God Is Gracious

"If you ever take your neighbour's garment as a pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down. ²⁷ For that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What will he sleep in? And it will be that when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious."

Exodus 22:26-27

God cares about people, even the poor who lack basic necessities.  As a kid when I went to the neighbourhood recreation centre to give them an identification card or my wallet as collateral to play Foosball, table tennis, or pool.  Once I returned the supplies to the attendant my property was returned to me.  A similar method was used in ancient times, where people would give a loan of money and hold their cloak as collateral.  God placed a stipulation that if a garment was taken as a pledge to secure payment on a loan, by law it was to be returned "before the sun goes down."  This would afford him warmth on a cold night.

The last part of the verse grabbed me:  "And it will be that when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious."  God is a gracious God, having mercy and compassion on poor debtors.  He does not chide such a one for their poverty, the decision to take out a loan, or say of the shivering man, "Serves him right!"  God is gracious, a phenomenal characteristic and remarkably rare for a king (or anyone else under the sun, for that matter).  Kings typically reward loyalty and are harsh against any who rebel against them.  Kings who intend to keep their thrones do not promote those who have not been absolutely trustworthy in the past.  Their allies are the wealthy, the ones upon whom they have bestowed titles and lands - not the shivering poor crying at night.

When we come to God in our poverty, crying out to Him in sorrow, sadness, or because of injustice God will hear because He is gracious.  In the darkness when no one sees, in the cold we cannot escape, we can enter into the presence of the Almighty God who is KING OF KINGS.  His grace is seen by the audience He has freely given us and in taking action for our good.  We are all sinners before God and unworthy of His care, but all who trust in Jesus Christ have been redeemed, adopted as children, and exalted to be co-heirs with Jesus Christ.  That we could be grafted into the body of Christ as a viable part through whom God desires to work!  Having received such grace, let us also be gracious as our heavenly Father is to all who cry out to Him.

The Green Room Experience

A "green room" is defined as "a room in a theatre or studio in which performers can relax when they are not performing."  It is a place to hang out and rest with comforts and amenities provided.  Before the show there is a palpable sense of excitement complete with some nerves.  For musicians and actors it is the final moment before displaying the culmination of hard work to do the thing they have worked towards their entire lives.  I have met with people to pray before a church service in a "green room" of sorts, and there was no dread in the air but expectancy God would work and whatever God does is amazing.

For Christians, death beds are similar to a green room.  Instead of sitting on plush or comfortable furniture, those preparing to depart this world lie upon stark hospital beds.  These rooms are not located adjacent a world-famous auditorium but in living rooms, trailers, hospice and aged-care facilities.  There is no murmuring of the adoring fans gathering in the hall but the whirr and beeping of medical equipment and the hushed tones of a visitor or two.  Instead of rehearsing lines or riffs scripture is read aloud, prayers are offered, and tears are shed.  There is no set hour for departure from this spiritual green room, but at the hour only known by God the graduation to glory occurs in an instant.

I remember visiting my Grandad after he had a stroke and seeing a friend in intensive care who was in an induced coma after contracting flesh-eating bacteria.  I held my aunt's hand as she drifted out of consciousness in her living room and sang songs around my Grandmother before her passing surrounded by family.  In these largely quiet and always sacred moments these dear souls had little physical movement besides the drawing of breath, but I am convinced they eagerly awaited release from the body to enter into the joy of the LORD.  In my mind's eye I seem them sitting next to me as I spend a few last moments looking at their tired bodies, and they are on the edge of their seat ready to be ushered by angels into God's presence.

Does the song of your heart echo the words of the Johnny Cash song?  "Let us labour for the Master from the dawn till setting sun, let us talk of all His wondrous love and care, then when all of life is over, and our work on earth is done, and the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there."  The only way any of us will leave this earthly green room and enter the presence of the LORD is by faith in Jesus Christ.  No one earns the right to be a child of God by their own efforts, and there is no curtain call for applause from men.  At the appointed time we will all be freed from the husk of these failing bodies and into heaven, or be shackled and cast into outer darkness and eternal torment.  For those dead in sins it is like awaiting a second death, but the "green room" experience is one of exhilaration because Christians were born again for the moment to be called up on stage for life everlasting.

Be Mine!

It was customary for me in primary school to hand out "Valentine's Day" cards with messages that read "Be Mine" or to give out boxes of chalky Sweethearts candies with each classmate's name written on them.  It was a simple tradition which did not lead to romantic interest (as far as I know).  It was the one time an easy opportunity was given to share feelings about someone, though cards or candy were brought for all.  In my youth the exchange of Valentines was polite and innocent, without any promises of commitment.

