Turn on the Power

Psalms 32:1 – 2 Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.

It’s the time of year when the weather can get pretty intense. Atmospheric conditions can quickly spawn thunderstorms that can produce heavy rain, hail, strong winds, and even tornadoes. The consequences of some of these storms can be pretty severe. Even the smallest storms produce lightning that can interrupt the flow of electricity to our homes, plunging us into darkness. At times like that we realize how much we depend on that invisible power.

To compensate, we light candles or grab a flashlight and carry it with us. But light is not the only area of our lives that is affected. There’s no television, no traditional food preparation, and no heat or air conditioning. No matter how many substitutes we find for electricity, we cannot return to our normal lifestyle until the full power is restored. When it is and the lights come back on, you can almost hear a collective sigh of relief from the people affected. We can eat. We can open our garage doors again. Our air conditioning comes back on. We can go to bed in peace. We feel safe and secure again. We are thankful for the blessing of light.

When I read the first two verses of Psalm 32 today I was reminded of another time when a city was plunged into darkness. Unlike the summer thunderstorms, it was not caused by an electrical failure. It happened at three o’clock in the afternoon. In an instant in the middle of the day the world was plunged into total darkness. No, it was not an eclipse of the sun by the moon – it was an eclipse of the Son by sin. The Light of the world had been extinguished while hanging on a cross. Darkness invaded the earth. There on the spiritual power pole of eternity the Son of God had surrendered His life on behalf of mankind and there was no more light.

Sin always results in darkness. The darkness we experience in our mind, soul and spirit is the product of sin. We cannot call ourselves blessed when we are in the darkness of sin. Even though we have tried to light candles here and there in our lives and carry flashlights so we can see where we are going, we know in our hearts that we are still walking in darkness and the True Power is not on. We know that we are covering sin somewhere in our lives, and we are deceiving ourselves by thinking we are living in the light by carrying manmade lights.

Here’s what the Apostle John says about that – God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth…If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1)

Oh how we have lied to ourselves. We have convinced ourselves that as long as people don’t know the truth about who we are and what we do, the façade of light we have turned on is sufficient. But in our hearts we know that living in candlelight does not satisfy us fully, and that darkness is still pervasive. As long as we claim that the power is on while knowing that there are areas of darkness in our lives, we cannot be fully blessed and experience the fullness of the Light as God intended.

But there’s great news for us. The Power has been restored. The Light of the world was resurrected.  Darkness has been conquered once and for all, and the Power can never again go out. Darkness does not have to exist in our lives. The Apostle John goes on and says, But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

But we must understand that the only way for us to walk in the light is to stop lying about the presence of darkness. The blessing of God can only be fully experienced and appreciated by those who have no deceit in their spirit. There can be no compromise with sin. There can be no cover-up of sin. There can be no complacency towards sin. When we come to Jesus in full humility and transparency, revealing every part of our lives to Him, His blood covers it all and restores the power.

Hallelujah!

So do not fear opening your heart up to Jesus – even those long-hidden dark secrets. He has already paid for every one of them, and He wants to bless you with His total forgiveness and restore you to His fellowship in the light. After all, aren’t you tired of the dark? Isn’t it time to turn on all the power?

Pastor John

What Is Your Fortress of Choice?

Psalms 31:19  How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.

The life of a faithful follower of Jesus will be hard. We will not be understood because our values are of a different origin than the world’s values. We will not be liked, because our mission is contrary to the world’s direction.  We will not be tolerated because our lifestyles based on God’s moral truth contradicts the self-fulfilling lifestyles of our culture. We will be persecuted, both in word and in action, because we stand for Christ whom they also persecuted. Jesus offends those who live according to the desires of the flesh, so we must expect that we who represent Jesus will also offend them.

