The Risen Healer

Good Friday and Easter is a great reminder of the death of Jesus on the cross and His subsequent resurrection.  The body of Jesus, marred beyond recognition, would be raised victorious in divine glory.

I have heard it said "Time heals all wounds," but even cursory thought reveals this to be a myth.  Not only is time incapable of healing anyone in itself, it offers no hope of genuine comfort.  How did this cliche hold up as stones crushed the skull of Stephen?  What would it profit to wax poetical over the body of Paul as the executioners blade decapitated him?  Say, "Time heals all wounds" to the mother whose infant son was stolen or to the husband whose wife has left him.  Employ this view to the boy or girl who has been raped by a supposed friend.  Go ahead and say it, but it doesn't mean it is true.

During His life Jesus Christ healed many people, many of them suffering from incurable conditions and illnesses.  He opened the eyes of men born blind, healed the flow of blood from a poor woman, healed the lame, cleansed lepers, cast out demons, and even raised people from the dead.  I wonder what people thought when the Healer bled out on a cross and was buried in a tomb.  "He healed others but could not heal Himself," they may have sneered.  Yet all the scorn and mockery was revealed to be unfounded when Jesus Christ rose from the dead after three days.  He accomplished more than the healing of His physical body but was resurrected in a glorified, immortal form.  How glorious is the empty tomb and our risen LORD!

Time heals no wounds, but Jesus who is the same yesterday, today, and forever remains a Healer.  He is able to administer a cure no medicine can boast, the forgiveness of sins and granting of eternal life.  The dead are still raised to life as the love and power of Jesus Christ is perpetuated through the Gospel.  In Jesus is redemption, reconciliation, and everlasting hope.  Christ does not offer sentiment but salvation, and He lives forevermore!

Jesus and Heart Transplants

I was recently made aware of a young woman who needs a heart transplant.  While considering her life-threatening condition, it struck me that for her need for a new heart to be supplied someone else would first need to die.  As we approach Good Friday and Easter, the words of Jesus Christ come to mind in John 12:24-25:  "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. ²⁵ He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."  The woman waiting for a heart transplant undoubtedly hopes for a "new lease on life," but only Jesus provides abundant and eternal life without disease, pain, or medication.

Jesus did not demand His followers die to prove their loyalty to Him:  He willingly chose to die for those who despised and rejected Him.  Jesus Christ was willing for His blood to be poured out like water and His skin to be ripped into ribbons in obedience to the Father for the joy which was before Him.  If I was to offer my heart as a transplant for someone else, I could at best help one person.  Often a heart transplant isn't successful because the rejection of the transplanted organ is a common complication.  But Jesus, when He laid down His life by being lifted up on Calvary's cross, provided new life for all people who will repent and believe in Him.  This is the Gospel truth for all people we celebrate this day and every day, that by faith in Jesus who was broken His followers are made whole.

The life Jesus Christ gives is not just better but a new life lived with the benefit of a new heart.  The promise of God was spoken by the prophet to the nation Israel under Law has been expanded to all people by the New Covenant in Christ's blood in Ezekiel 36:26-27:  "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷ I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them."  A recipient of a heart transplant needs to take medications for the remainder of her life to prevent the body from rejecting the heart, and God gives us a new heart and the Holy Spirit.  Our unregenerate heart spiritually resembled stone:  hard, stubborn, without feeling, and incapable of supporting life.  When we are born again through the Gospel, Jesus gives us a heart of flesh that is soft, tender, and full of life.  The life is in the blood, and it is the blood of Jesus which washes us from all sin.

Loving your unregenerate life leads to loss of it, but those who are willing to deny self and follow Jesus discover new, abundant, and eternal life through faith in Him.  Have you been brought to a place where you can say, "I hate my life in this world?"  Do not despair if this describes well your feelings and thoughts concerning your life, for there is hope in Jesus.  The curse of sin is dragging you to eternal damnation and torment in hell, but Jesus came to set the captives free!  After dying on the cross, He rose from the dead victorious over sin and death - and that is the victory He provides for all who repent and trust in Him.  Do you need a new heart?  Only Jesus can give you the new heart you need.  A heart transplant only prolongs life on earth, but Jesus gives eternal life which is for today and always.

