The Source of True Justice

Is...no surprise here, God. Solomon asks the Lord in Ps 72.1 to give him as the king, God's justice. The NLT puts it Give your love of justice to the king, O God. An apt paraphrase. God loves justice, true justice, because that is his character. He is a loving God. He is a just God. Both characteristics are true of God. Solomon realized that, as God's leader of the people, he needed to have God's sense of justice. Thus his prayer.

Prayer: O Lord, God may I love justice as you do, but, like you, may I mix it with love.

The Foundation of (Our) Generosity: God's Character

I love, love, love how the NLT puts 2 Cor 9.10: For God is the one who provides seed for the sower and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. This grounds God's provision AND our generosity in God's own character. It all flows from him, which is a reason for both humility and profound gratitude. Humility because I realize that, despite my own opinion, what generosity that can be traced to my character comes from God's blessing me in the first place. Profound gratitude because one of the very reasons for God's generosity to me is so that I might have enough with which to be generous to others.

O Lord God, forgive me for how I often try to steal your glory by attributing generosity to myself rather than to you and to your blessing in my life. I understand that all of what you have given could be (rightfully) taken away in an instant. May I not pursue the things you have given, but the One who has given them. And may I bless others; be radically generous to others because you have been radically generous with me.

For We Know...

Struck by a comment from John Calvin on one of my favorite verses this morning, 2 Cor 5.1. He wrote: Even the heathens had some idea of the immortality of the soul, but there was not one of them, that had assurance of it — not one of them could boast that he spoke of a thing that was known to him. Paul has no question at all that there is a building to come, made by God, which is eternal and will replace our earthly bodies. This is precious food for the soul, especially of a 50 year-old. This old body is a pretty good one, but it shows the marks of death and decay more and more. It will not last forever, but I will last forever. We know this. What great hope to read Paul's confidence in 2 Cor 5.1.

Prayer: Thank you, O Lord God, for the truth Paul states here. That we can know what lies beyond the grave; that it gives strong hope; that we will have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Bathsheba to David: I am pregnant

Thinking through the repercussions of 2 Sam 11.1-5, this morning. The narrative makes it clear that Bathsheba is pregnant and that she is pregnant by David. Neither David nor Bathsheba nor the author of Samuel have the least doubt that David is responsible. Her only recorded words in the narrative "I am pregnant," set forth a string of events that ends in the death of her husband with David being fully responsible for that death (after attempts at coverup). It is a shocking story; one designed to expose us to the reality and wide effect of sin.

Prayer: O Lord, may I understand more fully through David's actions the wide-ranging effects of sin that begin with such minor actions - he saw from the roof a woman bathing, and she was very beautiful.

Faith Without Love is Wasted

In 1 Cor 13.2 this morning: And if I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

Faith without love is wasted because it is nothing. The gift of prophecy and understanding all mysteries and knowledge, if I do not combine them with love is worthless. This is the importance of love.

Oh Lord God, may I remember that in your kingdom it is always love and... It is easy to deal with people on a practical level without thinking through what love would do in a situation. Sometimes love appears merciful; sometimes love appears judgmental; it takes great wisdom and commitment to understand the difference. May I love people, O Lord, as you love people.

Paul: Be Imitators of Me

A fascinating statement from Paul in 1 Cor 11.1, with many implications.

1. He implies that he has the authority to tell the Corinthians to imitate him. In other places he directly states that he has such authority because he is an apostle, on par with Christ's other apostles.

2. He implies that he is imitatable. By that I mean that he implies that it is possible for other believers to imitate his life and character. He was not a "super-saint," out of the reach of the normal Christian.

3. He directly states that his life and character imitate Christ's life and character and that such life and character is in the realm of possibility for his readers.

4. He implies that we ought to have a goal in terms of the Christian life and that goal ought to be to imitate Christ, with Paul as an example of how that is done.

A lot of power and truth packed into a few words.

Now to actually doing it...

The Source of all my Joy

Absolutely LOVE Ps 43.4 in the NLT: "There I will go to the altar of God - the source of all my joy."

Can the same be said for me? What would that look like in my life? The altar was a place of worship. Is worshipping the Lord the source of all my joy? Or does my "joy" too often come from what God has created rather than the one who created?

Prayer: Oh Lord God forgive me for too often taking joy in what you have made rather than in you alone. May my life agree with the Psalmist here. May the source of all my joy be in you alone.

Abigail

Pondering the character and conduct of Abigail this morning in 1 Sam 25. The name Abigail means: Abigail #1 (ab’-e-gul) = Father of exultation; father of joy; cause of joy; the joy of my father; exultation; joy; gladness; my father is joy. She was a cause of joy, perhaps, to her father? From her character and conduct one can imagine that she lived up to her name, although her marriage to Nabal was unfortunate (did her father give her in marriage to Nabal because he was wealthy? It seems like a genuine possibility).

We find her both honest enough to admit the character of her husband (which his servants also recognize and admit, this was not an embittered woman making things up) and filled with tact, diplomacy, and wisdom as she recognizes the slight to David's character by not reimbursing him for protecting Nabal's interests, and acts quickly to defuse the situation. She was also faithful to her worthless husband.

Her humble response to David's marriage proposal (she knew somehow that God had anointed David as the future king of Israel) reveals again her wisdom and tact. One imagines that she was a good wife to her (new) husband.

The Long Reach of Sin

It is to Jonathan's credit that he understands and accepts the fact that David will be the king of Israel and not him: And he (Jonathan) said to him, "Do not fear for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul, my father, also knows this (1 Sam 23.17).

Jonathan's plan is to serve with/under David when he is king. God's plan is different. Jonathan, while innocent of Saul's sin, is killed in battle along with Saul. We see here the long reach of sin. Saul destroys not only himself in his sin, but also his son, along with most of the rest of his household. What a heinous thing is sin, and how far the unforeseen consequences.

The Limits of (Human) Wisdom

You will never get to God through human wisdom, ever. This is the wisdom of God. So says Paul in 1 Cor 1.21. (For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preached to save those who believe). There is a wisdom of man, which will never get man reconciled with God. There is a wisdom of God (as Paul will go on to say in just a few verses, God's foolishness is greater than the wisdom of men—he leaves it to us to figure out what this would mean in terms of God's wisdom).

You will get to God by the foolishness of the cross and only by the foolishness of the cross.

Prayer: Oh Lord God may we gain a deeper understanding of the futility and limits of human wisdom in understanding you and your ways; and may we rest in the foolishness of the cross.

Cujo

A photo I snapped last night of Cujo, our Blue and Gold Macaw, with Matt. Anyone who owns parrots will tell you that they act like two year olds—sometimes they love you, sometimes they nip you. Yep, Cujo is a typical parrot.

When I picked him up from the breeder, I asked her, "why is he named Cujo?" (I knew that Cujo was the name of a famous rabid St. Bernard in a Stephen King novel). She answered, "Oh, you'll find out." When I opened his travel cage to let him out after we arrived home, he tried to bite me; then I understood.

Parrots need a lot of activity and interaction, so I try and keep him out of his cage as much as possible. He even sleeps on a T-stand in our room (yeah, I know it's weird, but then we are weird people, probably weirder than your average bird owners). They can also screech to wake the dead. Thankfully, Cujo is quieter than your average macaw (but yes, he can (and probably has) awoken the dead).

