The "R" Word

I've been thinking lately how the word "consequences" typically carries with it a negative connotation.  Very rarely is the word used to convey something desirable.  If we talked about the consequences of sin, it would almost seem a stretch to find anything good from sinning against God.

Last Sunday at Calvary Chapel Sydney, we examined the passage in 2 Samuel 12 when David was confronted by the prophet Nathan about his sin:  the murder of Uriah the Hittite and the theft of his wife.  God makes it clear that the core of sin is not human weakness or indiscretion, but stems from the hatred of God.  The prophet spoke for God in 2 Samuel 12:10:  "Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife."  David had done a horrible thing in sinning against God.  Yet when confronted with his sin, David owned it, confessed without reservation, and repented.

Repentance is a critical and necessary doctrine in the church today.  Without repentance, there can be no forgiveness or salvation.  Luke 24:46-47 says of Christ, "Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, ⁴⁷ and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."  Also Paul said in Acts 17:30-31:  "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, ³¹ because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."  The word "repent" has the meaning to "think differently" and results in a change of life as one chooses to live according to God.  Except we repent, we will perish.

Sorrow takes a primary role in the act of repentance.  Webster wrote in his 1828 Edition Dictionary of what it means to repent:  "In theology, to sorrow or be pained for sin, as a violation of God's holy law, a dishonour to His character and government."  He writes of "repentance:"  "Sorrow for any thing done or said; the pain or grief which a person experiences in consequence of the injury or inconvenience produced by his own conduct...real penitence; sorrow or deep contrition for sin."  Because the concept of repentance is tied closely to sorrow for sin, repentance never tends to be a popular subject.  People can be overwhelmed by their sense of grief for past sins and some remain in a constant cycle of guilt, embarrassment, and shame.  An improper understanding of repentance leads people to remain mired in past sins and therefore prevented from entering into the joy of the LORD.

Repentance is actually a very good thing to come out of sin.  Our God is a Redeemer, and repentance is the step a man must take before He can be restored to fellowship with God.  Something Webster neglected to address is the end of repentance - another "R" word - rejoicing!  Did you know that the end of repentance is rejoicing?  After David confessed his sin, look at what he wrote in Psalm 51:8-12:  "Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice. ⁹ Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. ¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. ¹¹ Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. ¹² Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit."  Rejoicing in the ultimate consequence of repentance.  Understand this:  we do not rejoice over our sin, but in the goodness of our God to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  God chastens those whom He loves, and we should rejoice in such love.  Do you not know heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents?  When David repented, heaven rejoiced.  Jesus says in Luke 15:7:  "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance."  If God and all heaven rejoice over your repentance, should we remain in perpetual sorrow?

If repentance has not resulted in rejoicing, there remains a step of faith for you to take.  Paul wrote while incarcerated in Philippians 4:4:  "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!"  This is the cutting edge:  we are to rejoice in the LORD always.  When we are in sin, God has ceased to be our focus and first love.  We are to approach repentance with a similar view of Christ's crucifixion.  We view Christ suffering and dying on the cross with sorrow because of our sin.  Yet we take comfort that it pleased the Father to bruise Jesus and make Him a sacrifice for sin so we could be cleansed and make whole.  Should the disciples have continued to mourn Christ's death when He stood among them alive three days later?  No!  If we are risen with Christ, forgiven and made new, may the joy of the LORD be our strength.  Repentance isn't a dirty word.  The intended end of repentance is rejoicing.  Repent, and by faith enter in!

Seek Counsel of God

The book of Joshua tracks the path of the Israelite's entry and conquest of the Promised Land.  God gave His people the land, and He called them to drive out or destroy all the inhabitants of the land.  They were forbidden to make a league with the inhabitants of Canaan.  When the people who lived in Canaan heard about how the children of Israel crossed over Jordan on dry ground and the fall of mighty Jericho through the power of their God, they were afraid.  They gathered together to fight against Israel in battle.  The people of Gibeon, however, took a different tack.  They cleverly disguised themselves as foreign ambassadors who had been on a long journey, having heard of the might of Israel and their God.  To add credence to their story, when questioned they appealed to their appearance.  Joshua 9:12-14 says, "This bread of ours we took hot for our provision from our houses on the day we departed to come to you. But now look, it is dry and moldy. ¹³ And these wineskins which we filled were new, and see, they are torn; and these our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey." ¹⁴ Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the LORD."

Based upon the false "evidence" presented, Joshua agreed to make a covenant with these people who turned out to be Gibeonites who lived nearby!  This is a classic case of the oft repeated mistake we all make of walking by sight instead of by faith in God.  The inference is that if Joshua had sought the counsel of the LORD, the ruse would have been revealed and this grave error prevented.  The error of walking by sight created a chain reaction which led to troublesome future consequences.  When I read this, I was convicted for all the times I pray about problems or dilemmas but do not explicitly ask counsel of the LORD and seek an answer in His Word.  I pray about things, sure:  but praying about a problem is very different than seeking counsel with intent to obey.  Sometimes we are like those who want to vent but don't necessarily want advice on how to rectify their situation.  We prefer sympathy over being told what to do.  God does not cast pearls of wisdom before swine.  If we want to wallow in indecision and doubts like a pig in the mud, God will allow us to do so.  But if we will ask counsel of the LORD, seeking to perform His will, He will speak and empower us to carry out what He requires of us.

God, Money, and Faith

When Jesus sent out His disciples into the harvest, He told them not to bring any supplies.  In doing so, He was teaching them to walk by faith in God.  Even as God provided for the children of Israel in the wilderness and the birds of the air, He would supply their every need.  Before Jesus went to the cross Jesus said to His disciples in Luke 22:35-36:  "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?" So they said, "Nothing." ³⁶ Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one."  There is nothing wrong with wisely preparing as we follow Christ on our journey wherever He leads.  Often the securing of financial pledges or support is a means of missionaries and ministries discerning the legitimacy of a call upon a  prospective missionary before leaving for a field.  But let me say this:  fundraising in the modern sense carries with it the risk of walking by sight and not by faith.  People love the testimony of George Mueller's faith demonstrated through prayer and wisdom concerning money.  There aren't many George Muellers today because God isn't provided the opportunity to come through at the last moment.  Most want to have the support up, accounts looking healthy, and a great exchange rate forecast before they will take the first step of faith.  What sort of faith is that?

One of the sticking points for many people when it comes to missions is, "But who is going to pay for this?  How can we afford it?"  One missionary support ministry I met with required for any missionaries who sought to enter a mission field secure 80% of their monthly financial support before they were permitted to enter the field.  Money can become for people today (missionaries or not) a focal point instead of the God who has promised to provide.  Everyone in the early church contributed to the financial strength of the church, some selling everything they had.  They weren't caught up in mutual funds and Roth IRAs.  Some like Paul, who laboured long in a vast mission field, worked with his own hands to support himself.  Collections were received from house churches on a weekly basis to bless and help other churches.  Perhaps because we live in a world of insurance, schools, visas, airplane tickets, and retirement funds, money concerns seem to have risen in importance.  I like the picture of Peter being directed by Jesus to catch a fish to pay the temple tax in Matthew 17:27.  Jesus said, "After you throw in the hook and catch the fish, it will have a coin in its mouth.  Take the coin and pay the tax, lest we offend them."  Jesus didn't have the money on hand for the temple tax, but He miraculously provided it.  He will do the same for us if we will seek, trust, and obey Him no matter where we find ourselves.