So many of David’s Psalms are about the attacks of his enemies based on his life of faith in God. One of the questions that penetrates my soul is this – why am I not experiencing such attacks. We may think that it has to do with our culture which has traditionally accepted Christian values. But David’s country was founded on God’s principles too, and yet its citizens were the ones pursuing David. Even members of his own family sought to destroy him and overthrow the kingdom. As a result, David certainly knew what it was to seek refuge in God. David had experienced the safety of the Rock. David knew from experience that God was his fortress. And until we begin to experience the same kind of persecution, I’m not sure we really know what kind of fortress God can be.

The reason I say that is because we have become very adept in our culture of avoiding the persecution that would certainly come upon us if we truly lived out our faith in every part of our lives. Jesus said that would be the reality of living a life of faith. We have done so by discovering and choosing alternative fortresses.

• We have invested in the fortress of finances, and we feel secure as long as we are making and hoarding money, taking pride in our possessions and calling ourselves a success.
• We have entered the fortress of family, and even if some of them don’t believe the truth we overlook it because we value family peace more than God’s truth. Then we justify it by hoping others will notice how loving and functional our family is.
• We have strengthened the fortress of friends, believing that so long as we are tolerant of their beliefs they will be tolerant of ours so that we can find acceptance and live at peace with our neighbors.

Then, when we feel safe in our fortresses, we take the credit for the goodness we are experiencing. We may even hypocritically give the credit to God for bestowing His goodness on us when we know in our hearts it is all of our own doing.

You may be thinking right now, “Wow! PJ is being a little harsh this morning.” Yes, I am being harsh – with me, because I realize how guilty I am of fabricating my own fortresses so I can experience goodness. If this doesn’t fit you, then move on – but it might fit you more than you are willing to admit.

Let’s compare our situation to David’s in Psalm 31. In the midst of all of his confessions to God about the trouble he was experiencing, David wants to be sure that any goodness he experiences is directly from God and not of his own making. David admits to God that he is in need of deliverance from his enemies. He wants God alone to be his rock and his fortress. He has totally surrendered the preservation and the outcome of his life to the Lord. Jesus Christ himself quotes this Psalm at the moment of His death on the cross when He says, “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” 

David admits that he has stood strong in his trust for God in the face of false worship. He confesses to the anguish of his soul, his distress, his physical weakness, his sorrow and his grief. He states that his life is consumed by the anguish that has lasted for years. He declares to God that he is the utter contempt of his neighbors and that his friends dread him. People who meet him in public turn and run from him. It’s as if the world considers him dead, and those who know he is still alive are plotting to kill him. We can all relate to portions of that. We all are experiencing some degree of what David was.

At this point we might all agree that David is not experiencing any goodness. David also is not proclaiming his ability to come up with a solution and fix it so that goodness returns. David confesses that there is no fortress of human fabrication to run to – there is no earthly rock to hind behind. David realizes there is only one option and proclaims, But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. And after having said that, David declares this incredible truth –

How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you. 

Do you see? When our refuge is in God alone, He will bestow goodness on us in the sight of all men, including our enemies. When we solve our own sufferings, then in the sight of all men we are credited with self-produced goodness. When we do nothing to solve our sufferings and we accept the persecutions that come upon the faithful, then the very people who declared us weak and whipped will see the goodness and glory of God revealed in our lives.

Please think about that carefully. You might consider answering this question – “Is the goodness I am currently experiencing of my own making or is it fully the gift of God upon my life because He is my rock and my fortress?” 

Answer humbly and honestly. You want to be able to end your life the way David ends this Psalm – not as a proud person but as a faithful one. He says…

Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.

Choose God as your only fortress.

Pastor John

Dance for Joy (Even though life didn’t turn out the way you expected)

Psalm 30:11-12  You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

 If you have your Bible open to this Psalm right now you may notice that the heading at the beginning of the Psalm says, A Psalm of David. A song for the dedication of the temple.  King David wrote a song for an event that he would never see. David knew that he was not being allowed to build the temple in Jerusalem and that his son Solomon would have that honor. It had been David’s one main ambition in life to build the temple for the worship of God, but because of his sin and warring ways God had said no. David was heartbroken. His dreams were shattered. His life would be unfulfilled.

