Hebrews 4:16 Time of Need

Hebrews 4:16  “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need”. (NASB)

My son is away at school an upper class-man at Fresno State and on track to graduate in four years.  I am blessed by his diligence toward his schooling as he continually gets high marks.  I am likewise blessed that he has found employment with a company that has turned into more than summertime work.  He has continued to work through the fall semester and has now started back during the spring.  In addition, the work is in his field of study so at least the work experience will qualify him upon graduation for full time employment somewhere.  At best, the company he works for may want him permanently.

All those remarks on our blessings are to set the premise for our suffering.  His work requires him to travel half an hour to and from the yard where he can pick up his company truck.  That extra wear and tear has taken its toll and we have recently found ourselves with unexpected repair bills.  Front end, tires, starter and flywheel, tune up, towing and now a catalytic converter add up to thousands of dollars we hadn’t planned on spending.

OUCH!

What to do, what to do?  As I write the BLOG today this is what’s on my mind and I have to turn back to Scripture to remind me to pray.  I have in Jesus a “Great high priest” Hebrews 4:14 who has walked among us and suffered all we have suffered and so much more.  I also have to put in perspective my troubles with those of others facing much worse.  I am so blessed yet find a situation for which I don’t have an easy answer.  I need to give this one to the Lord and pray and think and yield to Him.  I don’t need to panic or face despair or get angry; none of that will help.

Scripture says I should pray so pray I will.  I won’t pray for the easy answer but I will pray for the revelation of His perfect will under these circumstances.  If we are called to a season of doing without, well maybe that’s just what we need.  What I do know is that God’s Word is true; when I draw near to the “Throne of Grace” I will “Receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need”.  AMEN!

Psalm 60:11-12 God is Sovereign

Psalm 60:11-12  “O give us help against the adversary, For deliverance by man is in vain.  Through God we shall do valiantly, And it is He who will tread down our adversaries”. (NASB)

As David led the army of Israel against its enemies they came upon hard times.  In David’s leading of the army of Israel this was rather rare but as depicted in Psalm 60 they had a hard time.

The verses shown are the final two from this psalm in which David explains rather than complains about the circumstances he faces militarily.  He says, “O God, You have rejected us. You have broken us; You have been angry”. v1  In that phrase David gives room to say that perhaps God was simply standing back and allowing hardship to come on His people. 

David goes on to say, “You have made the land quake, You have split it open; Heal its breaches, for it totters.  You have made Your people experience hardship; You have given us wine to drink that makes us stagger”.  v2-3  Here there is no longer wiggle room.  It was God who did this thing.  He made the land quake.  He split it open.  He made His own people experience hardship.  He diminished their capacity to fight.  God in His sovereignty and for His own purposes did these things to His own people.

So, as a premise to David’s lament God had perhaps allowed rather than directed some external force to bear upon Israel.  But, He also took direct action causing hardship too.  He did these things for His own purpose.  Having said this it is important to remember that God had and has the capacity to prevent calamity in the lives of His people.  He is sovereign; it is up to Him.

What might the purpose have been for not only allowing this misery but also directly causing hardship?  Well at the very least it got the attention of David, the leader of His army.  David writes in the psalm of the promises of God.  He writes of the promises to deliver His people.  “You have given a banner to those who fear You, That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.  That Your beloved may be delivered, Save with Your right hand, and answer us!  God has spoken in His holiness: ‘I will exult, I will portion out Shechem and measure out the valley of Succoth.  ‘Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the helmet of My head; Judah is My scepter.  ‘Moab is My washbowl; Over Edom I shall throw My shoe; Shout loud, O Philistia, because of Me!’". v4-6

Could it be that Israel had gone off without remembering God and they had to be called up short?  I think that is exactly what was happening.  The tell tale is our closing two verses for the day.  By the time David pens the last he has adequately acknowledged the difficulty he faces and put God and His plan back into it’s proper and primary position. 

David becomes reliant on God saying, “O give us help against the adversary”.  He continues expressing the futility of going it alone, “For deliverance by man is in vain”.  And finally he says that we can triumph over our enemy by relying on God; “Through God we shall do valiantly, And it is He who will tread down our adversaries”.

The lesson for us is at least two fold.  First, we should always remember that God is sovereign.  Simply put, He plays chess while we play checkers.  "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.  "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts”. Isaiah 55:8-9 

Second, it is always better for us when we allow God to lead.  When we go it alone; when we seek deliverance by man, our efforts are in vain.  When we are sensitive to what God wants and obey His leading we will always find success.  Not on our own account will this occur but because He will succeed; He is sovereign.