I struggle with the concept of "fundraising."  Perhaps that sounds ironic, coming from a missionary pastor who receives money each month by God's grace and the generosity of churches, family, and friends.  Just the idea makes me uncomfortable.  Before I left for the field in Australia, before I knew where or when I would be going, I was connected with Shepherd's Staff Mission Facilitators.  We let people know there was a need through our church with a flier, and if God moved them to give they could support our ministry through sending money to Shepherd's Staff, who provided accountability and would send the money once a month when we were in the field.  Truth be told, I don't fundraise - though I am not against it.  When I was youth pastor, we used to raise money for kids to go to camp who worked car washes, pancake breakfasts, and spaghetti dinners.  I feel most awkward when it comes to raising funds for myself.  I don't want to pressure people to buy something to support me or play upon any obligation they may feel to give when they really don't want to.  What is amazing is there have been people God directed in unique ways to raise funds on our behalf.  Instead of sending out letters asking people to give, I pray that God would faithful provide according to His promise and He keeps moving people to do so.  I don't ask for money, but God moves people to give according to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Let me brag on my God a little bit.  God has always met our needs, and He has used many people to do it.  I remember times when work was slow and odd jobs would come up.  When I first came on staff at a church and took a 45% cut in pay in 2005, there was a real potential we would need to sell our house.  I had already committed to go on an Israel trip when a friend of mine out of the blue gave me a check for $1,000.  I hadn't told anyone but God of our financial needs.  During that season whilst in paid ministry, God provided borders who hired a room and we were able to keep the house until we sold it and moved to Australia.  God's provision has continued to this day.  For over two and a half years, I was prohibited from working for pay in Australia.  That's a bit crazy, seeing as Sydney is one of the most expensive cities to live in the entire world!  The amount received from Shepherd's Staff would rise and fall at the perfect times.  When I visited the States this June, before I arrived God put it on someone's heart to put money in an envelope - not knowing that my ATM card had expired!  That money covered my incidentals for the trip.  God moved family and friends to give money during my two week stay without me even asking.  Last night I praised the LORD for dear friends who gave us money specifically for the purchase of tablets for the boy's school which will be required soon.  When the money received during the trip was added up, we had enough for the expense of the tablets and cases.  God is awesome!

The other day I read in Joshua 5:10-12:  "Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. ¹¹ And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain, on the very same day. ¹² Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year."  God knew exactly the needs of His people.  He provided manna for His people for 40 years, a steady, predictable supply of heavenly bread.  But when He brought His people into the Land of Promise and they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased.  I'm sure at times the people lamented the loss of the manna, even as they missed the familiar food of Egypt.  The LORD used this passage to remind me that when He provides a job for Laura or myself outside of the church, it will be time to trust God in thanking people for their generosity and encouraging them to give to others as the Holy Spirit leads.  He's the One who has supplied all our needs, and He will ever be faithful to do so.

Don't allow money to ever become a focal point of your ministry or service unto God.  God knows we need money, housing, clothing, and transport, and He will supply our needs.  Jesus says in Matthew 6:30-34, "Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³² For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."  I want to thank every single person who has offered up prayers on our behalf and has given money to support our family and the ministry in Australia.  You have provided us a glittering testimony of the faithfulness of our God and the generosity of His people.  My God shall supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  It is a humbling and amazing thing to be a recipient of God's goodness and grace through you.  May God reward you according to the riches of His grace.

Consecrated to God

Today my thoughts were arrested by a passage of scripture.  The Israelites had been brought over Jordan on dry ground after 40 years in the wilderness.  In obedience to God's command, they walked around the city of Jericho once a day without speaking for six days.  The seventh day they walked around the city seven times, and at the sound of the priest's trumpets they were to shout because God had given them the city.  Joshua commanded the people in Joshua 6:18-19:  "And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. ¹⁹ But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the LORD; they shall come into the treasury of the LORD."

This is most interesting.  The men of Israel were warned not to take any of the accursed things, let a curse rest upon them and the entire camp be troubled.  The next verse reveals the articles of gold, silver, and vessels of bronze and iron were not cursed in themselves, for they were consecrated to the LORD.  God would not bring evil objects into His treasury.  We know therefore the valuables plundered from Jericho were not "cursed" or "evil" in themselves, but would be a curse to any who took them because they were God's.  The principle is established here that taking for yourself what is consecrated to God brings a curse and trouble.  The next chapter reveals the grave consequences for disobedience in this matter was pride, fear, defeat, and ultimately death.  To take what is God's is theft.  If men are punished for stealing from another man, who will come to your aid if you steal from God?  Ananias and Sapphira being dead still speak.

God speaks through the prophet in Malachi 3:7-12:  "Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you," says the LORD of hosts. "But you said, 'In what way shall we return?' ⁸ "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. ⁹ You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. ¹⁰ Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.¹¹ "And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," says the LORD of hosts; ¹² "And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land," says the LORD of hosts."  God's desire is to bless, protect, and provide for His people.  Yet if a man robs God of what God has consecrated for Himself, it will bring a curse and trouble.

It is a good line of thought:  have I given God all that is rightfully His?  As Christians - God's children and inheritance - we are to consecrate ourselves to God, for He has purchased us with His own blood (Acts 20:28 ).  God doesn't want us for our money or service.  Being infinite, He needs nothing.  But He desires that we would consecrate ourselves wholly to Him, as is our reasonable service.  Should not our deeds exceed those spoken of in 2 Chronicles 29:30-31, being under the New Covenant with better promises?  2 Chonicles 29:30-31 says, "Moreover King Hezekiah and the leaders commanded the Levites to sing praise to the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped. ³¹ Then Hezekiah answered and said, "Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD, come near, and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the LORD." So the assembly brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and as many as were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings."  Let us be the willing sacrifices, consecrated for God's glory and praise.

God Kills and Makes Alive

The Bible predicts that this universe and earth will someday pass away.  It is not even bold to say it will not be man's doing.  Man has corrupted the earth with sin and violence, but man does not have the power to vaporise the earth.  Even if the nuclear arsenals of the world were detonated, the world would remain.  How can I be so sure?  Because the Word of God makes it clear that it will be God's doing.  The God who spoke the world into existence from nothing also has the power to make it into nothing with His Word alone.  Jesus says in Luke 21:33, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."  No power devised by man, no scheme of Satan, and not even the violence of Armageddon will fully destroy this earth created by God.  God created it, and God will someday destroy it.  The good thing is God will create a new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells.  All who repent and are born again through faith in Christ will have a place in His heavenly kingdom.

When I was growing up, I remember many people being frightened during the "Cold War" about the threat of nuclear warfare.  It is doubtless a devastating and scary spectre.  But I believe our fear of God must far outweigh any fear of man, making the threat of nuclear disaster of no consequence compared to our reverence and fear of the One True God, Creator of Heaven and Earth.  Revelation 20:11 puts this in clear perspective:  "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them."  The earth which currently stands solid under our feet will dissolve in the presence of God.  The universe with all its stars, planets, and galaxies, an ever-expanding area of practically infinite dimensions, will flee from His face like a frightened rabbit from a pack of baying hounds in the end.  God is awesome, and that really is an understatement.

The certain demise of the world is laid out in 2 Peter 3:3-14:  "...knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, ⁴ and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." ⁵ For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, ⁶ by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. ⁷ But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. ⁸ But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ⁹ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. ¹¹ Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, ¹² looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? ¹³ Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. ¹⁴ Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless..."  God has reserved fire for the judgment of the world and all who refuse to repent and trust in Him.  Ultimate destruction is not in the hands of man.  He can kill the body but cannot touch the soul.  God is the One we must fear, the One who can kill the body and after He has killed can throw the soul into hell.  It is not His will any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

The potential of nuclear warfare pales in comparison to the power and glory found in God.  It is fear of God which dissolves fear of man.  As it is written in 1 Samuel 2:6, "The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up."  God will one day dissolve the earth in fervent heat, so let us be those who, "according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."