The Value of Disagreement

Agreeing to disagree is harder said than done.  Tolerance "puts up" with differences without accepting or valuing others as we ought.  Instead of breeding arrogance or indifference, the genuine love of God draws near to those who are misunderstood to convey kindness, compassion, and care.  When I have substituted tolerance for love it is a terrible weight to carry which burdens beyond strength.  When I consider the love of Jesus Christ which was not offered to receive anything good from me but is all of grace, it realigns my perspective with His.

I just finished reading Jesus Among Secular Gods by Ravi Zacharias and Vince Vitale.  I would highly recommend it for Christians and all seekers of truth.  I found the book useful, encouraging, and thought provoking.  I believe it would be a compelling read for willing Christians, skeptics, and atheists alike.  It illustrates well how and why the claims and qualities of Jesus Christ are unique and concrete truth in a world of relativism and other "isms" which resemble sliding sand unsuitable for life and logically unsustainable.  One of the most impacting sections on the book for me personally was a fresh perspective on disagreement.  We have all disagreed with others, and typically holding contrary views does little to draw people together except to argue, become defensive, grow angry, and either raise our voices in frustration or retreat into silence.  Vince Vitale wrote in the chapter titled "Love the Truth:"

"Academic philosophy has its vices, but, at its best, one of its virtues is that it places a very high value on truth.  And one result of this is that disagreeing with someone about their core beliefs is seen as a compliment and an act of service.  It's a way of saying that the other person's ideas are promising enough to take seriously, so much so that you are willing to invest time and effort into them yourself...If a scholar takes the time to critique my research in print, that is a great gift.  And the more extensively she critiques my work, the greater the gift.  Something similar is true in sports.  Extensive critique by a good coach means that the coach sees potential in you,, and therefore believes that putting extra time into you is a good investment....Sadly, because truth so often has been abused as power play, experience has taught us that disagreement goes hand in hand with devaluing.  We have learned that the trajectory of disagreement is from disagreement to devaluing to intolerance to violence.  In fact, the opposite should be true...Because truth has so often been used as a weapon to manipulate, abuse, and control, many have stopped valuing truth altogether.  We have lost the ability to disagree in love.  Even more, we have lost the ability for disagreement to be itself an act of love." (“Love The Truth.” Jesus among Secular Gods: the Countercultural Claims of Christ, by Ravi K Zacharias and Vince Vitale, FaithWords, 2018, pp. 211–212.)

How might your interactions with people change if you viewed disagreement with them as an intentional act of love?  Perhaps even more relevant for a Christian living in a secular world, are you willing to view others who disagree with you as a gracious gift?  We do not need to be professional philosophers to glean and apply this profound truth.  Others may not see your disagreement as a gift, but we do well to view it in this fashion.  May our friendly demeanour and kind tone edify so the sensible will not assume it is a personal attack.  When we feel opposed or attacked for our stance, let us decide it is good for us to put our postulates through their paces.  It is not only our views which are being better distilled and purified, but God will do a mighty work in and through us as we humble ourselves.

Wax and Hearts

After my car blew a head gasket, I recently purchased a replacement which is much newer.  I would occasionally give the old car a wash and vacuum, but there was little reason to spend much effort or time on detailing.  The paint at some point had been dusted with overspray, and I wasn't willing to invest the time or expense to have the old car professionally detailed.  What happened under the bonnet was more important to me to maintain with regular servicing, and this was done without fail.

To preserve the finish of the newer car, a investment of time and money to buy necessary supplies was required.  Maintenance is an expense, but to neglect a vehicle is far more costly in the end.  My experience with owning vehicles over the last twenty plus years is the older the vehicle or the longer I have owned it, the less attention I give to maintain the exterior.  Once the shine starts to wear off, I'm just not as interested to invest the elbow grease required to restore the lustre.  A well-maintained engine is the most critical part of a vehicle to invest in, as the purpose in owning a car is to transport me from here to there - not to look shiny.