To God be the Glory!  AMEN!

Isaiah 6:1-3 Holy, Holy, Holy

Isaiah 6:1-3  “In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.  Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.  And one called out to another and said, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.’" (NASB)

Have you had those questions in your head about heaven.  You know, how does it look?  What’s going on?  In my childhood I had this idea of blue skies and clouds.  Don’t ask me why.  As I’ve been under Biblical teaching I’ve adjusted my conception of heaven but there’s still plenty of mystery.  So what is heaven like?

The prophet Isaiah had a very special opportunity, one that very few have had.  He was given a glimpse into heaven.  Isaiah 6 records what he saw.  He records that this vision of heaven was given to him in the year if King Uzziah’s death.  History tells us that happened in 754 b.c.  One commentator notes that this coincides with the birth of Romulus, Rome’s namesake.

Isaiah reports that he saw the Lord sitting on a throne.  Hearing this before I had in my head this was God the Father on the throne.  But Scripture is clear that God the Father is invisible; He doesn’t appear in bodily form.  “He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation”.  Collosians 1:15  This passage in Collosians gives us the clue we need.  Jesus is “The image of the invisible God”.  So Isaiah saw Jesus on the throne.

The throne was, “Lofty and exalted”.  That Jesus is seated on the throne is an indication of His office as King Jesus.  Only the King sits on the throne.  That the throne is “Exalted” is an indication of His majesty.  Others have used the phrase “High and lifted up”.  There is no throne higher than the throne of Jesus.

Then Isaiah reports that the robe Jesus wears has a train.  ”With the train of His robe filling the temple”.  His train is so expansive that it actually filled the whole temple.  Barnes comments, “The Orientals regarded such large robes as indicative of grandeur and state”.  Certainly the description of Isaiah with a robe completely filling the temple could not be matched by any earthly king.  His robe is fuller, His throne is higher.

Next Isaiah tells us there were Seraphim standing above Him.  What are Seraphim?  The word Seraphim refers to “Fiery ones”.  They have feet and faces so they seem humanlike in appearance except for their six wings.  ”Each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew”.  The covering of the face and feet with four of the six wings denotes an act of reverence in the presence of Jesus.  It is worth noting, these heavenly beings are holy and yet they cover themselves in the presence of Him.  This is an indication of the reverence we should have coming into His presence.  And when do we come into His presence?  Every time we pray.  Think about that before you just toss a one liner toward heaven without contemplating what is really going on.

What were the Seraphim doing?  They were calling to one another saying, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory”.  These heavenly and holy beings were continually calling this out to one another.  “Holy, Holy, Holy”  Barnes suggests that this indicates something like a three part harmony.  Each one singing a part as they all harmonize this praise.

What a picture of heaven.  Jesus in all His splendor; King Jesus on His throne higher than any throne.  Adorned with the most magnificent of garments being worshiped by these holy Seraphim who repeat time after time, “Holy, Holy, Holy”.

One day we’ll see this scene for ourselves and we won’t just be observers.  We’ll be participants in the worship of Jesus in His very presence and singing ourselves, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts”!  AMEN!

Nehemiah 8:9-10 Joy of the LORD

Nehemiah 8:9-10  “Then Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, ‘This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.’ For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law.  Then he said to them, ‘Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.’" (NASB)

Chris Tomlin wrote a song of praise I have heard on the radio and we sing occasionally in church.  The phrase, “The joy of the LORD is our strength” is embedded in the lyrics.  Take a quick look at the whole song:

We stand and lift up our hands
For the joy of the Lord is our strength
We bow down and worship Him now
How great, how awesome is He
And together we sing
[Chorus]
Holy is the Lord God Almighty
The earth is filled with His glory
Holy is the Lord God Almighty
The earth is filled with His glory
The earth is filled with His glory

It's rising up all around
It's the anthem of the Lord's renown
Repeat
And together we sing,
Everyone sing
[ Repeat Chorus]

           

The origin of the phrase, “The joy of the LORD is our strength” comes from Nehemiah 8 and it is this story that I’d like to hone in on.  This phrase actually comes as a part of a comforting word Nehemiah and Ezra gave to the people.  The people had all gathered in Jerusalem after returning from captivity and re-building their homes.  They came to Jerusalem to celebrate their delivery from that captivity; to give thanks to the Lord.  The people called on Ezra to read the Law of Moses to them.  They were all assembled to hear the reading of God’s Word and the explanation or interpretation of that Word.