He's also EXTREMELY protective of his gang (that would be us). When Kelly's boyfriend first started coming over, he was harassing Kelly (in fun) and Cujo jumped off his cage, ran over and attempted to bite Andy. He has hated Andy ever since (parrots have long memories).

Speaking of gangs, parrots are flocking birds, so if you live in the house, you are part of his flock. This generally means that a. he likes you and will protect you, and b. if you are eating something, then he ought to be eating something as well (and not nasty bird food, real human food), after all we are part of the same flock and the flock shares its food.

Oh, and for some reason, he REALLY loves women in general, and blonde women in particular. He DOES NOT like strangers who talk loud and move fast, and he HATES Andy. Andy is the enemy.

Does God Deliver? Or doesn't He?

Reading in Psalms 34.17, this morning: When the righteous cry for help the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their trouble. I went immediately (in my Bible reading plan) to Lam 3, where (in part) I read: “He has walled me about so that I cannot escape; he has made my chains heavy; though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer; he has blocked my ways with blocks of stones; he has made my paths crooked.” (Lam 3:7–9 ESV)

What's going on here? Does the Lord deliver, or doesn't he? I think that the answer is obviously, yes, He does; and no, depending on what we see as deliverance. This is a case where we must compare scripture with scripture. It would be easy to make a blanket statement "Based upon Ps 34.17, it's obvious that the Lord will deliver me out of any and all trouble I have when I cry for help."

Suffice to say, that part of the answer to this rests in the fact that our definition of what deliverance looks like and God's definition may be (and often is) radically different. This fact clears up a lot of misunderstanding. Notice also, that after Jeremiah laments for 20 verses that God is against him and blocks his way with blocks of stones, he suddenly pens out some of the most majestic words about God in all the scriptures: “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lam 3:21–23 ESV)

Sometimes deliverance can be in the form of "out of" our difficulties. Sometimes it can be in the form of deliverance "through" the problem. Other times it is deliverance "in the midst of." I don't think any of this deliverance violates what David has said. I say without hesitation that every martyr who has ever been killed on behalf of Christ would say, "Yes! God delivered me out of my difficulties (into life glorious and victorious)."

Surrounded by Hesed

"Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord." (Ps. 32.10)

When we are trusting in God (the truth here states), we will be surrounded by "unfailing love" (NLT) or "with mercy and lovingkindness" (AMP), or "steadfast love" (ESV), or "sa grace" (NEG). We struggle to come up with an adequate translation for the Hebrew word "Hesed."

Hesed is not easily translated into English. It could imply mercy, or loyalty, or "faithfulness to the covenant." In this case "covenant love" probably gets closest to the meaning. We are surrounded by God's love which is faithful to the covenant that he freely enters with those who trust him.

This truth will get us through a multitude of difficulties.

Prayer - O Lord God, may abide and rest in the comfort of your unfailing covenantal love, and may I pass that commitment on to others. May they see your hesed through me.

Location:SNA

Why Is Samuel Crying

In 1 Sam 15.11, this morning - "I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command." Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the Lord all night."

I'm wondering why Samuel was so impacted by God's statement. Because he had appointed Saul? He understood what it would mean for the nation? It wad what he had expected and warned about? Whatever the reason he was so deeply moved that he cried out to the Lord all night. (We wish the author had explained THAT as well). The upshot of a night spent crying out to God is that Samuel goes and explains to Saul that God has effectively removed him from bring king. Sobering words to a king. Samuel was more concerned with God's glory than he was flattering a king's vanity. Perhaps that is the lesson here.

Prayer - Oh Lord, may I be more concerned for your glory than I am the approbation of man, and may I be obedient to your commands.

Location:SFO

I am Sure/Confident/Convinced

Reading in Rom 8.38,39, which we might call the summit of Paul's theology, the apex. He begins it with this statement, I am sure (ESV). I don't really like the ESV's translation here because Paul uses the perfect tense which one uses of something that was true in the past, is true now, and willl be true into the future. It is a very strong tense, and Paul makes a very forthright comment. He deliberately uses the perfect tense (pepeismai), meaning, ‘I have become and I remain convinced’, for the conviction he expresses is rational, settled and unalterable. (John Stott).

So whether we translate it as I am sure, or I am convinced, or I am persuaded, or I am confident, Paul's message is that he has no doubt about what he is about to say; he is firm; he is without hesitation. Of what? That any created thing would or will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. THAT you can take to the bank.

Free From Sin; Slaves to God

Paul describes the change in our lives when we come to faith in Christ in Rom. 6.22. Human nature bristles at the suggestion that we are slaves to anything (except our own passions, to which we seem to have no problem being enslaved). The reality, as Paul understands very well, is that, by nature, we are going to serve something or someone. This is how God created us. It might be false gods, it might be Satan, it might be ourselves (this is the typical state of modern man, we are usually serving ourselves); hopefully it is the Lord, but we ARE going to serve something. Of course we must not neglect the end result of being slaves to God, the fruit you get, says Paul, leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. Personally, I'll take that deal.

Insight for Living

I like the way that the NLT translates the second phrase in Psalm 19.8 -

The commands of the Lord are clear,

giving insight for living.

Just so. Perhaps this is where Chuck Swindoll got the idea to name his ministry. The point, however, is that God's commands give us wisdom into how to live our lives. We often think of them has hindrances to our freedom, and burdens to be borne. David understands them for what they are, limitations by which we thrive in life. God's commands allow us to live abundant lives, which is what we were looking for all along. How foolish of us that we do not see this.

In the Footsteps of Abraham

Reading in Rom 4.24,25 today where Paul tells us that, if we follow the Lord by faith then we walk in the footsteps of Abraham. In the same way that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness, so it will be to us also. Neither Abraham, nor we are justified by works, we are all justified by faith in our Lord Jesus.

Hannah

I am in Samuel 1, this morning, and struck again with the character of Hannah. As the New American Commentary points out, this is no accident. The narrative is constructed to point out Hannah's character in such a way that we do not miss it.

Hannah is portrayed as the most pious woman in the Old Testament. Here she is shown going up to the Lord’s house; no other woman in the Old Testament is mentioned doing this. In addition, Hannah is the only woman shown making and fulfilling a vow to the Lord; she is also the only woman who is specifically said to pray (Hb. pll; 1:10, 12, 26–27; 2:1); her prayer is also among the longest recorded in the Old Testament. Furthermore, her prayer includes the most recorded utterances of Yahweh’s name by a woman (eighteen). She is shown avoiding the faults of the first infertile covenant woman by seeking help from Yahweh rather than pursuing crafty schemes (cf. Gen 16:2). She also avoided the fault of Jephthah, who likewise made a vow that separated him from his child; whereas Jephthah gave his daughter as a burnt offering, Hannah gave her child as a living sacrifice (cf. Rom 12:1). NAC

In addition there is also a mystery here. What is the point in emphasizing Hannah's barrenness which the writer specifically says came from the Lord?

The Lord had closed Hannah’s womb. This surprising affirmation—without parallel in Hebrew narrative regarding the Lord’s people (but see Gen 18:20)—appears twice in these verses (vv. 5–6). Hannah’s infertility was no accident of nature; it was the deliberate work of the Lord. There is an inescapable irony in these statements. The same God who in the Torah commanded humanity, and specifically Israel, to be fruitful and multiply (Gen 1:28; 9:1; 35:11) had made Hannah the Israelite incapable of fulfilling the divine command. The text’s statement that it was God who closed Hannah’s womb is significant here, for biblical narratives usually use God’s personal name when they describe activities that are significant in Israel’s covenantal relationship with God. Yet in this pair of statements lies a mystery: What good covenantal purposes can be accomplished through a woman’s sterility? NAC

Don't be fooled into thinking that this is an accident; that the writer did not understand what he was doing. He fully understands the tension between God's command (Be fruitful and multiply) and God's action (he closes Hannah's womb). That is exactly the point. He wants us to see the difficulty here.