As I buffed a thin layer of wax from the car today, I started thinking about how maintaining the exterior of my cars tends to start strong but can wane over time.  Then I considered how it is possible to do the same thing in our relationships with people and even with God.  Knowing I have clean, quality oil in the crankcase to move me from here to there is a good feeling, and it is also wonderful to know because of the Gospel I am heading for heaven.  But is it possible I can become lax with my relationship with God, that over time I can become less likely to invest time or energy to seek intimacy with God?  Could my spiritual health resemble a rusted out jalopy because all I care about is under the bonnet?  Sure it can.  All healthy relationships require work and personal investment, and this is also true concerning our relationship with God..

So what is the takeaway of these musings?  In a short amount of time a great deal of dust, bug guts, and grime collects on the finish of a car and these must be washed.  As we navigate through this life, there are all sorts of things which pollute our hearts and minds, sins which only God can cleanse when our hearts are exposed to Him in repentance.  Our impure thoughts and motives are hidden from men, but they are exposed before the Almighty, Living God.  We must be willing to approach God humbly and seek forgiveness, walking in obedience to God's Word.  The Pharisees looked like cherry red Ferraris but lacked an engine (all show no go); we should not be confident in our well-maintained motor but habitually park under trees where the flying foxes roost.  Sin sticks and must be confessed and forsaken.  An engine has no power to wash and wax a car, and our salvation does not guarantee advancement in our sanctification.  If we will be saved, God then holds us responsible to keep our lives free of sin.

Even when our lives are bogged in the mud or we've ignored the bugs and grime, God remains gracious to us.  At the same time God's goodness and mercy are no excuse for neglect.  Our lives are gifts from God and He is worthy to be served and praised with our whole hearts, holding back nothing He requires of us.  As long as Christ tarries may we be about His business, investing in the regular maintenance of our hearts and lives.  Forgiveness is free for us, but Jesus paid for it with His own blood.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  Wax properly applied guards paint, and may we be vigilant in the power of the Holy Spirit to guard our hearts.

In Trying Times

I heard a memorable sermon during which the preacher said concerning faith in God, "You better get rid of your Plan B!  Your 'Plan B' is an offence to God."  What He said is true:  if we will not take a step of faith until we have layers of "safety nets" in place, are we really stepping out in faith?  It may take a certain amount of courage to take a leap of faith, but it isn't much of a leap when we are harnessed.  Instead of faith in God we place our confidence in the harness to hold us.

There is a example in scripture of a time when God chose not to answer the prayer of one who sought him.  No man is worthy in himself of an audience with the Almighty, and this even goes for kings.  1 Samuel 28:5-6 reads, "When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. ⁶ And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets."  I am not God and it does not say explicitly in scripture why God did not answer (other scriptures support other reasons as well), but his backup plan may be a reason.  Met with silence from God, King Saul resorted to the unthinkable in 1 Samuel 28:7, "Then Saul said to his servants, "Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her." And his servants said to him, "In fact, there is a woman who is a medium at En Dor."

Saul had been tasked by God to drive out the mediums and spiritists in the land.  Since God would not speak to allay his fears, Saul sought the assistance of demons!  It is no wonder God would not speak to Saul, seeing His words were brought down to the wicked level of devils.  Oh that there was in Saul the heart after God found in his successor David who wrote in Psalm 27:14, "Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!"  May there also be found in us such a heart not to rely on our understanding but in all our ways acknowledge the LORD so He will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).  King Saul wanted little to do with God when he was prosperous and at ease, and therefore did not rely on God in trials.  If we will have God's counsel in trying times, we ought to seek and rely on Him when all seems well.

Moved By The Word

Is there anything you find emotionally moving?  The beauty of a song or a scene in film can bring tears to our eyes.  Watching a sports match can bring us to our feet with a joyous shout, and a strange sound in the dark can make our hair stand on end.  Injustice fills us with indignation as our pulse and breathing quicken.  Frustration moves us to raise our voice or withdraw to brood in silence.  Emotions are poor rudders to guide our decisions but good indicators of what is happening in our hearts and heads.