The Old "Shave and a Haircut" Knock Trick

This Sunday after 3pm I lay down for a little sleep.  I had not been laying there ten minutes when I heard a loud, "Shave and a Haircut - two bits!" knock on the glass by the front door.  "Now who could that possibly be?" I thought to myself as I creaked to my feet.  I walked down the stairs hoping it would be someone that I knew.  It wasn't.  It's an experience I've had far too often for my liking, even after placing a sticker which asks politely for salespeople to refrain from knocking.  The second I cracked the door the nice young lady wouldn't stop talking, briskly showing me her wares, and inquiring about my interest in her paintings.  She was a bit put-off when I was able to break in a minute later and say, "I'm sorry, but I'm not interested."  She kept talking even after I closed the door.

I have to say, I really struggle when people come to my door to sell me things.  If I wanted to change my electricity provider, I wouldn't do it with a fast-talking salesman who shows up at my door unannounced.  Then there are those cagey folks who aren't actually selling anything - so they say!  It doesn't matter who it is or what they are selling:  after they leave, I always tussle with salesmen rejection remorse.  It is not that I have ever actually been tempted to buy anything.  But I always think later:  "Was I too harsh or abrupt?  It could have been a scam, but possibly it was someone trying to make an honest living.  Should I have tried to engage them in an actual conversation?  How could that have gone better?"  The self-talk inevitably goes on an on.  And I pray.  Something about people coming to my door sends me crying out to God, and sleeping becomes out of the question.

After this latest unwanted intrusion, many thoughts swirled around in my head.  The truth is, I don't trust anyone who comes to my door I don't already know.  I don't know who they are or what they are about.  Then I started thinking:  what if that girl had come to the door asking for water, food, or money?  My guard would have dropped a little.  Once it is clear I am not being swindled out of something I can relax a bit.  When the Salvos have their shield appeal, it's a very different feeling.

When I lived in San Diego, I had an interesting conversation with a friend who originally was from Ohio.  He said it was not out of the ordinary for friend to drop by unannounced and to extend hospitality, share a drink and a chat.  He said he noticed that was not often the norm in Southern California.  When he dropped by a friend's house because he was in the area, they were quite guarded.  They might open the door to shake his hand, but never once invited him inside.  He found it most disappointing.  It's true:  inviting an unexpected visitor into your home is personal business.  It means you are choosing to put aside your plans and to gladly extend hospitality to an impromptu guest.  It is a sacrifice of love when done joyfully.  As I thought of my friend's story, I thought of Jesus Christ's words in Revelation 3:20:  "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."

Jesus says those words in context not to strangers, but to the members who comprise His Body - the church.  When Jesus stands at the door and knocks, calling out to those within, it is with the implication that the person on the inside of the house has the power to either open the door or leave it shut.  We can ignore the door and Christ's voice, we can open the door for a chat but block His entrance (because we're not exactly prepared or have other things we'd rather do), or we can open the door and invite Him in.  If Jesus chooses to drop by, I don't want to be too busy with other things to spend time with Him.  I don't want to pretend I'm not available when my Saviour seeks my company.  To have a meal with Jesus!  What a treat!  If we will hear His voice and open the door, Jesus will come in to us so we can share fellowship together.

This morning at church we had a wonderful time of fellowship and a time of remembrance through Communion.  Bread and juice were received, symbols of Christ's broken body and shed blood for our sins.  It is a good thing to walk in obedience to Him and proclaim His death until He comes in remembering the price paid.  God is challenging me to show my appreciation to Him for all He as done in the form of loving others even as He loves me.  Even when pesky fast-talking sign-ignoring salespeople with agendas knock at my door, I pray God helps me make it my agenda to love them as people He died to save.  When someone knocks at the door, Christ knocks in a strange disguise!

Sin is Eternal

Here's an interesting thought for consideration.  Perhaps you have wondered how the punishment of eternity in hell is a fitting penalty for a sin committed on earth.  One sin to us doesn't seem like such an awful thing.  Everyone sins, so it must not be that bad, right?  But consider the perspective of the eternal God, the Judge of All.  Because He operates outside the confines of time, one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years a day.  A sin committed on earth is not a single moment from God's perspective outside of time:  it is an eternity.  It is therefore just and reasonable sin be punished eternally.

C.S. Lewis wrote, "We have s strange illusion that mere time cancels sin.  I have heard others, and I have heard myself, recounting cruelties and falsehoods committed in boyhood as if they were no concern of the present speaker's, and even with laughter.  But mere time does nothing either to the fact or to the guilt of a sin.  The guilt is washed out not by time but by repentance and the blood fo Christ:  if we have repented these early sins we should remember the price of our forgiveness and be humble.  As for the fact of a sin, is it probably that anything cancels it?  All times are eternally present to God.  Is it not at least possible that along some one line of His multi-dimensional eternity He sees you forever in the nursery pulling the wings off a fly, forever toadying, lying, and lusting as a schoolboy, forever in that moment of cowardice or insolence as a subaltern?" (Lewis, The Problem of Pain, pg. 49)

Each sin committed is an eternal offense against the unceasing righteousness of God.  The sins of my youth demand punishment as much as the sins I have committed this week.  But thanks be to God, who in His love for fallen man has sent Christ to seek and save the lost and once for all become a divine sacrifice for sin.  From God's vantage point, Jesus was slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8).  After we repent and are washed in His blood by faith, all memory of our sins from God's perspective is put away.  It is written in Hebrews 10:14-17:  "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."  We live now in this day of the New Covenant of Christ's blood, and we are very privileged to do so.

Wounds sometimes heal over time, but the stain of sin lasts forever.  Only repentance and the blood of Jesus can cleanse us by grace through faith.  When He cleanses us, we are washed and purified forever.  How grateful and blessed I am that God has chosen to remember my sin no more!

God is Guiltless

We live in a day of relativism.  Yet even with the relative state of morality in the various societies in the world, there are crimes so heinous they deserve prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.  Even in prisons there is a code of ethics, where felons punish violators for the crimes committed outside prison, as well as breaking the code within.  In each of us there is a morality based upon our beliefs.  A drug dealer may have no problem with dealing illegal narcotics to adults, but believes it would be wrong to sell bad dope to kids.  Everyone has within them a conscience that causes us to experience guilt or shame when we know we've done something wrong.  There's a lot of people in prison who believe they have been hard done by and don't deserve the punishment they have received.  In some cases there is injustice, but it doesn't mean that concept of prison is one of them.

Can you imagine a serial child rapist and murderer complaining to the judge of the injustice of being sent to prison?  There are many who would say, "Prison is too good for that murderer."  Prison serves as a deterrent to those who consider committing a crime, to protect the innocent by removing criminals from society, for restitution, and personal reformation.  Now I do not want to imply that all prisons are fair or injustice hasn't occurred in some cases.  In our justice system people are involved (witnesses, jurors, solicitors, judges, wardens, guards, etc.), there will be mistakes, errors in judgment, and weakness common to men.  My point is to say the concept of a judicial system and imprisonment after a fair trial is understood in itself not to be the problem, but is among the most acceptable ways to uphold justice and mete it out to lawbreakers.  Jail is not a bad thing in itself, but a place built for people who have done bad things to go.

Some people struggle with the idea that God created hell, a place of eternal incarceration and torment in outer darkness.  It is truly a place more horrible than any can imagine.  It is commonly said, "The punishment should fit the crime."  Hell is the punishment for a single sin committed against the righteous Laws of God.  Sin is really a terrible thing, so awful and wretched, that God created hell as a place of torment for the devil and his demons.  Years ago in some of the United States the punishment for the worst crimes was the electric chair, hanging until dead, or the firing squad.  The severity of the punishment was matched to the most severe crimes.  This severity of hell shows us the greatness of sins from God's perspective which appear so small in our eyes today.  A single lie, stealing, committing adultery, even coveting something is sin!  When we serve gods other than the One True God who reveals Himself through the Bible, have idols in our lives, or even use God's name to swear, we commit the most serious of offenses before the Just Judge of the Universe.