Their reaction to the reading of the Law was one of grief.  They were convicted of their own sins at the reading of God's holy Law.  The passage says, “For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law”.  In other words, the Law did what it is intended to do.  It caused them to compare their sinful lives to God’s holy standard.  In comparison they fell far short.  That is what motivated their sorrow.

But the Lord desires that once convicted of sin and deal with it properly that they not go on in perpetual grief.  In this case, the Lord’s message to the people is, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep”.  This day was to be a celebration so they are instructed to,  "Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord”.  The people are told to celebrate, to feast and to share that feast with others that can’t provide for themselves.

Finally he says, ”Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength”.

Why joy?  Joy can only be found when in a right relationship with God.  Only real grief can produce real joy.  That sorrow from hearing the Law read produced thankful and contrite hearts.  In that position they were able to hear God; they were able to be responsive to what He asked.  They were mold-able; teachable.  In that condition they found strength.  The strength only the grace of God can provide is what they received.

This model of grief leading to joy is the same for us.  Only when we are humbled by the conviction of our sin in relation to God’s holy standard can He reach us.  When we stand convicted of our sin we realize that only God’s grace can help us.  We are able to accept the free gift of salvation offered by His own shed blood when we are in that humble state.  Without the sorrow of conviction there is no joy because we will never come to Him.  The Holy Spirit's conviction brings us to a place where we can be reached; we can be saved.  “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength”.  AMEN!

If you are in grief over your behavior in relation to the holiness of God I would be happy to talk with you about Jesus Christ and His desire to bring joy into your life.  Please contact me.

1 Peter 1:1-2 Chosen by Grace

1Peter 1:1-2  “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.” (NASB)

Peter is frankly my favorite apostle.  Why?  I simply identify with him more than the others because he reminds me of me.  In future discussions I’ll share insight of why but for today I want to take a look at the opening of one of his letters.  Peter was considered the leader of the early church.  He was also one of the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples along with James and John.  As such he is also considered an apostle of Jesus Christ.  In this context an apostle means he was an eye witness and directly commissioned to ministry by Jesus Himself.

I think it is interesting to note that in looking through the letters of the New Testament rich chewy truth is available in the opening few verses universally.  Peter’s first letter is no different so I’d like to take a look at the first two verses here.

Peter identifies himself first as an apostle and since I’ve already explained what that means I won’t do it again.  He mentions this however to let those who are reading know (in case they don’t) just who it is that is writing to them.  Next Peter identifies his audience.  This letter is written to those Christians who first “Reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia”.  Why aliens?  I think this is twofold.  First, because they are literally aliens.  They are primarily Jewish Christians who were displaced or dispersed out of Palestine.  Living in a foreign land they are aliens.  I believe however the term alien also applies to them as Christians among non-Christians.  That would be among unbelieving Jews and native Pagans.  Later in this letter Peter refers to Christians as “Aliens and strangers” as he urges them not to conform to their surroundings1 Peter 2:11.  The geographical areas referenced are located in modern day Turkey and Greece.

Okay – now it gets interesting. 

These Christians, scattered into this foreign land, “Are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father”.  In Christian circles the term “Election” is tossed around.  It means that God chooses.  This Scripture confirms that Peter is writing to those, “Who are chosen” and let’s us know who did the choosing.  “God the Father” did the choosing.  It goes even further however and says His choosing was, “According to” His “Foreknowledge”.  Elsewhere we learn that God’s choosing was done from eternity past.  How is that possible?  Well, “With God all things are possible” Matthew 19:26 and God quite frankly isn’t bound by the constraints of time; He created it!  He can look at the act of creation, Jesus time on this earth, our brief lives and Christ’s return right now; all at once, as though it were a thing to be examined.

Can I hear a WOW!