But David did not rebel against the will of the Lord. He did not turn away from the plan to have a temple built. He did not choose to go into a corner and pout leaving all of the work to others. In essence, he didn’t takes his toys and go home just because he wasn’t allowed to play his games his way. Instead, David made great preparations for the building of the temple so that his son Solomon would be able to get the job done quickly and efficiently. He made incredible financial contributions from his own wealth. He designed the whole building. He arranged for all of the materials that would be needed. He organized all the work crews. He even planned the music for the dedication ceremony, and Psalm 30 was the theme song.

Of all the things David could have written for the theme music, he wrote about the infinite love and faithfulness of God. He wanted the people to remember for all time that God is all about rescue, reconciliation, and restoration. No matter how severe the trial or tribulation, God will lift us out of the depths.

The temple was to be a place of worship, and the theme of the worship was to be the salvation God provides for us. This Psalm was probably written near the end of David’s life, after he had rebelled against God by numbering the people. (Read 2 Samuel 24 for more details) God punished David by bringing a pestilence against the land, and 70,000 people died. Then, just as the Angel of the Lord was about to destroy Jerusalem, God’s mercy intervened and the Angel was stopped. The city and David were spared. In response to that event, David writes this song, proclaiming the faithfulness of God to save us from our sin.

When we come into a place of worship, either in our home or in our church, we should come to exalt the Name of Jesus, who in His love and faithfulness has saved us from our sin. We should worship like David because our lives are just like his…

• We know what it is to be in the depths of despair, and we know how to worship the One who lifts us out of them (vs. 1).
• We know what it is like to be wounded in spirit, and we know how to worship the One who heals our spirits (vs. 2).
• We have faced the reality of death, and we worship the One who has spared us from ever experiencing it (vs. 3).
• We have experienced the anger of God against our sin, yet we worship the One whose anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime (vs. 5).
• We have cried throughout the night because of the pain of earthly circumstances, yet we worship the One who brings rejoicing in the morning (vs. 5).
• We have endured the hopelessness of life’s possibilities and in worship we dance with enthusiasm before the One who has given us eternal hope (vs. 11).
• We have mourned over the loss of life and love on the earth, but we are moved to worship the One who restores unto us the joy of our salvation (vs. 11).
• In all of this we worship the Lord our God and give thanks to Him forever (vs. 12).

It might be a good thing to memorize these phrases –

• God’s favor lasts a lifetime;
• Rejoicing comes in the morning;
• God turns wailing into dancing;
• God clothes me with joy;
• I will give God thanks forever.

– then use them as the basis for your worship to God every day. If we do, I am convinced we will experience a major attitude adjustment, and it will be great to see so many doing the dance of joy!

Dear Friends, there are actually two trains running through the station today. I hope you will take the time to read them both.

Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

Wednesday, June 03, 2015

Psalm 29:1-2  Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.  Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

On September 29, 1994, the 88th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld was aired. It was entitled The Big Salad. This was the plot.

At Elaine’s request, George purchases a “big salad” to go for her from Monk’s. When George asks Jerry, “What’s in the big salad?”, Jerry replies, “Big lettuce, big carrots, tomatoes like volleyballs.” But George’s girlfriend Julie appears to take credit for the purchase when she hands Elaine the salad in Jerry’s apartment. George is displeased that Elaine thanked Julie for buying the salad, and mentions to Elaine that he was responsible for the purchase. George’s revelation eventually leads to a rift between him and Julie when the truth comes out.

The truth, in George’s view, is not that Elaine thanked the wrong person, but that Julie accepted the thanks. As George loudly explains, “What I would like to know is, how does a person who has nothing to do with the Big Salad claim responsibility for that salad and accept the thank-you under false pretenses?” Julie understands perfectly well, and says, “George, all I did was hand someone a bag.” Semi-humiliated, George vows never to buy Elaine lunch again.

This comedic situation draws to attention several problems that exist in our relationships with other people.