God's love and grace is not fickle like the hearts of people who have a crush on someone one week and then affections can shift dramatically.  God offers His favour and blessing to anyone who will have Him.  In a way God asks every person, "Will you be mine?"  All who consent to this relationship can count on the enduring love and the complete commitment of God forever.  When I handed our Valentine's Day cards I did so only for my classmates, but Jesus has come and invited all people to follow Him - not only as servants but as friends.  God is not desperate for attention or needy, as if He needed anyone to validate or appreciate His existence, but because He truly loves.  Love is never content to remain at a distance but seeks unity and intimacy.  This love is not based in sexual desire or selfish control.  Having demonstrated God's love through dying on the cross, our response to Christ's love is the voluntary yielding of our will in recognition of who God is and all He has done - as a child before a loving parent.

This equal opportunity for God's favour was shown to the kings of Israel.  After the people demanded a king, God chose Saul.  He was a handsome, humble, a man head and shoulders taller than all others.  David is described as a "man after God's own heart" whom God brought out of the sheepfold and set him on the throne of Israel.  God then established the throne of Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived.  Finally (for the sake of this example), God revealed to the hard-working Jeroboam He would make him king over 10 tribes of Israel.  What God promised to Saul, David, and Solomon He promised similarly to Jeroboam in 1 Kings 11:38:  "Then it shall be, if you heed all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build for you an enduring house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you."  If Jeroboam would be God's man, God would be with him and establish him.  But if Jeroboam rejected the LORD as Saul and Solomon in their later years, God would strip the kingdom from him and his house.

God made a conditional promise to all of these kings, and only David - the man after God's own heart - continued following God faithfully.  This shows us a royal bearing, great wisdom, and an industrious work ethic are not enough to keep our hearts from wandering from God.  We must have transformed hearts after God's own through the power of the Holy Spirit to keep walking in God's ways, giving honour and glory to Him as is His just due.  That is the prime distinction between David and the other three first mentioned:  the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit of God was with David from his anointing by Samuel until the end of his days.  This blessing and promise of the Father is not for kings or Jews only but even to all people from every nation under heaven.  When God says "Be Mine!" and you gladly submit to this, He will be yours as long as you will have Him.  Praise the LORD, for He delights to abide in us forever!

The Home of the Brave

I was born and raised in the United States, the "land of the free and the home of the brave."  Freedom has been one of the great hallmarks celebrated by many in American culture:  freedom of speech, freedom to bear arms, freedom to assemble, freedom of religion, and more lately freedom for gays to marry.  A potential landmark case is being heard in the U.S. Supreme Court which seemingly pits religious freedom against discrimination.  A baker who declined to make a cake for a same-sex wedding in Colorado ran afoul of State law and appealed his case to the Supreme Court.

I remember as a kid reading signs on the doors and windows of restaurants which said, "No shirt, no shoes, no service!"  It makes sense if an entrepreneur decides to own and run a restaurant which serves the public, it is their rightful place - ultimately for the good or bad of the business - to place restrictions on the conditions of service.  A CNN article says the baker also refused to make Halloween cakes, but apparently he was not taken to court over it.  The Supreme Court now is tasked to weigh the right of religious freedom against a "license to discriminate," as an ABC article puts it.  A quote from the ACLU lawyer concluded the article:  "I worry about what the world looks like if the bakery prevails."  I do not worry, and I hold the opposite view.  What will America look like when an entrepreneur is only free to say yes?  What kind of warped freedom is this?

One thing is for certain:  if the baker does not prevail, America can no longer claim to be the land of the free.  It is truly said freedom is never free.  But there are many who are brave to stand up for what they believe to be true.  Their bravery, as this courageous baker who has paid dearly for his refusal to earn money by compromising his principles, will continue to be on display in America and across the world where the tyranny against God reveals itself.  The Supreme Court contrary to God's Law made a ruling to legalise same-sex marriage in America, and now the same Court may decide a man cannot legally refuse to perform a service in the public sphere.  This is not surprising or shocking.  This is the world we live in, when governments and courts legislate godless morality and those who fear God must make the brave choice.

I commend this baker and many like him who have chosen to honour God at a high personal cost.  His brave approach to this ongoing saga - which will not end when the gavel comes down - embodies the courageous and fearless heart which truly fears God.  It is admirable for a man to stand for what he believes even when he stands to lose much he has laboured for, knowing his future is safe in God's hands.  By God's grace I too am prepared to lovingly stand for my Saviour.  This freedom and power afforded us in Christ no government, court, or legislation can take from us.  When we freely stand up for God there is none who can stand against us.  Even in the face of death, the God who abides in us empowers us to be brave and strong.  Like William Wallace said in the movie "Braveheart," "They may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom."