God is in Samson's (Bad) Choices

In Judges 14.4 this morning where God is in Samson's choices, in this case even bad choices. The writer doesn't bother working out the theology of this truth or the implications; he just states things as they are. It would be nice if the author HAD worked out the theology, but this is often the case in the Scriptures. The authors of Scripture (and here especially) do not seem troubled in these things in the least.


- "Grace is the glory of God, not the merit of him who has been freed." Prosper of Aquitaine

Location:DEN

The Greatest Commandment

Reading in Mark 12.29, this morning where someone asks Jesus, "What is the greatest commandment?" His answer is here. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, with all your strength."

He begins, however, not with the commandment but with a statement. "Listen Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is one." An emphasis on the fact that he is the only God and reminder that the tendency of every heart is to create idol after idol?

Whatever else one may say about this statement, Christ is certainly pointing out that any commandment has authority only if it is grounded in the character of God the Father.


- "Grace is the glory of God, not the merit of him who has been freed." Prosper of Aquitaine

Location:ATL

What is Servant Leadership?

I wish I understood. I'm wondering especially what it means to be a servant leader in one of these influential mega-churches. The difficulty being that large organizations need strong leaders so the question arises, "How can one be both a strong leader and a servant leader?" I suppose the best way to answer the question is to find a model of someone like that. Of course the difficulty is that, in general, those who rise to leadership at large organizations are generally people with great gifting and it is almost a certainty that people with great gifting also have great weaknesses (which I think God brings with the territory for purposes of humility).

No answer yet...

Matthew Henry: Those that shall be put under your charge, must be as sheep under the charge of the shepherd, who is to tend them and feed them, and be a servant to them, not as horses under the command of the driver, that works them and beats them, and gets his pennyworths out of them.

On the Poverty of Seeking a Sign (from Christ)

The miracles, like the teaching, of Jesus were not offered as signs to convince spectators; they were done as acts of love to people in need. They only became signs for those with the humility and openness to perceive and receive the meaning. This the Pharisees clearly did not possess, as their attitude towards him shows. (BST)

Thus points out the BST commentary on Mark 8.12. The Pharisees seek a sign from Christ and his response is to sigh deeply in spirit (the Greek word is used only here in the Scriptures). He is not here to be a magician and they are completely missing the point of Christ's miracles. They will receive no sign and he emphatically tells them so.

He Worshiped

The Scripture is so succinct in explaining Gideon's reaction to hearing the Midianite warrior interpret the dream of his friend. Gideon realizes that God has given the man a dream and that the dream will come true; through him. One would expect this verse to say, "As soon as Gideon heard he ran back to prepare the men for attack." Instead, as soon as Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation he worshiped. Pretty cool. He praised God for revealing what he was going to do THROUGH THE OTHER SIDE, and he worshiped. Our inclination when we receive a blessing from God is to run off with the blessing. The lesson for us here is to worship BEFORE we take advantage of the blessing.

The Timidity of Gideon

Thinking about Judges 6.27 and how much like Gideon I am. God told him to tear down the monuments to Baal. Gideon obeyed. However, he tore down the monuments and built an altar to God at night because he was afraid of his father and the men of the city. I take from this that it is good to obey God even when we struggle with out own timidity and fear. Down the line, Gideon became a mighty warrior for God, here he is an exercise in timid obedience.

The Heart is an Idol Factory

Reading in Joshua 23.16 this morning. The last thing that Joshua leaves to the people is the dangers of idolatry. It is a prescient comment, since it would be idolatry that brought them into exile. I think it is safe to say that idolatry has been and is the chief failure of humans. As someone once said, "the human heart is an idol factory." Just so. Always and everywhere it wants to make an idol of something.

In all this exhortation we see how closely Joshua copies the example of his great master Moses. See Lev. xxvi. 7, 8, 14, &c.; Deuteronomy xxviii. 7; xxxii. 30. He was tenderly concerned for the welfare of the people, and with a deeply affected heart he spoke to their hearts. No people ever were more fairly and fully warned, and no people profited less by it. The threatenings pronounced here were accomplished in the Babylonish captivity, but more fully in their general dispersion since the crucifixion of our Lord. And should not every Christian fear when he reads, If God spared not the natural branches, take heed that he spare not thee? Surely a worldly, carnal, and godless Christian has no more reason to expect indulgence from the justice of God than a profligate Jew. We have a goodly land, but the justice of God can decree a captivity from it, or a state of bondage in it. The privileges that are abused are thereby forfeited. And this is as applicable to the individual as to the whole system. - John Trapp

The Cry of Every Heart (That Loves God)

Pondering Psalm 143.7, this morning, which strikes the reader as so contemporary, so parallel to one's own thoughts and experience. When I am in difficulty, I want to know that the Lord knows. I want him to hear when I cry out to him, and I want to know that he hears. Just like David. This is what I believe he is crying for here. It's not that David does not believe that the Lord hears him. He does believe that. It's that he wants to be certain that the Lord knows. He wants a response (Answer me quickly, O Lord!...Hide not your face from me).

This is a great example why so many believers across so many cultures love the Psalms. They speak so universally to our own experience and desires.

The Single Goal of the Sentry

Ps 130.6 - I long for the Lord, more than sentries long for the dawn, Yes! More than sentries long for the dawn.

I know from my experience in the Marines that sentries have one goal, aim, and desire - to get off duty. When you stand a night watch the time drags by and you watch and wait for the end of your duty period with focused single-mindedness.

The imagery in this verse paints just such a picture. One who longs for the Lord does so with the focus of a sentry on duty longing for the dawn.

Do I? Do you? Long for the Lord like that?


- "Grace is the glory of God, not the merit of him who has been freed." Prosper of Aquitaine

The Gospel in 6 (or 3) Words

In Is 53.11 this morning where Isaiah writes: And he shall bear their iniquities. 6 words. Six words that contain the whole of the gospel, the whole message of redemption. In Hebrew it is three words. Implicit in this statement is the fact that 1) People have iniquities; 2) That someone needs to bear the punishment for their iniquities; and 3) That the Suffering Servant is able to bear their iniquities. The whole of the gospel of redemption, in three words.

"How kind the LORD is! How good he is!
So merciful, this God of ours!" - Ps 116.5

A good example of why I love the NLT, especially in the Psalms. If our own lives aren't saturated with praise in the way that the writers of the Psalms were, then reading this will leave us dry, dead, and lifeless. This kind of expression comes, not from a life free from trouble, but from a life drenched with relationship; with pursuit of our God. This relationship sustains us through the vagaries of live. May my life cry out that our God is kind, good, and merciful!

- "Grace is the glory of God, not the merit of him who has been freed." Prosper of Aquitaine

Sobering Words Indeed

Revelation 20:15
15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

In Rev 20.15, this morning where we find the above sobering words. No room for squirming or arguing or debating, if your name is not found in the book of life, you will be thrown into the lake of fire. Whether it is a literal or figurative fire is the least of my concerns. The point to take under consideration is that the Scriptures describe it as a lake of fire. That is all I need to know. I choose Jesus Christ and him crucified for my sins.