• Sometimes we take credit for what we didn’t do.
• Sometimes we refuse to take credit (responsibility) for what we did.
• Sometimes we give credit to the wrong person.
• Sometimes we do not give credit when credit was due.

As I began my trip into the 29^th Psalm this morning, I paused after the first word. I asked myself, What does ascribe mean? I discovered it means to give credit. So with that definition in mind, I read the rest of the Psalm.

Give credit to the LORD, O heavenly beings, Give credit to the LORD for his glory and strength.  Give credit to the LORD for the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

As I continued to read I was overwhelmed with the credit that is due His name.

• For His clear voice that can be heard above all the noise of life. The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
• For His powerful voice that breaks the bondage of our sin. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
• For His redeeming voice that restores joy in the midst of the wilderness experiences of life. He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.  The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
• For His life-giving voice. The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth…
• For His sovereignty and glory. …and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, “Glory!” The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever. 

We may not take credit for any of these things.

We dare not give credit for any of these things to anyone else.

We must give credit for all of this and so much more to the One and Only for whom credit is due.

Give credit to the LORD!

Seriously – do it right now – Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name!

For Further Reading (I wrote this about Psalm 29 on March 19, 2007)

There is a huge difference between praising God and ascribing glory to God. I have been guilty of saying the words of praise without truly ascribing to God the glory due His name.

To ascribe means to give credit and hold nothing back for self.

I have watched worshipers in church sing the words of songs meaninglessly with no real attachment to their heart. I have also done that. I have heard athletes begin their post-game interviews with statements of praise to God and then immediately draw all of the attention to their own accomplishments.

I believe we are guilty of learning the techniques of giving praise with our mouths without truly engaging our hearts in the humble act of worship by ascribing all of the glory to God. It is hypocritical to say with our mouths that God gets the credit for our accomplishments yet treasure in our hearts the praise that comes from people for what we have done.

In the very first line of this Psalm, God addresses the issue of our pride in our own abilities when He challenges the mighty ones to ascribe to Him all glory and strength. God recognizes the propensity in all of us towards self-sufficiency. It’s as if while we are saying to Him, “I couldn’t have done it without you,” we believe in our hearts that “He couldn’t have done it without me.”

Does the tool ever demand glory for the work that was done? Does the hammer require praise from the Carpenter? Do the scissors demand glory from the seamstress? Does the pen ask to be acknowledged for the writer’s work? We are nothing more than the instrument of God’s grace, and instruments draw no attention to themselves. No matter how rare and valuable the Stradivarius violin, its only true value is found in the music produced on it by the Master violinist who plays it.

If we truly understood the concept of ascribing, or giving praise and glory to God, then we would never draw attention to ourselves. If we truly reflected on the condition of our hearts during times of worship, we might discover that we are not really ascribing unto God the glory due His name. We are not naturally humble people who give someone else the full credit for what we have done. We tend to minimize the need for humility in worship. We would rather worship the Lord in the splendor of the worship band than in the splendor of His holiness.

Standing in the presence of His holiness requires humility and self-denial, so we would rather stand in the presence of our peers. We would rather compare our worship to our neighbor’s and believe that ours is better and more meaningful, thus ascribing glory to ourselves. It is hypocritical to worship the Lord in song while our hearts and minds are focused on our own lives and the people around us.

What would the worship in our church look like if every worshiper was totally fixed on the glory of God and the splendor of His holiness? How would our singing be different if we were not concerned with the style of music or the way it was being performed? How much more in touch with the Spirit of God would we be if we were not so concerned about the people around us? How would the musicians behave while they performed the music if they did it in a spirit of humility in the splendor of His holiness? How would our responses to God during worship be different? Would we spend more time on our knees than on our feet? Would we lift up holy hands to the Lord more often? Would we cry more frequently as we come face to face with the awesome grace of God?

Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

Give all of the glory for your life to the only One who is worthy of praise – the Lord God Almighty. Hold nothing back for yourself. It is not God and you that accomplish anything – it is God alone. You are the tool – the instrument. God does all the work and plays all of the music.