A Proverb and Byword

The lives of people we observe are like books which instruct the wise.  They provide examples of what to do and what not to do.  In this case even a "bad" example can be a useful one.  The failures of others and the painful consequences are warnings to all who will take heed.  Because God loves us, He issues specific warnings so we will know right from wrong and the certain awful results of sin.  Every man must decide for himself if he will submit to God's Word in obedience or not.

God provided a warning to King Solomon after the temple was built in Jerusalem.  God answered Solomon's prayer to make the Temple His house of sacrifice, a holy place sanctified by God's presence.  Though God graciously granted this request, God also issued a warning Solomon and all would do well to heed.  With the knowledge God has made born-again Christians the temple of the Holy Spirit, consider the implications of this warning in 2 Chronicles 7:19-20:  "But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them, ²⁰ then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples."  After Solomon and others turned to idolatry, God did exactly as He said He would do.  The Temple was pulled down and the rubble burnt.  And He has done this to the lives of the undiscerning many times since.

There is no shortage of people who began following Jesus faithfully but turned aside.  Over the years there have been many prominent pastors and Christians whose private failings were publicised.  The shame of scandal is not only reserved for pastors or televangelists but shame is truly the result for every Christian who turns away from the LORD, sinning against the One they claim to fear and love.  My, how unbelievers delight to see others fall!  I am sure you could rattle off a few notable Christians who fell into sins like greed, lust, deceit or pride and are no longer fit for ministry.  They were as the lights in Shiloh which burned bright and hot for a season when the Tabernacle housed the Ark of the Covenant, but God caused them to be extinguished because of sin.  It is not our role to judge them but as we pass by anyone can see there are only burnt stones where once a ministry flourished.

No one wants to be a "proverb and a byword."  A proverb in this sense is a simile, kind of like a fable with a true moral everyone should take to heart.  Sodom became a proverb, a permanent illustration of God's judgment and the results of sin.  A "byword" is a "taunt or gibe."  It is something which gives others ammunition to mock and ridicule, like one who has fallen in the mud everyone sees, has a bit of a laugh at, and perhaps even kicks them for good measure.  History reveals there are some who remain a proverb and byword, and there are some God graciously delivers from such an end.  Pastors who fell in sin have been restored, perhaps not to their former glory as with the second Temple compared to Solomon's Temple, but restored before God and man nevertheless.

The moral of the story?  Let us not turn away from God and forsake His statues and commandments.  The lure of self and idolatry for every believer are very real, and like the wise Solomon we will at times fail. Examining ourselves according to God's standard in His Word is crucial, and repentance is imperative.  Is there a one among us who is content for God to cast us out of His sight?  When confronted by the words of the prophet Samuel the High Priest Eli was resigned rather than repentant.  May our lives be a testimony of the grace, goodness, and provision of God rather than what not to do - a proverb and byword which dishonours our glorious God.

God's Treasures

When I was a kid I had a wooden box in which I stashed my "treasures."  The objects placed in the box had no resale value but for some reason I liked to collect them.  In the box were keys I had found, stickers with my name on them, ticket stubs to baseball games I attended, and random raffle tickets.  Looking back there were a lot of strange things I collected:  bones, baseball cards, rocks, and action figures.  Some things I collected had a small amount of monetary value, but the majority of it could be classified "junk."  Where it has gone I do not know, but I know where it belongs:  in the bin!

In the same way a parent raises their eyebrows at the worthless sort of stuff kids love to collect, I wonder how God loves me.  I receive His love gladly but at the same time know I do not deserve it.  That God would love sinners and make them His greatest treasures is beyond my comprehension.  He does not merely lift us out of the gutter or from the scrap heap of life, but He raises our carcasses dead in sins to new life and adopts us as His special children.  God even keeps notes concerning our conversation as it is written in Malachi 3:16-17:  "Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who meditate on His name. ¹⁷ "They shall be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "on the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him."

There is space in the church and in heaven for all people who repent and trust in Jesus Christ.  God will not refuse any who rely upon Him, for He has plenty of room.  We are not like dusty relics stowed away in a box which are easily forgotten, but a place in heaven is being prepared for us.  Daily we can experience fellowship with God in His presence, for the Holy Spirit dwells in each of us.  Also Jesus has promised that wherever even two or three gather in His name, there He is in the midst of them.  He is the One who has called us and grafted us into the Body of Christ, uniting all Christians as one.