God is loving.  He knew that man in his current condition is doomed to eternal damnation, because all have sinned.  So God in His grace provided a way for men to be forgiven and saved from death and hell.  God took human form in the person of Jesus Christ and did many signs to show His divine nature.  He was falsely accused and condemned unjustly and murdered on the cross.  But three days later, He rose from the dead to prove His victory over sin and death in accordance with scripture.  John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." God has made a provision for all our sins to be expunged by the blood of His Son.  When we repent and trust in Him as King and LORD, we are born again by God's grace.  After our debt of sin against God has been paid, we avoid hell fire and are promised a place in heaven forever.

In the current system of justice, for someone to be "bailed" they must meet certain conditions.  It is the same way with divine justice.  We do not pay with money, but it is the blood of Jesus applied to our lives through faith which sets us free.  There are many examples of this in the Bible.  One instance was when the two men of Israel were spying out the city of Jericho and were harboured and protected by a harlot named Rahab.  She asked them to repay her for the kindness she had showed them when they eventually sacked the city.  The men agreed they would spare her and her family but held forth specific conditions.  Joshua 2:17-21 reads, "So the men said to her: "We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have made us swear, ¹⁸ unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father's household to your own home. ¹⁹ So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. ²⁰ And if you tell this business of ours, then we will be free from your oath which you made us swear." ²¹ Then she said, "According to your words, so be it." And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet cord in the window."  The men would not be held accountable for their promise to Rahab or her family members if they did not meet the prescribed conditions.  Rahab was required to hang a scarlet rope from her window, and her family could leave her home at the risk of their lives.  She was to remain quiet about their agreement.  Should Rahab hang up the red rope but choose to go out for a walk, she did not meet the conditions.  They would be guiltless should harm come to her because she had not heeded their warning.  If she decided to betray them, the promise of safety for her would no longer apply.

God has done the same thing for all people.  It is not His will that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  He does not desire that any man or woman be doomed to hell for eternity.  He has graciously set forth conditions for our release and forgiveness.  We first must plead guilty and repent for our sins.  Then Romans 10:9 explains God's conditions for salvation succinctly: "...that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."  One thing is for certain:  if you choose to be judged according to your works, you will receive justice.  You will receive a fair trial when the books are opened and your life is measured according to God's perfect standard.  Every word, deed, thought, and attitude of your heart during your entire life will be brought under divine judgment.  Psalm 130:3 says, "If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?"  The implication?  Absolutely no one.  Another condition is we must choose to repent and trust in Christ during our short time on earth.  If we wait until our bodies die and we face God's judgment, it will be too late.  Psalm 130:4 tells us, "But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared."

Hell isn't the problem:  sin is.  God is guiltless; man is guilty.  While there is a little time left, choose to meet God's conditions for salvation and new life in Him.  He has paid the price at great cost.  Don't appeal to justice when God has already given grace and great promises.  1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

A New Master

One of the wonderful aspects of the One True God is He makes all things new.  When a person is born again by grace through faith, the Holy Spirit transforms us from the inside.  We are freed from the bondage of sin and spiritually brought from death to life.  It is like coming out of a darkened grave into the light of God's love.  What warmth and joy we experience!  What a relief, to be free from the burden of sin and to have a new Master.  It was Satan and sin that once oppressed and ruled us.  We were prisoners in a chain-gang serving a life sentence headed to hell with the whip of guilt laid across our consciences.  But in Christ we have been made free and a whole new life for eternity stretches before us like a luscious meadow before a flock of sheep.  Jesus is our Good Shepherd and we love to hear Him call our names.

Though God makes all things new, we continue to live life on earth in a body of flesh.  All the experiences in our prior life can haunt us, and Satan's biting words can still wound.  We can be like dogs abused by their owners who are adopted by a loving new owner from the RSPCA or the pound.  Some dogs have experienced a tragic life which involved torture, starvation, being made to fight, neglect, or disease.  When they are brought into a new home with new masters they can still be fearful from past experiences.  Memories of their old master do not immediately disappear.  It takes love, care, and time for abused dogs to trust anyone again.  Though the dog is in a completely new situation, the creature only sees through the old paradigm.  With a big dose of love, patience, with new freedoms and established boundaries, over time the dog will thrive in the new environment under a new master.

Spiritually speaking, the transformation in a person through the Holy Spirit is far more pronounced.  What is impossible with men is possible with God.  God is able to redeem the tragedies of our past for His glory and our good.  Ephesians 4:21-24 gives us an exhoratation we are called to embrace:  "...if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: ²² that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, ²³ and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."  Many people do not obtain dogs from rescue shelters because they want a "clean slate."  They want a dog that has not been abused or that has learned "bad habits" which they must be broken of.  But not our God.  He takes us from the equivalent of death row, having rebelled against God as his enemy.  We have greatly suffered in isolation from fellowship with God.  He does not simply "reform" us but transforms us through the renewing of our minds.  He doesn't just clean our slate, but takes away our slate and gives us a living, feeling heart.  We are given a new Spirit within us.  We are taught to put off the old man - the old way of thinking and living.  We are to have our minds renewed through the truth of scripture, and then to put on the new man "according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."

Let us not cower under the bed or run away in fear when our good Master calls out to us in love.  We have a new Master now, One who loves us with undying love.  Jesus demonstrates His love for us that while we were yet sinners, He died for us.  When the old wicked master comes calling, accusing and abusing you, do not believe a word he says.  Do not listen to him; pay him no mind.  He no longer has power or authority over us.  We answer only to our new Master, the LORD of All, KING OF KINGS.  He makes all things new.

C.S. Lewis Quote: The Problem of Pain

The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis is an intellectually stimulating book.  In it he does not so much seek to prove the existence of God but to reconcile His good, perfect character with the painful experiences we face during life on earth.  C.S. Lewis was once an atheist but reason compelled him to abandon that view.  He was no fool.  In the introduction to his books, he says this:

"There was a man born among these Jews who claimed to be, or to be the son of, or to be "one with", the Something which is at once the awful haunter of nature and the giver of the moral law.  The claim is so shocking - a paradox, and even a horror, which we may easily be lulled into taking too lightly - that only two views of this man are possible.  Either he was a raving lunatic of an unusually abominable type, or else He was, and is, precisely what He said.  There is no middle way.  If the records make the first hypotheses unacceptable, you must submit to the second.  And if you do that, all else that is claimed by Christians becomes credible - that this Man, having been killed, was yet alive, and that His death, in some manner incomprehensible to human thought, has effected a real change in our relations to the "awful" and "righteous" Lord, and a change in our favour.

To ask whether the universe as we see it looks more like the work of a wise and good Creator or the work of chance, indifference, or malevolence, is to omit from the outset all the relevant factors in the religious problem.  Christianity is not the conclusion of a philosophical debate on the origins of the universe:  it is a catastrophic historical event following on the long spiritual preparation of humanity which I have described.  It is not a system into which we have to fit the awkward fact of pain:  it is itself one of the awkward facts which have to be fitted into any system we make.  In a sense, it creates, rather than solves, the problem of pain, for pain would be no problem unless, side by side with our daily experience of this painful world, we have received what we think a good assurance that ultimate reality is righteous and loving."  (The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis, pg. 11-12)

I have never heard anyone curse evolutionary process, but I have heard many people curse God - a God they do not even believe in.  Darwinian evolution is a mindless, purposeless, random process without remorse.  Our depth of feeling, consciousness, freedom of the will, and ability to reason must have come from a feeling, conscious, purposeful, intelligent Source.  I believe the scriptures, the order of nature and the universe, the testimony of information crammed into every self-replicating cell, the conscience, and reason work together to confirm that God did indeed create all things.  The more we learn through the sciences about the deep complexity of the seemingly simplest things reveals there is more to life than Darwin ever imagined.