Ascribe to the Lord, you who think you are mighty, all glory and strength.

Strong and Gentle

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Psalm 28:7-9  The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.

It was a terrible thunderstorm. The tornado it spawned was not huge, but was headed directly for the small farm where a young family lived. The father quickly gathered his wife and small child into the interior bathroom of the house just as the tornado ripped through the barn, missing a direct hit on the house. But the force of the winds tore to roof off the house and two of the exterior walls collapsed. As they fell, the bathroom wall started to lean inward, threatening to crash down on the family. In one motion, the father extended his left arm upward and with all of his strength held up the wall, while reaching down with his right arm and lifting his child into a comforting hug. For several minutes, while the mother cleared a path through the rubble for their escape, dad stood in his dual role as the strength and shield of his family, and the gentle shepherd that carries his child.

What an incredible picture of our LORD. The LORD is strong and mighty. He is our shield and protector. He is the fortress of our salvation. And yet He is our gentle shepherd who carries us and comforts us in times of distress.

It is enough to make our hearts leap for joy and give thanks to Him in song.

Here and Now

Monday, June 01, 2015

Psalm 27:13-14  I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!  Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

As I drove into the church parking lot this morning after being gone for two weeks, I took notice of some changes that I hadn’t seen yesterday when I arrived for church. I guess I was too focused on the upcoming worship service to look around and enjoy the sights.

The hostas that line the sidewalk on the north side of the building are thriving. The new lilac bushes on the east side are blooming, along with the other two flowering bushes that were planted this spring. I think one is a rhododendron.

Around the main entrance there are two very healthy clematis plants vining out and in full bloom. The flowering crab apple trees are done blooming but thriving. The lawn is mowed nicely. Everything is very beautiful and well-cared for. My commendations to the people who have put in so many hours nurturing the living landscape.

When I sat down at my desk and opened God’s Word to the Psalm for today, it was already heavily highlighted in my Bible. One verse jumped out at me because I had written a note beside it. The note said Here and Now! The verse is the thirteenth, and reads,

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!

In an instant I knew why the Holy Spirit had drawn my attention to the beauty of the living landscape around the church. I saw the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

The context of the 27^th Psalm is the contrast between the goodness of God and the evil nature of people. Please take a moment to read the whole Psalm.

I want to point out one principle that has impacted my life. It was the reason I wrote the note I did next to verse 13 in my Bible.

I had the tendency to view verse 13 as a promise to be fulfilled when I reach heaven. I built that premise on a misunderstanding of verse 4, where David says, One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. Can you understand how we might see that as a promise of being in His presence in heaven?

As a result of my error, I applied all of the other promises in this Psalm about deliverance from evil as being fulfilled when this life is over. I saw this Psalm as one that offered hope to those who would be strong and courageous and persevere through all of the hardships of life while they wait for heaven. (verse 14)

But that all changed when I truly understood the context of the whole Psalm. David is not looking into eternity, but bringing the eternal goodness of God to bear on the present reality. What a glorious comprehension of God’s truth.

This is the land of the living.

Here and now is the time we will see the goodness of the Lord.

The Lord is my light and my salvation and my stronghold…TODAY, so I have nothing or no one to fear.

I may dwell in the house of the LORD and gaze upon His beauty and inquire of Him…TODAY!

He hides me in His shelter, and conceals me in His tent…TODAY!

He lifts my head above the evil around me so I can sing and shout to Him with joy…TODAY!

And when the circumstances of life hide the signs of life like the cold and snow of winter, I will wait for the Lord, for I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

Here and Now.

TODAY!

Habakkuk 3:17-19  Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,   yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.  GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.

Insiders with God Have Integrity

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Psalm 26:1   …I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.

Proverbs 20:7  The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him!

When I was a sophomore in High School on the east side of St. Paul, Minnesota, I decided to try out for the golf team. It was my first year at that school, so I didn’t know many other kids yet. During the tryout I quickly learned two things – I was an outsider and that insiders do whatever they want to remain on the inside.