How were we Chosen?  Well, it is by the “Foreknowledge of God the Father” but it is “By the sanctifying work of the Spirit”.  We discussed before that sanctification is the setting apart for a special purpose.  When the Spirit does his work of sanctification of the believer it means He sets us apart for something special.  Peter doesn’t disappoint us because he shares what that something special is.  He says we were set apart by the Spirit, “To obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood”.  That simply means that we were set apart to have obedience of faith in Christ.  It is that obedience of faith that saves us.  “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus”. Galatians 3:26

Peter reminds us also of what this faith in Christ brings.  He reminds us that the obedience of faith is, “To obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood”.  The sprinkling of blood is a reference to the atonement sacrifice established in the Law.  Animal blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat on the arc of the covenant  in a ritual that, “Covered” the sins of the people.  That sacrifice of animals in atoning for sin had to be repeated over and over to satisfy God's wrath.  The blood of Jesus however, following the premise of the animal sacrifice is much more effective.  “His blood”, shed for our sins satisfies God’s wrath once and for all .  When the believer is, “Sprinkled with His blood” by faith in Him all our sins are forgiven forever.

When the reality of the efficacy of “His blood” is realized Peter’s statement becomes possible.  “May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure”.  AMEN! 

Genesis 1:26-27 In His Own Image

(Gen 1:26-27)  “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’  God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (NASB)

Among the other details of the creation, Genesis records the creation of man.  This brief two verse account provides some meaningful truth of which we should be aware.

First, God made a plan.  Another glimpse into the Trinity provides a dialogue during the period of creation.  God speaks to God saying, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness”.  Now this is significant.  It is significant because this isn’t true of any other created thing.  Only man is created in the image of God.  Many today lump man into the category of all other animals, nothing special at all in their view.  Scripture is clear; man is made in the image of God.

Okay, just what does that mean?  We look like God looks?  Well, yes perhaps but I believe the image of God goes further.  The image of God after which man was modeled goes further than appearance, much further.  We are clearly NOT God or gods at all but as a part of creation we are unique.  There are characteristics of God that are also imputed to man.  These then encompass the image of God as it pertains to man.

So some of the qualities of man that are unique in all creation involve our ability to reason, our ability to love, and our ability to comprehend life and death.  We also have the ability to develop relationships.  Perhaps most importantly, our being made in the image of God allows God to have a relationship with us.

The most important relationship we as believers can have is one with Jesus.  Remember that opening dialogue?  “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness”.  We said that conversation was God speaking with God right?  Well it was.  Jesus was part of that conversation and in fact it is Jesus who then did the creating.  Jesus Himself created man in His image.  ”For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him.” (Col 1:16)  It is worth reading all of the first chapter of Colossians to gain the full context.

Much later, after man fell and Moses recorded the Law to point to the need for a savior, God provided one.  Our Savior came to us as a baby human with a human mother.  So then was Jesus born in the image of man?  Not exactly.  Scripture says He, “… emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Php 2:7-8)  Jesus took on “The form of a bond-servant and the likeness of men”.

This helps prove to us that appearance isn’t the full meaning of, “in Our image, according to Our likeness”.  It isn’t possible for us to be made in His image and then have Him be made in our image.  Where is the original?  Well, it isn’t man – it is Jesus.  His image is more than, “Likeness” and “Appearance”.

So the relationship of man to God is by design from the beginning.  It goes beyond the way we have a pet that we care for, even love.  Pets don’t share God’s image.  The relationship God has with us is first based on our ability to have that relationship and that is based on the fact that we ARE made in His image.  When we blew it, He provided a way to bring us back into relationship with Him.  Even that is predicated on being made in His image because it provides the foundation for our reconciliation, for our redemption.  AMEN!

Joshua 10:12-14 So the Sun Stood Still

Joshua 10:12-14  “Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, "O sun, stand still at Gibeon, And O moon in the valley of Aijalon."  So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day.  There was no day like that before it or after it, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel.” (NASB)

We recently looked at the awesomeness of God which was depicted by His power and His scale in comparison to ours.  I think one of the takeaways from that was to put us in proper perspective with regard to our God.  We are puny and weak but our God is omnipresent (present everywhere) and is omnipotent (all powerful).

God also is fully in charge of creation including the laws of nature which as creator He set in motion and He sustains.  “And He … upholds all things by the word of His power…” Hebrews 1:3 

Following the exodus from Egypt Moses led the people of Israel through the wilderness and to the Promised Land.  When they failed to enter God sent them about wandering again later bringing them back to but not into the Promised Land of Canaan.  Because the first generation had been disobedient only Joshua and Caleb who had been spies on the first visit and had wanted to go in were allowed to enter.  Moses and the rest of that disobedient generation died on the other side of the Jordon river.  As such, Joshua became the leader of Israel.

Upon entering God commanded Israel to conquer the land.  Led by Joshua with substantial help from God’s angelic warriors they set about doing so.  When they followed the Lord’s direction they were successful in battle.  When they decided to do it their own way they failed.  That in and of itself is a good lesson for us to remember.