- "Grace is the glory of God, not the merit of him who has been freed." Prosper of Aquitaine

Location:MEM

I Will Carry You

In Isaiah 46.3,4, this morning, a favorite passage. Precious promises from the Lord to his people here. I have carried you from before your birth. I will carry you. I will save you. To your old age. I will.

You're Gonna Worry

"Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." (1 Pet 5.7)

I'm studying through 1 Pet 5.6-11. In verse 7 Peter makes the assumption that we are going to have anxieties and worries. He doesn't say IF you have anxieties because he makes the (correct) assumption that you ARE going to have them, which he himself obviously had.

I like that. The Scriptures never assume that we are or have to be super saints. God understands who we are. He understands our weaknesses. He does not call us to perfection, he calls us to follow as we are, with our shortcomings, weaknesses, and anxieties.

Yep. You are going to have worries. Take them to the right place.


- "Grace is the glory of God, not the merit of him who has been freed." Prosper of Aquitaine

A Politically Incorrect God

I'm reading in Isaiah 34, today. The language and imagery is, shall we say, a little difficult for the modern ear to take: “For my sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; behold, it descends for judgment upon Edom, upon the people I have devoted to destruction. The LORD has a sword; it is sated with blood; it is gorged with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land of Edom.” (Is 34:5–6 ESV). Do you see what I mean?

God seems not in the least concerned about appearing politically correct, nor for our approbation of his actions. I like this, even though I do not understand it. If we understood everything about God and could pass judgment on all his actions, then we would have a genie for a God. I do not want a genie for a God. I want God to be God, and for him to be God, there will be times when I do not understand his actions, or his words. This is one of those times.

I am happy to worship a God whom I do not fully understand, because the alternative is to either a. create a God in my own image who is politically correct, or b. live in a world with no meaning, not ultimate foundation for morality, and no ultimate purpose. I do not want to live in that world, and do not believe we are in that kind of world.

As Mr. Tumnus said to Lucy in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe: "He (Aslan) is not a tame lion, but he is good."

The Lord our Mighty One

21 The Lord will be our Mighty One.
He will be like a wide river of protection
that no enemy can cross,
that no enemy ship can sail upon.

In Isaiah 33.21, this morning, reading it in the NLT. I am loving the NLT! It helps to read in a version of the Bible that I have not read very much because it helps me to read with "new eyes."

When God brings peace to his people, he will be a "wide river of protection" for us, our guardian, our protector, our peace, our Mighty One.

Promises to rest in.


- "Grace is the glory of God, not the merit of him who has been freed." Prosper of Aquitaine

A True Heart and Skillful Hands

In Ps 78.72 this morning. Asaph finishes this great Psalm commenting on God's character. "He [God] cared for them with a true heart and led them with skillful hands." Precious and deep truth. Our God has our best interests in mind because our best interests are found in what glorifies God the most. We do not serve a fickle God who treats us according to his whim at the moment, our God has a true heart and hands that are infinitely more skillful than the finest surgeon.


- "Grace is the glory of God, not the merit of him who has been freed." Prosper of Aquitaine

Location:Home

The Song of the Redeemed

When God redeems his people, when he finally finishes history and completes salvation; when he swallows up death forever, the redeemed will sing a song to him, part of which is in Is 25.9 - "In that day the people will proclaim, this is our God! We trusted in him, and he saved us! This is the Lord, in whom we trusted. Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings!"

I look forward to that day and to that song, and I - along with all who are there - will sing at the top of my lungs!


- "Grace is the glory of God, not the merit of him who has been freed." Prosper of Aquitaine

Location:Home

Who can stand before a great king.

"No wonder you are greatly feared. Who can stand before you
when your anger explodes." Ps. 76.7

A good example of why I like to read the NLT from time to time. The imagery is so vivid, especially in the Psalms. The answer of course is that no one - no person or thing - can stand before God when his anger explodes. He is the great king before whom all bow, whether willingly or unwillingly.


- "Grace is the glory of God, not the merit of him who has been freed." Prosper of Aquitaine

Location:PHX

This Wicked Congregation

Reading in Numbers 14.35, this morning, where God refers to the generation of the Exodus as This Wicked Congregation. He could not have chosen harsher words. The remarkable thing is that this generation saw God move in power like perhaps no generation has seen before or since, except maybe the generation of Christ. They witnessed the ten plagues; they lived through the release from Egypt; they walked across the Red Sea between two walls of water; they experienced the miracle of manna; they saw water come from a rock in the desert, and yet when it came to take the land God had given them, they shrank back, to their own destruction; thus earning the name, This Wicked Congregation.

What to take from this? First Hebrews uses them as an object lesson on (lack of) faith. The writer says, "don't shrink back from following the Lord like his own people shrank back; they did not enter God's rest because of their unbelief. Don't miss out on God's rest because of your own unbelief." Second, a lesson for us is to trust God's promises despite appearances. This Wicked Congregation became distracted by appearances and refused to trust in what God had promised.

The Word of God is Not Bound. Ever.

Reading in 2 Tim 8,9, this morning. A couple of favorite verses. Paul is in prison. He is suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. However, where he is bound and unable to go anywhere without permission, the gospel is not bound, it is free to go wherever the Spirit of God would have it go. This is a profound truth. One never knows where words spoken will have an effect. One illustration comes to mind in which a preacher goes to visit people in their house. He shares the gospel with them, they do not come to faith. However, their child is listening in the next room. The child is saved. The word of God is not bound!

The Insatiable Nature of Money

Reading in Ecc 5.10, this morning. Solomon says that the pursuit of money for its own sake is endless. You will never be satisfied with what you have. Life proves this statement beyond a shadow of a doubt. How much money do men need to live on? Apparently, there is no answer to that because one watches men make billions of dollars in a year, only to turn around the next year and try to make billions more. It becomes a matter of ego, rather than actually needing money. Beware the pursuit of money—or anything else besides God the Father—for its own sake. This is vanity.

Tested By Praise

In Proverbs 27.21, this morning (I LOVE Proverbs). We are tested [tested as silver and gold is tested in a crucible, i.e. the dross is separated to see if there is any true silver or gold] by how we handle praise.

The Preacher's Commentary (which doesn't get any love from preachers and I'm not exactly sure why) gets it exactly correct: There are not wanting men in modern days who uphold the maxim, Vox populi, vox Dei. Septuagint, “The action of fire is a test for silver and gold, so a man is tested by the mouth of them that praise him.” No surer test of a man’s true character can be found than his behaviour under praise; many men are spoiled by it. If a man comes forth from it without injury, not rendered vain, or blind to his defects, or disdainful of others, his disposition is good, and the commendation lavished upon him may be morally and spiritually beneficial.

Does it Appear that Evil is Successful?

Don't worry. Take the long view. This is the message of Prov 24.19,20. Evil will not triumph. Those who are evil and appear to be "getting away with it," will not get away with it. They are accountable to God. He will hold them accountable.

Do You Rob the Poor?

God will certainly rob you of life. Thus the message of Prov 22.22,23. This is known as "talionic justice" or "poetic justice." Do not think that if you oppress the poor because you can get away with it, that you will get away with it. You will not. God will see that you do not. As Derek Kidner writes in the Tyndale commentary: To be ruthlessly on the make is to make, above all, an Enemy.