The tryout consisted of an 18-hole round of golf, and the top eight scores would make the team. There were nine of us trying out, and it was very clear that the other eight were members of last year’s team. My game was sharp, and the three other guys I was playing with started to show concern for one of their friends who was lagging behind on the scorecard. When we reached the eleventh hole I was ahead of him by two strokes.

The eleventh hole was a par three, with a green that could not be seen from the tee unless you climbed a ladder to a platform positioned next to the tee box. When we arrived at the tee, the group ahead of us was just leaving for the green, and the “friends” talked a few minutes. After about a ten minute wait, we were ready to hit our shots. One of the other guys climbed the ladder to watch the shots. Mine landed just short and right of the green. Then the young man who was behind me took his shot, which angled substantially left.

Suddenly, from the green, hooting and hollering started, and the kid on the platform yelled, “It went in!” But how could it, I thought? It was headed way left. Well according to the “friends” in the group ahead, the ball hit one of their golf bags on the next tee and ricocheted onto the green and into the hole. If you know anything about the structure of lightweight carry bags you know that a ball doesn’t bounce off them very far, and this ball would have had to bounce over thirty yards.

It was obvious to me what had happened, but they stuck to their story, and now I was only one stroke ahead following the mystery hole-in-one. My emotions didn’t respond well, even though I kept it all inside. I ended up losing the match by one stroke and not making the team.

I was reminded of that display of falsehood and hypocrisy when I read the 26^th Psalm today. I was reminded of the times I have sought to be an insider and did whatever I thought it would take to stay one. I was reminded of how lonely it can be being an outsider.

But I was also reminded of the emotional pain and suffering I’ve known by trying to become an insider. You see, pleasing people is painful, because they are constantly changing their expectations, which means we have to change our performance. As a result, we never really know who we are. The pain of an identity crisis is far worse than the pain of loneliness. In fact, the perceived solution of becoming an insider by any means actually produces more loneliness and not less, thereby compounding the pain.

King David knew the answer. Four times in this Psalm he proclaims that the answer is integrity.

• Psalm 26:1 …I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
• Psalm 26:6 I wash my hands in innocence…
• Psalm 26:11 But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity…
• Psalm 26:12 My foot stands on level ground…

David had made a choice to be an insider with God, not with people. As a result he discovered the steadfast love and faithfulness of the Father. (verse 3) He knew the strength that comes from consistency, (verse 12) and the joy of fellowship available in the habitation of God’s house (verse 8). David discovered that since God is unchangeable, the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, then we can be unchangeable as well if we have our identity in Him.

That’s integrity.

Have you chosen to be an insider with God?

Pastor John

Don’t Throw Stones

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Psalms 25:8  Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

Recently I have developed a renewed amazement of the grace of God. I think it is because God knows I need a softening of my heart towards people who stand opposed to Jesus Christ in our culture. It is so easy to become antagonistic towards those who don’t believe the truth and to become arrogant about the truth that we have. But a story from the life of Jesus has really impacted me.

It’s the story of the woman who was caught in the act of adultery and brought to Jesus by the Pharisees. They were setting a trap for Him. If Jesus agreed with the law and approved of the woman’s stoning to death, then they could renounce His authority for misinterpreting the Old Testament law that clearly states that both people caught in adultery were to be killed. If He refused to sentence her to death, they could accuse Him of not abiding by the law.

What would Jesus do?

After a short pause to play in the sand (actually He was writing something in the dirt) Jesus told all of the woman’s accusers that the judgment of death could only be imposed by those who were sinless themselves. “Let the one who has no sin cast the first stone,” were His words to the crowd. They all walked away in shame. Jesus then turned to the woman and asked her where her accusers went. “Has no one condemned you?”  When she responded that no one had condemned her, Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and leave your life of sin.” 