The event I’m leading up to was a particular battle with Joshua as leader of Israel following the command of the Lord in defending a city from five Amorite kings.  These five banded together to attack Gibeon.  When their attack failed and defeat was obvious they tried to escape.  With Joshua in hot pursuit of these fleeing armies, we come to today’s passage.  Joshua was following the instructions of the Lord and as he pursued the enemy.  He feared it would become dark and they would get away.  He knew from prior experience that the Lord was not pleased when he allowed any to escape; he was to completely destroy them.  So Joshua had a predicament.  He could let them escape and disobey God or he could pursue but possibly fail the mission because of darkness.

Facing this untenable situation Joshua prays to God saying, "O sun, stand still at Gibeon, And O moon in the valley of Aijalon."  Do you know what happened?  The sun did stand still as did the moon and this prolonged light allowed Joshua to fulfill the command of God to completely conquer the enemy.

WOW!

You have to admit, the sun and moon stopping for about a day doesn’t just happen all that often.  As a matter of fact it only happened this one time.  But it did happen because it suited the purpose of God to suspend the laws of nature for this brief period at the behest of Joshua.  Scripture also says of this event,  “There was no day like that before it or after it, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel”.

What is the message for us?  We are instructed to pray to God to meet our needs.  We are to pray according to His will.  That is to say, when we are right in the middle of His will with our need we are to ask Him to meet those needs.  Most often our need will be a bit less complicated than suspending the rotation of the earth.  All this is to say, if He can do that, He can accomplish the meeting of your need and mine.  Our God can and will do whatever we ask because He is able.  It is conditioned on us asking according to His will.  Don't misunderstand, this isn't about naming it and claiming it.  This is about being sensitive to what God wants then asking Him to accomplish it by providing the way.

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,  to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen!” Ephesians 3:20-21  AMEN!

Isaiah 40:12-14 Awesome God!

Isaiah 40:12-14  “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance And the hills in a pair of scales?  Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has informed Him?  With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge And informed Him of the way of understanding?”  (NASB)

Isaiah 40 is a wonderful chapter in our Bible.  It is rich in truth and will be fodder for other devotions.  Of this I am sure.  I was actually thinking of the final verses of Isaiah 40 but felt compelled to read through the whole chapter and now see that I should go another way for today.  Read the final two verses – it will give you an indication of my mindset going into today.

Verses 12-14 are a reminder of the greatness of God.  The reminder of God’s greatness puts us in perspective as tiny and insignificant by comparison.  At the same time, the greatness of our God brings great assurance.  Our God is mighty.  Our God is big.  Our God is God; the one and only true god.  How big?  How powerful?  Let’s take a look.

I can barely hold enough water in my hand to effectively take my medicine each morning.  Usually it takes a couple of handfuls.  Not God, He, “Has measured the waters in the hollow if His hand”.  Which waters?  All the waters; in his hand!  Awesome!

A friend recently sent me a link to a video of a Hubble space telescope project where they aimed the telescope at “Nothing” for 7 days.  At nearly 20 billion light years away, when they analyzed the images they saw millions of galaxies, each galaxy containing billions of stars.  Our God, “Marked off the heavens by the span”.  All the heavens, He measures them like we measure with a ruler or a tape measure!  Awesome!

When today’s engineers build an overpass like the one they’re building over the tracks at Seventh Standard road they use large trucks of fill dirt.  Load after load filling and packing a huge mound of earth.  Try counting the bucketfuls, just try.  How many of us would it take to count each particle of soil?  Yet our God, “Calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance And the hills in a pair of scales”.  Awesome!

Can I hear a WOW!

Our God, “Has directed the Spirit of the LORD” and “As His counselor has informed Him”.  If that has you a little confused, don’t be.  This is insight into the Trinity itself.  This is God to God; God the Father giving direction and counsel to God the Spirit.  Our God is counsel unto Himself!  No one is the answer to the rhetorical, “With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding”?  Awesome!

Our governmental structure values the brightest legal minds to write and test the laws of our great nation.  Yet we see injustice everywhere and dispute even in our Supreme Court.  Split decisions from the best of them using the same law for interpretation.  So, “Who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge And informed Him of the way of understanding”?  Our God is completely just, He doesn’t get any decision wrong and he never wonders what is right.  Awesome!

"He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen”. Deuteronomy 10:21  Our God is an Awesome God!  AMEN!