The Word of Truth = The Gospel

So says Paul in Col. 1.5. If Pilate had only understood this. When he asks Christ, "What is truth?" (John 18.38), Christ doesn't bother explaining to Pilate because Pilate obviously was not open to what exactly truth was. He commands/allows the murder of Christ (heeding the predetermined plan of God by making his own choices—a mystery). A guy who is going to let an innocent man be murdered in the most heinous manner is not a person who is open to hearing the truth; however, it does explain why he allows Christ to die. If one does not believe in absolute truth, then whatever is expedient is fine.

He Loved Them to the End

In John 13.1 this morning where John says that Christ, having loved his own who were in the world, loved them to the end. The phrase to the end might not be the best way to translate the expression, to the uttermost is perhaps a better way. It is an expression that while Christ fully understood what he was about to suffer and why he was to suffer it, he pressed forward because of his love for his own. He did it for us.

On Being Stiff-necked

Thinking about Ex 33.3 this morning where God tells his own people that they are a stiff-necked people. Ouch! That must have hurt. Events prove that God read his people exactly correctly. Despite having seen the ten plagues decimate Egypt; despite witnessing the great deliverance at the Red Sea; despite seeing the daily miracle of manna; and God bring water from a rock, the people fail as a generation. They do not go up and take the land that God commands them to do. They are stiff-necked.

It is easy to see events from 3000 years and throw stones at the generation of the Exodus, but despite having all of the promises of the Scriptures, and seeing God's work completed in Christ's resurrection, and having the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as an ever present reality, we are often stiff-necked as well, when the Holy Spirit commands us to do what we do not want to do. Rather than condemn the generation of the Exodus, we should probably evaluate our own lives in light of this verse. Am I stiff-necked?

Some Were Paying Attention

In John 10. 41, 42, this morning. Some in Israel were paying attention. They had watched John's ministry and understood that he had preached about the coming of Messiah, but had done no works. Along came Christ who said he was Messiah and who did miraculous works. They rightly concluded that everything that John said about this man was true. The result: And many believed in him there.

One cannot overemphasize the importance of paying attention like this. The Pharisees and scribes had the exact same information as those who believed, but because of their preconceived notion of how Messiah should act and what he should do, they were spiritually blind.

Purpose of Christian Freedom: Slavery to One Another

Reading in Galatians 5.13 this morning. Paul instructs the Galatians that they were called to freedom, but lest they assume he means autonomous freedom, he carefully explains. Christian freedom is a freedom that serves each other in love. The word serve might be better translated "is enslaved to" one another in love. Chrysostom thinks that Paul used the word to forcefully make his point:

He did not say “love one another” but “be slaves to one another,” to express the most intense possible love.

On Eagle's Wings

I love Exodus 19.4! How beautifully God expresses his care and concern for his people. Remember what I did to the Egyptians, he says. Remember how I protected you from all of the might and power of Pharaoh, and you did not have to lift a finger. When I protected you, it was as if I bore you on eagle's wings, and brought you to myself.

One could scarcely find a more tender example of God's love in all of the Scriptures!

The Resurrection is Everything

This from 1 Cor 15.17-19 (a favorite chapter of Scripture). Paul does not mince words here. He is short and to the point. If Christ has not been raised, Paul writes, futile (worthless) is your faith. He emphasizes futile by putting it first in the clause. He doesn't want us to miss this. Everything rests on the resurrection. If Christ is still dead, then we should stop wasting our time and eat, drink, and be merry, because we will die tomorrow and that will be the end of that. Fortunately, as Paul points out, Christ has been raised; our faith is not vain; we have hope in our resurrection to be with Christ in glory!

3 Day of Darkness

Thus Moses records the plague of darkness with which God struck the Egyptians in Exod 10.22,23. One can imagine the intensity of the darkness since it was brought by God and his destroying angels (Ps 78.49). It must have been a darkness with which the Egyptians were not familiar, able to stymy what light the Egyptians could produce. This was emphatically not an eclipse or any sort of darkness that can be explained naturally. It was the hand of God, and therefore, one assumes, a supernatural darkness; one that brought fear to the Egyptians throughout the land. The Israelites were protected.

Adam Clarke has some interesting comments: So deep was the obscurity, and probably such was its nature, that no artificial light could be procured; as the thick clammy vapors would prevent lamps, &c., from burning, or if they even could be ignited, the light through the palpable obscurity, could diffuse itself to no distance from the burning body. The author of the book of Wisdom, chap. xvii. 2–19, gives a fearful description of this plague. He says, “The Egyptians were shut up in their houses, the prisoners of darkness: and were fettered with the bonds of a long night. They were scattered under a dark veil of forgetfulness, being horribly astonished and troubled with strange apparitions; for neither might the corner that held them keep them from fear; but noises as of waters falling down sounded about them; and sad visions appeared unto them with heavy countenances.

Reject the Disciples' Message = Reject Christ = Reject God

Yet another outlandish statement from Christ this morning (Luke 10.16). The one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me, rejects the one who sent me. Pretty much as clear as it could get. Christ is saying this: The message that you (72 disciples) brought was given by me. Whoever rejects it, rejects me. I brought my message from God the Father, whoever rejects it, rejects him. Christ is therefore claiming to bring a message directly from God. Can you imagine that? Who says stuff like this? No one ever has, not before or since. Except Christ. He says it without hesitation, without shame, without any sense of irony, much like Joseph told his brothers about his dream. We can either believe it is true, or we can reject it (and thereby reject Christ); we are not free to say that Christ was a good man, but nothing more. Good men do not say stuff like this, if it isn't true.

Astonished at His Majesty

Luke uses a curious choice of words at the end of the section in which Christ casts a demon out of an epileptic boy (Luke 9.43). Luke says that Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. Then he follows with his comment about the reaction of the crowd. All were astonished at the majesty of God. Matthew and Mark who record this same incident do not include this comment. I'm wondering why the crowd was astonished at the majesty of God when the boy was healed? It seems like a more natural comment would be to say that the crowd was astonished at the power of God to heal, or maybe the crowd was astonished that God did heal. Why majesty?

Luke must be trying to tell us something here. BDAG defines μεγαλειότης as quality or state of experiencing high esteem because of awesome performance, impressiveness. Louw-Nida further defines it as: : a manifestation of great power—‘mighty power, mighty act.’ which Luke seems to want to communicate that those who witnessed Christ's actions and words understood that they were not witnessing the ordinary here. They were witnessing the extraordinary. Christ could not be a man with a penchant to heal. He was something beyond that, and his commanding an evil spirit out of the boy demonstrated the fact.

The Mystery of God's Ways

In Exod 5.22,23, this morning. God orders Moses to go free the people from slavery. After some "encouragement" from the Lord, Moses goes. He declares his purpose to the people. They believe, bow their heads, and worship. And then...things get worse, much worse. The people have to find their own straw to make bricks, and still have the same daily quota of bricks. Moses expresses his feelings to God here. Why did you ever send me?...You have not delivered your people at all. I no doubt would have felt the same. Moses expectations did not meet God's actions, which is a problem one sees over and over again in the Scriptures (the whole book of Job comes to mind).

What do I take from these verses. God's actions and my expectations will often not mesh and God feels no obligation to explain himself. This is where faith and trust come in, not to mention God's promises in Scripture.

The Correct Response to God's Intervention in our Lives: Worship

Whatever else one can say about the group of Israelites that came out of Egypt, their initial response to Moses's message that God had sent him to deliver his people from captivity was absolutely correct. Moses tells us the people believed; they bowed their heads; they worshipped (Exod 5.31).