What an incredible example of grace. What a model for us to follow in how we treat those who are caught up in the bondage of sin. Jesus had every right to condemn her and cast the first stone. He was sinless. But He extended grace to her, and only then did He instruct her to stop sinning.

Grace first – then growth.

It is that same grace that David recognized in Psalm 25:8 – the grace of God that teaches sinners His ways. This just thrills me to the core of my spirit. God initiates grace to us while we are still sinners and teaches us His ways. We do not make ourselves worthy of His teaching. We do not have to grow to a certain spiritual level to earn the right to be taught. No, God meets us where we are and extends grace to us so that we may know Him and have a relationship with Him that will produce growth.

God never requires works before He extends grace.

Now if we could just learn to do that with our peers – the sinners around us every day.

When Jesus told the crowd that the sinless person could cast the first stone, He did not categorize the sin. He didn’t say that the one who had never committed adultery could cast the first stone. He said that the one who had no sin whatsoever was the only one qualified to condemn another person for their sin. That makes all of us equal at the foot of the cross.

That should and must change the way that we look at the sinful people of the world – they are our peers.

We are not superior.

We have a superior Savior, but we are sinners saved by God’s grace, and but for His grace we would be in the chains of sin as they are.

We must stop demanding that people change before they have experienced the grace of God. We are expending a lot of human energy without the strength of the Holy Spirit’s presence when we try to change our government, our culture, our schools, our workplaces, and people’s lives so that they become conformed to the ways of God before they have personally and individually experienced the grace of God. It is only after being told that they are no longer condemned that they are to be told to stop sinning.

Think about how this should affect your attitude towards people still trapped in sin. They are not the offender who needs to be punished – they are the victim who needs to be set free. When we start looking at people as victims of Satan’s lies, deception, and spiritual bondage, then we will be able to extend grace to them rather than condemnation.

It is time for the Christian Church to change the way it relates to the people of its culture. It is possible that we have earned the bad name that society has given us. We are at times intolerant – because under the guise of hating sin we have acted like we hate the sinner. I know it’s a difficult and almost impossible task to love the person and still hate the sin, but Jesus did it.

And do you know how he did it? He always showed love before he addressed the sin. Maybe that’s our problem. We start with the sin and then try to show that we love the person anyway.

WRONG!

Start with the love of Jesus, and don’t bring up the sin until they want to know where the love comes from. Then we can tell them that the love comes from God who forgave us for our sin and continues to do so. Then people will they see us living out the grace of God before we pick up the stones to condemn them?

O LORD, may we grow in grace so that the love of Jesus is truly seen in us.

Pastor John

Lift Up Your Head and Sing!

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

 Psalm 24:7-10 ⁷Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. ⁸Who is this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle! ⁹Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. ¹⁰Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory! 

Several years ago a young man from church and I would meet every Tuesday morning for an hour to study God’s Word. One point we were studying the book of Revelation. As we studied I was challenged by the worship that takes place in the presence of God. Every being that is there, from angels to supernatural beasts and from Old Testament saints to those from the church age, all participate in the worship. But there is something very distinct about their worship. Angels and humans worship differently. Their songs are not the same. See if you can catch the difference in these two passages –

Revelation 5:9 – 10 And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”

Revelation 5:12 – 13 In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”

Here’s what I wanted you to notice. The first song was sung by the 24 elders, representing all of the saints who are in Christ Jesus from both the Old and the New Testament eras. The second song is sung by angels. The third song is sung by all the creatures of the earth. Only one of the songs contains a reference to salvation. Of all that God has created, we are the only ones who have experienced the saving grace of God. We are the only ones who can testify to Christ’s redemption.

Angels haven’t.

The animal kingdom cannot.

We alone who have come to Christ for salvation can sing the song of the redeemed. We alone can lift our heads in worship proclaiming the joy of our salvation. We alone can know by experience the strong and mighty Lord who fought and won the battle with sin and death. We alone will reign with the King on the earth in His coming kingdom. We alone can experience the fullness of the King’s glory because we have experienced the glory of His grace.

