calvary which enables sinners who place their faith in Jesus to be deemed righteous.  Jesus is the divine answer to man's fervent prayers for salvation and righteousness we cannot obtain by any other way.

For mankind the gate of righteousness was more impassable than the entrance to the Holy of Holies in the temple for the unsanctified or the sealed Golden Gate today.  Praise the LORD Jesus who addressed the church in Philadelphia and said in Revelation 3:7, "These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens..."  Jesus is the Door and He also has the keys!  The gate of righteousness for people is wide open today through faith in Jesus for all who willingly enter.  A day will come when God will shut this Door for entry, even as God shut Noah, his family and the animals in the ark before the great flood recorded in Genesis.  God shut Noah in and He shut every other living thing out.  If we will have abundant life now and eternal life, now is the time to enter into righteousness through the Door God has opened wide to all who believe.

Having received forgiveness, righteousness and so great a salvation, it is fitting praise would be on the lips of God's redeemed.  The psalmist said he would praise the LORD because "...You have answered me, and have become my salvation."  Having believed the word of truth we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit as proof of our future redemption "...unto the praise of His glory" (Eph. 1:13-14).  Instead of complaints and criticisms our hearts ought to pour forth praise unto God for the glorious things He has done.  How privileged we are to be blessed and no longer cursed!  With our mouths may we make known God's faithfulness to all generations as the praise of His glory rises to His everlasting throne.

Praise as God Intended

In New South Wales we remain under the COVID restriction of congregants refraining from singing during church services.  While the worship team was wrapping up the service with a song of praise to the LORD, I considered the words being sung.  Then suddenly I had a thought that never occurred to me before.

I recalled that when we were legally free to sing without restrictions, not everyone was pleased with their "singing voice."  This may also be reflected in the way people critically view their own bodies.  As happy we are to have a living, functional body there can be aspects of our appearance some might change:  people can criticise their body's shape, size, height or lack thereof, type or colour of hair, noticeable features they find embarrassing, scars and defects.  People think about their perfected, eternal state and look forward to having the "perfect body" or "pitch-perfect" voice with immaculate rhythm.  As I worshiped silently with the worship team yesterday, I'm not so sure.

Hasn't God made us to have voices and bodies according to His design?  Wouldn't it bring more glory to God if we retained our voices that sing off-key (which is not a sin, by the way!) because He created us unique as He desired?  Who ever said all the voices of angels sound exactly the same?  And what makes us think our bodies will resemble those pressed into a mold of our ideal body shape and size when God created us according to His good pleasure?  Gone will be the days of selfishness, self-consciousness and pride:  the eternal state in the presence of God will be a new era in living to please Him without criticising ourselves or envying others.

Do these thoughts disappoint you believer, that you may never have those ripped abs, be taller, more slim or have the "perfect" voice?  When we are born again by faith in Jesus the voices we now possess can be used to praise and honour God with exceeding joy--not because we are skilled at singing or can carry a tune or clap in time but because God is worthy to be praised.  Isn't God good to receive our praise such as it is today?  Why do you suppose He would ever refuse to joyfully hear your voice as He created it to be?