It was what followed afterwards, when the deliverance was not immediate and the burden grew worse instead of better, that the people failed, and then again in the desert, they failed multiple times.

It should be a lesson for us. We can start well and immediately veer off into the ditch; or we can start well and do well for awhile and then veer off into the ditch; or we can even be going along well for a long time and then...into the ditch. The Christian life is a life of watching and analyzing to make sure that we obey the Holy Spirit and stay faithful. We should emulate the Israelites first response: believe, bow, and worship.

John the Baptist: His Purpose

According to Luke 1.79, his purpose was to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace. When I read this in my devotions this morning, I read it as, and in the shadow of death to guide our feet into the way of peace. I suppose the ESV's punctuation is the way that Zechariah intended his remarks to be taken, but I think that may way is equally as true.

We live, all of us do, in the shadow of death all the time. Who knows what the day will bring. Death lurks around constantly and often strikes when we do not expect it. So to say that John the Baptist's purpose was and in the shadow of death to guide our feet into the way of peace, we speak truthfully, for that is exactly what he did.

May you realize that you live in the shadow of death and may John the Baptist's life and words still today guide your feet into the way of peace—at the foot of the cross.

Every Knee Will Bow...Every

Thinking about Rom 14.11, this morning where Paul quotes Is 45.23. There will come a day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess to God, no exceptions, no excuses. Does this mean that everyone will come to faith in God through Christ? No. One can have a heart filled with rebellion and still be forced to acknowledge the truth, that God is king. Two types of people will bow before God: Those who love him and worship him and delight in him; and those who hate him, despise him, and yet are forced to bow because he is the king, and all will bow before the king.

Wise in Heart, Mighty in Strength

Such is our God according to Job in Job 9.4. Interestingly enough his comment is made to point out that if there is a conflict between a man and God, how can the man win that conflict? In the process, Job points out that God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.

Think about that. Wouldn't it be nice to have a counselor who is the epitome of wisdom? Wouldn't it be nice to know that, in your corner stands someone who is the very definition of mighty in strength? But wait. You already have that. It is God. God is wise in heart. God is mighty in strength. God is for his people. God is for you.

Wisdom and Self

Never be wise in your own sight, says Paul in Romans 13.16. What do you suppose he means by that? It's kind of like humility, I suppose, if you're thinking that you're humble, you're not. Ironically, enough, just before this statement Paul says: Do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Perhaps humility and wisdom are linked in that way. Think you have it? Think you're wise? Think you're humble? You're not.

Wisdom, like humility, is other-directed; outward-directed. Dedicated to the aid of those whom God puts in one's path.

Christ: Death = Entering Life

Thinking about Mark 9.43-47, this morning. Christ calls dying entering life, or alternatively entering the kingdom of God. A couple of obvious things from this. First, for those who have been declared righteous by God death IS entering life, or entering the kingdom of God. Second, we glean this because the alternative that Christ pronounces here is entering hell. One enters hell at death, and so we conclude that death for the believer is entering life. Christ is more explicit in John 5.24, Truly, truly I say unto you. He who hears my voice and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment but has passed from death to life.

Which leaves the obvious question: When you die are you going to enter life or are you going to enter hell? Those are the two possibilities Christ leaves for us.

When Christ Marveled

Christ marveled at two people in the gospels—at least that is all that the writers of the gospels recorded. He marveled at the faith of a Gentile—the centurion with the sick servant (Matt 8.5-13), and he marveled at the unbelief of some Jews (Mark 6.6). Christ was astonished or astounded or marveled at the unbelief in his hometown. They should have seen enough in order to believe in him. By his words and by his works, he was demonstrating that he was God's son, come in the flesh. However, they refused to believe because he was just the son of a carpenter; they knew him; they had seen him grow up. They missed their opportunity for salvation.

The Basis of Justification: Faith not Works

So argues Paul in Romans 4.2,3ff. Paul points out that his message is the same message of the Pentateuch when it says that Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Paul then points out that his message is the same as David who also proclaimed that righteousness before God came apart from works. Paul then, agrees with Moses and David on the nature of justification.

Chrysostom is very helpful here: There are two kinds of boasting—one of works and one of faith…. Paul’s great strength is particularly displayed in this, that he turns the objection around and shows that what seemed to favor the idea of salvation by works (viz., boasting) belonged much more truly to salvation by faith. For the man who boasts in his works is boasting about himself, but the man who finds his honor in having faith in God has a much better reason for boasting, because he is boasting about God, not about himself.

Bad News: No Justification through Works. Good News: Justification through faith in Christ

This is the message of Rom 3.21,22. The bad news is that no human being (that pretty much sums up everyone doesn't it?) will be, can be, was ever, justified by the works of the Law. The good news is that God's righteousness has been manifested apart from the Law (yeah!), through faith in Christ Jesus for all who believe. It's that simple. Faith in Christ. He came. He lived. He died for my sins. He rose again. That is the message of the gospel. That is God's righteousness being manifested.

The Contrast Between the Pharisees and Judas

Matthew 27 is a fascinating chapter, it is chock full of characters, good and bad, surrounding the crucifixion of Christ. One could write multiple sermons just on the people surrounding Christ's death on the cross. What struck me this morning was the contrast between Judas, and the Pharisees and elders of the people. The Pharisees, knowing that Christ was innocent, had him killed anyway because they hated him. Judas, on the other hand, after betraying Christ and knowing that he was innocent, killed himself, presumably due to remorse. Through the entire crucifixion story the Jewish leaders show no such remorse, nor even any introspection or hesitation at crucifying an innocent man. They hate him. They want him dead. They accomplish their—make that God's—purpose.

And that is the fascinating fact in all of this. The Jewish leaders, making their own ghastly choices, fully comply with God's preordained plan. How did that happen? The Scriptures don't see the need to explain this conundrum, they are content to simply lay out the facts.

Grace in Genesis

I'm reading through John Sailhamer's excellent book The Meaning of the Pentateuch. His basic theme is that the meaning of the Pentateuch is the same message that Paul gave to the Galatians, salvation is by faith.

I recall that as I think about Genesis 25.23, this morning. Before Jacob and Esau are born, God tells Rebekah that the older will serve the younger. I take a couple of things from this verse, neither of which I thought up myself. The first is that God had already declared that Esau would serve Jacob before the pair were born. Why then did Jacob go through all the lies and deception and suffering in order to make this happen, when he could have simply been patient and allowed it to happen in God's time. David passed this test. Jacob failed. (Got that from this comment in the NET notes: The oracle reveals that all of Jacob’s scheming was unnecessary in the final analysis. He would have become the dominant nation without using deception to steal his brother’s blessing.

The second thing I take from this verse I got from John Sailhamer who wrote the Expositor's Bible Commentary on Genesis. He points out that one of the themes of Genesis is the stronger serving the weaker, or the older serving the younger.

Another important motif is present in this account: “the older will serve the younger” (v.23). As far back as chapter 4, the narrative has portrayed God choosing and approving the younger and the weaker through whom he would accomplish his purpose and bring about his blessing. The offering of Cain, the older brother, was rejected, whereas the offering of the younger brother, Abel, was accepted. The line of Seth, the still younger brother, was the chosen line (4:26-5:8); Isaac was chosen over his older brother Ishmael (17:18-19); Rachel was chosen over her older sister Leah (29:18); Joseph, the younger brother, was chosen over all the rest (37:3); and Judah was chosen over his older brothers (49:8). The intention behind each of these “reversals” was the recurring theme of God’s sovereign plan of grace. The blessing was not a natural right, as a right of the firstborn son would be. Rather, God’s blessing is extended to those who have no other claim to it. They all received what they did not deserve (cf. Mal 1:1-5; Rom 9:10-13).