Those who believe life on earth just happened should have absolutely no complaints about anything.  What are rights without established morality?  There is no force greater than man to appeal to, and no one cares!  Living is no different than dying.  Everyone has been dealt a hand by no one.  Everything is arbitrary.  There is not even any true justice, for right and wrong is at best a construct fashioned in each person's mind.  Yet even the suggestion that there is a God is enough to make blood boil with hatred.  Why such an emotional reaction over something a person believes to be false?  C.S. Lewis is right.  The only way pain can be a problem for you is if you believe there is a God who is good, an all-powerful Being who has the power to end your pain should He choose.  It is a "problem" reconciled through the revealed Word of God and His infallible character.  Otherwise, shaking your fist against the "injustice" of your life or pain is an empty exercise.  Take your issues up with Random Chance, not that he ever checks his inbox.

Your Shield and Exceedingly Great Reward

Abraham was a man who believed God, and his faith was accounted to him as righteousness.  As he walked in obedience to God's directives, he had many opportunities to grow in faith.  One of these time is after his brother's son Lot was taken captive by four kings who had just defeated five other kings.  Genesis 14:14-15 says, "Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. ¹⁵ He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus."  From a military viewpoint, Abraham faced long odds - he and his 318 trained servants against four victorious kings!  God granted Abraham a most improbable victory and recovered all as we read in Genesis 14:16:  "So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people."

The next chapter begins, "After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward." (Genesis 15:1)  Place yourself in Abraham's position.  He did not live in a castle with thick walls or a state-of-the-art security system.  He did not have an army or military-grade weapons.  He could not dial triple zero or 9-1-1!  He had no motion lights affixed to his tent, no locks, bunker, or moat filled with crocodiles.  Abraham lived in a tent with his family!  All his possessions were out in the open without any of the security we are used to.  Having just defeated and plundered four kings, needless to say Abraham didn't make any friends.  He was a target, a sitting duck for an enemy ambush.  Or was he?

Abraham didn't need to be afraid because God was his shield.  Abraham, his family, and goods were in the safest of hands!  I'm sure Abraham thought to himself later:  "I wonder if pursuing and destroying those kings was the best idea.  Then I gave a tenth to the King and Priest of Salem Melchizedek, and returned all the spoil save what my men ate to sustain themselves.  Was that the best course of action?"  God did not leave Abraham in doubt but spoke comfort and promises to him.  God was his shield and exceedingly great reward.  God was all he needed.  God would take care of fulfilling His word that Abraham would have a son though his wife was barren and he was old.  Abraham's future was secure in God, and God was all he needed. 

May this be a good reminder to us when we face insecurity and an uncertain future.  If Abraham's God is your God, He is your shield and your exceedingly great reward.  He will protect you and bring to pass what He has promised.  He will never leave or forsake you.  Instead of giving place to fear and doubt, resolve to be strong and courageous as you trust God.  Take to heart the words of Christ in Matthew 6:30-33:  "Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³² For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

When God Says "No"

Few of us pray to God hoping He will say "No" to our requests.  But like every good parent, our Heavenly Father knows when to say "No."  Can you imagine what life would have been like as a kid if every time you asked for something your parents said "Yes?"  I doubt such a parent could possibly have any respect from their children.  Because of immaturity and limited vision, kids desire all sorts of things that would ruin them.  A loving parent will do what's best for their kids, even if kids don't want the best for themselves.

Scriptures demonstrates time and time again that God said "No" to many of His faithful followers.  After Moses sinned in Meribah, he begged that God would allow him into the Promised Land.  God sternly told him no and forbade Moses to bring up the subject again (Deut. 3:26).  King David desired to build God a house, but God told him no.  When David's infant son was sick and he prayed and fasted for seven days before God, asking that his son might live, God said no.  The child died according to the word of Nathan the prophet (2 Samuel 12:18).  King Rehoboam desired to re-unite the kingdom under his rule and sought to fight against Jeroboam.  1 Kings 12:24 says, "Thus says the LORD: "You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me." Therefore they obeyed the word of the LORD, and turned back, according to the word of the LORD."  Just because God answers "No" does not mean our prayers are a waste.  God has heard and answered us according to His divine wisdom.

God says "Yes" but He also says "No."  It can be difficult for us to understand why God would ever say no to our requests.  Sometimes we find it impossible to grasp the things God chooses to allow.  The temptation grows to stand in judgment of God, a grave sin.  In those times we must firmly fix our feet upon the everlasting promises of God, recalling His character as revealed through scripture.  God is good.  All He does is right.  He is trustworthy and true.  He does not change.  Isaiah 55:6-9 says, "Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. ⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. ⁸ "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. ⁹ "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."  Let us not be as foolish children who become angry when their loving parent tells them "No."

Even when God says "No" we can take heart that our prayers have been heard.  Did you know there are prayers that will always be answered with the affirmative?  2 Corinthians 1:18-21 says, "But as God is faithful, our word to you was not Yes and No. ¹⁹ For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us--by me, Silvanus, and Timothy--was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. ²⁰ For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. ²¹ Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God."  All the promises of God in Him are "Yes!"  He will give salvation to all who repent and believe (John 3:16, Luke 24:45-47).  He will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him (Luke 11:13).  He will forgive our sins (1 John 1:9).  When we pray according to His will He hears us and we can know we have what we have requested of Him (1 John 5:14-15).

When God says "No," recall to mind all the times He has said "Yes!"  If a parent says "No" a child does not doubt the love of their parent.  Let us refuse to allow our circumstances to cause us to question God's love for us.  Never forget sometimes it is through a "No" genuine love is best shown.

What About Drinking Alcohol?

During my reading this morning I came across Deuteronomy 29:6 when God spoke to His people:  "You have not eaten bread, nor have you drunk wine or similar drink, that you may know that I am the LORD your God."  This is an interesting connection.  God sustained His people with manna from heaven when they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.  They did not have access to wine or fruit of the vine and there was a purpose:  "that you may know that I am the LORD your God."  When I read this, it brought to mind a sermon delivered in 2013 by pastor Joe Focht called, "What About Alcohol?"  It is a great sermon that holds forth a biblical perspective on drinking:  it's not about how far we can safely go with drinking, but that we should labour instead to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Let me say that we have liberty in Christ to eat and drink whatever we want.  Personally, I take to heart the teachings given by Lemuel's mother in Proverbs 31:3-7 when she says, "Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings. ⁴ It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes intoxicating drink; ⁵ lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the justice of all the afflicted. ⁶ Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those who are bitter of heart. ⁷ Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more."  Alcohol is a destroyer of kings and poor alike.  As a child of God, there is a crown and a throne in my future.  God has made me a king and priest unto Him, having purchased and washed me in the blood of Jesus Christ.  Therefore in my own life, I am convinced the drinking of alcohol has no place.  I was not always of this persuasion.  It needs to be a decision every Christian makes for themselves as convinced by the Holy Spirit.  Let everyone be fully convinced in their own mind, taking great care not to stumble others by the exercise of our liberty.

"Jesus drank wine!" some protest.  "Jesus made wine from water!"  Then others will quote Paul's words in 1 Timothy 5:23:  "No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities."  The context is more for medicinal purposes, not for social lubrication.  And how much is a little?  That's the big question for some.  A little wine can lead to a little more - with increased frequency.  Little by little a slide occurs.  Too much wine never draws a man closer to God but does the exact opposite.  Ephesians 5:18-21 says, "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ submitting to one another in the fear of God."  Instead on focusing on how much alcohol is too much, every Christian ought to put into practice the exhortation given here by Paul.  We need to be filled with the Spirit, glorifying God with our speech, giving thanks for all things, and submitting to one another in the fear of God.  Like pastor Joe says, "To reach this generation...we don't need a church with a little bit more wine in them to get the job done:  we need a church that's got more of the Holy Ghost in them to turn the world upside down."