The things we treasure as children we gladly part with later, but God delights in us as our love of Him develops and grows.  God will not part with you any more than a sane person would part with an eye or a leg on a whim.  I am overwhelmed to consider God, who can make all things new from scratch, desires to be glorified through the life of a sinner He has made a saint.  God demonstrated His love by dying on the cross to atone for our sin and purchase us with His own blood (Acts 20:28).  Amazing, that we would be counted among God's precious treasures!

Who Do You Love?

"Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. ¹⁵ He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honour him. ¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation."

Psalm 91:14-16

God makes amazing promises to those who set their love upon Him.  This is to be an exclusive and special love, even as a husband loves his wife or a parent loves their child.  My love of God is a response to His unfailing love which He graciously has extended to me.  Those who set their love upon God, having trusted Him for salvation, find all other genuine loves flow from this supreme one.

These promises God offers are conditional upon our obedience to Him.  1 John 5:1-3 says, "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. ² By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. ³ For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome."  It is not a burdensome thing for us to love One who has demonstrated His love towards us.  Many times people love and desire others who refuse every advance, but God has extended love to all people.  He did not wait for us to "make the first move" but has created us, spoken to us, revealed Himself to us, and offered Himself for us on Calvary.

There are many who profess to love God, and God knows who loves Him in truth.  All who love Him will be the joyful recipients of God's deliverance, enjoy God's presence, be satisfied, and receive eternal salvation.  All these benefits of knowing and loving God are not the primary motivation for loving God.  We are not to set our love upon deliverance from trouble or salvation but upon God.  If we only love the benefits God provides we are only loving ourselves.  When we love someone, we want to be with them.  Jesus Christ was called "Immanuel" which means, "God with us."  He must certainly love us to choose to be with us, much less die for us!  God is worthy to be loved; He is worthy to be praised and exalted.

Power Present to Heal

"Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. ¹⁸  Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralysed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him."

Luke 5:17-18

This scene provides a dynamic contrast between those who place their faith in Jesus Christ and those who will not.  Fame of Jesus due to His teaching and miraculous power spread throughout Israel.  The passage says Pharisees and teachers of the law assembled who hailed from all Israel - even from Jerusalem.  These masters of the Law of Moses viewed Jesus as a troublemaker, a young upstart, an untrained layman, a prophet at best but most likely a wicked deceiver of the people who needed to be silenced.  I do not believe these men thought Jesus could teach them anything, and likely He couldn't.  It wasn't because they knew more or better than the Son of God, but they thought they did!  It was customary to sit when teaching, and these men sat as masters before their Creator.

These Pharisees and doctors of the law were likely able-bodied men (having travelled far) and highly respected among the Jews.  They did not need instruction, especially from a carpenter hailing from Galilee.  The second sentence of verse 17 would be a shocker for them to read:  "And the power of the LORD was present to heal them."  They were in desperate need of healing and they did not realise it.  Their demeanour probably resembled the haughty Pharisee who trusted himself to be righteous whilst despising others, the one Jesus mentioned who prayed with himself in Luke 18:11, "God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector."  Unbelief left these deeply religious men mired and dead in their own trespasses and sins.  Because they deemed themselves righteous and believed they saw clearly, their sin remained.  They did not believe they needed healing, and in came a man whose healing was beyond hope.

Before them was brought a living object lesson of their spiritual condition:  a paralysed man was lowered down before them and Jesus Christ.  Perhaps they wrinkled their noses at the gaunt form of the man muttering under their breath, "This man or his parents must have been wretched sinners."  Oh, they were sinners alright (as all men are), but this was not the point.  The power of God was present to heal these self-righteous, hardened sinners as well as the paralysed man who lay motionless on the bed.  The Pharisees bristled in their hearts when Jesus forgave the man's sins and they thought, "Who but God can forgive sins?"  Jesus answered their silent rebellion with a question of His own:  "What is easier to say - your sins are forgiven or to say to a paralysed man - 'Rise up and walk?"  Of course it would be easier to say "Your sins are forgiven" because no physical proof is required.  But so they would know Jesus had power to forgive sins (and was God in the flesh) He said to the paralysed man, "Rise, take up your bed and walk."  And the man did.