Can you recall a time when words from the Bible moved you emotionally?  Today I read of such a moment in the life of king Josiah.  At a young age he began to seek the LORD.  He personally oversaw the destruction of idols and altars throughout the land, and he also repaired the house of the LORD.  During renovations the book of the Law was found in the Temple and was brought to Josiah.  After the Word was read to the king 2 Chronicles 34:19 says, "Thus it happened, when the king heard the words of the Law, that he tore his clothes."  This may seem a strange response to us, but to Josiah and the people in Israel it was a sign of grief and mourning.  King Josiah sent messengers to inquire of God because the book spoke of great wrath being poured out on all who did not keep the words of the Law.

I suspect most people look to scripture for comfort and promises of peace over rebuke and warnings of great wrath.  Consider this:  if we will rejoice over a promise to the faithful, we should also tremble over passages which condemn sinners.  Who among us is without sin?  We own and claim scriptures which bring peace to our souls, yet the wise will acknowledge when we or people around us have brought ourselves under a curse because of our sin.  Righteous Daniel wept in sackcloth over the sins of Israel 70 years into captivity in Babylon (Daniel 9), and Jesus lamented over Jerusalem and the lost sheep of Israel who refused to draw near to Him.

God's response through a prophetess to Josiah's emotional response is revealing in 2 Chronicles 34:26-28:  "But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, in this manner you shall speak to him, 'Thus says the LORD God of Israel: "Concerning the words which you have heard-- ²⁷ because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you," says the LORD. ²⁸ Surely I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place and its inhabitants." So they brought back word to the king."  Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks upon the heart.  God saw the tearing of Josiah's clothes but also that heart was humble and contrite before Him.  The tears Josiah shed were before the LORD and His ears were open to his cries.  Yes, wrath and judgment for sin was coming, but it would not come near Josiah.

No man can have peace with God without humility and repentance.  Brothers and sisters, may we not be guilty of dry eyes when we sin in a world of iniquity!  Praise the LORD He hears the prayers of the penitent who seek Him, but as Josiah let us take His warnings to heart.  We are no better than our fathers, sinners though they be.  If God's Word is not able to touch our emotions, I wonder if it has yet to pierce our hearts or impact our minds.  Let us prepare our hearts as it is written in Hosea 10:12, "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you."  Having been moved to repentance by the Word of God, let us keep it.

The Personal God

No one enjoys painful trials and difficulties.  If we could do something to avoid them, we most certainly would - and in doing so would cut ourselves off from communion and fellowship with God only obtained in times of suffering.  The reality of God, His guidance, and comfort is personally and profoundly realised when we trust Him in trouble.

The first three verses of Psalm 23 reads, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. ² He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. ³ He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake."  David begins the psalm from a third person perspective.  In a few sentences he paints a peaceful scene with a shepherd and sheep who find all their needs bountifully met.  It is easy to imagine sheep contentedly grazing in green pastures and drinking from clear, still water.

It is usually poor writing form to switch perspectives, but David masterfully switched to second person in His view of God in Psalm 23:4-5:  "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. ⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over."  Writing in second person creates a more personal feel.  David went from referring to the LORD as "He" and "His" to "You" and "Your," and no wonder:  it is in the valley of the shadow of death and the presence of evil those who trust God draw closer to Him, and He draws closer to us.  In green pastures God was spoken of, but in tribulation God was addressed personally.

Praise the LORD He is a great God who spends time with every sheep of His fold personally!  In this world we will experience tribulation, and when death seems closest our living God (who is our Life) draws closer still.  How awesome is our God, who knows us and reveals Himself to us.

No "Ifs" About It

The lyrics of the Chris Tomlin song "Our God" say, "And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us? And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?"  Like Roman 8:31, the phrase begins with an "if" which denotes a conditional statement.  The protection, provision, and power of God is not automatically granted to people who have verbally agreed to follow Jesus on the basis of their new birth alone.  When God's people walked wickedly many times He plainly said to them, "I am against you."  In Ezekiel 34 God said He was against the shepherds because they were selfish and neglected their calling.

If our theology is no deeper than worship songs, this might be a shocking revelation:  when we sin against God and refuse to repent, He will begin move against us.  We can shout scriptures and songs, claiming them for our benefit, but God will see we reap what we sow.  God is for us, as long as we are for Him.  Praise the LORD He is compassionate, merciful, and reveals Himself to us even as He did to Joshua.  We think about others being for or against us and assume God is "on our side," but we need to be sure we are on God's side.  On the eve of battle Joshua saw a man with an unsheathed sword in Joshua 5:13.  He boldly approached the figure and asked, "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?"  Basically he asked, "Whose side are you on?"