When you start breaking your own rules concerning alcohol, dear believer, you give place to the devil.  When you feel convicted about drinking; if you feel you need to hide the bottles from your spouse, kids, or parents; if you find you are leading a double life, beware.  Take care you do not cause others to stumble, be offended, or even weak in the exercise of your liberty (Romans 14:21).  It would be better for a millstone to be hung about your neck and for you to be thrown into the sea than to cause a little one to stumble.  Charles Spurgeon says on the subject:  "Drink first dims, then darkens, then deadens, then damns.  Drink injures a man externally, internally, and eternally." (Spurgeon's Proverbs and Sayings, Vol. 1, 140)  For me, the physical and spiritual implications of drinking far outweigh any physical benefit that could be possibly gained.  Praise the LORD for the freedom we have to glorify God, even sometimes by saying "No thanks."  All things done or avoided for God's glory will not be without eternal reward!

The 1828 Webster's Dictionary

One of my Bible study aids is from a most unexpected source:  the 1828 Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language.  What makes this volume different from modern dictionaries is Noah Webster's definitions spring from a biblical worldview.  It is interesting to me that you will not find the words "automobile," "radio," or "telephone" within the pages because those modern advances were not yet invented.  At the same time, the text is largely free from encroachment of worldly philosophy and politically correct speech which has emasculated and convoluted the original meaning of words.  Here is one of my favourite examples when comparing modern definitions to those given in Webster's 1828 dictionary:

"Duty" as defined by dictionary.com:

1. Something that one is expected or required to do by moral or legal obligation.
2. The binding or obligatory force of something that is morally or legally right.
3. An action or task required by a person's position or occupation; function.
4. The respectful and obedient conduct due a parent, superior, elder, etc.
5. An act or expression of respect.

"Duty" as defined by Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary:

1.  That which a person owes to another; that which a person is bound, by any natural, moral, or legal obligation, to pay, do or perform.  Obedience to princes, magistrates and the laws is the duty of every citizen and suject; obedience, respect, and kindness to parents are duties of children; fidelity to friends is a duty; reverence, obedience and prayer to God are indispensable duties; the government and religious instruction of children are duties of parents which they cannot neglect without guilt.
2. Forbearance of that which is forbid by morality, law, justice or propriety.  It is our duty to refrain from lewdness, intemperance, profaneness and injustice.
3. Obedience; submission.
4. Act of reverence or respect.
5. The business of a soldier or marine on guard..
6. The business of war; military service.
7. Tax, toll, impost, or customs; excise; any sum of money required by government to be pain on the importation, exportation, or consumption of goods. 

What a difference in substance and tone!  In the modern definition of duty, there is little said about what the duties of people include.  Using the scripture as a guide, Webster objectively states not only what "duty" is but what our duties are.  He does not say it as his own opinion but as fact.  He can do this only because he has enlisted the scriptures as his guide to define words which explain a moral position achieved through an understanding of God and His righteous precepts.  Words like "sin" and "judgment" are explained thoroughly, grounded in scriptural truth.  Clear definitions of words according to God's revealed truth has never been more important than today.  If the foundations of language are destroyed, what can the righteous do?

Burn the Boats

When I sensed the call of God to move to Australia, I didn't have a calendar with times and dates filled in.  There was no doubt about the call, but I had no clue about how or when it would happen.  I didn't know where our family would be going.  I didn't know how long the process would take.  I didn't know how long God would allow us to live in Australia.  The only thing I knew was that God had called me and my family to go.  Our part was to obey God by going through the open door He would sovereignly reveal to us in His time.

The process ended up taking many years.  During that process, my wife Laura and I had discussed and were in agreement of one thing:  we would burn the boats.  While there is apparently debate concerning the origin of this idiom - whether it best describes the approach of the Romans, conquistador Cortez, or someone else - there is little debate of the meaning.  It means the point of no return has been reached.  There would be no retreat for the band of men who traveled by boat to the land of their enemies.  The boats were burned to prevent anyone from using the boats as a means of escape should things prove difficult.  In poker terminology, it means you are "all in."  The entire chip stack has been pushed to the middle of the table and nothing has been left in reserve.

Our family has deep roots in San Diego.  All of my family lives within miles of each other and Laura's did too.  For us, burning the boats meant selling our house.  Should we have continued to rent out the house, there would have remained a potential home for us to return to if things became hard.  God's directive to Abram in Genesis 12:1 hit home:  "Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you."  It was not without the promise Jesus gives in Mark 10:29-30:  "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, ³⁰ who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time--houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions--and in the age to come, eternal life."  We needed God to move our hearts for Australia long before our feet touched Australian soil.  Selling our house was a big Ebenezer for us.  The miraculous way God ordained the sale only confirmed we were walking in obedience to His will.

When the children of Israel were taken to a foreign land, God told them to settle down, build houses, and plant vineyards.  They were to put their roots deep where He placed them - even against their will.  They didn't want to be in Babylon!  They wanted to be in the land God had given their fathers by lot.  They were to labour to be fruitful in the place God had established them.  Whether you are in the mission field or chomping at the bit to go, put down your roots where God has you now.  Jeremiah 29:5-7 says, "Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. ⁶ Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters--that you may be increased there, and not diminished. ⁷ And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace." God had an expected end for His people, one which He would be faithful to accomplish in due time.  You can be sure He will do so for you as well.

Is it wrong for a missionary to rent out their home while they are on the mission field?  Absolutely not!  But for us it was an act of faith that we believed God would establish our family in Australia, even as He had been faithful to do in San Diego.  Should we have kept the house, it would have signaled our lack of faith in God's provision.  It would have provided temptation to return when we faced persecutions or trials.  In no way do I condone being caviler or reckless, testing God to conform to our short-sighted will.  We are called to be good stewards of God's gifts. But if God tells us to sell in a buyer's market we should do it - even if holding onto a house may make it more valuable in the future.  Is God's hand shortened He cannot provide?  If we hold onto our old life, we will not be able to enter into the new one God has prepared for us.  We do not need a "fall-back plan" or a pathetic safety net when God is our true foundation and support.

Do you find yourself looking back, thinking about the returning to that sea-worthy boat left on the beach so you might head back to what is familiar?  This principle can be applied to far more than just houses but careers, employers, and countless other things which tempt us away from walking in faith.  The man who puts his hand to the plow and looks back cannot plow straight.  Our call is to be as Paul who forgot the things which were behind and was pressing forward to the finish line!  As long as we have a contingency strategy, we are hindered in advancing where God has us now.  It is time to burn those boats and push all in!  In the same way we are called to leave all behind to follow Christ, so we must answer the call to step out in faith concerning our calling.  God will be faithful to His promise.

Stuck to the Sword

The Bible is filled with accounts of God's people doing mighty deeds.  I was reminded of Eleazar this morning, the second of David's top three mighty men.  2 Samuel 23:9-10 tells us, "And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel had retreated. ¹⁰ He arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder."  When the men of Israel retreated before the Philistine onslaught, Eleazar stood his ground armed with his sword.  He fought to the point of exhaustion.  He gripped the sword so tightly his hand cramped and stuck to it!  Because Eleazar refused to quit, God brought about a great victory that day.  Only after he defeated the Philistines did people return to plunder the slain.

Perhaps Eleazar faced the temptation to follow along with his fellow Israelites and flee in the face of the Philistine attack.  Some men undoubtedly saw their swords as a burden and cast them to the ground in their haste to save their skins!  But Eleazar refused to back down.  He clung to the sword and kept fighting.  What a good example this is of the diligence and resolve required in the spiritual battle we face against Satan, the flesh, and the wisdom of this age.  When a man takes a stand for righteousness in a fallen world, he will face merciless attack.  Sometimes we may be called to stand alone.  Even then, we are not alone because God is with us.  We are not without weapons to face the battle which presses against us.  God has given us the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17).  In the heat of battle the temptation may come to lay aside the Word of God because we are weary and feel all have forsaken us.  But even in the fiery trial God will sustain us, and His Word will protect us.