2 Timothy 4:1-2 Preach the Word

2Timothy 4:1-2  “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” (NASB)

There are three letters in the New Testament of our Bible that are referred to as the Pastoral Epistles.  That is, they are generally considered to be instructions for pastors.  This is because they were written to two guys, Titus and Timothy whom Paul was instructing in ways to lead the church. 

Why did he do this?  Paul knew that his ministry would one day come to an end and that he should be pouring his efforts not only into evangelism of the lost but also into the next generation of leaders.  To that end, he gives instruction to Timothy and Titus in the three letters we have.  The three letters named for the recipients are Titus and first and second Timothy.

On Saturday at a dinner Pastor Joey said we would see something “New” in the sanctuary on Sunday.  It didn’t take long to see where.  Posted right on the front of the podium, center stage, was a new inscription.  IN GREEK!  Having been tipped off I actually brought my Hebrew / Greek Study Bible and had absolutely no results digging in with my virtually nonexistent language skills.  The inscription read, “khrucon ton logon” and at that I’m giving you the anglicized version of the words.  I was staring at Greek letters which I have no way to type into the BLOG.

About nine O’clock last night I was about certain I had deciphered it.  “Preach the Word” from 2 Timothy 4 was what I came up with.  So after this rather long introduction let’s take a quick look.

Paul exhorts his protégé, Timothy “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus”.  Does that get your attention?  As a Timothy, it would me.  He goes on to remind Timothy a little about Jesus who, “Is to judge the living and the dead”.  Tuned in yet?  But Paul isn’t done, yet another reminder about Jesus “Appearing” which is a reference to His incarnation or walking among us; God among men.  Finally comes a reference to “His kingdom”.  “His kingdom”, reminds Timothy not only of His reign as King but also the eternal nature of that kingdom.

Now with all the emphasis Paul could muster he finally gets to what he’s asking Timothy to do.  “Preach the word”.  And be always ready to preach it regardless of the season; be ready.  Be ready with the word to, “Reprove, rebuke, and exhort”  all of this, “With great patience and instruction”.

So to put it in a nutshell, Paul wants Timothy to understand how serious his work for God’s kingdom is, to be ready to “Preach the word” whenever the opportunity or the need arises.  Perhaps the last is the most important.  Paul reminds Timothy to be gentile with the flock.  Paul knows Christians are just weak vessels that have been greatly blessed with the call of their Savior Jesus.  Elsewhere a similar reminder is given, “But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ”. Ephesians 4:15

So being a pastor is a serious even a solemn charge.  It is the choice of God to use the human vessel; to use a pastor to proclaim the truth of Christ with the love of Christ.  “Preach the word”!  AMEN!

1 Corinthians 15:53-57 O Death, Where is Your Sting?

1Corinthians 15:53-57  “For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.  But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, ‘DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.  O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY?  O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?’  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”. (NASB)

Many of you know that the friend I’ve been asking you to pray for over the past week died yesterday afternoon.  Multiple organ failures left the doctors with no more hope to offer the family and they made the decision to end life support.  She died at 2:36PM.

While Cathy was sick and death was a real possibility for her my mind went straight to things that matter for eternity.  Would my friend be found in heaven?  I searched my memory of Cathy’s life from a spiritual perspective and I didn’t have much to go on but I did recall as a teenager a “Revival” at the First Baptist church in Wasco.  I didn’t attend that church but a friend of mine did and he invited me.  I don’t remember much about that service but there was an alter call and I clearly remember Cathy Bozarth going forward.  Other than that, her parting catch phrase of “Go with God” is about all I could point to for assurance.

During my visits to the hospital I prayed I would have a chance to talk with her about eternity, about things that matter, about Jesus but each time I visited she was unconscious.  I prayed over her with friends and family.  Some were convinced she could hear us and I hope that's true but I don’t know.  I was there yesterday when she took her last breath, when her spirit left her body, when she died.  And in those moments that followed amidst the tears and the hugs a remarkable thing happened.  I learned that Cathy had been baptized there at the First Baptist church so many years earlier. 

Now I can tell you one thing about Baptists.  They take baptism seriously.  Baptism is a testimony of faith, so if Cathy was baptized there it was not simply an opportunity to take a dip and it was not simply a church ritual.  She was baptized as a symbol of her acceptance of Jesus Christ as her Savior.

So her perishable body has put on the imperishable and her mortality has put on the immortal.  “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 

"DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.  O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O  DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?"  AMEN!