Just as Sailhamer points out, the intention of the author of Genesis was to subtly point out God's unfolding plan of salvation by grace, not by birthright, position, or natural right. As he says, they all received what they did not deserve.

Flattery Will Get You Nowhere

The Pharisees and Herodians use flattery on Christ in Matt 22.16; they get nowhere. Kent Hughes defines flattery as "saying something to someone's face that you would never say behind their back," just so. While Christ's opponents speak truthfully, they do not believe a word of what they say, it is flattery for the sake of entrapment.

What I find fascinating is that they inadvertently reveal to history Christ's true character. They list four aspects of Christ's character which are all true: You are true. You teach the way of God truthfully. You do not care about people's opinions of you. You are not swayed by appearances. Since Christ is our example of how to live the faith, our aim ought to be to emulate Christ in these four characteristics.

Hit 'Em!

Ouch! That's all I can say about Christ's interaction with the chief priests and elders in the temple in Matt 21.31-32. What a slap in the face it is to them when Christ says that tax-collectors and prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God before them!?! It would be roughly similar to Christ coming to our church and standing up and saying that Democrats and prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God before the people in the church. We would be outraged! I assume the chief priests and the elders were outraged. So outraged that they never asked themselves if what Christ said was true; never wondered if perhaps their own hearts were not right. The essence of what Christ is saying here is that "you religious leaders (he emphasizes "you" again and again in these verses) think that you are the most religious, the most faithful, but in reality you are furthest from the kingdom of God.

A couple of lessons here for us. First, we always have to be assessing the state of our hearts so that we do not end up in the place that the chief priests ended in. Second, the message of the gospel is always and ever meant to be applied to our own hearts first. If we are sitting in the pew thinking, "I hope that Mr. X is listening to this message," then we've missed the point because always! the gospel applies to us first.

What is of True Value (Hint...Not my Life)

So says Paul in Acts 20.24. What is of true value to Paul (and by extension anyone who is a follower of Christ) is that he finishes the course—δρόμος, which means race, or a figurative expression for race and so means "mission" or "assignment." Paul's mission was of such importance that in comparison his own life was of little value. What was this important mission; this all-consuming assignment? To testify to the gospel of the grace of God. That's it, simple and straightforward. His message was that the good news is that the grace of God has come to all men through Jesus' death on our behalf. For this message he was willing to sacrifice all, even his own life.

Powerful. Are you willing to sacrifice all things? Am I?

Revealed by the Father

In Matthew 16.16,17, this morning. When Peter declares you are the Christ, the son of the Living God. Jesus tells him that this knowledge did not come from men, it was revealed by my Father who is in heaven.

Quite a profound statement here. I take from this that, if we are to reach people with the gospel, the drawing back of the curtain that leaves them in darkness must come from God the Father. We have no power in ourselves for people to understand this because flesh and blood has not revealed this to you. O that we would beseech God the Father to open the eyes of the blind to see the truth!

A Sobering Thought

Thinking about Gen 15.16 this morning. Apparently there comes a time when the iniquity of a nation is complete. At that point, God moves in judgment against that nation. So it was with the Amorites at the time of Joshua. In Genesis 15, the iniquity of the Amorites is not complete. By the time of the Exodus, it is complete.

Where does that leave my own country? I don't know, but we would certainly seem to be filling up the cup of our iniquity as fast as we possibly can, not that a nation that is filled with sin would even recognize God's judgment when it arrived. There are always alternative explanations. This is the nature of the blindness caused by sin. It is a most sobering thought.

Grace Bears Us

In contrast to the Mosaic law which was, as Peter said, A yoke neither we, nor our fathers could bear; Christ's yoke is easy and his burden is light. This is because the construction material of Christ's yoke is grace.

As an anonymous commentator on Matt 12.30 put it so well, We do not bear grace; grace bears us. It is not for us to help grace, but rather grace has been given to aid us.

Which recalls to mind lyrics from one of Derek Webb's songs, Awake My Soul: This grace gives me fear, and this grace draws me near, and all that it asks it provides.

I'd say he got that right.

Touch Christ. Be Healed.

It was profound logic from the unnamed woman in Matt 9.20-22. She had, I suspect, observed Christ's healing power (or alternatively, heard about it) sufficiently to conclude that, if she could just touch him she would be healed of an ailment that had bothered her for 12 years and about which the physicians were powerless to do anything. She touched him. She was healed. She was correct.

What lesson can we take from this woman? I believe it is this: Ultimately, what hope we have, lies in Christ and nothing or no one else. She had tried everything else; everything humanly possible, and had not been healed. One touch of Christ and she is instantly healed. Are you hopeless? Tried everything? Nothing worked? Run to Christ. Touch his garment. You will be saved (which is exactly how Matthew puts it. Saved as in saved, saved). Does this mean that you will be healed from any and every physical ailment? Nope. Certainly doesn't. It might mean that. What it does mean is that you will find what you truly need in Christ. And what is that, you ask? That is a new heart.

Chrysostom: What then is his intention in bringing her forward? First, Jesus puts an end to her fear. He does not want her to remain trapped in dread. He gives no cause for her conscience to be harmed, as if she had stolen the gift. Second, he corrects her assumption that she has no right to be seen. Third, he makes her faith an exhibit to all. He encourages the others to emulate her faith. Fourth, his subduing the fountains of her hemorrhage was another sign of his knowledge of all things. And finally, do you remember the ruler of the synagogue? He was at the point of despair, of utter ruin. Jesus is indirectly admonishing him by what he says to the woman. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 31.2

Ashamed as We Understand It?

Thinking about Ezra 8.22. I don't think that Ezra was constrained by his pride here, as if to say he was too proud to ask for the king's help. I think he realized the implications. He had told the king that God's hand is for good on all who seek him. If he asked the king for help, the king would think, "it's some God you have Ezra. He's not even strong enough to protect you on your journey back to your homeland?" Ezra is concerned about God's glory here, not about his own pride.

On the other hand, he does use the word "ashamed" so it would be pretty important to really understand his use of that word here. NIDOTTE: ‏שׁוֹּבִ‎ with a subjective sense. With a subjective sense ‏שׁוֹּב ‎may denote the fear of offense against decency or correct conduct. In this sense Ezra was “ashamed” to misuse his position for further requests for protection (Ezra 8:22).

Blessed Be...the King? Nope.

Thinking about how profound Ezra's comment is in Ezra 7.27. Artaxerxes instructs that the temple at Jerusalem be rebuilt, thus clearing the way for the exiles to finish it. Artaxerxes is a great guy! We should thank him. We should say what a great guy he is. We should properly honor him. Ezra does just that: Blessed be...Artaxerxes? Nope. Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king.

Artaxerxes does the work. God gets the glory, because Ezra properly understood how God worked. The outworking of this truth for us is pretty important. Get a scholarship to college? Blessed be the Lord...not the givers of the scholarship. Saved from disaster? Blessed be the Lord...not the one who saves you (although it would be right and good to thank them profusely). What Ezra is saying here is that, behind every act, lurks the Lord moving in the hearts of men. That is a truly profound fact.