Eleazar knew what it took to win.  He knew that unless he gripped the sword with all his strength, he would lose his best offensive and defensive weapon at once.  In holding fast to his sword, he clung to life.  Even so, this is true for Christians concerning the Bible.  It contains the words of life.  God is looking for mighty men to stand today with drawn swords, willing to stand alone if necessary.  May God grant us the grace to say with Paul at the end of our days, "I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith, and I have stayed the course."  Our Saviour will never leave or forsake us.  He is our righteous foundation upon which we stand, and His Word is our battle axe and weapon of war.  When the attacks come, let us use it to give an answer for the hope which is within us.  May God give our hands strength to cling to the Sword!  The victory is ours when we stand and fight!

To Those Looking for a Saviour

The needs of people today for survival are the same they have always been.  People need water to drink, food to eat, air to breathe, adequate shelter and sleep.  These days many more things have been tacked onto the list:  mobile phones, transportation, the internet, coffee, and social media.  I recently saw a television commercial of a new Holden car which boasts Facebook access from the center console!  A lot of the things people believe they need are not necessary for life.  Many of the activities and things purported to enhance our lives and we have come to believe we could not possibly live without them actually drain it away.

Times change, but the spiritual needs of people remains the same.  Even in this digital age of technology and information, many people remain in the dark ages spiritually.  Blinded by materialism, caught up in the pursuits of this earthly life, countless people are ignorant of their need for forgiveness and salvation.  Life is filled with many diversions which labour to lead us from the sole source of true wisdom and life.  The greatest need of man is God.  Our stomach tells us we are hungry, and our burning eyes reveal how tired we are.  It is the conscience of man which agrees with the righteous law of God that he is indeed a sinner and is without hope in himself.  It is only when a man is without hope that he desperately searches for a Saviour.

After Andrew met Jesus Christ, John 1:41 tells us:  "He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ)."  Andrew was a Jewish man who was familiar with the Law and prophets.  The fact that he "found" the Messiah means that he was looking for him.  He was looking for the Messiah because he desired to meet and commune with Him.  Had he not recognised a need for himself or the nation for a Saviour, why would he be excited about finding Him?  Andrew was a fisherman who possessed wisdom and discernment the learned in Israel did not.  Andrew's excitement could not be contained, and he sought to tell his brother the great news of his discovery.  Both Andrew and Simon Peter would become followers of Jesus Christ, leaving everything behind for that privilege - an honour and privilege most people didn't even recognise.

Do you need a Saviour?  Have you been looking for Him?  Know that Jesus Christ has been revealed as the promised Messiah, the One who saves His people from their sins.  There is no life found in mobile phones and Facebook.  There is no life even in water, food, or air itself.  These things merely support life for a season.  In the end, we will all perish because the wages of sin is death.  Death has entered the world and death through sin.  But grace, salvation, and eternal life have come to this desolate world through Jesus Christ.  Peter boldly speaks today even as he spoke to the elders of Israel in Acts 4:10-12:  "...Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. ¹¹ This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.' ¹² Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."  Looking for a Saviour?  Look no further than Christ!

Proclaiming Peace

The law in the Old Testament is full of useful principles and insights into the character of God.  People have the mistaken view that there is a difference between the "God" portrayed in the Old Testament and the New.  This is simply not supported in scripture.  God's love and grace is on full display throughout all scripture for all who will see and hear.  God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Never has He suggested "Do as I say but not as I do," but has always kept His Word in righteousness.

One of the stumbling blocks for people is how God granted the children of Israel land which was obtained through warfare.  As the body counts rise, so do the eyebrows of some people.  "How could a loving God allow and encourage such carnage?"  God has always given people opportunity for salvation.  He has never visited His wrath upon people or nations without warning.  Noah was a preacher of righteousness for over 100 years before the flood, warning people of the wrath to come.  Because people refused to heed him and seek refuge in the ark before God shut him in, they were all destroyed.  A day is coming when God will judge the world in righteousness and fire.  Jesus is returning in glory with fierce vengeance against all those who war against Him.

Consider this principle in the law, a principle God has always followed.  Deuteronomy 20:10-13 reads, "When you go near a city to fight against it, then proclaim an offer of peace to it. ¹¹ And it shall be that if they accept your offer of peace, and open to you, then all the people who are found in it shall be placed under tribute to you, and serve you. ¹² Now if the city will not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it. ¹³ And when the LORD your God delivers it into your hands, you shall strike every male in it with the edge of the sword."  It was a law in Israel that before the Hebrews destroyed a city in the land given them by God, they would first give the inhabitants and offer of peace.  If the people submitted to the offer and opened their gates in peace, they would be servants and be permitted to live.  But if the people refused the offer of peace, the Israelites would destroy the city and those within it.  The principle God always follows is before destruction there must always be a proclamation of an offer of peace.  For those who hear and submit to His offer, they will be given life.  All those who refuse His offer make themselves enemies of God and will be subject to His fierce wrath.

Psalm 24:1 says, "The earth is the LORD'S, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein."  God owns all things, being Creator of heaven and earth.  He has created every living thing, having breathed into every human being a living soul.  Though we are doomed to destruction, having been separated from God by our sin, God has spoken peace to us through Jesus Christ.  When angel's heralded the birth of Christ of the virgin Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit, they sang together in Luke 2:14, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"  In sending Jesus Christ as Messiah and Saviour, God has made an offer of peace to all men through the Gospel.  The conditions of salvation are repentance and faith in Christ.  Acts 17:30-31 reads, "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, ³¹ because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."

God has spoken peace to all people.  Jesus spread His arms in love, allowing His hands and feet to be nailed to the cross.  Romans 5:8 explains, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  It is not God's will that any perish but that all would come to repentance.  Should God be blamed because He is righteous and just and men are stubborn sinners who refuse His conditions of peace?  God has made a way for all to be saved from the flames of hell at the cost of His own blood (Acts 20:28).  1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  The pride of man keeps him from surrendering to God's terms.  He thinks nothing to stand in judgment of God and the Bible without even reading it!

The offer of peace through Christ is extended to you today.  He graciously extends His arms to you in friendship.  He freely offers forgiveness and eternal life to all who will submit to Him as servants.  It is not that God needs more servants but desires to adopt all who repent and believe in Christ as His own sons!  If you refuse His offer today, tomorrow, all the way until the days of your life expire, you will experience death and everlasting torment in hell.  Do not delay to accept God's conditions of peace, for what man among you knows the day of his death?  Without Christ you are dead even now!  Now is the accepted time, today is the day of salvation.  Should you choose to war against God, God's fury will be righteously poured out on you without intermission.  He pleads with you through me.  Drop your weapons; lay aside your poor excuses.  Choose instead to open the gates of your heart in peace toward Him!  He will accept all who receive Him.

Broken Reeds

Has anyone you trusted let you down?  God allows circumstances in our lives to teach us that He is the only one worthy of worship and absolute confidence.  Even after we make a decision to follow Christ, we can lean on our own understanding rather than trusting in God.  It is good when God forces us to let go of our false supports and learn only to rely upon Him.  What is a primary way God makes a man decide to let go?  Pain.  When we pick up something hot, the message of searing pain tells us to drop it quick!

There is an instance in scripture when King Hezekiah rebelled against the king of Assyria.  He sent a messenger named Rabshakeh to intimidate the people of Samaria to surrender.  Though he was a false accuser, a blasphemer, and did not fear the true God of heaven and earth, Rabshakeh held forth some valuable insights in 2 Kings 18:20-21:  "You speak of having plans and power for war; but they are mere words. And in whom do you trust, that you rebel against me? ²¹ Now look! You are trusting in the staff of this broken reed, Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him."  Rabshakeh accused Hezekiah and his people of looking to Egypt to save them, which was not true in this instance.  But the analogy of the staff piercing the hand is a good one to consider.