Many people, like these learned Pharisees, do not recognise their need for healing because their need is of a spiritual nature.  This paralysed man is one of many people who came to Jesus or sought  or cried out to Him to be cured of physical afflictions.  People born blind sought Him, a woman with a flow of blood reached out and touched Him, and people with sick or demon possessed children begged for help from Him.  Sadly many people were physically healed but they happily walked away just as sinful as before.  Though I am sure it happened often, would you believe there is only one recorded time in the Gospels when a sick person who was miraculously healed stopped to say "Thank you" to Jesus?  This shows me everyone wants healing when they are sick but not everyone is willing to use their wellness to thank God and follow Jesus in faith.

Jesus wants to do more than heal bodies but to raise souls dead in sins to new life through faith in Him.  Do you recognise your need to be healed by Jesus?  The power of God is present today to forgive, redeem, reconcile, and heal all who repent and trust in Him.  Many were astonished and amazed by the things Jesus said and did, and many were physically healed by Him.  But there were many He could not heal because of their unbelief and their sin remained.  The wages of sin is death and we are all beyond hope, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.  If you are one who has been spiritually or physically healed by Jesus Christ, are you willing to invest your wellness to give Him thanks and walk in obedience?

Gifts With Your Name On Them

As a young kid I was introduced to hard work.  "Work before play" was a well-known saying for us, and many summer mornings we signed up for chores we were responsible to do that day.  It could be washing the dogs, mowing and raking the lawn, spraying for fleas, cleaning windows and screens, doing the washing (laundry), cleaning bathrooms, washing the van, and the list went on.  I remember being about 10 years old when I proudly put in my first solid eight-hour work day, nailing the floor of our upstairs room addition.  That was a fun kind of work - much better than pulling weeds or gardening.

One thing as a kid that was not work was the tradition of going to my grandparent's home in Ramona on Christmas Eve to enjoy time with family and a wonderful meal.  A stocking with my name on it hung on the mantelpiece, and piled around the Christmas tree were many gifts.  A few of those also had my name on them.  Receiving and opening one of those gifts wasn't hard work, though the waiting was difficult.  We would stay up late, watching cartoons or old movies on the Disney channel with my Grandpa.  But in due time morning came, and after the whole family had gathered and eaten the gifts would be exchanged.  For me growing up, it didn't get much better than that.

You likely agree with me:  receiving a gift is not strenuous work.  For me to receive a gift intended for me at Christmas the two basic requirements are I needed to be present, and I needed to take it in my hands and open it up.  These are both acts of the will.  Sometimes the gift would be something I asked for, but most often it was a complete surprise.  When it comes to receiving spiritual gifts from God, the same is true.  Out of His goodness and grace God has spiritual gifts with our name on them.  We do not need to work to earn them but must humble ourselves to draw near to God in faith and receive gladly whatever He sees fit to give.

I am convinced we over complicate the receiving of spiritual gifts big time.  Wouldn't it be strange for me to ask my smiling grandmother as she holds a gift out to me, "So how do I receive this gift?  Should I open this now or later?  Is it for personal use only?  What will other people think about me if I actually use this gift?  How do I know this gift is really from you?  And will it make me speak in tongues?  If it's tongues I don't want it."  How silly this sounds, but these are the kind of things we can say when it comes to spiritual gifts.  We have no right to demand a gift from God, and there are no returns.  And since God gives gifts according to His perfect will, why would we want to?  James 1:17 says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."  God's Word is explicitly clear we ought to desire spiritual gifts, and having received them we ought to use them.

So what are the conditions to receive a spiritual gift?  We receive them by faith even as we received salvation, believing the promises in God's Word.  After being born again by faith in Christ, the first thing to do is to ask Him to fill us with the Holy Spirit.  James writes that we often have not because we ask not.  We receive the fullness of the Spirit through the "hearing of faith" and not by the works of the law (Galatians 3:2).  Obedience to God is also key as Peter said in Acts 5:32, "And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him."  When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, He will equip and gift us according to His will.  Those who have the Holy Spirit living within them and present themselves before God in obedience, God can gift to do whatever He wants.  This should not make us fearful but rejoice that we are indeed children of God.  Spiritual gifts are not like dishes at a buffet where we are free to pick and choose.  Like children who wrinkle their noses in disgust at unfamiliar foods, grown adults can do so concerning spiritual gifts.  We must first surrender our will, come to God with an empty plate so to speak, and happily ask Him to fill us however He wants.

God has spiritual gifts with your name on them:  are you willing to ask and receive them?  Let's not over complicate what God has made simple.  A child before they can speak can receive a gift with shining eyes, and every child of God in faith can do the same.  Won't you surrender your will before God and gladly receive with the intention to use for His glory all the gifts Jesus has prepared for you?