Vain Repetition? Bad. Persistence? Good

Thinking about prayer this morning in Matt 6.7. Christ tells his hearers not to use vain repetition (babbling is the Greek word) like the Gentiles do (when they pray to their false gods) mistakenly thinking that they will receive what they want because they use so many words. This is in stark contrast to praying persistently. The first is concerned with quantity. The second is a heart that is concerned.

John Calvin: The grace of God is not obtained by an unmeaning flow of words; but, on the contrary, a devout heart throws out its affections, like arrows, to pierce heaven.

Who Is This Man?

Reading The Beatitudes with new eyes this morning (Matt 5.1-12). Christ turns everything on its head it seems. Those who mourn will be comforted (isn't mourning generally associated with not being comforted because of the loss of a loved one for example?). The meek shall inherit the earth (do I even need to explain why this is topsy-turvey?). Then this: ““Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account” (Matt 5:11–12 ESV).

What struck me about this comment was that here is this itinerant Jewish teacher with no credentials and he is saying that they are blessed if they are persecuted because of him!?! Who is this man? What kind of person says stuff like this? It fits in a long line of outlandish statements that Christ makes about himself. I am the Good Shepherd. I am the Bread of Life. I am the way, the truth, and the life. Again and again Christ knocks us back on our heels and forces us to catch our breath and say, "Either he is who he says he was—The Messiah. The Christ. The Son of God—or he was a megalomaniac with an ego that has not been matched since time began; or he could possibly be crazy."

This is a guy who walked on water. Who fed 5000 (probably more like 10000) people with five loaves of bread and two fish; who healed a man blind from birth; who cast demons out of people on a routine basis; who healed the centurion's servant without ever seeing him. Who do you think he was? Do you think he was a fraud with a big ego? Crazy? God? It seems to me that his actions back up his words. He was—and is—the Son of God.

Look, Desire, Act

Three steps to sin laid out in Gen 3.6. We would like to throw brickbats at Eve because she so easily fell into these steps, but the truth be told, we are just like her. We look. We desire. We act. We fall into sin.

Delitzsch: Doubt, unbelief, and pride were the roots of the sin of our first parents, as they have been of all the sins of their posterity.

The Purpose of Ezra

Thinking about Ezra 1.1, this morning. Ezra is quite clear about what his purpose is in the book that bears his name. He is not setting out to just recount historical events surrounding the return of the exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem, as if, were he not to do so, they would be lost to history. He is writing about God moving, about God fulfilling his promise. Cyrus moved that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled. This is the key point in the book of Ezra (it seems to me), against which we must set every event. Ezra's purpose is to describe how God fulfilled the prophecy that he had made through Jeremiah. Consequently, this is not a historical book per se, it is a book of promise fulfillment.

Come!

In Revelation 22.17, this morning. Three times the word come is repeated (in one form or another) in this verse. It is a call for the Lord Jesus to come (again). It is a call from the Saints to Christ to come. It is also a call to those who are thirsty to come (to Christ!).

There is a close connection between this verse and Isaiah 55.1. “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” Isaiah calls everyone who thirsts to come. John calls everyone who thirsts to come. It is the same call. It is a free call. It is the offer of the gospel, "Come to faith in Jesus. Come and accept his free offer of salvation. He died for you. It will cost you nothing. It cost him everything."

I like how Bengel comments on this verse (quoted in JFB): The whole question of your salvation hinges on this, that you be able to hear with joy Christ’s announcement, “I come,” and to reply, “Come.”

Words Describing a Humbled Heart

In 2 Chron 34.27, this morning. The key words in the verse are tender, humbled, heard, torn, and wept. These are all words that describe Josiah's reaction to hearing the words of the Law (which had apparently been lost). When Josiah heard the Scriptures read his heart was tender; he was humbled; he heard the words; he tore his clothes; and he wept before the Lord. All words describing a person who hears the word of the Lord and understands it and it changes him. Josiah has a humbled heart when he encounters God's word.

May we be like Josiah.

Wondering What God's Will Is?

Wonder no more. Proceed directly to John 15.12, Love one another. Voila! You have God's will for you. Sure it isn't all of God's will and it doesn't necessarily tell you the direction that you're supposed to take, but my point is that, sometimes God's will for you is very clear. In this case, Christ doesn't speak in parables. He doesn't hide what he means in a veil of obscure reference or a story. He simply tells us. My will for you is that you love one another. I like it when Christ is simple and straightforward...probably because that's the way I am.

Adam Clarke, in his commentary on this verse, tells an interesting story about the apostle John who wrote it:

So deeply was thus commandment engraved on the heart of this evangelist that St. Jerome says, lib. iii. c. 6, Com. ad Galat., that in his extreme old age, when he used to be carried to the public assemblies of the believers, his constant saying was, Little children, love one another. His disciples, wearied at last with the constant repetition of the same words, asked him, Why he constantly said the same thing? “Because (said he) it is the commandment of the Lord, and the observation of it alone is sufficient.” Quia praeceptum Domini est, et, si solum fiat, sufficit.

No Orphans in the Christian Faith

Thinking about John 14.18. I will not leave you as orphans. In a world in which orphans were virtually ubiquitous due to disease, this is a very precious promise. Christ was leaving—he had explained this in vv 1-6. He would not leave them as orphans. He promises to come to them. I will come to you. There are no orphans in the Christian faith. Christ promised he will come. He will come!

We know!

In John 9.24, this morning where the Pharisees encounter the man who had been blind from birth, but whose eyes Christ had opened. The whole encounter has a side element of comedy to it as the blue collar guy—without education and intellect—schools the guys who have all of the education and intelligence.

What struck me is that the Pharisees used the language of devotion. They call for the unnamed ex-blind guy to give glory to God. Sounds good! What could possibly be wrong with that. Then they say, we know that this man is a sinner. In the Greek the we is emphasized as if they were saying, "we and not you," or "of this we are sure." The language of devotion masked a spirit of pride that could not or would not see what was plainly in front of them, as the ex-blind guy points out for them: Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. Ouch! How that must have hurt.

The learning point is two-fold: First, I had better make sure that my heart does not hide unbelief and pride behind a mask of devotion. Second, it is possible that I can be so convinced that what I believe is correct—even when it is absolutely wrong—that I miss the truth, even when it smacks me squarely in the eyes. Be careful, O wandering heart!

Who Says This Stuff?!?

Thinking about John 8.23ff this morning. You are from below. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world. Who says this kind of thing? It's absolutely breathtaking. Once again Christ forces us to take him on his own terms or to take nothing. He was not and never claimed to be a good, moral teacher. He claimed to be different. Unique. From above. We take him as that or nothing.

C. S. Lewis captures the import of Christ's words better than anyone I've ever read: A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.

On Being a Judge

The Lord gives instructions to Jehoshaphat concerning how judges are to judge in 2 Chron. 19-6,7. It's a good list for any judge at anytime, anywhere.

1. Consider what you do because...

2. You judge for the Lord, not on behalf of men

3. The Lord is with you as you pass judgment

4. Let the fear of the Lord be upon you

5. Be careful what you do

6. Let the fear of the Lord be upon you

7. Be careful what you do

8. No injustice

9. No partiality

10. No taking bribes

Look and Believe

In John 6.40, this morning, a verse packed with meaning. The main point is simple and straightforward. Look and believe. The will of God the Father is that we look on his Son and believe. If we do this we will have eternal life. If we do this Christ will raise us upon on the last day. Great promises. Simple. Profound.