Joshua 5:14 records the answer:  "So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshipped, and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?"  Joshua's direct question was answered with a "No" because it was the wrong question to ask of God.  The Commander of the LORD's army did not ask a question but made a statement of fact:  it was Joshua who needed to decide if he would be on the LORD's side.  Notice the capitalisation of "He" in the NKJV and the fact the commander of the LORD's army received worship.  He then commanded Joshua to take his shoes off his feet because Joshua was in the presence of the One who spoke to Moses from the burning bush.

Our God is for us when we are on His side, and there are no "ifs" about it.  The walls of Jericho falling flat when the Hebrews obeyed God are proof of this.  Taking God's side is more than having knowledge of the truth but walking humbly before our LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ.  The principle rings true spoken by the prophet in 2 Chronicles 15:1-2, "Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. ² And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you."  It is good to know God is for us, but we will never experience the fullness of this blessing until we we choose God's side.  We are on His side when our hearts do the equivalent of falling on our faces before the Holy One of Israel and say determined to obey, "What does my LORD say to His servant?" 

Who Is Your Father?

Today I noticed an interesting example of the grace of God in the Old Testament.  It is exciting and to discover connections previously unknown by me, and these revelations confirm our deepest studies only scratch the surface of God's Word.

Uzziah was king in Jerusalem and was greatly helped by God.  Yet when he was strong his heart was lifted up with pride and he decided to burn incense - a God-given duty only for sanctified priests, not the king.  After he was angry when confronted by a host of godly priests, Uzziah was struck with leprosy.  This event did not go unnoticed by his son Jotham who became king after him.

The following chapter makes a key observation concerning king Jotham in 2 Chronicles 27:2:  "And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah had done (although he did not enter the temple of the LORD). But still the people acted corruptly."  It seems Jotham did not distinguish the sin of his father from the place where God's judgment fell and consequently would not even enter the temple.  Better safe than sorry, right?  Not at all, for the people followed his example and acted corruptly.  If the king did not go to the temple for sacrifice or prayer, why should they?

After the passing of Jotham, Ahaz his son became king and did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD.  Not only did he openly worship idols, but 2 Chronicles 28:24 tells us, "So Ahaz gathered the articles of the house of God, cut in pieces the articles of the house of God, shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and made for himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem."  Ahaz scorned the worship of God and forbid anyone else to worship God either.  The temple was plundered, polluted, and the doors sealed.  Uzziah sinned in the temple without repentance, Jotham would not enter the temple, and Ahaz plundered and shut it so no one could!  The spiritual downward spiral seemed without end.  Only the grace of God could redeem this hopeless state.

At twenty-five years Hezekiah became king and did what was right in the sight of the LORD.  He did what was right as his father David had done, not as Ahaz had done for he was faithful to the God of Israel.  God led him in the first year of his reign to open the doors of the temple and repair them (2 Chron. 29:3).  At his command the priests and Levites were sanctified, the temple was cleansed of rubbish, and the worship of God began once again in earnest.  Praise and prayers were lifted up to God and sacrifices were made morning and night.  2 Chronicles 29:36 says, "Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced that God had prepared the people, since the events took place so suddenly."  God prepared Hezekiah, the priests, Levites, and people to worship the LORD, and it was His doing.

How awesome is our God, who redeems people from iniquity!  We are not destined for destruction without hope, even as a son is not doomed to repeat the mistakes of his wicked father.  Everyone who has a Father in heaven has access to the grace of God in which we stand.  We must not blame our earthly fathers for our spiritual lameness, but take to heart what Hezekiah urged the people in 2 Chronicles 30:7-8, "And do not be like your fathers and your brethren, who trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, so that He gave them up to desolation, as you see. ⁸ Now do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD; and enter His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you."  Those who yield to God and enter His presence with worship on the basis of Christ's sacrifice can serve Him faithfully.  We turn from God, but when we return to Him He will not turn His face from us (2 Chron. 30:9).