A staff is a walking stick, a sturdy piece of wood selected to carry in the hand to provide stability and help when traversing difficult country.  People commonly carried a staff during travel to support themselves.  We may not carry a staff as we walk through the city, but there are things we rely upon just the same.  We trust in our mobile phones and apps that will help us to safely navigate the city or to call for aid.  You may look to your job or financial situation to provide security.  We rely upon our health and mental well being.  There might be people in your life like parents, your spouse, children, a mentor, or pastor you trust or rely upon for direction and help in time of need.  But compared to God, all of these supports are false.  They are all like a staff that pierces your hand and causes painful injury.  The trouble is, once we have had our hand stabbed through we are increasingly reluctant to extend that hand to others.  Even when God reaches out to help us in love, we withdraw our hand because we've been hurt before.  This is ironic because only God has the power to heal our soul, mind, and body.

The hands God extends to you have been pierced:  the nail-pierced hand of Jesus Christ.  Jesus only trusted the Father and performed His will, yet the sins of the world - your sin and mine - were placed upon Him on the cross.  Jesus knows our pain and He only did what was right.  The pain which we experience in this life God allows so we might toss aside all false supports and trust in Him entirely.    The Bible tells us those who seek to be rich pierce themselves through with many sorrows.  You may have been burned by people.  The betrayal has cut you deep.  When the depth of our pain is unbearable and the temptation is strong to withdrawal from fellowship with God or others, consider that the intensity of the pain often correlates to the weight you place on that broken reed which could not save.  When we lean lightly on broken reeds, the damage is minimal.  When all our weight is pressed upon false supports, far greater damage is inflicted.

Christ reaches out to save us with His scarred hands.  May we extend our wounded hands to grasp His, for salvation and healing is found in Him alone.

I Know You're Out There

I may not know you, but I know you're out there.

You're hurting.  Betrayed, disillusioned, confused, you don't know who to trust.  Perhaps you suffered abuse at the hands of people you trusted as a child.  Your body no longer shows the bruises and the bleeding has stopped, but inside the wounds are fresh.  Just as painful was the fact no one knew how you suffered as you stuffed your hurt deep inside.

You're afraid.  You carry fear that gnaws you from the inside.  Sometimes you feel like a child, alone in the dark.  You fear rejection and the thought of being all alone.  You fear your spouse.  You fear for your life.  And you are very afraid to die.

But in a perverse way you would welcome death, given your experiences of life.  The weight of sorrows, disappointments, grief, and anger is more than you can bear.  The anger inside of you has a grip you can't escape.  It breaks your heart when you hurt others with fists and words.  You don't want to be like this anymore, but you are helpless, adrift, and living without life.  Your body is alive, but you are dead inside.

You're hooked.  Things you used to find exciting and fun have brought you under bondage.  You are a slave to alcohol, to pornography, to lying, drugs, selling your body, and giving away pieces of your heart and soul.  You feel like a fish sometimes, hooked through the nose and pulled along by Satan himself.  You hear voices and you fight to resist them.  But inevitably you lose. When they win, you do things you hate.  The shame is unbearable but the cycle continues.  You hate everything, yourself - and even God.

You're miserable.  You long for true love, but it has always evaded you.  Financial security and outward success have left you empty.  You have discovered many different ways to cope, various numbing agents to avoid the pain, darkness, and poverty within.  Is this all there is?  Hopeless and helpless, you desperately are seeking a way out but are afraid to take it.  You have decided you will never be vulnerable again.  You secretly cut yourself to feel something.  You desire release and think of taking your life.  How hard would it be to cut a little deeper?  Would anyone care?

I know you're out there.  God prompted me this morning to think about you and pray for you.  He moved me to tell you that there is help and hope for you in Jesus Christ.  You might be looking for God, you might not.  But God is not lost.  He is the One who seeks after the helpless, the sick, the hopeless, and sinners - people who aren't perfect - regular people like you and me.  He knows your pain.  He understands.  Jesus was betrayed by a friend, forsaken by His friends, abused, tortured, and killed by sinners even though He did nothing wrong.  He did only good.  Yet He suffered and died on the cross because He loves all people:  the broken, the wounded, abused, and addicted.  He died for you.

During His life, Jesus did many miracles and signs pointing to His deity.  He healed the blind, lame, cleansed lepers, and raised the dead to life.  But the greatest portrait of His love is when He stretched out His arms and His hands were nailed to the cross.  Naked, ashamed, and humiliated, He bore the punishment for your sins and mine on that cross.  Sin came into the world and death through sin.  Sin also is the cause for all sickness, sadness, crying, and suffering.  Jesus embraced all those things for you because He loves you.  He did not fear death because He knew He would rise again the third day and prove His power over sin, death, the devil, and hell.  Glory to God, Jesus Christ DID rise from the dead.  He's alive to this day and will ever be.

I know you're out there, and I don't even know you.  But God does.  He created you, knit you together in the womb of your mother.  He sees through the facade; His eyes pierce the masks we wear.  He knows your fear, doubts, anger, and hate.  He knows you are wounded and all the injustices you have endured.  God demonstrated His love for you through the greatest injustice ever committed on this earth when Jesus was crucified on the cross.  God redeemed that grave tragedy, and God can redeem your life too.  He invites you to come to Him.  He gently speaks words of peace.  He coaxes you to trust Him.  People may have abused, betrayed, and forsaken you, but He will not.  He offers you everlasting love, life, redemption, forgiveness, and hope.  Christ offers you Himself.  John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  Come to Him today as a frightened child.  Confess your sin and admit your great need for forgiveness and salvation.  Trust in Christ and He will wash you clean.  He will break your bonds and open your eyes.  He will give you new life and unfailing love.  He will hug you close as a daddy you never had.

If you choose to repent and follow Christ, Revelation 21:3-4 paints a picture of your certain future:  "And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."  Our God makes all things new.  Apart from God you are without hope.  If you will trust in Him, He will set you free and give you a fresh start to a new life through Him.  Won't you trust Him?

Time to Start Sewing!

While reading through Revelation this week, the LORD showed me a wonderful analogy of how our position of righteousness in Christ and good works are knit seamlessly together.  It is written in Revelation 19:7-8, "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." ⁸ And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints."  Scripture tells us there is none righteous, no not one.  The righteousness which comes through the law is as filthy rags.  The law was like a schoolmaster, taking us by the hand and leading us to faith in Christ.  The law revealed to our conscience our sinful stains, and the blood of Christ through faith in the Gospel washes us clean and imputes His righteousness to us.

The picture God gave me is one of a groom and his future bride in ancient Israel.  During the betrothal period, the bride and groom would not see each other whist the groom was building an addition onto his father's house.  But the groom would often supply gifts such as fine linen for her wedding garment.  It was the bride's responsibility to wisely design, cut, sew, and alter the garment to fit properly.  She needed to be ready at a moment's notice so at the sound of the trumpet heralding the wedding procession she would be dressed and ready.

In the Bible, the church of Christ is often referred to as the bride of Christ.  Christ has supplied us with His righteousness, and the onus is upon us to walk therein.  We are His betrothed, legally married together even now, for He is the Head of the Body of which we are many members.  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."  It would be sad if the groom at great expense provided expensive, flawless linen for his future wife to wear on their wedding day - and she never bothered to unwrap it!  If she loves her future husband and is happily awaiting the big day, the wife would tackle the project earnestly, rejoicing in the fact that her husband loved her so much to provide linen she never could have afforded.  We should be like that faithful bride, diligently working to craft a wedding garment worthy of royalty adorned with love.

The church is only as faithful as each individual member.  Instead of leaving the fine linen wrapped up until we trim down our figure, let's labour to put on His righteousness today in humility for God's glory.  Jesus has given us the pattern to follow through the instruction and wisdom of His example and Word.  May we walk worthily of Christ's sacrifice, having payed the bride price with His own blood.  Let us labour to be ready for His return, for He comes quickly.  Time to sew!