The splendor of the King is worshipped by all the angels in heaven, and it must be awesome to observe. But nothing can compare to the worship of the King by the ones He has saved. Our worship surpasses the worship of the angels because it includes the song of salvation.

I am convinced that our daily devotional time should include an expression of worship to God for His saving grace. I am convinced that our worship in our churches must include more expressions of praise for our salvation. Songs that exalt God are good. Songs that invite God’s presence into our lives are meaningful. But songs that praise the God of our salvation are indispensable. Just reflect on the songs that are most meaningful to you in your life of worship. I will venture to conclude that your favorites are songs about your salvation. It doesn’t matter if they are hymns or contemporary worship songs, I know that the songs that are most meaningful to me are the ones that connect me to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. There is a reason for that. They are God’s favorite songs for us to sing. He cannot hear them from the angels. His creation cannot sing them. Only we who have been created in His image and then reborn into the image of His Son Jesus can sing the songs of God’s glorious grace.

So lift up your heads and sing.

Sing often.

Sing loudly.

Sing to God the song of the redeemed.

Sing to the King of Glory.

Pastor John

Refreshed in the Hot Springs

Monday, May 11, 2015

Psalm 23:1-6 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

In the spring of 1972 I sat down in the driver’s seat of a brand new yellow Chevy Malibu and began a 4,000 mile trip to Fairbanks, Alaska. I was on my way to a mission radio station at North Pole, Alaska. The car was provided for me by a dealer who was transferring it from Minneapolis to Fairbanks. I was the delivery driver. Back in those days, the Alaska Highway through the mountains was not paved, so 1,500 miles of the trip was on gravel that was more like gumbo when it got wet. Twice I almost went over an unprotected cliff edge following a rain shower.

I was a poor college student so I slept in the car each of the three nights of the trip. During the third day of driving, after having travelled some 2800 miles, I was exhausted and sore. Then, on the side of the road, I saw a sign that was divine. “Hot Springs – 3 miles.” I turned off the main highways onto a dirt road that led to the most glorious hot bath I’ve ever taken in my life. I relaxed in that rock lined basin of steaming water for almost an hour, and it completely refreshed me. I drove well into the night and arrived in Fairbanks the next day well ahead of schedule.

That’s exactly how I feel about today’s visit to the Twenty-Third Psalm. This is probably the most beloved and quoted Psalm around the world. Even people with no interest in spiritual things seem to know parts of it. It is a Psalm that requires numerous stops at one of its many scenic overlooks into the caring nature of our Father in heaven. Each one is a hot spring of its own. I need to pull off the road and bathe in every one of these hot springs.

• The LORD is my shepherd – The Creator and Sustainer of all things is personally involved in caring for every detail of my life.
• I shall not be in want – I may want things, but the LORD knows exactly what I need and always provides. He provides nourishment and rest in green pastures; He provides refreshment from quiet waters; He encourages me and gives peace and contentment to my soul.
• He guides me in paths of righteousness – The LORD guards the honor of His Name by guiding me into righteous activities, decisions, and lifestyle choices so that my life is a reflection of His glory.
• I will fear no evil – Even though I may be surrounded with enemies and death, the LORD is my protector – His rod and His staff can be trusted to handle all threats to my life, and my trust in Him is rewarded with comfort and peace.
• The LORD prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies – The presence of the LORD brings such security that even in the middle of the storms of life I can sit at His banquet table and enjoy His food and fellowship as if nothing else matters.
• You anoint my head with oil – The Lord confirms to me that I am His child forever, set apart for His service, healing all of my sin.
• My cup overflows – I am experiencing abundant life; there is fullness to every aspect of life because of the blessing of the LORD’s presence.
• Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life – The LORD causes all things to work out for good because I love Him and I am living according to His purpose for my life.
• I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever – I am constantly motivated by the hope of glory – the guarantee of a home in heaven forever in the presence of the LORD.

Which of these baths will you enjoy the most today?

Pastor John